Seventy-Seven Clocks

Bryant & May: Peculiar Crimes Unit #3

by Christopher Fowler

The odd couple of detection — the brilliant but cranky detectives of London's Peculiar Crimes Unit — return in a tense, atmospheric new thriller that keeps you guessing until the final page. This time Bryant and May are up against a series of bizarre murders that defy human understanding — and a killer no human hand may be able to stop.

A mysterious stranger in outlandish Edwardian garb defaces a painting in the National Gallery. Then a guest at the exclusive Savoy Hotel is fatally bitten by what appears to be a marshland snake. An outbreak of increasingly bizarre crimes has hit London — and, fittingly, come to the attention of the Peculiar Crimes Unit.

Art vandalism, an exploding suspect, pornography, rat poison, Gilbert and Sullivan musicals, secret societies...and not a single suspect in sight. The killer they're chasing has a dark history, a habit of staying hidden, and time itself on his side. Detectives John May and Arthur Bryant may have finally met their match, and this time they're really working against the clock...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, London, Historical Fiction, British Literature

477 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Christopher Fowler was an English writer known for his Bryant & May mystery series, featuring two Golden Age-style detectives navigating modern London. Over his career, he authored fifty novels and short story collections, along with screenplays, video games, graphic novels, and audio plays. His psychological thriller Little Boy Found was published under the pseudonym L.K. Fox.
Fowler's accolades include multiple British Fantasy Awards, the Last Laugh Award, the CWA Dagger in the Library, and the inaugural Green Carnation Award. He was inducted into the Detection Club in 2021. Beyond crime fiction, his works ranged from horror (Hell Train, Nyctophobia) to memoir (Paperboy, Film Freak). His column Invisible Ink explored forgotten authors, later compiled into The Book of Forgotten Authors.
Fowler lived between London and Barcelona with his husband, Peter Chapman.

Reviews

[Alex Cantone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jerry’s difficult personality had encouraged her parents to enrol her at a small private school in Chelsea which enjoyed a fine reputation as a clearinghouse for the problem children of the comfortable classes…

Set in London, December 1973, in the lead up to Christmas, the Heath Government is under Union attack by rolling strikes, the Savoy Hotel is host to delegates from the “Common Market” (later EU) and the Peculiar Crimes Unit of the Metropolitan Police are brought in to solve a series of bizarre murders of members of the Whitstable family and their lawyer. Two bodies are discovered by Savoy receptionist Jerry (Geraldine), only child of upwardly mobile parents. Aside from rebelling against her parents’ ethos, Jerry suffers nightmares and has a deep-seated fear of the dark. She finds some vital evidence which she keeps to herself, shadowing the investigation by Arthur Bryant and John May, assisted by Sgt Janice Longbright, and stifled by A/Superintendent Raymond Land, under pressure from the Home Office.

The family’s fortune, established by James Makepeace Whitstable in 1888, was based on the craftsmen of the Watchmakers Guild, and protected from competitors by a device (revolutionary in its time) of clocks and a central astrolabe with brass arms, overseen by an arcane secret society (the Stewards of Heaven). Little did the founder anticipate that his descendants, with a misplaced sense of entitlement, would bleed the fund almost dry, argue among themselves yet close ranks when threatened, many in denial. Nor would their founder have foreseen the changes in the London landscape in less than a hundred years – with the prosperous docklands in decline, falling to disrepair and eventual demolition, paving the way for urban renewal.

I had mixed views on this one: which starts with a Conan-Doyle-esque theme, a family tree in need of pruning of its less productive members by theatrical means (plenty of references to Gilbert & Sullivan operettas - Gilbert lampooning Victorian society in his day).

John May plays the straight guy, Watson-style, talking to pathologist Oswald Finch and interviewing those involved with the guild, while elder partner Bryant uses more unorthodox methods, seeking advice from a white witch and – in a brilliant move by the author - Bryant’s Battersea butcher, Reg Lugsea, a walking encyclopaedia on the guilds of London, delivered in East Ender argot.

While the deaths continue and Jerry uses her father’s connections to get closer to one of the Whitstables, the novel moves more towards a H G Wells flourish amid the tunnels and sewers abutting the Thames, the criminal mind overseeing the device caught in its maw.

Verdict: a quintessential English murder mystery, and while I didn’t particularly enjoy it (more Whitstable characters than I could handle), I learned a lot.

