“London bridge was made for wise men to go over and fools to go under." An old proverb
This is the 18th book featuring the exploits of
two geriatric detectives named Arthur Bryant and John May. I have read and enjoyed a number of them. John
May goes a bit more by the book and dresses stylishly. Bryant is the perfect foil as he does almost nothing by the book and is an
archetypal curmudgeon who dresses like a walking Salvation Army Store. He wears
an old overcoat, a rumpled hat, and wraps himself in a variety of moth- eaten long
scarves. His pockets are full of candy wrappers,
paper scraps, fruit drops, and pipe tobacco. The pair are the chief
investigators in what is called the Peculiar Crimes Unit and they have a covey
of assistants who are also the kind of folks who would not fit easily into a regular
Scotland Yard unit.
Let me note first that if complicated plots, a certain
amount of looniness, and some degree of acquaintance with London and its history don’t
intrigue you, I would recommend a pass on Fowler. Second, if does intrigue you,
I would recommend getting started with a few of his earlier offerings. That way
you can get some familiarity with the characters and their bizarre
investigations before you approach number 18, which starts out at least as a kind of swan song for
the series.
If you remain committed to start with London Bridge is
Falling Down, you will still get enough basic information to enter Bryant
and May’s world. You will find that the Peculiar Crimes Unit is finally being closed
down after many previous unsuccessful efforts to eliminate it. Arthur Bryant tries
one final ploy to keep everyone’s jobs. He finds a cold case and then convinces
the upper echelons that there is new information that must be investigated. Ultimately, the case proves to be not so cold.
It turns out to be the tiny tip of a multi-year plot. The strange death of an
old woman who once worked with the Bletchley codebreakers explodes into
multiple murders and the involvement of the current CIA and MI 5. The key to the
mystery resides in the ability to decipher clues which deal with the
romantic and real history of London Bridge and a cadre of the offbeat denizens
of London.
London Bridge is Falling is Falling Down will have
you laughing out loud at the quirky characters. Witness when someone says
to Arthur Bryant “your eyes are red” and asks if he has had enough sleep.
Arthur replies, “You should see them from my side.” There will be gems of
wisdom along the way like “The older you get the less noticed you become.” You
will also be delighted by the descriptions of everything from old churches to
the changing aspects of London weather. You may even be shedding a tear or two when
you arrive at the beautifully crafted finish. I am an Anglophile and love Mr. Fowler's books. I am
counting on the fact that you will too, no matter where in the series you start.
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