Roofworld

by Christopher Fowler

1st edition Arrow 1989 paperback, vg++ In stock shipped from our UK warehouse

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

396 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

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

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christopher Fowler has constructed an atmospheric, imaginative, colourful and intriguing world in Roofworld. Set in late 1980s London, there exists a secret world of disillusioned misfits and outcasts who have made their home on the roofs, moving with agility and flair across runs throughout the city. People do not look upwards, so are unaware of this world, and for those who live above, folk below are referred to as insects. This is a rip roaring adventure.

Outright war has broken out between the two competing secret tribes. Light vs Darkness. The dark side is led by the Imperator Chymes, a deliciously evil character with an illustrious name that harks back in history to the practice of alchemy. Drawing on the occult, mysticism and Satanism, he and his drug addled minions intend to take over London. Standing in his way are the progressives whose views are entrenched in principles and equality. They are led by a broken man, Nathanial Zalion, who is struggling in his efforts to combat Chymes. Chymes has twelve of Zalion's people, including the woman he loves, Sarah. He is planning to have them sacrificed at an auspicious time with a ceremony to cement his control over London.

Robert, an unfriendly, impractical, and disorganised man, works for a film production company that is looking to buy the rights to The Newgate Legacy, written by the recently deceased Charlotte Endsleigh. Upon trying to locate Charlotte's daughter, Sarah, he bumps into the smart and sassy Rose Leonard. Robert and Rose find themselves caught up in the battle for London, after witnessing a murder. DCI Ian Hargreaves is working night and day to solve the rising number of strange murders being committed from the roofs. Under extreme pressure to solve the case, he becomes aware of the alchemy and the supernatural elements. With London at stake, will the crumbling and embattled Zalion and his group with Robert and Sarah be able to hold out? There is a thrilling finale. We find that two people succumb to the lure of the adventurous Roofworld.

This is a wonderfully quirky read. It is rich in historical detail and full of dark and comic humour. It has the author's trademark social and political commentary. Furthermore, it makes great use of London landmarks. Those acquainted with the Bryant and May series will find some familiar characters. Brilliant read. Highly recommended. Thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.

[zed · Rating 2 out of 5]

I came across this novel in a local neighbourhood swap library just a couple of days after finishing Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. After reading the blurb, I thought, why not. Comparing Gaiman’s "London Below" to a new-to-me writer’s "London from Above" seemed like a perfect exercise in comparison. It even had a 50-cent RSPCA sticker on the front. Someone got a bargain.

Reading Roofworld was, for me, an experience similar to witnessing a car crash. It is loud, messy, noisy, and violent, and can't take your eyes off it. While my head was telling me to stop, I simply had to keep reading.

The book is built on a fantastic concept. Christopher Fowler certainly knew his way around London’s architecture and history. The premise, a society hidden from the world below, living entirely atop the city skyline, is incredibly imaginative, especially considering it was released in 1988, long before Gaiman’s Neverwhere. The rooftops serve as a kind of vertical frontier with their own laws and social hierarchies. Unfortunately, the execution was often inept.

The dialogue is, at times, genuinely rubbish. The characters speak as if they are reading from a clunky film script. The protagonists, Robert and Rose, deliver such pathetically poor dialogue that it becomes laughable. They also transform far too quickly over the novel's ten-day span. Robert is almost too much of an idiot to have survived those ten days, and Rose becomes an expert at careening across rooftops far too fast to be realistic. I know this is a genre thriller, but I still want a degree of realism in the characters. As for Detective Hargreave, he is a total cliché, the tough-talking London copper straight out of The Sweeney. He is so overworked and cynical that he feels like a caricature.
But… despite this pulpier-than-pulp pulp, the book is undeniably witty at times. Fowler’s parodies of the British media are highlights; his Daily Mail headlines about "Rooftop Rambos" and "Leicester Square Vampires" perfectly capture the breathless, scaremongering rot that the tabloids are renowned for. And the villain, Chymes, is a study in breathtaking excess. Armed with a metal hand and a penchant for screaming 17th-century Latin alchemical texts like the Kabbalah Denudata from the centre of a "tornado of light," he was occasionally laugh-out-loud funny.

