The Fallen Architect, by Charles Belfoure, historical mystery

Summary:

A theater balcony collapses, killing multiple people, and the theater architect is held responsible. Douglas Layton is tried and jailed for murder. He loses his architectural license, his aristocratic wife divorces him, and his young son is taken from him. So he starts over with a new identity and finds a job painting backdrops for a musical theater circuit. He also finds possible love with the widowed Cissie Mapes, who books performing acts for the circuit, befriends multiple people, including a pygmy (one of the “performing acts”), and reunites with an old architect friend.

Still the balcony collapse and resulting deaths haunt him. Could his design really be at fault? If not, then what caused it? As he investigates, it soon becomes clear: the balcony collapse wasn’t an accident. Someone intended to kill . . . but why?

Short aside:

My mother stopped by to drop off my daughter’s birthday balloons (which my daughter cringed at) and present (gift cards, a cookie cake, and chocolate bar that she won’t share with us, her family, including me, the woman who went through labor and delivery to give birth to her sixteen years ago!) She saw this novel on my dining room table.

“Oh,” she exclaimed, “Are you reading that? I’ve read all his novels! They’re terrific. All that architecture–” And on and on. I nodded and smiled and hoped that she’d leave soon so that I could get back to writing and reviewing and reading.

Anyway, my point is that different people have different tastes. This book wasn’t to my taste, it was to my mother’s, and it may or may not be to your taste, dear reader. But you’re smart, so you know that already.

What didn’t work for me:

1. Backstory.

In the first 5 chapters, we learned about Layton’s childhood, education, improbable rise in society (more on that later), the balcony collapse, his trial, jail time, divorce, and estrangement from his young son. Also we get the scoop on Layton’s two older brothers: one, a soldier, dead and the other eager to get the disgraced Layton out of their father’s house. It’s a lot, especially when some of the characters (such as his brothers or the various architects and educators) don’t appear later in the book.

Parts of this are necessary for us to know, but in my opinion, a lot of it isn’t. I think the story could have been better served by cutting most of the backstory and weaving the rest into the narrative as Layton assumes his new identity.

2. Layton at the beginning of the novel.

The background story comes directly after Layton is released from jail. He drinks too much, boards a train, and remembers his life journey–but we don’t know where he is literally going. (It turns out to be his father’s house. It would have helped to know that!)

He seems aimless. I really wanted to root for him, but couldn’t at that point because he doesn’t seem to have a plan or a goal or desire. After 5 years in prison, I would’ve expected him to have some sort of plan for life afterward.

Once Layton heads off to the musical theater and possible job offer, I was able to cheer him on.

3. The pygmies.

One of the acts that Cissie books is a group of pygmies who have been brought to England. The way the people are treated is a bit cringe-worthy. (Or as my teen says, “Cringy.”)

“While it was true that Cissie and the circuit were making a packet off the Pygmy act they weren’t treating them like zoo animals.” (The Fallen Architect, page 135)

I can’t tell if this is intended as justification to the reader or to show how the circuit justified it to themselves.

4. The coincidences.

(Small spoiler alert.)

At least two turning points hinge on coincidences. Layton happens to notice something amiss in a building’s structure, which leads to important discoveries. True, it makes sense that Layton, the architect, would notice the structural defect. But he simply happens to be in that particular location where he will notice is; there’s no story-imperative for him to be there and not elsewhere. He simply is. This is weak.

What did work for me:

1. The architecture.

Belfoure’s background as an architect shines through his protagonist. There are fascinating and story-significant details that only someone in this profession would even think to investigate:

“He could always tell the quality by looking closely at the metal’s grain. Good quality iron was smooth and tight, with no pitting or voids.” (The Fallen Architect, page 252)

Did you know that metal had a “grain”? Or understand how rivets work? Me neither. But this knowledge is significant in the story. I found it darned interesting, too.

2. Ronald.

Layton’s young son is a delight. He scampers and skips his way across the pages and shows an exuberant spirit. Despite his maternal grandfather’s class snobbery, Ronald doesn’t care about material goods or social standing. He is loyal to his father.

3. Cissie Mapes

The widowed Cissie books acts for the theater circuit. She’s a “hard-nosed businesswoman” (pg. 60), bossy with the onstage acts, influential, and independent. Predictably, Layton is attracted to her, but it’s not only her outward beauty that is attractive.

Layton: “You’re a woman of substance.” (…)

Cissie: “Most women aren’t, especially these society ladies. All fur coat and no knickers.” (The Fallen Architect, page 62)

(Women, which would you prefer to be: the fur-coat & no-knicker combo or substantial? I’ll take the latter, thank you. Fur makes me sneeze.)

4. Thomas Layton.

In the interview at the back of the book, Belfoure admits that Layton’s father was the most difficult to write. If so, his hard work paid off. I enjoyed this character a great deal.

5. Douglas Layton.

Belfoure does an excellent job showing how Layton struggles with his new identity and remaking himself once more. Layton has done this once before and risen above his common roots to marry into the aristocratic class and become a renowned architect. Now that he’s fallen from grace, he must do it again. This points to a determined spirit, as the class system was a rigid hierarchy.

“A man could fall down the ladder–and many did–but almost never did he climb up. There was always someone directly above, ready to push him down with his boot. Privilege and status were the only things that determined one’s social identity, and all Englishmen knew that, down to the lowliest guttersnipe.” The Fallen Architect, pg. 21

(Side note: I live in America, where we don’t have rigid “social classes” (in theory, at least). We love the all-American myth of the person who pulls him/herself up by the bootstraps and climbs the social ladder to success. The Horatio Alger-type story. But this description of the English class system hits a bit close to home, doesn’t it? What determines an American’s social identity? Is it really possible for someone to rise from the gutter to glory? Are the few who do rise welcomed or pushed down by those “above”? Hmm.)

Once Layton realizes what he needs to do, his resilience and determination to make a new life for himself are inspiring. He learns to find happiness and love, even when circumstances threaten to crush him.

Overall, the book was good, especially for historical mystery fans.

Has anyone else read this novel? What did you think? On a related topic, it’s fascinating how Belfoure used what he knows (architecture) as the basis for this book. What other authors have used their profession as the basis for their work?