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Bryant & May: Peculiar Crimes Unit #16
The Lonely Hour
In Which Mr May Makes A Mistake And Mr Bryant Goes Into The Dark
On a rainy winter night outside a run-down nightclub in the wrong part of London, four strangers meet for the first time at 4:00am.
A few weeks later the body of an Indian textile worker is found hanging upside down inside a willow tree on Hamstead Heath. The Peculiar Crimes Unit is called in to investigate. The victim was found surrounded by the paraphernalia of black magic, and so Arthur Bryant and John May set off to question experts in the field.
But the case is not what it appears. When another victim seemingly commits suicide, it becomes clear that in the London night is a killer who knows what people fear most. And he always strikes at 4:00am.
In order to catch him, the PCU must switch to night shifts, but still the team draws a blank. John May takes a technological approach, Arthur Bryant goes in search of academics and misfits for help, for this is becoming a case that reveals impossibilities at every turn, not least that there's no indication of what the victims might have done to attract the attentions of a murderer that doesn’t seem to exist. But impossibilities are what the Peculiar Crimes Unit does best.
As they explore a night city where all the normal rules are upended, they’re drawn deeper into a case that involves murder, arson, kidnap, blackmail, bats and the psychological effects of loneliness on Londoners. It's a trail that takes them from the poorest part of the East End to the wealthiest homes in North London - an investigation that can only end in tragedy…
On a rainy winter night outside a run-down nightclub in the wrong part of London, four strangers meet for the first time at 4:00am.
A few weeks later the body of an Indian textile worker is found hanging upside down inside a willow tree on Hamstead Heath. The Peculiar Crimes Unit is called in to investigate. The victim was found surrounded by the paraphernalia of black magic, and so Arthur Bryant and John May set off to question experts in the field.
But the case is not what it appears. When another victim seemingly commits suicide, it becomes clear that in the London night is a killer who knows what people fear most. And he always strikes at 4:00am.
In order to catch him, the PCU must switch to night shifts, but still the team draws a blank. John May takes a technological approach, Arthur Bryant goes in search of academics and misfits for help, for this is becoming a case that reveals impossibilities at every turn, not least that there's no indication of what the victims might have done to attract the attentions of a murderer that doesn’t seem to exist. But impossibilities are what the Peculiar Crimes Unit does best.
As they explore a night city where all the normal rules are upended, they’re drawn deeper into a case that involves murder, arson, kidnap, blackmail, bats and the psychological effects of loneliness on Londoners. It's a trail that takes them from the poorest part of the East End to the wealthiest homes in North London - an investigation that can only end in tragedy…
360 pages, Hardcover
First published March 21, 2019
255 people are currently reading
2208 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Fowler
264 books1,284 followersLibrarian 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
February 29, 2020
I absolutely adore this character oriented series. Yes, of course there are murders to be solved, but it is the way they are solved that is so original. They are, after all, called the peculiar crime unit, for more than one reason. Bryant is a hoot, this elderly man who refuses to retire, and has very unique associations with many of the underground characters that populate London. He is the bane of the home office, well the whole unit is, and they would like nothing better than to shut them down. They do, however, solve crimes, albeit in a very unorthodox, rule bending manner, that the other units cannot solve.
If you've ever watched the show House, now on reruns, Bryant is much like Dr. Gregory House. They both get results, keep their teams on their toes, in a sometimes very amusing way, and are vastly entertaining. This is a series I never miss, as it provides many chuckles and outright laughter. Just pure reading delight. Well, except for the murders, of course.
Narratioñ was by Tim Goodman and he was fantastic.
If you've ever watched the show House, now on reruns, Bryant is much like Dr. Gregory House. They both get results, keep their teams on their toes, in a sometimes very amusing way, and are vastly entertaining. This is a series I never miss, as it provides many chuckles and outright laughter. Just pure reading delight. Well, except for the murders, of course.
Narratioñ was by Tim Goodman and he was fantastic.
January 8, 2020
This is the latest Bryant and May release and it has a whole different feel from the other books in the series. There is a sadness which prevails as members of the PCU start arguing among themselves.....they always argue but in this book it is different. There is a sadness and signs of weariness with most of the regular characters and one turns out to be a back-stabber which threatens the continuation of the unit.
It is impossible to write a synopsis of the plot since it, like all the other books in the series, is wild and improbable. But that is what makes them so appealing. I noticed that another reviewer said that the author may have painted himself into a corner as the book leaves some very important issues hanging. I would agree but Fowler has done that before and somehow explained it all away in his following book. But this one seems to have a sense of finality to it. I certainly hope not.
It is impossible to write a synopsis of the plot since it, like all the other books in the series, is wild and improbable. But that is what makes them so appealing. I noticed that another reviewer said that the author may have painted himself into a corner as the book leaves some very important issues hanging. I would agree but Fowler has done that before and somehow explained it all away in his following book. But this one seems to have a sense of finality to it. I certainly hope not.