One of the more fascinating aspects was how "dated" the book expected itself to be. Several characters discuss the fact that cameras are coming and that their world is nearing its end. Surveillance was in its infancy when this was published, and there is a profound irony in reading this in 2026. The characters fear a future that has already rendered their lifestyle impossible. Today, with thousands upon thousands of CCTV cameras and thermal imaging drones, Roofworld couldn't exist. Yet (spoiler alert) that didn't stop a couple of "below" characters from heading "above" at the end of the novel. Sorry, guys, plod will get you eventually if the cameras catch you hightailing it across the roof of the Savoy.

I knew nothing of the author, so I checked him out after finishing. This was his first novel, but he became a prolific writer, eventually finding his niche with the Bryant & May crime series. He was also the man behind the famous Alien tagline: "In space, no one can hear you scream." That was a stroke of genius, and for that alone, he can be forgiven for the flaws of his debut.

As clunky as it was complete with a stupidly melodramatic ending involving a dead villain being carried off by a literal golden eagle, it’s like that car crash, you simply cannot take your eyes off it until the very end.

This is in a way fascinating historical artifact, so I suppose read it as such, and if you know Fowler’s later work, you will probably see how much he developed. (Not that I intend to read his later work)


https://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/b...

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book many years ago purely on the concept of the story - ironically never realising how much the works of Christopher Fowler would have on me.

Back in the day I was still learning what was a good story and what was not and more importantly how I could go about identifying them, I am still learning now so sadly that is one lesson I cannot pass on but I do now realise how quickly I can spot them.

Roof world is a point in case however I will admit that I was influenced by something else at the time. This was in the late 80s when a TV series called Beauty and the Beast with Ron Perlman caught my eye. I was working late shifts while preparing to head to University and I could not sleep so I would watch late night TV. Now anyone who knows UK TV of that times knows the choice of material was pretty slim so I got hooked on this series.

Now what has it got to do with this book. Well for me a lot as it turned out. You see one of the key aspects of the story was that you had a parallel world going on below the cities feet - the majority of which knew nothing of it - however a small number know, some helped, some hindered and others tried to take control. Now transpose this to the city of London and above your heads and you the beginnings of the world of Roofworld.

Many years later immersing myself in the world of Neverwhere I again felt those hints of a world intermingled with our own but utterly invisible and what stories were being told right in front of us.

So this leads to my fascination of the story of Roofworld - a highly unlikely and implausible story that it is - I still find great satisfaction in reading it even now - and who knows what might be going on right in front of me now?

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good fantasy based fiction. Not specifically horror as I originally thought, it deals with a creative cast of characters who make the story feel alive more than the plotline does. The plot isn't bad, but it's a bit out there. At least it has imaginative force driving it. Rose and Robert are almost opposites, with Robert being the cynical and awkward one fumbling about while Rose is confident with a photographic memory. Both are trying to find their places in the world - but they never would have guessed where they eventually end up. A lot if told through a certain detective's point of view, but after awhile I got a little tired of the POV shifts. It concludes sort of as a joke in the end so I see now why that POV was needed. Horror fans will enjoy that this one doesn't hold back on the death count or gory stuff, though, for the villain is pure evil through and through and enjoys killing people in creative splatter. It reminds me a little of Neverworld in that its in London and of a secret society, although these people don't live underground -- look up.

[Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: ROOFWORLD by Christopher Fowler

I first learned of this book from Paul Cornell's THE SEVERED STREETS, which highly recommended both Neil Gaiman' s NEVERWHERE and ROOFWORLD. I am glad to see the republication of ROOFWORLD, an intricately plotted novel of a civilization existing "above" London, a sort of "superstructure" invisible to the "Insects" living on London's surface (normals). Intended as an escape, a high-minded improved society, it has degenerated into vicious war and megalomania, as both sides strive to fulfill an occult potential.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise Roofworld by Christopher Fowler is a relatively simple one. For many decades a secret society has existed on the rooftops of London. They live like ghosts and the majority of people are oblivious to their presence.

