I first heard about this book when William Gibson posted about Gray on his blog some time back. I must confess that this is the way I discover a lot of new fiction; what better recommendation than one from another writer? Finding a copy of this book was another kettle of fish entirely. Of course it was available online, or locally in mass market paperback, but I refuse to buy mass market books (they are cheap, disgusting little objects) and if at all possible I’d rather not buy a book online when there are old-fashioned bricks-and-mortar book stores about. I think it was five or six months that I looked for a copy, until finally Dave at Words Worth Books in Waterloo, one of my favourite book stores in the country, was able to track down a hard cover copy for me, at a more than reasonable price. (The staff at Words Worth also has a wonderful little blog.) The biggest problem with having searched so long and hard for a book is that, once found, what if it disappoints?
The Fiend in Human did not disappoint. The story was more complex than one often associates with thrillers, though I freely admit that might simply be because of my unfamiliarity with the genre. The story follows several threads as they weave back and forth across Victorian London; that of Mr. Edmund Whitty, correspondent for The Falcon, Mr. Henry Owler and the two young ladies (Phoebe and Dorcas) in his care, Walter Sewell and his old Oxford pal Reggie Harewood, as well as William Ryan, the man who has been wrongly convicted as Chokee Bill, The Fiend in Human Form. As an aside, though Gray lives in Vancouver, he definitely has an ear for the simple-yet-awkward phrasing and naming conventions of Victorian England.
There’s very little to say about this book without giving away the plot, and journeying through that rat’s nest (like the Holy Land, a maze traveling through the slums of London) is most of the fun of the book, although I must also admit a fondness for many of the characters. Rather than spoil the fun for you, I will just say that it was an entertaining book, and I hope to be in a position to review his other two before the end of the year.
Next: The Line Painter, by Claire Cameron.