March 31, 2019
This is not a whodunnit. We’re told almost immediately who the perpetrator is. What we don’t know is why he killed, why he keeps on killing, how he commits the killings, what connection there is among his victims, and how the Peculiar Crimes Unit will manage to figure this out.
I won’t talk about the plot; there is plenty of that in the book description. What we do get, as we do in most books in this series, is Arthur Bryant’s impressive and entertaining knowledge of the history of practically every nook and cranny of London. There are even excerpts in the book of Bryant’s script for various tours. Every time I read one of these books I wish Bryant were real and I could take a tour with him
There is a sadness to Bryant’s reflections about London, old and new. Nobody else seems to care about the city’s life and many secrets. They’re all buried in the ephemera of their social media, absorbed in their everyday concerns and matters of minimal importance. They’re so distracted by their screens that they no longer have real human connections. They don’t even see other people as much more than distractions or annoyances anymore, and it’s this element that underlays much of the plot of this book.
There are momentous changes for the PCU, leaving these characters in an uncertain state. But, as Fowler writes, the Peculiar Crimes Unit will return. I am looking forward to it.
I won’t talk about the plot; there is plenty of that in the book description. What we do get, as we do in most books in this series, is Arthur Bryant’s impressive and entertaining knowledge of the history of practically every nook and cranny of London. There are even excerpts in the book of Bryant’s script for various tours. Every time I read one of these books I wish Bryant were real and I could take a tour with him
There is a sadness to Bryant’s reflections about London, old and new. Nobody else seems to care about the city’s life and many secrets. They’re all buried in the ephemera of their social media, absorbed in their everyday concerns and matters of minimal importance. They’re so distracted by their screens that they no longer have real human connections. They don’t even see other people as much more than distractions or annoyances anymore, and it’s this element that underlays much of the plot of this book.
There are momentous changes for the PCU, leaving these characters in an uncertain state. But, as Fowler writes, the Peculiar Crimes Unit will return. I am looking forward to it.
September 21, 2021
I usually enjoy this series but found this story a bit underwhelming. Partly because we know early on who the murderer is, so the mystery is confined to why they are doing what they are doing and what has led them to target a particular group of people. The other reason is that I found it hard to connect with the characters. The usual camaraderie of the two leads was absent and instead Bryant was taking the moral highground and letting his partner make a big mistake even though that mistake would imperil the existence of their unit.
I also didn't see why a certain character acted the way she did at the end of the story: it could hardly be revenge on the character she harmed, since her activities had been uncovered by an investigation conducted by an entirely different body, and she was the one who had wronged him. So it was rather a disappointment and I can only rate it at an OK 2 stars.
I also didn't see why a certain character acted the way she did at the end of the story: it could hardly be revenge on the character she harmed, since her activities had been uncovered by an investigation conducted by an entirely different body, and she was the one who had wronged him. So it was rather a disappointment and I can only rate it at an OK 2 stars.
December 27, 2019
Christopher Fowler’s latest book in his “Bryant and May” series is “The Lonely Hour”. It’s set in what seems to be slightly futuristic London where Fowler shows an increasingly dystopian society, where the government has closed 40 local nicks and mobile thefts are so common they’re not treated as actionable crimes by Scotland Yard. The Peculiar Crimes Unit is trotting along with Arthur Bryant and John May at the helm, still being tossed cases by the Met that don’t fall into the purview of the more conventional police. Such is the case which begins with a man being found in Hempstead Heath, his body hanging upside down from a tree limb, drained of blood.
Soon several more people are found murdered around the city and all the deaths by the same manner and all done at 4.00am. Clearly there’s one murderer and he seems to be touched “upstairs”. Okay, here’s the thing about Fowler’s books. The plots are secondary to the characters. In this one the plot is a way of showing off Arthur Bryant’s weird detection methods and the PCU’s fight for survival amid the politics of Scotland Yard. All the characters are well drawn and that may - or may not - be at the expense of having a coherent plot line. I think the trade off is worth it, but others may not. Check all the reviews of the book you can if you’re new Fowler’s writing.
The other thing you should know is that the city of London is as full a character as any human one in the book. Fowler loves his city, its people and its history and incorporates both into his story. The “mobile phone” culture is shown with the narrow streets, both as parts of the city.
“The Lonely Hour” also features Chief Raymond Land’s famous “report to the Unit”, which starts off the book. It’s one of the cleverest parts and brings the reader back to the preceding year when the PCU wreaked havoc in its pursuit of crime fighting. Christopher Fowler’s writing has become darker in the past few years (books) and I don’t know why but I assume it’s in response to Brexit and what I think is a backwards turn for British society.