[Jill H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a devoted fan of the Peculiar Crimes Unit series, there comes a time when one of the books has to be your "least favorite" and this one fills the bill. Fowler's characters are wonderful and the plots are outre but this story really went over the edge. It is so complex that I can't begin to provide a synopsis of the plot; suffice it to say that it goes beyond insane and stretches credibility even for Fowler. Does it mean I didn't like it......not on your life!!! I am hooked on detectives Bryant and May and all the continuing characters that move in and out of these books. It was just that this one didn't appeal to me quite as much as the others in the series. I still recommend it to anyone who enjoys well drawn characters who will make you laugh out loud and plots that are surreal. Fun, fun, fun.

[Jaksen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another twisty, turny, upside-downy novel featuring two of my favorite literary characters: the irascible, frumpy, let's-look-at-this-thing-sideways Arthur Bryant, and his cohort, fellow investigator, and suave, yet with a Felix Unger-like persona, John May. I love these two guys!

(This one's set in the mid-1970's and omgoodness they got the time right! I was there.)

London detectives, affixed to the PCU, or Peculiar Crimes Unit, they are given the crimes no one wants to touch. Like those involving important persons, who might get unduly embarrassed when certain subjects are brought to light. MPs, for example. Celebrities, sometimes. Or just large unruly families like the Whitsables, who are living on borrowed time - and money. Yes, they and their affiliates, like their lawyers, are being offed in mysterious, often horrible and hideous ways. It's a treat! The murders start coming and the Whitsables are falling like flies!

(I liked the idea of this family, so huge that many of them don't even know each other, only meet at a funeral, or similar. I, too, have a family which is GIGANTIC, yet I haven't seen many of them in decades! Only difference, we aren't filthy rich, or once were. Darn it.)

Arthur and John are utterly flummoxed in this one. Running from one shady character to the next, trying to protect members of this perfectly abominable family who just. don't. want. protection. They look down on the people trying to help/save them with an absolute condescension and entitlement which is done so well I want to read it all over again. Such snobbery! Like characters out of a really good Roald Dahl novel or maybe C. Dickens.

Anyhow, the scenery is marvelous and the story starts off with a bang: one of the 'patriarchs' of this fabulously awful family vandalizes a 'very important painting' in a museum - and then he dies! I knew this was just the start of a fascinating, thick, brilliantly-written story and I was right! (Yeah, Mr. Fowler is a superb writer, one of the best.)

Suffice to say I spread this one out. Read it slowly as the plots in this series of novels is often very complex, but I followed it fine, lost none of the many characters, and thoroughly enjoyed every word.

And the seventy-seven clocks? I didn't guess it til the very end!

Five stars.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another series where I’m really glad I came back! The plot was very clever and Bryant and May, a great team.

[Wisconsin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author, love the senior citizen characters, and the truly odd crimes. I was concerned how Fowler would keep the series going with the heros being so old, but this is a story being told to a reporter. It really doesn't matter what order you read this series as it goes back and forth. This is the fourth book for me, and I will read all of them eventually.

[Claude · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read, mostly, I think, because of Sam, a totally likeable young woman, who kept me interested. I must say that the more I read, the more totally unlikely the whole story appeared and yet, I kept going to the very end.
So there it is, a totally unbelievable story line, but somehow quite a fascinating one.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This one's about a Bryant and May case from the early 1970s. If anyone guesses whodunnit on this one, I will be beyond surprised!

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seventy-Seven Clocks by Christopher Fowler is a part of Fowler's Bryant & May series. Bryant and May are members of the current day London police force but they are in many ways throwbacks to the Victorian era. The novels read like Agatha Christie/Sherlock Holmes through a contemporary filter. They-the books and the heroes-are funny and sweet and eccentric.

In Seventy-Seven Clocks, the series moves back in time to the beginning of the PCU (Peculiar Crime Unit)-a unit formed specifically to both showcase the talents of Bryant & May and keep them out of everyone else's hair. The members of an old English family, upper bourgeousie from the Victorian era, are being brutally murdered. Bryant & May suspect the motive is an old grudge, dating back to the 1800s, when the Whitstable family wielded great power and wealth. The police are helped by Jerry, a young girl from a family who longs to be part of the inside group of power and wealth but who rejects her family even while she is tempted by the privileged.

