Berry, Jedediah. (2009). The Manual of Detection. New
York, NY: Penguin.
Pages: 278
ISBN: 978-1594202117
Genre: mystery, fantasy, science
fiction, steampunk
Annotation: A clerk is
unhappily promoted to detective.
Summary: Clerk Charles
Unwin is a master of detail and routine. Then his life is disrupted when the greatest
detective his city has goes missing. This gets him promoted to detective, but
Unwin sees this as a mistake to rectify. Then he finds his boss’s boss murdered
and realizes he has to take on the mantle of detective at least long enough to
be able to get his own job back. This sends him on a surreal journey where who
can be trusted is unclear, facts are uncertain and what the future holds is up
for grabs. As he uses his knowledge of reports, the people he encounters and The Manual of Detection hints he finds
truth of the past is not what he thought. Unwin’s search brings him into
contact with a foe that would control the dreams of the whole city. Unwin must
go from a clerk who records details to a detective who makes them if he has chance
of saving the city, the detective and himself.
Evaluation: Good read
Unwin is an engaging
character. The reader is drawn into his obsessed with detail view of the world.
It is a trait which hinders him by making his world view narrow, but helps him
to see what he needs to when applied correctly. The other characters are
intriguing as the details of whom and what they are is slowly revealed. The
storyline is good, but two parts keep it from being excellent. Unwin’s movement
from clue to clue seemed too lucky. Also, the Agency’s purpose, the changing
nature of the characters and some of the events of the book are a bit too
surreal at times. The surreal vibe of the story was conveyed very well.
Descriptions of the agency, the unnamed city, the carnival and the dream areas
made the reader feel surreal and very aware this was another world. A good read
for those wanting something out of the ordinary.
What other out of the ordinary
books to read:
City of Glass by Paul Auster also involves a mystery and a
reluctant hero.
The Dream of Perpetual Motion by Dexter Palmer is another surreal
steampunk novel.
The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman by Angela Carter is
a surreal fantasy where the nature of reality is challenged.
The Prophecy Machine (Investments #1) by Neal Barrett Jr. is a
fantasy in which societal order is challenged.
