Britten and Brulightly by Hannah Berry is yet another Partick library find. Fernandez Britten is a ‘private researcher’ who is tired of his reputation as a heartbreaker, spying for jealous lovers an breaking up relationships. He’s lost all enthusiasm for his job, but when a young woman comes to him convinced her fiance’s suicide was in fact murder, he takes on the case, and soon a dark family history unfolds.

I enjoyed this book more than I expected to, it’s a good story but what really captivated me was just the general atmosphere and mood of the book, which is so effectively communicated. This is all down to the artwork: dull, shaddowy yet highly attractive watercolour, this book has a wet, washed-out aesthetic that compliments it’s lead character and the rainy setting of the story. Also, anyone who reads this blog regularly might know that I’m fascinated by the panel layout and composition of comics (yes, really) and I thought Britten & Brulightly was very imaginative and inspiring in this respect too.