Book Review: London's Glory The Lost Cases of Bryant & May and the Peculiar Crimes Unit by Christopher Fowler
Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge,from Random House via Netgalley, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it
Arthur Bryant and John May of the Peculiar Crimes Unit are London's craftiest and bravest detectives—and there's no better pair to solve the city's most confounding crimes. In this riveting eBook collection of mystery short stories, available together for the first time, Christopher Fowler takes Bryant and May on a series of twisting adventures and brings readers behind the scenes of his beloved novels.
In “Bryant & May in the Field,” a woman is found with her throat slashed in a snowy park, yet the killer managed to escape without leaving any footprints. In “Bryant & May and the Nameless Woman,” a businessman drowns in the pool of a posh club, and the only suspect is a young woman who remains almost too calm during questioning. And in “Bryant & May Ahoy!” the pair go on holiday on a friend's yacht in Turkey, but Bryant realizes there's something fishy about their fellow passengers. From London's grandest mansions to its darkest corners, from the Christmas department of Selfridges to a sinister traveling sideshow, there's no scene too strange for the Peculiar Crimes Unit and the indefatigable detectives at its helm.
Includes a preview of Christopher Fowler's new Peculiar Crimes Unit mystery, Bryant & May and the Burning Man!
Review:
This was the first of Fowler's books that I have read. It was different, but intriguing, the Peculiar Crimes Units is what we would consider a 'Major Crimes' unit stateside, in many ways- they handle the weird, sensational, and headline grabbing cases, using their unique detective skills to get the true story of what happened, and to put it to rest. the team is just as colorful as the cases they cover. These short stories introduce the reader to them in bits and pieces, making the book perfect for reading on the go, like while the kid is at baseball practice. The stories are each short, but fulfilling, The author generously gives you more background info on the characters and the full length books they are featured in, which helps you to decide which (or all) of the other books you want to read. If you are a fan of Fowler, then you will adore the introductions to the stories and the forward to the book, where he shares his inspiration for writing. It's an interesting book and perfect for Spring giving to the mystery lover!
About the Author:
Christopher Fowler is an English novelist living in London, his books contain elements of black comedy, anxiety and social satire. As well as novels, he writes short stories, scripts, press articles and reviews. He lives in King's Cross, on the Battlebridge Basin, and chooses London as the backdrop of many of his stories because any one of the events in its two thousand year history can provide inspiration
>In 1998 he was the recipient of the BFS Best Short Story Of The Year, for 'Wageslaves'. Then, in 2004, 'The Water Room' was nominated for the CWA People's Choice Award, 'Full Dark House' won the BFS August Derleth Novel of The Year Award 2004 and 'American Waitress' won the BFS Best Short Story Of The Year 2004. The novella 'Breathe' won BFS Best Novella 2005. Check out his website for more info, at
http://www.peculiarcrimesunit.com/
Since we visited Ireland earlier, and this week is the Irish Dancing Championships in Glascow, Scotland, it only makes sense to stay in the British isles for our second book review today!
Arthur Bryant and John May of the Peculiar Crimes Unit are London's craftiest and bravest detectives—and there's no better pair to solve the city's most confounding crimes. In this riveting eBook collection of mystery short stories, available together for the first time, Christopher Fowler takes Bryant and May on a series of twisting adventures and brings readers behind the scenes of his beloved novels.
In “Bryant & May in the Field,” a woman is found with her throat slashed in a snowy park, yet the killer managed to escape without leaving any footprints. In “Bryant & May and the Nameless Woman,” a businessman drowns in the pool of a posh club, and the only suspect is a young woman who remains almost too calm during questioning. And in “Bryant & May Ahoy!” the pair go on holiday on a friend's yacht in Turkey, but Bryant realizes there's something fishy about their fellow passengers. From London's grandest mansions to its darkest corners, from the Christmas department of Selfridges to a sinister traveling sideshow, there's no scene too strange for the Peculiar Crimes Unit and the indefatigable detectives at its helm.
Includes a preview of Christopher Fowler's new Peculiar Crimes Unit mystery, Bryant & May and the Burning Man!
Review:
This was the first of Fowler's books that I have read. It was different, but intriguing, the Peculiar Crimes Units is what we would consider a 'Major Crimes' unit stateside, in many ways- they handle the weird, sensational, and headline grabbing cases, using their unique detective skills to get the true story of what happened, and to put it to rest. the team is just as colorful as the cases they cover. These short stories introduce the reader to them in bits and pieces, making the book perfect for reading on the go, like while the kid is at baseball practice. The stories are each short, but fulfilling, The author generously gives you more background info on the characters and the full length books they are featured in, which helps you to decide which (or all) of the other books you want to read. If you are a fan of Fowler, then you will adore the introductions to the stories and the forward to the book, where he shares his inspiration for writing. It's an interesting book and perfect for Spring giving to the mystery lover!
About the Author:
Christopher Fowler is an English novelist living in London, his books contain elements of black comedy, anxiety and social satire. As well as novels, he writes short stories, scripts, press articles and reviews. He lives in King's Cross, on the Battlebridge Basin, and chooses London as the backdrop of many of his stories because any one of the events in its two thousand year history can provide inspiration
>In 1998 he was the recipient of the BFS Best Short Story Of The Year, for 'Wageslaves'. Then, in 2004, 'The Water Room' was nominated for the CWA People's Choice Award, 'Full Dark House' won the BFS August Derleth Novel of The Year Award 2004 and 'American Waitress' won the BFS Best Short Story Of The Year 2004. The novella 'Breathe' won BFS Best Novella 2005. Check out his website for more info, at
http://www.peculiarcrimesunit.com/
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