Have just finished listening to the The Victoria Vanishes the sixth and latest in the Peculiar Crimes Unit Series. I love these books especially all the information they contain about London and its history. They are also beautifully read. The mysteries within them are really secondary to the characters, the history and the sense of place.
Here is a review
The Victoria Vanishes is the sixth in a series featuring the Peculiar Crimes Unit. The unit, as its name suggests, investigates all crime in London which does not come under the logical jurisdiction of the other branches of the Metropolitan Police. Senior Detective Arthur Bryant and his partner, Senior Detective John May having just solved a crime which took place in the country, are back in London preparing for the funeral of pathologist Oswald Finch. Finch died during this previous case and both detectives along with the rest of the Peculiar Crimes staff are mourning his loss.
In addition, Bryant is feeling his age, noticing some memory loss, which he is told is normal as a result of exposure to the elements in the just concluded case. Bryant, however, is seriously considering retirement even going so far as to write a letter of resignation which he surreptitiously delivers to his superior Raymond Land. May has problems of his own; having just received news that he has cancer and must have immediate surgery.
The Peculiar Crimes Unit itself has received another ultimatum from the Home Office. Their unit will be shut down, and their offices will be inhabited by another branch of the system. Since Brant, May and company have just been assigned a case involving the unusual deaths of several middle aged single women all in famous London pubs, they are determined to see the successful end of what may be their last case. Bryant volunteers his flat as the command post for their operation as their offices at Mornington Crescent have been reassigned to another unit.
Bryant takes extra interest in the case when he realizes he has met one of the victims near The Victoria, a quaint pub. He is rattled and concerned about his memory loss when he discovers that The Victoria no longer exists and, in fact, has not existed since 1927. He rethinks his resignation in light of getting to the bottom of this intriguing case as well as proving that the pub, or a reasonable facsimile thereof, did, indeed, exist and he had seen it.
Christopher Fowler presents a refreshing change from the usual serial murder mystery. There is an emphasis on the puzzle aspect of the crimes, a liberal dose of humor, and a decided lack of both blood and gore and steamy bedroom scenes. The pub that exists or doesn’t and Bryant’s misplacement of Finch’s ashes are reminiscent of Donald Westlake’s Dortmunder and his madcap plans. Clues are presented and mulled over, encouraging the reader to think through the evidence along with the detectives.
The utilization of London pubs as the scenes of crimes allows the author to introduce his readers to a bit of London history as well as alert them to the present day plight of these historic landmarks. It is a pity to think that these quaint places may soon give way to more sterile modern structures.
Fowler’s humor is subtle, appealing to the intellect rather than the obvious. He is a master of his craft and uses his talents wisely. From the direction the novel takes at the end of the book, it would not be surprising if this book is the last of the series. Mr. Fowler’s aptitude as a writer, however, ensures, I hope that we will see other examples of his expertise in the future.
