“The Absent Man” is the second in an urban fantasy thriller series set in a sumptuously imagined Britain alongside a shadowy world of “Others.” Our rather baroque hero, Bermuda Jones, works for a police organization charged with dealing with evil creatures “crossing over,” and he is an appealing mixture of India-Jones-bravado, wisecracks, courage, and dejection. Author Enright’s plotting is nice and tight, places (this time centering on Glasgow) come to life, and characterisation is vivid if sometimes overwrought. I enjoyed this and its predecessor and will follow the series along, but I wish I didn’t have to reread and reread character motivations and themes. Action scenes are written very well but the general writing can be quite awkward. A readable, exciting adventure in a beguiling double-world.
Book, movie/show, and album reviews
