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Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler

Bryant & May--Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery, Book 1

Lots that I liked.  Crime novel that is also historical fiction.  Fowler gives insight into London during the blitz.  Danger from street cars, some looting during blackout, stiff upper lip British still going to theaters, etc.  Fowler also takes reader backstage into the workings of a theater.  I learned a lot about the physical complexity of a major theater--production is a tremendous production.  I liked both the main characters.  Bryant, the eccentric loner who thinks out of the box. May, the more traditional "bright" guy, who is able to appreciate Bryant and help by keeping him in the real world, a little.

Plot revolves around murders committed while cast rehearses and then performs Offenbach's scandalous version of Orpheus and Eurydice.  The murders are on the gruesome-detail side given the general British coolness of the rest of the text.  Spoiler coming.  The denouement was the weakest part.  Elspeth, pregnant from a one-night stand at 15, hides her son in the complex theater. He becomes a scarred phantom of the theater (he put mask on his face, it stayed on too long, festered, causing an infection.) Elspeth wants out of the theater, so the only way she can think is to force the theater to close by killing people.  She makes the murders seem to be related to Greek mythology; her son--the gruesome Todd--helps; it's all too fantastic.

Fowler also has Bryant be a believer in the paranormal.  May is skeptical, but some of the psychics do provide correct answers.  I could do without that as well.

Plotting is wonderfully done.  Book starts with the murder of Bryant. Depressed, May reopens their first case convinced it is the key to solving Bryant's murder.  Beautifully handled, and even the resurrection of Bryant at the end is fine.

 I'll read another one.

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