People absolutely rave about the books of Colin Bateman, or just Bateman as he likes to be known, so I settled down to this with high expectations. Bateman’s brand of comic detective fiction was certainly enjoyable enough but didn’t really have running me off to Waterstones to pick up another one.
The Mystery Man of the title runs a specialist detective fiction shop in Belfast called No Alibis. Afflicted with a number of maladies (possibly real, possibly imagined) he enjoys a simple life of selling the odd book, staying indoors, memorising number plates and lusting/stalking the girl working in the jewellers over the road. Things take a surprising turn when the detective agency next door fails to open and clients pop into the shop thinking the Mystery Man is the P.I. Things start well with some simple fun cases such as tracing a woman’s missing leather trousers but soon he finds himself in a real mystery with people being murdered left, right and centre. Can the Mystery Man and Alison solve The Mystery of the Dancing Jew before they fall victim?
While the mystery is clever, Mystery Man is more of a comic character study than a real detective novel and perhaps that’s why so many people like his books and why I was left unsatisfied. On the plus side we have a great cast of characters from the neurotic and possibly dangerous bookseller himself (look for the clever Psycho overtones) to his gung ho comic strip drawing potential new girlfriend, down to Jeff, the Amnesty loving assistant to some of the weird clients who hire the Mystery Man’s services. Belfast is painted as a half comic/half tragic environment and a suitably quirky setting for a noir pastiche.
Bateman is the king of the pithy one liner and Mystery Man is consistently funny. The narrator describes Jeff as such: “He’s keen and writes poetry and belongs to Amnesty International, but he’ll grow out of these things.†One of my favourite bits involves an event No Alibi’s hosts:
“Serial Killer Week got off to an inauspicious start when the opening wine and bean evening was invaded by a former prisoner who misinterpreted the poster, but he was at least able to give us the professional’s view of the genre, although in my opinion he was not up to speed on the rapid advances in forensic science. However, he made notes. One of my regular customers took quite a shine to him, and they left together, amid much jolly quipping. I believe in both redemption and the power of love, but I also understand that recidivism in killers is close to 76 per cent; I suspect that we will shortly be reading either about their wedding or her disappearance.â€
Mystery Man is very funny but just a little too gentle for my tastes.
GK Rating: ***
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