Review by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Hiding behind this peculiar and unexciting title (from a quotation about time) is one of the best mysteries in years. Jeremy P. Bushnell’s Relentless Melt follows the exploits of an aspiring investigator and a magic student in 1909 Boston as they unravel a criminal conspiracy that stretches from the depths of the city’s sewers to the very top of its government. Bushnell taps period details and the supernatural for a twisty crime reminiscent of James Lovegrove’s Sherlock Holmes Cthulhu Casebooks series.
Seventeen-year-old Artie Quick is taking night school classes in criminal investigation. Or she’s trying to, at least. Armed with her textbook and disguised in her elder brother’s suit, she practices her observation and interrogation techniques, hoping to gain insight into the criminal mind. While palling around Boston with her best friend Theodore, the two stumble across a mystery.
Outside a bar one night, they foil a kidnapping—but the kidnapper escapes. Artie is eager to compare notes with her criminology professor, to learn what she could have done better. But to her disappointment, the course is cancelled. Artie won’t accept this—she has her own important case to solve—and tracks Professor Winchell down at home, only to discover that Winchell’s twelve-year-old daughter is the victim of a recent abduction.
Could the two cases be connected? Winchell insists they’re not—the modus operandi are too different—but Artie and Theodore aren’t so sure. Artie’s unwillingness to give up—on Winchell’s daughter, on her hunch, on her own need to understand crime—forms the heart of this compelling story. Artie is a splendid protagonist, open-minded, eager to learn, keenly self-aware and reflective. In Bushnell’s skilled hands, this self-reflection never becomes self-indulgent, and we applaud Artie’s ability to learn on the fly, as she navigates challenges far outside those of your average Edwardian girl. Friend Theodore is equally appealing: a well-to-do young bachelor with a boundless, affable curiosity and acceptance of life’s surprises. His unerring support of Artie and her quest make him an ideal sidekick.
Despite the young protagonists, this doesn’t read like a young adult novel. Part of that comes from Artie’s strong self-awareness, although Relentless Melt thankfully lacks the unconvincing wise-beyond-their-years world-weariness of most adult fiction with young heroes. The writing is fresh and engaging; the characters and setting come vividly to life, all filtered through Artie’s irresistible lens. Bushnell weaves several threads that come together into one eerie, otherworldly conspiracy, giving the book a satisfying supernatural kick. An epilogue of sorts feels unnecessary—the tale is already nimble and flexible enough to make room for Bushnell and Artie to come to those conclusions and revelations within the story itself. But that’s a small complaint in an otherwise spectacular read.
From publisher Melville House, Relentless Melt is a solid piece of historical fiction, available now at bookstores everywhere and here at Amazon.