Enter Robert Linden, an executive for a production company, tasked by his boss to locate novels that can be adapted for the screen. During one such search, Robert meets a woman called Rose Leonard and they are accidentally made aware of the Roofworld’s existence. Circumstances lead them further and further into this alien sub-culture and they are caught in the midst of a power struggle between two opposing forces. On one side, a group of displaced individuals trying to make a life for themselves away from politics and bureaucracy of the world below. On the other, a Satanic cult lead by a mad man who wants nothing but power.

Meanwhile at ground level, the police are struggling to understand the nature of the war that has erupted on London’s rooftops. As bodies literally start dropping from the sky, Detective Inspector Ian Hargreave is called upon to try and make sense of the ongoing slaughter.

The two main characters in Roofworld are well realised. Robert and Rose are polar opposites of one another. He is reserved and somewhat staid, while she is outgoing and curious. You just know that if it wasn’t for this adventure they find themselves on, they would have little in common and never mix in the same social circles. Robert has never taken a chance in his life and is shaken from his cosy existence when Rose comes into his life. Their relationship is realistically illustrated by Fowler.

The man trying to maintain order in the Roofworld society is a disgraced Dr called Nathaniel Zalian. He is flawed and troubled by his own inner demons but tries to do the best for all those that find their way to the group.

The leader of the cult is Chymes. This character is the only disappointment in the novel as far as I am concerned. He is suitably violent, mysterious, and evil, but I have always felt like there was more to this man that was never fully explored. It would have been nice to get more details about his motivations and the beginnings of his rise to power. This slight criticism aside, his maniacal qualities do make him a marvellous nemesis.

The thing I still remember from when I first read the novel was that I was utterly engrossed by the society that the author had created. Even now, years later I continue to be impressed by the lengths Fowler has gone to in order to create something that is believable. From the descriptions of the gadgets used to travel across the rooftops, to the explanations of how the society has managed to exist. As London has altered and changed over the years, the members of the community have needed to adapt with it. There is even detail about what happens to those that get told old to live on the roofs anymore.

The novels climax is truly spectacular and the use of a famous London landmark is the icing on the cake. I have always maintained, and still do, that this would make a great piece of cinema. It has everything that you could ever want from a thriller. The novel only covers a period of nine days but in that time, the action is non-stop.

It’s scary to think that I last read the novel over twenty years ago. The good news is that the story has aged well, and with the exception of couple of minor references to out of date computer technology, everything still feels as fresh is did two decades ago. Fowler’s social commentary on the homeless and dispossessed that existed in London in the Eighties is as relevant today as it was then. If you have never read Roofworld I suggest you check it out.

[Kath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every so often I like to read something a little different. I find that with the amount I read, things can get a bit samey and, to a certain extent, stale. So I am always on the look out for books that will take me out of my comfort zone and when I read the blurb for this book, it enticed me enough to give it a go. My braveness was completely rewarded as I swiftly found myself engrossed and intrigued by the rooftop world that the author has created. I wondered at the systems and technologies utilised by the inhabitants to travel between the buildings and other structures. I was also quite enthralled by the history of the world. Its origins and reasons for continual existence and indeed its interactions and connections with the ground level or "insect" world.
Set in the 80s and being of a certain age myself, there were also quite a few trips down memory lane for me, along with some great one liner. There was also some brilliant bits of humour to add a bit of respite from action. Some of which were deliciously dark in nature.
Although I found the world the author has created to be credible and the blossoming war therein just as believable, I found that a couple of things just didn't quite sit right with me. I found Rose's character to be well drawn and congruous but Robert's I found somewhat lacking and a little too inconsistent in places. Rose's transition from group to rooftop seemed fluid whereas Robert's own transition, to me, just didn't quite work. Nor did it seem to follow or fit with his previous defined character. I appreciate that people can change quite dramatically when faced with new stuff, especially with respect to danger but I just didn't completely buy Robert. That said, the rest of the cast were well described and on the whole easy to relate to / emote with. The delicious darkness of Chymes was especially satisfying along with the delightfully gruesome actions he insisted his minions carry out.
Unusually for me in a read, the police presence throughout the book added some very interesting comedy moments/ Hardly surprising given the gruesome nature of the crimes they are supposed to be investigating.
The action, although disjointed in parts was thrilling throughout. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the Roofworlders zipping along the high wires. The action and pace ramp up steadily through the book, culminating in a showdown finale of very high intensity and an ending that leaves itself open enough for a follow-up but satisfying enough for the reader if not.
All in all I enjoyed this rather quirky book and am definitely interested in reading more from this author.

