Bryant & May: Peculiar London
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- Create Date：2022-12-13 10:19:53
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Christopher Fowler
- ISBN：0593356241
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Stacey Lunsford
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Fowler clearly did a huge amount of research as background for his Peculiar Crimes Unit mysteries。 Now that the series is done， much of what he discovered had nowhere else to go， I'm guessing。 So we get a list of little-known London historical facts， grouped loosely by topic， and "introduced" by the characters from the novels。 Neither fish nor fowl， it was a letdown。 Fowler clearly did a huge amount of research as background for his Peculiar Crimes Unit mysteries。 Now that the series is done， much of what he discovered had nowhere else to go， I'm guessing。 So we get a list of little-known London historical facts， grouped loosely by topic， and "introduced" by the characters from the novels。 Neither fish nor fowl， it was a letdown。 。。。more
Homerun2
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Those of us who are fans of Christopher Fowler's Peculiar Crimes Unit series are bereft that it has ended。 But， he did promise that he had a few surprises in store and this wonderfully eccentric ramble through London with Arthur Bryant， John May， and an assorted quirky cast is great fun。Fowler reels off strange and interesting factoids about London buildings， architecture， and people。 If are ever nerdy enough to follow up on these stories， you will be amazed at the historical bits he ferrets out Those of us who are fans of Christopher Fowler's Peculiar Crimes Unit series are bereft that it has ended。 But， he did promise that he had a few surprises in store and this wonderfully eccentric ramble through London with Arthur Bryant， John May， and an assorted quirky cast is great fun。Fowler reels off strange and interesting factoids about London buildings， architecture， and people。 If are ever nerdy enough to follow up on these stories， you will be amazed at the historical bits he ferrets out。 If you love these books， you will be thrilled to spend a little more time with his characters。 If you are new to them， you will want to run right out and start the series after you finish。 Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Jean Kolinofsky
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It was heartbreaking to read Christopher Fowler’s previous Bryant and May story。 Like so many other readers I have grown quite fond of these gentlemen over the years。 In Bryant and May: Peculiar London there is no mystery to be solved。 Instead， John May has gathered the recordings and writings of what would have been Bryant’s book devoted to London。 Bryant takes you on a tour of the city that you would never find in a typical guide book。 It is a look at the literary and theatrical history， the i It was heartbreaking to read Christopher Fowler’s previous Bryant and May story。 Like so many other readers I have grown quite fond of these gentlemen over the years。 In Bryant and May: Peculiar London there is no mystery to be solved。 Instead， John May has gathered the recordings and writings of what would have been Bryant’s book devoted to London。 Bryant takes you on a tour of the city that you would never find in a typical guide book。 It is a look at the literary and theatrical history， the influence of the early Roman settlements， the architecture and， of course， the pubs。 No Bryant and May book would be complete without a message from Chief Raymond Land。 Raymondo has been a consistent victim of their pranks and his humorous opening message warns you of what is to come。 The journey through London is filled with bryantisms， the term coined by his associates to cover all of the times that he incorrectly explained something。 Bryant’s ramblings and May’s efforts to keep him on track have always been a part of their charm。 It was an absolute delight to be able to spend time with them again。 I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for providing this book for my review。 。。。more
David C Ward
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So this came out a month after I was in London？？ I like the Bryant and May books which are studded with - and frequently hinge on - London history and arcana but a whole meandering book of it doesn’t really work。 A lot of interesting tid bits but better organization （chronological， geographical） would have helped。 Best read in short bites。
Judy Lesley
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I tried reading this book like a novel but found I was not actually absorbing much of anything on the pages。 For me， I had to read it one or two chapters at a time before taking a break。 This is not like any of the other Bryant & May books except that the main characters from the series appear as narrators in this grand walk-about-London book。 If you have read any of the mystery novels in this series you will have run across all kinds of interesting or quirky facts about London， past and present I tried reading this book like a novel but found I was not actually absorbing much of anything on the pages。 For me， I had to read it one or two chapters at a time before taking a break。 This is not like any of the other Bryant & May books except that the main characters from the series appear as narrators in this grand walk-about-London book。 If you have read any of the mystery novels in this series you will have run across all kinds of interesting or quirky facts about London， past and present。 Now we have a book that is the result of author Christopher Fowler's research about that most fascinating city。 It is obvious that he loves the gathering and research of the topic。 You certainly can't go wrong if you take this book along on your next trip to London。 My sightseeing would have looked vastly different if I had had this book with me on my last trip to England。 Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group， Ballantine， Bantam for an e-galley of this book。 。。。more
Susan
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This book is a delight， an early Christmas gift and a wonderful escape from the stress of life these days。 London is my favorite city and I wish I had had this gem of a guide when I was last there。 Not only do we travel all over the city， we do it with Bryant and May。 I could list my favorite bits but the list would be the whole book and， if I picked just one I'd be spoiling that bit for somebody。 Take it from me， a fan of the series from day one， this is a book you need to make you laugh。 It wi This book is a delight， an early Christmas gift and a wonderful escape from the stress of life these days。 London is my favorite city and I wish I had had this gem of a guide when I was last there。 Not only do we travel all over the city， we do it with Bryant and May。 I could list my favorite bits but the list would be the whole book and， if I picked just one I'd be spoiling that bit for somebody。 Take it from me， a fan of the series from day one， this is a book you need to make you laugh。 It will also make you want to go back and re=read the whole series or， if you are new to the weird and wonderful of Bryant and May， you will want to start。 The joy of this book is it can be picked up and savored in small or large doses， your choice。 As I read， I found myself wanting to go off and learn more about this and that and so much more。 The mysteries of London are vast and this will serve as a teaser to so much more for the reader to uncover。 When I finished it I wanted more。 I seem to recall having said that after every Bryant and May book， the mark of a series that deserves a place on my top ten favorites list。 Thank you， Christopher Fowler for giving us Bryant and May。My thanks to the publisher Bantam and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Rosemary