The book has wonderful moments and passages and terrific writing but there was a long stretch where I thought it dragged and so give it one less star than I would have otherwise.

Favorite line: "No more false leads, he pleaded silently. Take me into the darkness. He began to read." p.261

I feel as though that could be a motto for my life as well as this book.

[Adam Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seventy Seventy Clocks is the third book in the Bryant and May series and although I enjoyed reading the book with its outlandish plot twists and turns and ending I did find this book to be a bit to far fetched (when compared to the others that I have read) for my liking, but it was a very enjoyable read all the same.

I think this is due to the writing which is always interesting to read and is often rather witty and clever. I did like all the little comments about the differences between life in the nineteen seventies (when the actions is set) and the present day, some of the things that were said were quite funny with hindsight.

Like the previous book in the series there was lots of interesting minutiae about art history, Victorian societies, Gilbert and Sullivan operas, historical guilds, watchmakers etc which is all very fascinating and makes for an interesting read as well as teaching you stuff about things that you probably knew nothing about in my case quite a lot of stuff in this book.

There is a hell of a lot going on in this book which is the longest (it runs to 450 pages) and most complicated of the books in the series so far, but it still remains enjoyable and a pleasure to read with its interesting team of characters in the peculiar crimes unit who are always fun to learn new things about.

[Carolien · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The complexity of the plots and London setting with loads of historical details attract me to this series. The main characters remain interesting and eccentric, but the rest of the cast in this one is either irritating or bland. The plot is extremely intricate and the various possibilities endless to determine the motive for the killings. Enjoyed it very much.

[Alistair · Rating 5 out of 5]

For some reason I equate these books to television programmes in my mind.
“Old Dark House” -“Scooby-Doo” “The Water Room” - a documentary about London’s rivers and this one - “Midsomer Murders” a very’ British’ murder series.

"Seventy-Seven Clocks" is hard to review without giving out spoilers, so I will do my best.
Firstly, it was vast improvement on the previous “Water Room”, which felt at times like a school lecture.

The prologue is quiet simply wonderful and well worth a re-read.

Plotting is good, apart from the, IMHO, needless 17 year old and I guessed a
perpetrator around half way in.
When I read the outcome it made sense, but in a very fantastical way.

Would I recommend this?,yes, just make sure you read the first two before attempting this one.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very entertaining read and charming characters. Only three stars because although it is very well written, the story is extremely far-fetched!

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Made it 143 pages in and by then got to the fourth murder (of a dozen or more by the end) in a series of related but aren’t sure how they are connected increasingly bizarre assassinations. I got frustrated! Especially when the unusually bright young woman who keeps trying to track down Bryant and May and share a clue and help with the investigation gets turned down when they are desperately short on both manpower and leads. Dummies! Talk to the young woman and let her be useful. Instead she pulls a Nancy Drew and decides it would be a great idea to start her own investigation. Massive eye roll and oh please! At this point I fast forwarded to page 430 and went straight to the end. So glad I did. It’s a bizarre premise for sure.
There are some very interesting tidbits where you learn random points of history and culture, but there’s just too much going on without enough of a plot to hold it together. WHY are all these random deaths happening? WHO are the Whitstables and why is their family being targeted? (WHAT is the motive for William destroying the Waterhouse painting? Which is never explained, at least not in the last 100 pages or so.) HOW are these murders being committed so surreptitiously? Nobody seems to see or hear anyone or anything?! Well at least that’s what we have to presume as Bryant and May don’t really hang around to question the witnesses. Give us some damn clues! Or personalities! Or suspects! All the Whitstables are so weird and/or unlikeable, and there’s side plots with Jerry and her fear of the dark and her dating life and a terrible and completely unnecessary detour into a sexual assault at one point.
Also the violence is so graphic! I don’t need all the gory details from the undertaker, or the vivid recalls of how Jerry felt to hold a dying man who’s bleeding all over the place and his soul is being ripped out of him the lobby of the Savoy Hotel. Learned more than I ever wanted to know about the corrosive effects of a North American water snake venomous bite, thanks ever so much.
Wish there was more detection, more personalities, especially strong female ones, less gruesome violence, and more enigmatic and entertaining mystery afoot.
The whole raison d’etre for the crimes and how they were triggered is beyond preposterous. I don’t mind if a solution is beyond the stretch of imagination or even improbable (see Sherlock, one of my favorites) but the whole satisfaction of a mystery is to feel that there was a reason / motive for it all, however ruthless, and that the guilty party is found and brought to justice. A small sliver of the world, if fictional, where justice does prevail. That doesn’t apply here. Glad I didn’t invest the time to fully read the 500 pages or I would have been even more disappointed. Shame because the writing zips and zings along quite nicely, with passages such as:
“I’m aging gracefully, which means not trying to look like a member of Concrete Blimp.’
‘I assume you mean Led Zeppelin’”
And then gets heavy handed on class and India and imperialism as a central tenet of how the crimes play out.
“The astrolabe destroyed the children of the aristocrats who set it in motion. And it’s instruments of death were the poor, the very people the system was designed to keep out.’ Bryant sighed and continued walking. ‘Of course the paradox still exists. We live in a land of upper and lower orders. For every man willing to help those less fortunate than himself, there are 10 others ready to exploit him.’ Bryant waved his moth-eaten gloves about. ‘Thanks to families like the Whitstables, the circle may one day turn again from light to darkness.’”
And then again it has interesting plays on light and darkness running throughout the novel, sometimes done more deftly than others:
“What must it have been like in the world that existed before December 28, 1881? There once was such a thing as absolute darkness. And there was something else perhaps, a collective warmth, a hidden strength. Men and women bound together by superstition and folklore. Families were connected by myths and fantasies. I think something was lost the day they turned on the lights. Something indefinable and very important.’
‘You find comfort in the darkness. I prefer the world brightly lit; there’s so much more to see.’
‘That’s why we complement each other.’”

[Dorothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christopher Fowler's Peculiar Crimes Unit (PCU) series is a favorite with my husband who has read about half of them. (There are twenty books in the series so far.) Periodically, he recommends the reading of them to me and I say that I will get to them. As a matter of fact, I have read two of them; the first one, Full Dark House, I read in 2014 and the second one, The Water Room, I read in 2017. Now it's four years later and I decided it was probably time for number three. So on to Seventy-seven Clocks.

The chief detectives of the PCU are two elderly men, John May and Arthur Bryant. May is the dapper, organized one who follows clues where they lead. Bryant is the disheveled, instinctive, aging hippie type. Their skills complement each other and together they are a formidable team. The events of this book take place in 1973 and the idea of the narrative is that the events are being relayed to a reporter by Bryant at a later date.

The plot of the novel involves a large, unruly, and mostly despicable family, the Whitsables, and their history with the goldsmith and watchmaker guilds. The watchmaker guild was actually an offshoot of the goldsmith guild and it was a johnny-come-lately to the world of guilds having been formed in the 16th century. Most of the other guilds had been formed in the 14th century. The founder of the Whitsable clan had been deeply involved with the watchmakers. In the 19th century, he set up a group and a plan to protect his family's business interests by sabotaging or taking out anyone who competed with them. A hundred years later, his devious plan is still in place and still apparently working. But then something goes horribly wrong.

It begins with an act of vandalism. A senior member of the Whitsable clan dressed in Edwardian garb goes to the National Gallery where he flings acid on a famous painting. Then various Whitsables and associates, including the art vandal, are killed, one by one, in a variety of imaginative ways. One dies from snake venom, except the snake doesn't exist in England. Another victim explodes. Two are killed by a Bengal tiger. One is poisoned by rat powder added to her face powder. And the deaths continue, with no apparent suspects. Bryant and May are flummoxed.

The plot starts out being complicated and it only becomes more tortuous and downright labyrinthine as the story progresses. I was okay with that at the beginning and was thoroughly enjoying the book until about three-quarters of the way through when the plot just became so outlandish and unbelievable that I sort of lost interest and by the end, I didn't really care anymore. I was just glad to see it end.

On the other hand, Bryant and May themselves with their eccentricities and quirky relationships are great fun to read about. Moreover, the secondary characters here were appealing, especially a young woman named Geraldine (Jerry) who is fascinated by the investigation and manages to help it along. Maybe the PCU should hire her.

