Call number
MYST FOW
Collection
Genres
Publication
Bantam (2005), Edition: First Edition, 368 pages
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:�??Traditional mystery buffs with a taste for the offbeat will relish British author Fowler's wonderful second contemporary whodunit featuring the Peculiar Crimes Unit and its elderly odd couple, Arthur Bryant and John May.�?��??Publishers Weekly (starred review) How can an elderly recluse drown in a chair in her otherwise dry basement? That�??s what John May and Arthur Bryant of London�??s Peculiar Crimes Unit set out to discover in a city rife with shady real estate developers, racist threats, dodgy academicians, and someone dangerously obsessed with Egyptian mythology. Linking them all is an evil lurking in London�??s vast and forgotten underground river system�??a killer with the eerie ability to strike anywhere, anytime, without leaving a clue. It�??s a subterranean case of secrets, lies, and multiple murder that defies not only the law, but reason itself. Can Bryant and May bring a killer to the surface and stop the dark tide of murder before it pulls them under, too? �??A clever twist on the traditional police procedural . . . The real thrill here is the delightful duo in the starring roles, two fresh and unusual characters who manage to breathe new life into an established genre in which it�??s getting harder and harder to find anything genuinely fresh.�?��??Booklist �??Humorous, en… (more)
Subjects
User reviews
LibraryThing member kdcdavis
I picked this off the shelf at my mom's house because I'm a sucker for British detectives. I kept reading it because the first murder was intriguing and I wanted to find out what happened; I should have just skipped to the end. The denouement was, as I should have known, disappointing and not worth
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the rest of the novel. Fowler got himself tangled up in a ridiculously complicated and unrealistic plot, and his characters were trying too hard to be quirky and interesting. Poor writing is not so bad when the story is entertaining or the characters have some depth (Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse novels, for instance), but in this case all three were, at best, mediocre. Show Less
LibraryThing member bcquinnsmom
Installment #2 in this series featuring the Peculiar Crimes Unit finds our heroes, Bryant and May (and the other people in the PCU) trying to solve the death of a woman drowned in her basement. Sounds straightforward, right? However, the dead woman was completely dry, sitting in a chair, in a dry
Once again we have a detective story with a rather X-filish feel to it, where the detectives may be old but still have a lot to offer. The characters are very well drawn, and there is a wealth of history that is part of the story between the two covers. At 356 pages, this is not your typical detective story, and Bryant and May are not your typical detectives. And the PCU is not your typical police unit. So...if you like something quirky and offbeat, then you might want to give this series a try, but don't start with this one: start with Full Dark House. The book offers a bit of fun along with a good mystery and really kept me entertained for quite a while. I've just bought the next book in the series and will probably read them all.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has read Full Dark House and wants to follow the series, as well as someone looking for something a bit different in the mystery world. However, it's NOT for you if you want a standard police procedural-type book that's more down to earth. I thought the book was quite good and a cut above what's normally on my local bookstore's mystery shelves.
Overall...a fun read with a fine mystery.
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basement. If that was the only problem for them to deal with, the book would have definitely been a lot shorter -- but add in a death by saran wrap, arson, and a fellow buried alive by his own truck. And then you still don't have the complete story. Once again we have a detective story with a rather X-filish feel to it, where the detectives may be old but still have a lot to offer. The characters are very well drawn, and there is a wealth of history that is part of the story between the two covers. At 356 pages, this is not your typical detective story, and Bryant and May are not your typical detectives. And the PCU is not your typical police unit. So...if you like something quirky and offbeat, then you might want to give this series a try, but don't start with this one: start with Full Dark House. The book offers a bit of fun along with a good mystery and really kept me entertained for quite a while. I've just bought the next book in the series and will probably read them all.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has read Full Dark House and wants to follow the series, as well as someone looking for something a bit different in the mystery world. However, it's NOT for you if you want a standard police procedural-type book that's more down to earth. I thought the book was quite good and a cut above what's normally on my local bookstore's mystery shelves.
Overall...a fun read with a fine mystery.
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LibraryThing member Meredy
I'd rate the second Bryant & May mystery, The Water Room, as pretty ho-hum. The romance of London history and especially of the "lost rivers," though interesting enough, seems to overshadow anything having to do with character and motivation.
I've read scores of novels set in London, both
Not that the story was especially credible in its own right. Like the first of the series, Full Dark House, I think it stretches the meaning of "peculiar crimes" well into the realm of the preposterous. Perhaps the novels are best understood as fantasies.
The principal characters remain entertaining, if perhaps overdrawn, by which I mean that characterization seems to spill over into caricature a little too frequently.
My interest in continuing with the series is not particularly strong at the moment, but after a time I may give the third installment a try.
I've read scores of novels set in London, both
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contemporary and period, and never come across this aspect before except by way of occasional forays into canals and sewers. I can't fault the author for finding this history fascinating. But I have to take off points if it gets in the way of the story, and I think it did.Not that the story was especially credible in its own right. Like the first of the series, Full Dark House, I think it stretches the meaning of "peculiar crimes" well into the realm of the preposterous. Perhaps the novels are best understood as fantasies.