Soon several more people are found murdered around the city and all the deaths by the same manner and all done at 4.00am. Clearly there’s one murderer and he seems to be touched “upstairs”. Okay, here’s the thing about Fowler’s books. The plots are secondary to the characters. In this one the plot is a way of showing off Arthur Bryant’s weird detection methods and the PCU’s fight for survival amid the politics of Scotland Yard. All the characters are well drawn and that may - or may not - be at the expense of having a coherent plot line. I think the trade off is worth it, but others may not. Check all the reviews of the book you can if you’re new Fowler’s writing.
The other thing you should know is that the city of London is as full a character as any human one in the book. Fowler loves his city, its people and its history and incorporates both into his story. The “mobile phone” culture is shown with the narrow streets, both as parts of the city.
“The Lonely Hour” also features Chief Raymond Land’s famous “report to the Unit”, which starts off the book. It’s one of the cleverest parts and brings the reader back to the preceding year when the PCU wreaked havoc in its pursuit of crime fighting. Christopher Fowler’s writing has become darker in the past few years (books) and I don’t know why but I assume it’s in response to Brexit and what I think is a backwards turn for British society.
January 26, 2020
The Bryant and May stories have been favorites of mine for a long time. Author Christopher Fowler seems to tie these stories in to modern life with a deft treatment that satisfies but also makes me a little wistful. The Lonely Hour spends much of its time showing us how involved people have allowed themselves to get in social media while cutting off most of their real life relationships. It's a soapbox I've been on for years now.
I found this book - number sixteen in the series - to be a little unsettling. There is real tension among the staff of The Peculiar Crimes Unit; some caused by the difficulty of getting a good handle on what is happening with the murders. This time Fowler has written the story so we know early on who the killer is but not why the victims are targeted. Something shocking happens in this story and there is no resolution given. I'm not ever a fan of a cliffhanger ending and that feeling extends to favorite authors and series too. I'm just glad that the author has included a statement in the Acknowledgement that says he will work out what's going to happen next. I hope he's been working on it already because there are a lot of loose ends that need to be gathered up. Naturally I'll be there for book #17 to see how he does it.
I found this book - number sixteen in the series - to be a little unsettling. There is real tension among the staff of The Peculiar Crimes Unit; some caused by the difficulty of getting a good handle on what is happening with the murders. This time Fowler has written the story so we know early on who the killer is but not why the victims are targeted. Something shocking happens in this story and there is no resolution given. I'm not ever a fan of a cliffhanger ending and that feeling extends to favorite authors and series too. I'm just glad that the author has included a statement in the Acknowledgement that says he will work out what's going to happen next. I hope he's been working on it already because there are a lot of loose ends that need to be gathered up. Naturally I'll be there for book #17 to see how he does it.
January 6, 2023
Been a while since I read the previous one of this series but so pleased I returned.
Marvellous. So well written, so we’ll crafted. A delight.
Marvellous. So well written, so we’ll crafted. A delight.
May 2, 2019
I enjoyed this new B&M book, but it wasn't as gripping as usual, the murderer is identified almost on page 1 (p11 actually) so it's the why that concerns us, and again that is evident less than halfway through, and it leaves the PCU trailing woefully behind the reader to catch up. It's rather tiring to yet again have the Unit under threat of closure, and the off hand way both the death of one of Bryant's contacts, and poor Crippen were dealt with left a bad taste. Of course everything comes together, including a few twists, and a shock ending, that's rather ruined by the Bond style 'Bryant and May will return' which is a feature of the series now. I do love the characters but this rather seemed to be going through the motions, especially after the fabulous time shift of the previous book. Plus *pet peeve alert* as cool as the cover is, there's no scene in the book that corresponds with what it illustrates...
March 10, 2021
A series of strange murders are happening in London, and the Peculiar Crimes Unit are on the case. Unusually, the reader knows early on who the killer is, but the motive remains a mystery until the end. This was a particularly touching and sad case. The supernatural elements often present in a Bryant and May mystery are absent from this one.
I thought the mystery aspect was very well done, and it’s always great to be back with the PCU. I’m happy that Bryant is over his pseudo dementia. The members of the team, though, are strangely at odds. Arthur Bryant comes across as incredibly unfeeling and insensitive - why does he not help his casual friend Larry Dugan? Why does he not guide his partner, John May, out from a bad situation? I don’t remember Bryant being so callous in previous outings. Also, Bryant’s treatment of Raymond Land is too much. It’s like kicking a starving dog. I like Arthur far less because of his awful verbal abuse.
The ending is a tremendous cliffhanger. I’m not sure how the team will be able to come back from this one. That was disappointing.