Christopher Fowler is quite a talented writer and the book does have interesting characters and a lot of humor and some wonderful moments. Even though the last quarter of it dragged a bit, on the whole, it was a fun read. Maybe I won't wait another four years before I read the next one.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best way to summarise the plot is from the back of the book:
"A mysterious stranger in outlandish Edwardian garb defaces a painting in the National Gallery. Then a guest at the Savoy Hotel is fatally bitten by what appears to be a marshland snake.... Art vandalism, an exploding suspect, pornography, rat poison, Gilbert and Sullivan musicals, secret societies - and not a single suspect in sight."
Along the way we meet a troubled girl who works on the reservations desk at the Savoy, the rather nasty young man who shares her shifts, a young American designing sets for the Savoy Theatre's re-opening staging of Gilbert & Sullivan's Patience and many other strange characters, including a Bengal tiger.
The plot is extremely complex and not much more can be revealed without spoiler alerts, but it all holds together pretty well. It is readily apparent that Mr. Fowler does not think highly of the way British business and industry comported themselves during the 19th and early 20th centuries and the way it all ends gives those who agree with him cause for moderate rejoicing. (Some errors did creep into the way the diabolical intent plays out.)
The non-PCU characters are very real, especially Jerry Gates at the Savoy and the young American artist. They at least pull free of the whole mess. Gerry is a bit of a mess psychologically but you just have to look at her parents to see the source. I really like Gerry and there is no question but that she shows considerable talent . I compare this very favorably with "Death at the Savoy."q.v.

[Ensiform · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third Bryant and May detective mystery, this one is set in 1973. An eccentric man in Edwardian garb defaces a Waterhouse in the National Gallery. A series of grotesque murders, with a wide variety of modus operandis – snakebite, explosion, throat-cutting, hallucinogenic – take place. The Edwardian fellow and his brother are killed. A lawyer dies trying to pick up a folder of blackmail materials. Many more deaths pile up as the detectives realize that someone is picking off members of the Whitstable family, a dilapidated old-money clan with ties to old craftsman guilds.

The demented plot fits right into the rest of the series. The London of the 1970s comes to life in Fowler’s capable hands. He’s tremendously skilled at setting a scene, and throwing red herrings at the reader, and creating a sense of menace and the supernatural which later turns out to be, if not exactly quotidian, at least physically possible. I was pleased to note that in this episode, Fowler has dropped his constant telling about his characters, and allowed their own actions and speech to define them. Show, don’t tell, always works best with this kind of novel – it lends that much more verisimilitude to the proceedings. Anyway, a terrific, page-turning thriller.

[LJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

SEVENTY-SEVEN CLOCKS (Police Procedural-London-1973) – G
Fowler, Christopher – 3rd in series
Doubleday, 2005- UK Hardcover
Arthur Bryant and John May are members of the Peculiar Crimes Unit and their newest case is a perfect fit. A man dies from Cottonmouth snake venom in the lobby of the Savoy; another in blown up by a bomb make of silver and gold and a third from rat poison in face powder. All the deaths relate back to the wealthy Whitstable family, and the Alliance of Eternal Light.
*** I absolutely loved the first two books of this series. The writing was such that I’d read passages aloud to others. This didn’t have that same cache’. There didn’t seem to be as much interaction between the two protagonists until well into the book. Fowler loves introducing twists to the plot which is fun, but the solution to the mystery really strains credibility. There is a secondary protagonist in Sam Gates, a receptionist at the Savoy, but the outcome of her fear of the dark really bothered me. I enjoyed the story, but didn’t feel it was nearly as good as the first two books.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really want to like this and I don't really know why it took me a month to read, but I just didn't care about the, what felt like, 50 different plot lines. Normally I love the idea of multiple story lines where everything is tied together in the end. Maybe there were just too many, maybe there were too many characters, none of which, including the leads, I cared for/about. I was intrigued in the beginning by the destruction of the painting and ultimately I still don't understand why that even happened. It barely tied in at the end. Maybe it was just too long for me, I'd pick it up, read less then a chapter and put it down for days. I was excited about the Gilbert and Sullivan story line but I don't think any of that really worked for me, in the end. I thought this was supposed to be a "funny" murder mystery and I didn't find any of it funny and the super dark turn at the end I basically skimmed over because, truly, it didn't seem necessary. Just thrown in for shock value maybe. Overall I found this a weird experience.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Octogenarian detectives Arthur Bryant and John May are back in their third outing in the Peculiar Crimes Unit series and, while set in 1973, readers get a look back to discover how the pair became partners during World War II. As usual, the crimes that they are called upon to solve are peculiar indeed--a lawyer is found dead in a hotel lobby from a snake bite, a pre-Raphaelite painting in the National Gallery is vandalized by a man in Edwardian garb, a suspect explodes, make-up becomes toxic, and a starving tiger is a member of the cast. As usual, a good time is had by all.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these two old farts!! Grumpy, cranky and down right bad tempered they still get the job done when no one else in London's Metropolitan Police can. And don't let their bickering fool you either, they are genuinely fond of each other. It doesn't matter if they are dealing with ghosts, folks from the Victorian era or anything else weird, strange or odd these guys can solve the mystery. If you haven't met Arthur and John of the Peculiar Crimes Unit (PCU) do yourself a favor and change that situation immediately. You won't be sorry.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third in the Bryant & May mystery series and revolving around two detectives with their own way of doing things in London. The case of the Seventy-Seven Clocks took place in 1973.