The principal characters remain entertaining, if perhaps overdrawn, by which I mean that characterization seems to spill over into caricature a little too frequently.
My interest in continuing with the series is not particularly strong at the moment, but after a time I may give the third installment a try.
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LibraryThing member horacewimsey
A very good second installment of Fowler's Bryant & May series. No lurching back and forth between the present day and the Blitz in this one, so it was a bit lighter. I liked it so much I went ahead and ordered the rest in the series. (The latest--"The Victoria Vanishes"--just came out!)
LibraryThing member teckelvik
This is the second mystery in the Pecular Crimes Unit series, and follows immediately after the first one. I appreciated the way the age and general health of the detectives is made a realistic part of the story. They are elderly and one has a bad heart. They don't go running around after
I also liked the way that the murderer pretty much put everything out there. When I looked back, the guilty party's dialogue was clearly full of clues, but I missed them because of very clever misdirection. The reason and method for the murders were also well done, and made sense in context.
It would be going overboard to say that I like these characters. I don't. Arthur, in particular, is unpleasant and not a lot of fun to read about. However, I find them interesting, and the setting and writing are very well done.
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criminals, they move slowly, they don't beat people up.I also liked the way that the murderer pretty much put everything out there. When I looked back, the guilty party's dialogue was clearly full of clues, but I missed them because of very clever misdirection. The reason and method for the murders were also well done, and made sense in context.
It would be going overboard to say that I like these characters. I don't. Arthur, in particular, is unpleasant and not a lot of fun to read about. However, I find them interesting, and the setting and writing are very well done.
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LibraryThing member mpemulis
Quite good. Darker and more interesting than the Victoria Vanishes.
LibraryThing member reannon
Second in the Bryant and May series about a pair of octogenarian detectives who head the Peculiar Crimes Unit in London.
Have read the first two, and in both I really like the characters but not the plots.
Have read the first two, and in both I really like the characters but not the plots.
LibraryThing member irunsjh
An interesting book, that led me in many different directions. I was thrown by the ending, but totally bought the final explanation. I do like the main characters in these books. If you are after a different sort of mystery, then this series is highly recommended.
LibraryThing member bookczuk
On the whole, I liked this mystery, and enjoyed the characters. The elderly detective team of Bryant and Mays were a great discovery, and most of the regular supporting cast well done. The idea of a peculiar crimes unit is very appealing and sort of x-file-ish. I also was really interested to read
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about the history of rivers and water works in London, particularly how the waters have been channeled underground. The pace of the book bogged down (ha!) at times for me, but it could have been because I was reading when I was tired. I didn't feel entirely in the dark or left out because I started with book 2 vs from the start of the series, and I may read another by this author if it comes my way. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lizzybeth23
An interesting mystery, but not as exciting as I thought it would be.
LibraryThing member piemouth
Another Bryant and Mays mystery. It had a lot of charm but the mystery itself was fairly ridiculous.
LibraryThing member nessreader
A murder mystery steeped in the history of London, with an acute sense of the districts of the city. Arthur Bryant, cranky pedant and absent minded slob, is the star of this.
The crime did not grip me, but the characters and the background more than made up for it.
The crime did not grip me, but the characters and the background more than made up for it.
LibraryThing member Judiex
The Peculiar Crimes Unit was formed by the London Police Department after World War II to work on cases that the regular force couldn’t or didn’t want to handle. The two detectives, Arthur Bryant and John May have been there since the beginning and are well past retirement age. They love their
In THE WATER ROOM, they are called upon to figure out how a woman, found sitting in a chair in her basement, died by drowning. As they try to solve the case, they find they are seeking a killer who doesn’t leave any clues.
A main part of the story is the information about all the underground rivers in London. I found that a very interesting background.
Bryant and May do things in their usual untraditional way, providing technique, wit, and interesting characters along the way. The book is a fast, enjoyable read.
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work, for many reasons, while the Home Office wants to dissolve the unit. To keep their jobs, they and their team have to prove their necessity.In THE WATER ROOM, they are called upon to figure out how a woman, found sitting in a chair in her basement, died by drowning. As they try to solve the case, they find they are seeking a killer who doesn’t leave any clues.
A main part of the story is the information about all the underground rivers in London. I found that a very interesting background.
Bryant and May do things in their usual untraditional way, providing technique, wit, and interesting characters along the way. The book is a fast, enjoyable read.
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LibraryThing member MrsLee
Bryant & May, and with them the Peculiar Crimes Unit, are off on the trail of London's lost rivers. Oh, and a murderer, if only they could figure out how to prove that certain deaths were actually murders.
I like all the arcane bits of London history in these stories, and I appreciate that the
Sadly, I became very impatient with the author in this book. Several words I had to look up did not seem apt. I understand artistic license, but could someone please explain to me how there could be a "cuprous gloom?" There were several other instances, but overall I enjoyed the book.