I thought the mystery aspect was very well done, and it’s always great to be back with the PCU. I’m happy that Bryant is over his pseudo dementia. The members of the team, though, are strangely at odds. Arthur Bryant comes across as incredibly unfeeling and insensitive - why does he not help his casual friend Larry Dugan? Why does he not guide his partner, John May, out from a bad situation? I don’t remember Bryant being so callous in previous outings. Also, Bryant’s treatment of Raymond Land is too much. It’s like kicking a starving dog. I like Arthur far less because of his awful verbal abuse.
The ending is a tremendous cliffhanger. I’m not sure how the team will be able to come back from this one. That was disappointing.
October 3, 2021
I know I read this a short while ago but I felt that, being in a bit of a re-read binge, I would re-visit it.
This is the latest Bryant and May release and it has a whole different feel from the other books in the series. There is a sadness which prevails as members of the PCU start arguing among themselves.....they always argue but in this book it is different. There is a sadness and signs of weariness with most of the regular characters and one turns out to be a back-stabber which threatens the continuation of the unit.
It is impossible to write a synopsis of the plot since it, like all the other books in the series, is wild and improbable. But that is what makes them so appealing. I noticed that another reviewer said that the author may have painted himself into a corner as the book leaves some very important issues hanging. I would agree but Fowler has done that before and somehow explained it all away in his following book. But this one seems to have a sense of finality to it. I certainly hope not.
This is the latest Bryant and May release and it has a whole different feel from the other books in the series. There is a sadness which prevails as members of the PCU start arguing among themselves.....they always argue but in this book it is different. There is a sadness and signs of weariness with most of the regular characters and one turns out to be a back-stabber which threatens the continuation of the unit.
It is impossible to write a synopsis of the plot since it, like all the other books in the series, is wild and improbable. But that is what makes them so appealing. I noticed that another reviewer said that the author may have painted himself into a corner as the book leaves some very important issues hanging. I would agree but Fowler has done that before and somehow explained it all away in his following book. But this one seems to have a sense of finality to it. I certainly hope not.
April 23, 2019
Awww bliss - another wonderful Bryant & May story to "warm the cockles of your heart" (Saying from C17th - possible corruption of Latin cochleae “ventricles” in cochleae cordis “ventricles of the heart” as Mr Bryant would probably point out).
With its mixture of brilliant dark humour and gripping night-time London setting this is one of the best Bryant & May stories. There is the usual mix of fascinating facts, urban folklore, thrills and geriatric jousting - I swear I've learnt more from Mr. Bryant (with some credit to Mr. Fowler) than from any teacher in my past.
If you've not read Bryant and May before then think of them like slipping on a pair of comfy slippers, although one isn't that comfy because you'll find a sticky boiled sweet and an ancient Tibetan tooth stuck inside and the other is so smooth that it May even come unstuck at some point! Anyway, slip them on and wander about in a dark, dank underground passage until you discover some sort of nefarious deed and you'll soon get the gist (gist - from Latin jacere... yes, yes, thank you Mr. Bryant)
With its mixture of brilliant dark humour and gripping night-time London setting this is one of the best Bryant & May stories. There is the usual mix of fascinating facts, urban folklore, thrills and geriatric jousting - I swear I've learnt more from Mr. Bryant (with some credit to Mr. Fowler) than from any teacher in my past.
If you've not read Bryant and May before then think of them like slipping on a pair of comfy slippers, although one isn't that comfy because you'll find a sticky boiled sweet and an ancient Tibetan tooth stuck inside and the other is so smooth that it May even come unstuck at some point! Anyway, slip them on and wander about in a dark, dank underground passage until you discover some sort of nefarious deed and you'll soon get the gist (gist - from Latin jacere... yes, yes, thank you Mr. Bryant)
March 31, 2020
This may be the last Bryant and May book I read because this one effectively butchered all the main characters and reversed any character development they made over the past several book. There was not just a distinct lack of camaraderie, but outright hostility and backstabbing amongst the PCU members. I think I’ll stick to rereading the old ones in the future and pretend Wild Chamber was the last contemporary book.
April 8, 2019
Another excellent book from Christopher Fowler about the Peculiar Crimes Unit. Sound plot, good characters, a brilliant tour of the darker spots of central London and a huge dose of arcane vocabulary. And a cliffhanger ending. Looking forward to number 17.
(A Slough House/PCU mashup would be interesting...)
(A Slough House/PCU mashup would be interesting...)
January 1, 2020
After over a dozen Bryant and May books, I felt like I really knew the characters and felt at home in their world. In the latest outing, the main cast of characters have become ugly and mean, some, outright cruel. Maybe it’s a sign of the times. In the age of Trump and Johnson this seems to be the norm. I hope things turn around.
April 28, 2019
I would have finished this book much quicker but I kept on delaying reading near the end of it.
I simply didn’t want it to end.
Marvellous.
I simply didn’t want it to end.