My Take
It's a Gilbert and Sullivan opera all on its own, beginning with a clever but ruthless man who intended to ensure his family's wealth through the centuries. It's also an opportunity for Fowler to take the piss out of the upper classes and skewer the middle-class for their own greed and ambition.

It is curious how nicely Fowler manages to tie today in with cases that took place in the past. I find it a fascinating look back at how technology and detecting has evolved through the years.

There was a brief look-in at Victorian nipples in pre-Raff paintings, lol, a briefer summary of what the Gilbert and Sullivan operas were satirizing, a short history on the London Guilds, and the Whitstable history certainly provides a window into the history of the treatment of laborers and anyone not us.

Jerry sounds like a spoiled brat with abandonment issues, although I did not like the sound of her parents and figured Jerry had her reasons. Oh. Boy. Does she ever have her reasons. I can't believe her mother laid all this on her all these years with this on her conscience. I'm not too thrilled with her father either. What a wimp.

Wait a minute. If Jack knows why Jerry was being sent to the therapist, why does he get so happy with her new job? As for that mother. Gwen blaming her daughter for all her antics when it was Gwen who set her own daughter up and then went into denial about what was happening.

Speaking of Jerry, I don't understand why Bryant allowed her to get away with so much. It didn't make sense. In fact, Jerry's antics are more Keystone Kops, even though Jerry ends up being quite useful, and it does lead her to discover the truth about what happened when she was 14.

I CAN NOT believe the Whitstables. The cops are trying to save their lives, and they treat them like dirt! And those stupid Whitstables do everything they can to thwart the protection and then whine when another of 'em gets killed. The behavior of that little girl and the adults' reaction to it alone is almost enough that I'd'a been tempted to leave them to their just deserts. Obviously it would only have been an improvement for the rest of us. Jerry does have that insight into the upper-class attitude the Whitstables throw out: "They can't help it. They're used to being deferred to." But that attitude simply comes across as rude beyond belief.

I do love that Bryant pens them all up in Peter and William's house and…gasp…they'll have to make their own beds!

I do enjoy reading about the holidays and their original origins. How they were cleaned up by the Church. I must confess I like the idea of a "marvelously rowdy pagan celebration".

It's a confusing mess of ill-manners and theories that only gets worse when Charles Whitstable joins the story with his hints and comments.

The Story
A painting on loan to the National Gallery, The Favourites of the Emperor Honorius by John William Waterhouse, is damaged beyond repair by an elderly vandal clad in Victorian garb, setting off an international incident that threatens to derail the Common Market talks and draws Bryant into a series of bizarre murders — art vandalism, venomous poison, and an exploding suspect are only the start — at the Savoy Hotel.

The Characters
Detective Inspector Arthur Bryant is the peculiar one, the one who dresses like a bum, has no social graces, kills technology, and has an elliptical, unorthodox approach to investigating. Alma Sorrowbridge is Bryant's landlady; Hiawatha is her mongrel cat. Nathalie was the French fiancée who fell to her death years ago.