I received a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has just been languishing on my to-read shelf forever. Finally, I read it. Not the first Fowler for me, I’ve read his work before and enjoyed it.
This is something of a seminal work for him, the one that put him on the map. And it’s easy to see why – the story hits all the right notes for making itself bombastic and notable. It’s got a cinematic vividness to it – all these people swinging from roof to roof, navigating London through the air, you can practically see their gravity defiance come alive as you read.
It strongly reminded me of another famous British book from another famous author that has people inhabiting and navigating the world below the streets of London, albeit that one was considerably more magical.
Still, this story has a magic of its own. Its own world, meticulously imagined and crafted, its own logistics. There are warring parties up above, ancient societies’ sorcery and all that fun.
We enter the world of roofs with the main character as our guide (much like in that other book mentioned), although this one doesn’t have the charisma of a leading man. More of a socially awkward milquetoast and, frankly, not much of a lead at all, although with enough good sense to team up with a kickass female character who has the skills and random encyclopedic knowledge to lead awesomely.
The two of them are originally after a manuscript for adaptation rights, but it quickly ends up being so much more for up there, on the roofs, a different world awaits them. A world of dreamers who want a different life and sinister followers of a power-mad, sacrifice-fond leader.
All in all, this was a fun adventure, though not a perfect one. It’s from the late 80s and though not especially dated in details, it has a slightly dated style and aesthetic of “this was hip in the 80s”. The main character left something to be desired. The plot got too busy at times. It read somewhat long for the page count.
Overall, though, it worked and entertained plenty. An interesting and original adventure that should really be adapted to screen and it seems it was in the works but just hasn’t been done or maybe hasn’t bene done yet. Step up onto the roof, the view is lovely. I'm going to round up this rating based on concept more than execution. Thanks Netgalley.

[Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws · Rating 4 out of 5]

In ‘Roofworld’ a whole set of characters live and fight for their lives on the, yes you got it right, rooftops of the city of London. And like the rest of the society, there is both good and evil among them. The novel revolves around the theme of light vs dark or good vs evil. Leading the league of ‘darkness’ is Chymes. They draw on occult and drugs and intend to rule over the rooftops of the city. Nathanial is the face of their opposition; a man with his own demons to fight. Will equality reign in the Roofworld or will doom take over? Caught in between are a couple of innocent people like Robert and Rose.
I have read couple of other books by the author and have enjoyed them all, but this is the most unique work I have read in a while. Thoroughly engrossing and entertaining.

Read the full review on Bookish Indulgences with b00k r3vi3ws

[Morgan McGuire · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book because it has a clever plot, but the author didn't bring the various plot threads and characters together soon enough or make them compelling, so I eventually got sick of seeing vignettes instead of a story.

[Judy Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Hydra. Thank you.

Christopher Fowler is the author of a series of novels I'm completely addicted to, Bryant and May from the Peculiar Crimes Unit. When I saw Fowler's first novel, published in 1988, was being digitized for e-readers I absolutely had to read it. I'm very, very glad I did. I have to admit it was difficult for me to read this book without the inevitable comparisons to the Bryant and May books, but it was also a special treat to dig out nuggets of style and substance which would stand Fowler in such good stead later.