Marvellous.
January 9, 2020
Once again Bryant and May try to solve a series of crimes that no-one else realizes are a series. The first death, on Hampstead Heath, has the trappings of black magic around it. The second seems like an unfortunate accident on a bridge. By the third, the existence of the Peculiar Crimes Unit itself is under threat. Warning to readers: much as I enjoy these books, this is one of those unfortunate hybrids where the reader knows who the killer is but the innocent characters in the book do not. All Fowler saves to surprise us with (as far as the main plot is concerned) is the killer's motive. As for one of the subplots--well, that's a surprise and a cliff-hanger at once.
February 17, 2020
Arthur Bryant definitely the star of this one. May seems to be fading off.
April 5, 2019
From the beginning of "The Lonely Hour" we know who the killer is, but the reader is left wondering why a group of people are being deliberately targeted for death. In book 16 of the "Peculiar Crimes Unit Series", Arthur Bryant and John May have to find a murderer who strikes exactly at 4 o'clock in the morning - "The Lonely Hour".
The first victim is a taxi driver, found hanging upside down inside a willow tree on London's Hampstead Heath. He has bled to death. At first the detectives think this may be linked to a Satanic ritual, but then a 2nd body is discovered in the River Thames. A seeming suicide turns out to be murder, probably carried out by the same killer.
In a bid to prevent more deaths, the entire unit switches to working at night adding to existing stresses and strains and personal problems being experienced by various people on the investigative team.
Bryant and May encounter high living business executives, struggling store owners, taxi drivers, club bouncers and prostitutes along with Arthur Bryant's usual bunch of colourful friends and acquaintances, as they hunt their elusive quarry. Working at night leads to more tension in the PCU office. Even close friends Arthur and John are falling out with each other. The latter adopts a more technological approach to the investigation while Bryant checks his list of contacts for insomniacs, some of whom roam the streets of London at night. Every few chapters there are fascinating notes from Bryant's walking tours of London which detail the city's weirder history.
As usual, Christopher Fowler's writing is a delight. One of Bryant's contacts describes how London is now "a ghost city, with overlapping layers that never touch". Arthur believes that people are now more connected while being more isolated than at any time in history. Because the murders seem to be without motive, he thinks that the PCU will never catch a murderer who always seems one step ahead of the police, but he and the rest of the team remain dogged in their pursuit of the killer. Another fine addition to the Peculiar Crime Unit series.
The first victim is a taxi driver, found hanging upside down inside a willow tree on London's Hampstead Heath. He has bled to death. At first the detectives think this may be linked to a Satanic ritual, but then a 2nd body is discovered in the River Thames. A seeming suicide turns out to be murder, probably carried out by the same killer.
In a bid to prevent more deaths, the entire unit switches to working at night adding to existing stresses and strains and personal problems being experienced by various people on the investigative team.
Bryant and May encounter high living business executives, struggling store owners, taxi drivers, club bouncers and prostitutes along with Arthur Bryant's usual bunch of colourful friends and acquaintances, as they hunt their elusive quarry. Working at night leads to more tension in the PCU office. Even close friends Arthur and John are falling out with each other. The latter adopts a more technological approach to the investigation while Bryant checks his list of contacts for insomniacs, some of whom roam the streets of London at night. Every few chapters there are fascinating notes from Bryant's walking tours of London which detail the city's weirder history.
As usual, Christopher Fowler's writing is a delight. One of Bryant's contacts describes how London is now "a ghost city, with overlapping layers that never touch". Arthur believes that people are now more connected while being more isolated than at any time in history. Because the murders seem to be without motive, he thinks that the PCU will never catch a murderer who always seems one step ahead of the police, but he and the rest of the team remain dogged in their pursuit of the killer. Another fine addition to the Peculiar Crime Unit series.
April 7, 2019
It seems ages and ages we've waited for this. Anyway, here it is - all the friends, all the furore and all the fun. The author admits to having fun writing it and that certainly comes over in the reading.
it's rather gory if you let yourself picture the scenes and the final chapters are located, I think, in what must be one of the circles of hell - this would make a great film.
As always there are lots of delicious titbits about London that make you want to go down there with the books and ferret around to find all these hidden places and shadowed sites.
The story is intriguing and really at the end of it sad. Mr Fowler has managed to write a story with characters who are fixed in the past but the plot right up there in the moment.
Without spoiling the ending I will just say - well yes, of course he is, and wait impatiently for the next book.
it's rather gory if you let yourself picture the scenes and the final chapters are located, I think, in what must be one of the circles of hell - this would make a great film.
As always there are lots of delicious titbits about London that make you want to go down there with the books and ferret around to find all these hidden places and shadowed sites.
The story is intriguing and really at the end of it sad. Mr Fowler has managed to write a story with characters who are fixed in the past but the plot right up there in the moment.