Detective Inspector John May is the fashionably dressed balance with his methodical research, gregariousness, and his intense interest in the ladies. They survive as a team, as the…

…Peculiar Crimes Unit because…
…their success rate is quite high. The unit itself was a special, experimental police unit formed during World War II to handle particular cases which required specialized handling, but soon evolved into those that were potentially embarrassing for the government. Today it is intended to be the Murder Squad within the Metropolitan Police and is based in Mornington Crescent. Sergeant Janice Longbright's marriage is off; Ian made her choose between husband and career. Dr. Oswald Finch is the pathologist who's been with the unit since the beginning. Raymond Land is still their acting superintendent terrified of not closing cases and too much publicity. PC Charlie Bimsley is at the bottom of the food chain; his son, Colin, will end up working for PCU. More police constables include Kenworth, Burridge, Graham Watson, and Derek Brownlow.

Geraldine "Jerry" Gates is rebelling against her parents, afraid of the dark (since she was 14), and lying to her therapist. Gwen and Jack Gates are her social-climbing parents who expect their daughter to join the family firm. Dr. Wayland is the therapist Jerry's mother insists she sees and the one who reports back to her mother on Jerry's sessions.

Joseph Herrick is a dreadlock'd African-American with heavy motorcycle boots who has come to England to design stage sets for a new play. Kaneto Miyagawa is a patron of the arts and is the boss of the Tasaka Corporation in Japan, which is putting up the money for the play.

The Whitstables
James Makepeace Whitstable was the founding father for the wealth of the Whitstables. Maximillian Jacob, a lawyer with Jacob and Marks (Leo is the partner) in Norwich, is the family lawyer for the Whitstables: William; the drunken Peter, a major; and, their unmarried sister, Bella, who is on the outs with her brothers. She's a member of a society, the Savoyards, that supports Gilbert and Sullivan operas. Oliver Pettigrew, an estate agent, is one of the Savoyards.

More of the family include Alec and Beattie Whitstable with their son Royston Carlyle; Mina Whistable is bedridden; Edith Eleanor Whitstable, the daughter of Charles and Rachel, is an outsider and a contemporary of Mina's; Samuel, Edith's husband, died of cancer; Jack and Harry are their sons; Steven and Jeffrey are Harry's sons and live with their grandmother; Pippa is worried about her horse, Gawain; Nigel is worried about his sweater; and, Susan.

Charles Whitstable is based in India and appears to be the head of the family. Berta is his mother. Delilah is her granddaughter. Michelle Baskin is nanny to Daisy Whitstable. Her stepbrother Tarquin has already been packed off to boarding school. Isobel is their mother; Luke, the son of Oliver and Peggy, is Daisy's father. Christian and Deborah chose to stay home with their children, Justin and Flora.

"We are a dynastic fam'ly. Aristocratic British stock. Traditional values. We obey the landowners' creed: If it's attractive you shoot it; if it's ugly you marry it."

The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths is…
…a London guild founded in 1339 and is the parent guild for the Watchmakers' Guild. Alison Hatfield is the public-relations officer for the Watchmakers. The very uncooperative Mr. Tomlins is the guild secretary for the Goldsmiths. Malcolm Rand is the custodian and reports to Tomlins.

CROWET is…
…an acronym for the Committee for the Restoration of West End Theatres. Peggy Harmsworth née Whitstable (and Daisy's grandmother) was a co-director.

The Alliance of Eternal Light was…
…James Makepeace Whitstable's creation and included Radford, Lamb, Chambers, Suffling, and Hagith. Today it is a philanthropic trust. Rajeev was James' Indian servant.

Nicholas is the jerk with whom Jerry works at the Savoy. Sandra is a waitress for the shareholders meeting. George Stokes and Bill Wentworth (he's actually a warden) are two of the National Gallery guards. David Carreras is the Australian minister for the arts. Leslie Faraday is the newly appointed junior arts minister and has absolutely no clue about art. James Smith and Sons sell custom canes. Maurice was Major Whitstable's usual barber. Eric is the stand-in. Andy has quite the underhanded business going.

Peregrine Summerfield is an art historian and friend of Bryant's. His wife, Lilian, left him. Mr. Reg Lugsea is Bryant's very knowledgeable butcher; Phil is his apprentice. Maggie Armitage is the Grand Leader of the Camden Town Coven. Maureen, Nigel is the resident numerologist, and Katherine (call her Freya these days) are part of the coven.

Mrs. Denjhi is flabbergasted at the actions of her husband, David.

A tontine was a deadly Victorian insurance policy.