If you are approaching this novel from only having read that most popular series featuring the PCU, be prepared for things to be different in this book because it is definitely not from that series. This London focuses on the rooftops, away from the Groundes, the Insects, to the people who were so dissatisfied with their lives that they needed to get away and begin their own culture complete with rules, guidelines, laws and enforcement of their secret society. Nobody ever looks up, it was the easiest thing for them to form a society and develop various methods for transporting themselves from one building to another with complete ease and no fear. Ah, but then it began to come apart when two strong leaders found they had differing values and reasons for the roofworld to exist. Now it's war and London begins to notice as the casualty count increases.

My overall reaction to the book was to be impressed by how wonderfully it was written. All the Fowler touches which have now become so familiar were there from the beginning. Things are a little quirky; London is the host for a different world hidden in plain sight; a goodly amount of information is related regarding the architectural variations of the city; the police are trying their best to deal with mystical situations outside the covers of the books of standard legal procedure; there are some wonderful examples of black humor. But then I got to the pure gruesomeness of the killings and was stopped in my tracks. After a specific incident I approached the remainder of the book with caution hoping that I wouldn't come across anything like that again. If you are at all squeamish but still want to read this book, go ahead because you will be given ample warning that this portion is about to happen and you can just skip several pages ahead. Just naming what is going to happen will be your warning.

So I am glad I read the book. If a friend asks for my recommendation, I will say the same things I've said in this review. I do think I'll be staying with the Bryant & May books from now on, though.

[Alyssia Cooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing and disturbing, this is nothing like I imagined it would be. I’d anticipated much of the tale revolving in this world from the roofs, and yet in reality what you get is a rather grisly murder mystery split between the ground and the roof. There is some exploration of the rooftop society but largely from a ground perspective.

I did find that the pace lagged somewhat and the reliance on the supernatural towards the end detracted from the whole. That said, I did enjoy reading it and it’s certainly unlike any novel I have read before. I’m not sure I’ll go searching for anymore of Fowler’s works however as his style didn’t grip me and many of the characterisations seemed a little two dimensional for my tastes.

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea of a group of misfits living undetected on the rooftops of London drew my interest in reading this book and I was not disappointed. The author has a way of developing and drawing you into an alternate world and I found it a very satisfying read.

[Maine Colonial · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy via Netgalley.

I’ve read all of Christopher Fowler’s fantastic Bryant & May Peculiar Crimes Unit books, so I could resist the chance to read his debut novel, Roofworld. Roofworld tells the tale of mopey Londoner Robert Linden and the crazy rooftop gang world he discovers when he tries to track down the daughter of a murdered author.

All Robert wants is to get the rights to dramatize Charlotte Endsleigh’s one published novel, but Endsleigh hasn’t left a will and her daughter, Sarah, is estranged from her. When Robert goes to Charlotte’s flat to try to track down clues, he finds two things: an envelope with pages in it of what seem to be intriguing clues to the plot of a new novel, and Rose Leonard. Rose is the building’s caretaker and someone who, while on a night out taking photographs, caught shots of figures running over rooftops and cable zipping from building to building. One of the faces she catches in her photographs is Sarah’s.

Robert and Rose team up, and soon they are being introduced to a set of the roof dwellers, led by Zalian. Zalian’s group is being attacked by the evil Chyme’s people, and the horrifically tortured victims that Chymes drops onto the streets of the “insects” below become the responsibility of Detective Inspector Ian Hargreave and his DS (and secret lover), Janice Longbright. (For you Bryant & May fans, yes, it’s *that* Janice Longbright!)

What Christopher Fowler brings to his Bryant & May police procedurals is a love of London, both its history and its little-known nooks and crannies, as well as at least a whiff of the paranormal. Despite the presence of the Metropolitan Police, Roofworld isn’t a police procedural, but you do have that same London focus and paranormal element as the Bryant & May books. It’s not hard to see how the Bryant & May series grew out of this.