Without spoiling the ending I will just say - well yes, of course he is, and wait impatiently for the next book.
December 29, 2019
When I picked up this series a few years ago, one of the things that stood out to me was how much it focused on the mystery rather than the actual characters.
I mean the characters are well drawn and developed on their own, but the idea is to really look at the mysteries of the Peculiar Crimes Unit and I love that the author has kept that the focus throughout this series.
I read the first two or three books in this series and then was on to something else and now here I have picked up this one and the fifteenth book before this one and found that the quality of writing in these later books is just as good and the quality is consistent!
While the focus of still the crime/mystery in this one, we know almost right away who the killer is but what we don’t know is the why and that’s what this book looks at—-the why. It’s a little different than some of the other mysteries in the book but it was still fun and a nice way to change things up for long time fans of this series.
I’ve said this before and I will say it again, this series is quirky. It has deadpan humor and some funny moments in each book and this was no different. I love the humor of the characters and really enjoy some of the comedic moments in each book.
This is definitely a book you could pick up randomly and know that you can dive right in without having to go back and read all the other books. But that said, there are reoccurring characters and back stories to each main protagonist. I think the author does a good job orientating new readers when he can but there are times when you just have to read the other books in the series to fully appreciate all the nuances. But ultimately I think this could be read as a stand alone.
For me this book was pretty good. I mean I liked some of the other books in the series better, but this was a good book and I enjoyed figuring out the why of the crime but would have been nice to not have the killer identified so soon (literally within the first 10 pages we knew). This book has all the hallmarks of a well loved successful series. Atmosphere, cheek, some interesting twists and two love-able little old men detectives! If you love crime fiction this is a series you want to have on your radar! I do wish they would bring back the old cover art though. I loved those book covers so much, I am not a huge fan of this new design.
See my full review here
I mean the characters are well drawn and developed on their own, but the idea is to really look at the mysteries of the Peculiar Crimes Unit and I love that the author has kept that the focus throughout this series.
I read the first two or three books in this series and then was on to something else and now here I have picked up this one and the fifteenth book before this one and found that the quality of writing in these later books is just as good and the quality is consistent!
While the focus of still the crime/mystery in this one, we know almost right away who the killer is but what we don’t know is the why and that’s what this book looks at—-the why. It’s a little different than some of the other mysteries in the book but it was still fun and a nice way to change things up for long time fans of this series.
I’ve said this before and I will say it again, this series is quirky. It has deadpan humor and some funny moments in each book and this was no different. I love the humor of the characters and really enjoy some of the comedic moments in each book.
This is definitely a book you could pick up randomly and know that you can dive right in without having to go back and read all the other books. But that said, there are reoccurring characters and back stories to each main protagonist. I think the author does a good job orientating new readers when he can but there are times when you just have to read the other books in the series to fully appreciate all the nuances. But ultimately I think this could be read as a stand alone.
For me this book was pretty good. I mean I liked some of the other books in the series better, but this was a good book and I enjoyed figuring out the why of the crime but would have been nice to not have the killer identified so soon (literally within the first 10 pages we knew). This book has all the hallmarks of a well loved successful series. Atmosphere, cheek, some interesting twists and two love-able little old men detectives! If you love crime fiction this is a series you want to have on your radar! I do wish they would bring back the old cover art though. I loved those book covers so much, I am not a huge fan of this new design.
See my full review here
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October 23, 2019The veteran detectives find themselves faced with a series of obscurely linked murders taking place at 4am, apparently the time when people are at their lowest ebb to the extent that generally even murderers steer clear of it. They were retconned a few books back not to be quite so ancient as in the series' earliest entries, but nonetheless death and decline dog their steps even beyond the killer's victims. A killer to whom the readers are introduced fairly early on, meaning the interest is less whodunnit than why, and how many of his targets will make it out alive. Eccentric old Bryant and ladykiller May aren't rubbing along nearly so well as usual, something with which working nights definitely doesn't help, and there are other tensions simmering in the Peculiar Crimes Unit too – though I'm not convinced this is quite such a new problem as the book sometimes tries to suggest. Equally, Bryant seems quietly to have lost the recently acquired condition whereby he would come unmoored in time and be able to consult great Londoners of the past – a shame, as I've always enjoyed the series most when it veers strangest. But on the other hand, my usual bugbear, the perennial subplot about threats to shut down the Unit, feels a lot less forced in our chill new era of savage cuts to police funding. Yes, there are still trying moments, not least when Bryant and his oddball contacts get into speechifying about those young people with their devices and how nobody talks to their neighbours anymore, and the story's action and unattributed narration seems to support them. But the resolution flips that right around, showing the damage the old ways could and can still do, and the descriptions of London are often scalpel-sharp, right down to little details like the greasy spoon where "Across the window were laminated aerial shots of breakfasts, photographed like studies of skin diseases". And even more so than usual, this one seems woven around with locations I know either regularly (Whitechapel, Leadenhall, the Black Friar) or have recently passed through for the first time in a long while (the Unit's home territory of the Cally Road, but also Hampstead station). I too recently went on a batwatching expedition that didn't go to plan, though in my case it was just noisy kids rather than a murder; I too have been bogged down in the new Philip Pullman. It's all left me with a yen to visit cover-star sundered boozer the Ship & Shovell, especially after that cliffhanger.
