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A review by grubstlodger
Buried for Pleasure by Edmund Crispin
3.0
‘Buried for Pleasure’ is the sixth book in the Gervase Fen series and the third I’d read.
It moves away from the Oxford-based mysteries, with Fen wanting to recuperate from editing Langland by running an parliamentary campaign. In some ways this shakes the series up a little but it does mean we miss two of my favourite elements of Fen’s stories; Lilly Christina III, his unruly car and Wilkes the Whisky-guzzler. There were also fewer literary jokes this time through, except the bit-part of a mystery writer who rehearses his fictional murder.
There was also a change in Fen’s character. While he did the usual thing of holding on to information, he was less moody then the early books. When confronting murder, he used to have a cold and icy rage but when a friend is killed, he doesn’t seem to care particularly. He is still arch, particularly in regard to politics (and gets to make a big anti-political speech) but breaks the fourth wall far less.
The mystery itself is not very involved but like the other books, it’s more a case of journey than destination and it’s a fun journey. Not many writers would distract the writer during the first big exposition section with the buzzing of insects… nor would they describe the noise of renovation as a ’piratical sea-fight with cutlasses’. Another piece of useful information is smuggled through the salty phrases of a grandma.
I do wonder why there isn’t a series of Gervase Fen mysteries, it’s an enjoyable world to be in and I shall pick up more whenever I see them.
Oh - and what was it with the poltergeist? Was it the landlady?
It moves away from the Oxford-based mysteries, with Fen wanting to recuperate from editing Langland by running an parliamentary campaign. In some ways this shakes the series up a little but it does mean we miss two of my favourite elements of Fen’s stories; Lilly Christina III, his unruly car and Wilkes the Whisky-guzzler. There were also fewer literary jokes this time through, except the bit-part of a mystery writer who rehearses his fictional murder.
There was also a change in Fen’s character. While he did the usual thing of holding on to information, he was less moody then the early books. When confronting murder, he used to have a cold and icy rage but when a friend is killed, he doesn’t seem to care particularly. He is still arch, particularly in regard to politics (and gets to make a big anti-political speech) but breaks the fourth wall far less.
The mystery itself is not very involved but like the other books, it’s more a case of journey than destination and it’s a fun journey. Not many writers would distract the writer during the first big exposition section with the buzzing of insects… nor would they describe the noise of renovation as a ’piratical sea-fight with cutlasses’. Another piece of useful information is smuggled through the salty phrases of a grandma.
I do wonder why there isn’t a series of Gervase Fen mysteries, it’s an enjoyable world to be in and I shall pick up more whenever I see them.
Oh - and what was it with the poltergeist? Was it the landlady?