Roofworld is a debut novel, and it’s not as accomplished as Fowler’s later work. His character development is a little thin and, for my taste at least, there is too much of a focus on the horrific details of Chymes’s dirty deeds. But what is just as present and compelling as in Fowler’s later books is that feeling that there is another, darker but maybe more alive London lurking in another from the one the city’s residents experience when they go about their everyday tasks.

[Shane · Rating 2 out of 5]

11/8/16 - Many years ago I met a guy on the Excite message boards. We kept running into each other on different threads talking about books. We started verbally sparring, poking at each other while reviewing books. I created a thread called "Don't peek unless your name is Orbitsville", that was his screen name (also one of his favorite books). Of course a lot of people "peeked" so we had a giant conversation about what books everyone was reading that lasted almost 2 years. Obritsville and I became close e-friends and eventually I went up to visit him in Toronto where he lived. We hung out and it was great. At some point he dropped out of the internet sites that we both frequented.

The point is that this was one of his favorite books. I believe he probably sent it to me more than 10 years ago. I'm finally getting to it and missing/wondering about my old friend. If you're out there reading this Seth, let me know you're still among the living, it would definitely brighten my day.

12/23/16 Well I finished this today and unfortunately it was really kind of underwhelming for me. Pretty much a straight "thriller", which I usually avoid, set in the modern world, which I also usually avoid, but with an interesting/unique premise. I didn't hate the characters, but I didn't love them either. So me and Orbitsville will have to agree to disagree about this one. :)

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first thing I've read from Mr.Fowler, and his first stand alone is an inventive adventure above the London skyline. With a sadistic psycho leader, with a cult following, and another more peaceful group that zip along cables between the rooftops, a battle is brewing. Rather unique concept, and pretty well written. 3.7 stars

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey goodreads where has my review gone?

[lauren mackenzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

i love the concept of this book; i think that a roofworld sounds fascinating and the premises of the novel are great. what isn’t great however, is the lack of depth to all the characters, the unnecessary stretching of a plot that is weak, and the tying together of the ending. this book made me so frustrated that i’m about to write half an essay on. here goes:

1) ending
let’s start with the end. when i realised that i only had 30 pages left of the book i was concerned because no loose ends had even been thought about pulling together. and i was right! the ending felt rushed, messy, and nonsensical. i still don’t really get it.

2) characters
oh dear lord. the characters seem to have little to no continuity or depth at all- particularly hargreave (who feels wholly unnecessary to the story), zalian, sarah, oh and anybody who isn’t robert. motivations are unclear, development is nonexistant for most and predictable for the few, and they are all entirely unlikable.

3) plot
again, messy and shallow. the supernatural element sometimes comes across as cynical and other times seems ridiculous. scenes which should be short and to the point are dragged out and unbearable, and there are many which are straight up unnecessary.

4) sexualisation of ALL THE WOMEN.
i am 99% sure that every single female character in this book is described using the words ‘sexual’ and ‘figure’. it is completely unneeded and off putting and one of the reasons this book frustrated me to the point where it took me half a month to read it.

tldr; it somehow managed to be both shallow and over complicated at the same time, with an annoying habit of stretching out a weak story full of shallow characters.

[Edmund Chattoe-Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a kebab of a novel. You would be grateful enough for it if you were hungry (or, less charitably, p*ssed) but there's no danger at all of mistaking it for a steak. Fowler seems to have done most of his growing up as an author in public and this is _way_ better written than his early short stories (thank heck frankly) though at one point for example, he describes something as "... badly destroyed ..." The idea (warring tribes of outcasts on the roofs of London) is quite fun and well realised but characterisation is limited (too many characters are just unpleasant and/or inadequate in lieu of a full featured personality.) The violence feels gratuitous both in quality and quantity. Initially it worried me that I couldn't justify this claim but then it occurred to me that it all serves to justify how mad and bad the chief baddy is. But a bad mad baddy is itself a rather boring convention: Why does he do these horrible things? Because he is bad and mad. Yawn. The police involvement is intermittent and not very engaging (though you can see the Peculiar Crimes Unit coalescing through the murk). The pacing is a bit odd too with a sort of "Shakespearing marrying off scene" crammed in at the end. If you are a Bryant and May fan hoping to extend your pleasure with an "Old Testament" I fear you will be disappointed. If you want to read Fowler, don't start here but go straight to Bryant and May where the ducks lined up.