The Cover and Title
The cover is a deep rusty red blackening at the edges with a London map superimposed on top of it along with odd bits of swirls and clock hands. There's a clock at the top right, kitty-corner from Big Ben and its tower with a ragged silhouette of Westminster. One mustachioed face stares out at us on the left, while on the right, a woman, in profile, is looking up.

The title refers to the Seventy-Seven Clocks required to run the abomination.

[Rob Kitchin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seventy Seven Clocks is the third book in the Bryant and May series set in London. In this outing, set at the tail end of 1973, the Peculiar Crimes Unit is investigating a set of bizarre deaths linked to the wealthy, aristocratic, haughty Whitstable family and a sub-group of the guild of watchmakers. Everything about the case is peculiar, which suits Bryant and May, though its political ramifications and its coincidence with moving offices is a nuisance. The involvement of a troubled hotel receptionist is also a hindrance, though she is also has the habit of discovering useful clues and is determined to succeed where the police are failing. As the death count rises it seems that there is a group of assassins set on wiping out the entire Whitstable family. Unravelling the reason why is far from straightforward given the conspiracy of silence surrounding the Whitstables. Fowler plots a complex case that has plenty of mystery and intrigue. Given the PCU focuses on the fantastical and unusual, it’s no surprise that it’s a somewhat unbelievable. That’s fine as it’s all consistently realised and often fascinating. However, the role of Sam stretched coincidence to breaking point a few times in terms of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and family connections. While she’s a nice character, she was also too often used as a plot device to move the story forward. Other than that, it’s a fun and absorbing read chocked full of interested historical titbits about London and its institutions.

[Jazz · Rating 4 out of 5]

By this third book in the series, the two main characters have really grown on me. Cranky, crumpled curmudgeon, Bryant, and his partner, the elegant, suave May—both past their prime. They're perfect for the Peculiar Crimes Unit. "Peculiar," as explained in the first chapter, as needing "specialized" knowledge has now become "peculiar" in the sense of weird or inexplicable. This title is filled with fascinating bits of information about London, Gilbert and Sullivan, the Savoy, the artisan guilds of the late 19th century and their coveted secrets, even the beginnings of electricity, and so much more. Fowler never seems to waste any of his research, which makes his mysteries perhaps unnecessarily long. But for a pure pleasure ride through time, it's always easy to get immersed in his novels.

[Nichola · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is genuinely the most INSANE and RIDICULOUS story. And it was brilliant. I love these detectives. Very few others will live up to this pair. I adore Bryant, though May always seems to fade a bit to me.

I have seena few reviews saying that Jerry/Sam's narrative is irrelevant to the overall story and I disagree that she is just a pawn in the greater game, because she does have her own growth arc. Though she is annoying at times.

[Macjest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally got a chance to read this one. I've read most of the earlier ones, but my library didn't have this. Bryant and May are always a treat. If you're an Anglophile, you'll really appreciate these stories as every book has loads of history about England, specifically the city of London. The two detectives work in a very unorthodox manner, much to the frustration of their immediate boss. There is more than a bit of Sherlock Holmes deductions and twists worthy of Agatha Christie. In this novel, a bourgeois family with ties to the guilds and Masonry, is being targeted by assassins. The story dragged occasionally when dealing with a side story, but overall an entertaining read.

[Matthew Tyas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the other two but some funny moments and the central characters were fun as ever. Didn’t much care for the guest protagonist, nor the Whitstables. I find aristocrats and the upper classes boring, and their portrayal in this book was as a pretty miserable bunch, which just wasn’t that much fun.

Very interesting murders though so that was something.

The intro explained this was a reworked version of one of the authors much earlier books and it felt it. Less refined as a plot with some funny moments that shined a little brighter. Would be interested in reading the original version, in which supernatural elements did the killings.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm forming an attachment to this odd couple of detectives. There are murders a plenty in this one.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not fond of this one. The concepts were too bizarre, in my opinion, even for this series. My disbelief had to be suspended beyond the breaking point. I was unhappy with the plot breaking the unwritten rule of not having someone murdered who was sweet or kind. My rule, mind you, but the rule seemed to hold until this book in the series. I love these characters, so I’ll give the next one a go, but I hope the series gets back on track.

[Tamra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am growing attached to these two old detectives.

[Elaine Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite so far, though it was long.