January 1, 2020
4.5 stars, taking off a 1/2 star for cliffhanger ending. I love this series and eagerly await every new book, and this one didn’t disappoint- there was the usual diabolically clever murder plot, quirky, witty characters and dialogue, and very timely motive for the murderous rampage - but there was a darker tone at the end, along with the cliffhanger. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Bryant and May and the PCU.
I read the book from my library and listened to the audiobook; the narrator does an excellent job with all the characters, especially Arthur Bryant.
In this case, the book opens with three women bat-watching late at night on Hampstead Heath; one of them sees what appears to be an attack by a masked man and flees into the darkness, dropping her notebook along the way. No spoilers, but turns out she did witness a murder, and may have a tenuous connection to the victim - and the murderer now knows her name, and that she may have witnessed his attack.
As usual, Fowler does an excellent job showing the rather sad, empty internal lives of several of the characters, and the personal tragedies and crises that lead them to where they are - his mysteries always entertain me, but they also make me think. I can’t wait for the next book to find out the fate of the characters, and the PCU itself.
I read the book from my library and listened to the audiobook; the narrator does an excellent job with all the characters, especially Arthur Bryant.
In this case, the book opens with three women bat-watching late at night on Hampstead Heath; one of them sees what appears to be an attack by a masked man and flees into the darkness, dropping her notebook along the way. No spoilers, but turns out she did witness a murder, and may have a tenuous connection to the victim - and the murderer now knows her name, and that she may have witnessed his attack.
As usual, Fowler does an excellent job showing the rather sad, empty internal lives of several of the characters, and the personal tragedies and crises that lead them to where they are - his mysteries always entertain me, but they also make me think. I can’t wait for the next book to find out the fate of the characters, and the PCU itself.
December 17, 2019
The tidings of doom as this novel begins are coming less from actual fact than from a psychic acquaintance of Bryant’s whom he’s only too happy to insult as a cut-rate Cassandra. Still, Bryant can’t help but worry. Theirs is a partnership that relies on the other for balance, though the less generous could claim that it’s really eccentric, abrasive Bryant who needs May more than the other way around:
As their latest case unfolds, however, both detectives definitely have one thing in common: an unusual state of distraction indicative of drifting apart. They’re communicating less frequently even as they share the goal of bringing justice to the culprit behind the ritualized murder of a young man on Hampstead Heath. Dhruv Cheema was found hanging upside down from a willow tree, his throat cut open, surrounded by the paraphernalia of black magic. When another young man is found dead, fished out of the river after an apparent suicide, Bryant quickly claims the second death is related to the first, despite skepticism from his fellow investigators. But as the bodies begin to pile up, with the single known point of connection being that each attack happens at 4 a.m.—the lonely hour, in military parlance—it seems that Bryant is right, as usual. Soon the race is on to stop a ruthless killer from taking more lives in the dark.
We actually find out the identity of the murderer early on in the novel: the main mystery lies in the why, which is slowly unraveled over the course of this wildly entertaining book. Granted, parts of the solution may look more obvious to younger folk than to our older detectives, in much the same way that the killer was flummoxed by the generational divide that more or less sets off this tale of grief and vengeance. It’s to Christopher Fowler’s credit that he provides that contrast and acknowledges it frankly while weaving it seamlessly into his narrative. Read the rest of Doreen Sheridan's review on our blog!
There remained about Bryant something twinkling and primal, a light burning in the ignorant darkness that might guide you home safely or set everything ablaze. Even his partner was never quite sure which way things would go.
John May got out and locked the car. Of him, gentler things were spoken: that he was a little younger, more charming, empathetic and humane. He understood a fundamental truth, that decency makes one a little dull, and was peacefully resigned to his role. He was the straight man in a music hall duo, the foil who made the comic palatable. A complementary pair of opposites, then; one destined to be loved, the other to be remembered, but always coupled together like the names of old-fashioned department stores or the ingredients in pies.