I like all the arcane bits of London history in these stories, and I appreciate that the
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author uses many words I don't know and so increases my vocabulary. I also like the characters very much. The mystery is interesting and a nice puzzle.Sadly, I became very impatient with the author in this book. Several words I had to look up did not seem apt. I understand artistic license, but could someone please explain to me how there could be a "cuprous gloom?" There were several other instances, but overall I enjoyed the book.
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LibraryThing member JeffreyMarks
Good mystery with compelling characters and an interesting plot. I could have done with a few maps of London and the Thames, which the author assumed that the reader knew well. However, I looked up the information and read on.
LibraryThing member laytonwoman3rd
This is the second in the Bryant and May series. As our two old soldiers of the Peculiar Crimes Unit of London's Metropolitan Police begin to adjust to their new headquarters, and their odd new assignment to the security division of MI7, a friend of Bryant's asks for his assistance in determining
Review written May 2016
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how his elderly sister came to be sitting in her basement bathroom, fully clothed and dry, yet dead of drowning. With a directive to clear this matter up in short order and prepare for a load of new case assignments, Bryant and May become immersed (sometimes literally so) in the rising underground waters of London's lost rivers, searching for clues both ancient and modern to what becomes a series of peculiar deaths in a single street in Kentish town. The plot is a bit overwrought, and in my opinion there is no way the reader can come up with anything like the solution to the mysteries. It depends too much on esoteric knowledge of London's "missing rivers" and underground engineering, the explanation of which overwhelmed the story at times. Then there's the obscure Victorian artist thrown in for good measure. I'll read at least one more of these, as I really enjoy the interplay of the characters; they are laugh-out-loud funny at times. But another complex plot like this, that requires one of the last chapters to be entitled "Mr Bryant Explains It All For You", will probably be the end.Review written May 2016
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LibraryThing member yonitdm
Less immersive than the first one in the series. I think I was thrown every time a character started in on history, which was frequent.
Still a liked the pace (aside from the above). The mysteries themselves were interesting and kept me guessing. the characters of the more junior constables could
Still a liked the pace (aside from the above). The mysteries themselves were interesting and kept me guessing. the characters of the more junior constables could
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use some fleshing out, but the old coroner was great! Show Less
LibraryThing member jimgysin
An interesting premise, and the leads are growing on me, but it once again uses character disenfranchisement as an excuse or cover for some significant plot flaws and weaknesses. At this point, the series is interesting and continues to show promise, but nowhere near to the point where I'm feeling
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compelled to rush out and get the next book Right This Very Minute. Show Less
LibraryThing member scot2
This is a quirky novel as all Peculiar Crimes Unit stories are. I think you either enjoy or you don't depending on your sense of humour etc. The author gives a lot of background information, some of which you may be interested in and some you may not. Good story with great characters.
LibraryThing member -Eva-
When an elderly woman drowns in her dry basement, Bryant and May of London's Peculiar Crimes Unit learns more about the city's underground rivers than they ever expected. As is common in this series, the storyline is not one but many, all spreading across the novel in an creeper plant way - if
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you're looking for straight mystery, look elsewhere. I love the main characters in this series as they feel so original - aged, oddball detectives aren't that common - and that they are all so diverse. Also, the historical information that you learn through the story is very interesting and never feels like info-dumping. Wonderful series that I look forward to continuing. Show Less
LibraryThing member grandpahobo
A great plot, with plenty of twists and turns. The characters are great. The only drawback, for me, is that I have no idea what most of the references to London landmarks are.
LibraryThing member dmturner
A complex and quirky agglomeration of London history, apocryphal mythology, underground rivers, and middle-class striving, part of a series about Bryant and May’s Peculiar Crimes Unit. Rewarding if improbable, and often well written.
LibraryThing member Boand
This awesome whodunnit set in London and it’s underground world of hidden rivers, waste water, sewers and refugees completely captivated me. Fowler instructs and educates about the physical form of London while dealing with shady characters and contemporary issues, as well as weaving a murder
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mystery into the mix. My absolute favourite in the Bryant and May cannon Show Less
LibraryThing member Tonstant.Weader
This is slightly grimmer than the first in the series or, more accurately, I find the crime more disturbing. I still enjoy Bryant & May, the lead characters, and the many supporting characters in the Peculiar Crimes unit and think this could develop into a great series.
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
Bryant and May are back, still past the age of retirement, still causing headaches and still curious about some of the stranger mysteries. It's their ability to link seemingly unrelated events to find a cohesive whole that keeps them at their jobs and keeps the Met's Peculiar Crimes unit going. Any
This story concerns some strange deaths and the underground rivers of London, in some ways but not in the ways you might expect.
This isn't as good as the first story but it's still quite readable.
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attempts to bring them into the late 20th century is heavily resisted but the characters and the writing keep them very readable.This story concerns some strange deaths and the underground rivers of London, in some ways but not in the ways you might expect.
This isn't as good as the first story but it's still quite readable.
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Awards
British Fantasy Award (Nominee — August Derleth Fantasy Award — 2005)
Pages
368
ISBN
0553803891 / 9780553803891