Synopses & Reviews
The odd couple of detection the brilliant but cranky detectives of London's Peculiar Crimes Unit return in a tense, atmospheric new thriller that keeps you guessing until the final page. This time Bryant and May are up against a series of bizarre murders that defy human understanding and a killer no human hand may be able to stop.
A mysterious stranger in outlandish Edwardian garb defaces a painting in the National Gallery. Then a guest at the exclusive Savoy Hotel is fatally bitten by what appears to be a marshland snake. An outbreak of increasingly bizarre crimes has hit London and, fittingly, come to the attention of the Peculiar Crimes Unit.
Art vandalism, an exploding suspect, pornography, rat poison, Gilbert and Sullivan musicals, secret societies...and not a single suspect in sight. The killer they're chasing has a dark history, a habit of staying hidden, and time itself on his side. Detectives John May and Arthur Bryant may have finally met their match, and this time they're really working against the clock...
Review
"Highly unusual...exciting and original....It starts with a violent death in the lobby of the legendary Savoy Hotel and quickly expands to include art vandalism, Gilbert and Sullivan, and a host of other peculiarities." Chicago Tribune
Synopsis
Old and cranky Peculiar Crimes Unit detectives Arthur Bryant and John May return to investigate their most peculiar case yet: a twisted conspiracy involving rare art, blackmail, violence, and ritual murder. Original.
About the Author
Christopher Fowler is the acclaimed author of eleven novels, including Full Dark House and The Water Room. He lives in London, where he is at work on the next Bryant & May mystery, Ten Second Staircase.