As their latest case unfolds, however, both detectives definitely have one thing in common: an unusual state of distraction indicative of drifting apart. They’re communicating less frequently even as they share the goal of bringing justice to the culprit behind the ritualized murder of a young man on Hampstead Heath. Dhruv Cheema was found hanging upside down from a willow tree, his throat cut open, surrounded by the paraphernalia of black magic. When another young man is found dead, fished out of the river after an apparent suicide, Bryant quickly claims the second death is related to the first, despite skepticism from his fellow investigators. But as the bodies begin to pile up, with the single known point of connection being that each attack happens at 4 a.m.—the lonely hour, in military parlance—it seems that Bryant is right, as usual. Soon the race is on to stop a ruthless killer from taking more lives in the dark.
We actually find out the identity of the murderer early on in the novel: the main mystery lies in the why, which is slowly unraveled over the course of this wildly entertaining book. Granted, parts of the solution may look more obvious to younger folk than to our older detectives, in much the same way that the killer was flummoxed by the generational divide that more or less sets off this tale of grief and vengeance. It’s to Christopher Fowler’s credit that he provides that contrast and acknowledges it frankly while weaving it seamlessly into his narrative. Read the rest of Doreen Sheridan's review on our blog!
January 10, 2025
I do love Fowler's writing and knowing that there are only a few left to go, I am hoarding these like Smaug and his treasure, doling these out for when I want something beautifully written and sculpted with care.
To that end, the positives: Raymond Land's missives to the PCU are a wonder to behold and once laughed at, should be used in management seminars on how NOT to boost morale. I actually went back and re-read this on multiple occasions, sheer brilliance.
The detractors - A set up that revealed the killer early on, but the motivations and drive for them was obscured until late in the book, which did cause some hesitation on how I enjoyed this one. The other was the underlying plot line driving the wedge between Bryant & May - It could just be me but I thought this was not fleshed out in enough detail for me to grasp the wafts of a story until it was all revealed in the latter stages of the book.
Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable read and putting the next one back on the shelf for a later date.
To that end, the positives: Raymond Land's missives to the PCU are a wonder to behold and once laughed at, should be used in management seminars on how NOT to boost morale. I actually went back and re-read this on multiple occasions, sheer brilliance.
The detractors - A set up that revealed the killer early on, but the motivations and drive for them was obscured until late in the book, which did cause some hesitation on how I enjoyed this one. The other was the underlying plot line driving the wedge between Bryant & May - It could just be me but I thought this was not fleshed out in enough detail for me to grasp the wafts of a story until it was all revealed in the latter stages of the book.
Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable read and putting the next one back on the shelf for a later date.
January 6, 2022
Oh my heart! So much happened! Not just the case, but with the whole Peculiar Crimes Unit. Bryant and May seemed to not quite be themselves, and that really threw me. It's like your grandparents suddenly deciding they need a break from each other. There's an accident and five likely candidates for being the cause, none of them particularly likeable. Then someone starts killing them off in bizarre ways. Bryant and May are squabbling. There's a traitor in their midst. Even Raymond Land isn't quite being himself.
Now I need to start reading the next one in hopes that things get better.
Now I need to start reading the next one in hopes that things get better.
January 2, 2021
I love these books and this one didn’t disappoint. Christopher Fowler and his character Arthur Bryant have an encyclopedic knowledge of London and it’s history which is part of the fun. And in which other crime/mystery novel would the solution depend on Rembrandt some Roman sculptures and unusual surgical implements? The team is all there and drama affects everyone, so I was glad to know that Bryant and May will be back. The narrator Tim Goodman was excellent- though I had to run the book at 1.3 speed, because it sounded wrong otherwise. Great way to start the year.
March 30, 2025
I loved this series, especially the two main characters and their camaraderie. I almost stopped reading the series when Bryant was exhibiting signs of dementia because it seemed so sad to me, but I'm glad I kept reading. I'm usually full of giggles and reading clever excerpts to my husband. This one didn't deliver, and I'm not completely sure why. Bryant and May weren't in synch, and the story struck me again as a bit sad. I'll keep going with the series and hope that the next one shows Bryant and May riffing off of each other in the midst of another wacky adventure.
December 1, 2021
A taxi driver is found hanging upside down from a willow tree. His throat has been pierced, and an assortment of candles, broken dolls, and lines of salt surround the scene. Was it some kind of ritual? When a second murder occurs in the same manner but without all the mystic decoration, Bryant and May think not. This is another fun case for London's Peculiar Crimes Unit... well, fun for the reader, that is. The curmudgeonly Bryant is a great character. Whoever did the final editing on this must have a weird dislike of commas because many that should have been there weren't, especially those that should come after introductory clauses. This kind of bugged me after several cases of having to reread a line because of the lack.
February 10, 2021
What can I say? I adore this series! There is so much going on internally with PCU, besides the murders. Very unsettling things. I was angry, sad, in suspense, and surprised during the reading of this. And the ending? What? So cruel Mr. Fowler! Now off to the library to see if the next book is there.
January 16, 2020
Love these old fellas. Can't wait for the next book.
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