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

I'm finally going through my physical library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.

I'm only adding one book per author and I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)

First time read the author's work?: Yes

Will you be reading more?: Yes

Would you recommend?: Yes


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Pietro Rossi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another well written engaging book from Christopher Fowler. This time focusing on a London Far Above. Fowler creates a real world, literally over our heads. People, outcasts, who get around the city of London on zip wires, way in the sky, following their own rules and conventions. But it's the dying days for this tribe and a new order is being prepared, this time focusing on the darker realms of humanity. This is the world Robert and Rose are thrown into, following the leads in a manuscript from a dead one-book author.

The executions being particularly nasty, indeed at times this is the literary equivalent of a video nasty. Fowler relishes in describing the gruesome deaths.

Just as there's a debate whether the movie 'Die Hard' is a Christmas movie or not, a similar debate here. It's set in the last few days of Advent, with Christmas just around the corner.

With real history and anecdotes about London liberally thrown in, what's not to enjoy? It is a tad on the lengthy side, so I'm giving it a good 7/10

Scoring: 0 bad; 1-3 poor; 4-6 average; 7-9 good; 10 excellent.

[Gina Burgess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me just say that I'm allergic to foul language. However, I really liked the premise of this book when reading the blurb on Netgalley. So I ordered it.

I could get past the language. Not so really bad. But if you'd like some very inventive and gruesome ways described to murder people, this is the book for you. The body count escalated and I really got sick to my stomach.

Before all the threads came together into some semblance of order, I had to quit reading.

The premise is really good. The writing is also very good. The character development is very slow. But the storyline is interesting enough to keep the pages turning. If you have a strong stomach, I do recommend this book.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a e ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have read and enjoyed the Peculiar Crimes Unit mysteries by this author and so thought I would try this. So glad I did! It features a story of two adversarial groups who live on the rooftops of London and also the police who are investigating crimes committed by some of these rooftop dwellers. I enjoyed the story as well as learning how they travelled above the streets of London. The story is interesting and action packed. I enjoyed the book and hope you will, too!

[Lushr · Rating 3 out of 5]

A secret lawless world above the rooftops is about to break into gangland warfare when a mysterious figure tries to take over the city with murderous intent.

On the surface it seems like a great little jaunt, but it's quite clunky, its anti corporate sentiments are not exactly fresh these days, and the male protagonists are utterly devoid of character.

Plus there's a nasty scene where a girl gets killed, if you have triggers... stay away.

All in all Doctorow's Little Brother is a far better example of this kind of adventure.

[Pol Ó Muireadhaigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book many many years ago, probably mid 90's and it's stayed with me.
It might even be my favorite novel. I still find myself looking up and wondering what if, when ever I'm in a big city. I'm a little foggy on the details at this distance of years, I remember the premise and how much I loved it at the time. must track down a copy and read it again. Not many books that I've read have left such a lasting impression. Would absolutely LOVE to see a TV series or Movie based on this but that ship has probably long sailed

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christopher Fowler at a solid B+ here - he's definitely exploring the kind of alternative London that he plumbs for the PCU series (not really magic, per se, but rather a London existing just at the periphery of one's vision) and with the humor and eye for detail that fans have come to expect. It just didn't capture me, however, but this is such a personal reaction that I don't hesitate to recommend it.

I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Paragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pulp. But very entertaining pulp.

[SteveMcI · Rating 3 out of 5]

A clever take on the "find the missing girl" and leaving a hint of possible occult at the end. The writing flowed, not a bad Covid isolation read.

[Gary Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite an intriguing book! Certainly have not heard of a story like it, and you never know, it could be true!

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably closer to 4 stars in terms of quality, but it's just wildly up my street in its subject matter I can't help but give it 5.