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The author’s research was phenomenal and the bibliography impressive。But I could not get past the fact that the book had no plot and no murder。 It was a travel book with some crosstalk thrown in。So this will be my last Bryant and May book unless series returns to its roots。 Thanks to #NetGalley and #Bryantandmayoeculiarlindon for advanced digital copy。
Maine Colonial
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I read a free review copy， provided by the publisher in digital form via Netgalley。I was feeling down about the probable ending of the Bryant & May series， when along came this collection of stories。 One of the best feature of the series has always been its celebration of London’s lesser-known sites， in all their peculiar histories。 The setup here is that Arthur Bryant has left dozens of audiotapes about London， with additional crosstalk between him and his partner， John May， and some other coll I read a free review copy， provided by the publisher in digital form via Netgalley。I was feeling down about the probable ending of the Bryant & May series， when along came this collection of stories。 One of the best feature of the series has always been its celebration of London’s lesser-known sites， in all their peculiar histories。 The setup here is that Arthur Bryant has left dozens of audiotapes about London， with additional crosstalk between him and his partner， John May， and some other colleagues。 My only—and slight—quibble with the book is that it often doesn’t capture Arthur May’s “voice” the way the mystery books do。Each short story takes the form of Arthur Bryant giving a walking tour of a particular part of London and describing some of its oddities and interesting past events。 He can go off onto odd tangents， but it’s always entertaining。 You’ll learn such things as why Dutch ships aren’t required to pay any fees when they dock in London and load or unload goods; your brain will spin at the dizzying name changes of tube stations; you will wonder why anyone would want to join the Wig Club， considering it required members to put on a lice-ridden wig ostensibly made from the pubic hair of various royal mistresses。For lovers of London and tourism， this is an entertaining collection。 If only all of the Bryant & May series’s London information could be published in map form！ It occurs to me that since this is being published in early December， it would make a great gift for anyone with a curious mind who is planning a trip to London。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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What a treat this is！ While it will be most appreciated （and I expect adored） by fans of the long running series， even those who are not familiar with the characters will be entertained and intrigued by this series of stories told about various places in London。 It is best read， I think， as a book to dip in and out of， to follow along on a map， to enjoy in bits and pieces， one at a time。 Bryant， May， and other members of the team all have input。 Yes， some of it is poppycock （and up to you to fig What a treat this is！ While it will be most appreciated （and I expect adored） by fans of the long running series， even those who are not familiar with the characters will be entertained and intrigued by this series of stories told about various places in London。 It is best read， I think， as a book to dip in and out of， to follow along on a map， to enjoy in bits and pieces， one at a time。 Bryant， May， and other members of the team all have input。 Yes， some of it is poppycock （and up to you to figure out what's real， what's not） but it's all delightful。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 I learned more about London than I anticipated， didn't miss the mystery at all， and think this would make a great gift。 If only there were more Bryant and May in the future。。。。。。 。。。more
Dan
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My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an advance copy to this most particularly different guide to one of the most amazing cities in the world。Every city has a history that the residents are proud of。 They are quick to point things out， sell memorabilia and discuss things ad nauseam。 Then there is the history that comes out in after a couple of drinks， the history that politicians try to ban or hide behind a bodyguard of lies wearing the cost My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an advance copy to this most particularly different guide to one of the most amazing cities in the world。Every city has a history that the residents are proud of。 They are quick to point things out， sell memorabilia and discuss things ad nauseam。 Then there is the history that comes out in after a couple of drinks， the history that politicians try to ban or hide behind a bodyguard of lies wearing the costume of patriotism。 However between these are the things that neither side never wants to talk about， either through ignorance， shame， frankly who would care。 A city like London， built， burned， bombed， even Brexited has a rich history of real， imagined and even imagined made real。 Only two men could discuss this city， bare its secrets and hidden places to the world。 Arthur Bryant and John May， London's oldest police officers， and members of the Peculiar Crimes Unit。 Compiled by their chronicler， Christopher Fowler， Bryant & May: Peculiar London is a guide to a City that never stops growing and changing full of mysteries and peculiar places。Arthur Bryant has been solving cases since the Second World War and he has forgotten more than any ten people combined could forget。 John May has been his partner， not as long but long enough to understand Bryant's mind， and its lapses， though remaining a man of his own time， enjoying this century as much as Bryant enjoys the past。 Together， well mostly Bryant have decided to share all their years of experience， reading， walkings and pub visits in what both consider the greatest city in the world。 Joined by fellow members of the Peculiar Crimes Unit and some of Bryant's best sources and fellow researchers， each with their unique knowledge and skill set， they hope to combine what they know into a unique guide for outsiders and citizens alike。 Secret clubs for the different classes and royalty， clubs that exist in store front， below train stations， clubs that don't exist， and places that don't want their existence known。 The architecture of the city is discusses from classics， to occult based buildings and formations， the current mess that is the skyline with buildings that should have gotten a better look in planning stations。 Lost train stations， lost train lines， docks， taxi diners， the book is both enlightening and entertaining。 All told in a style that is a mix of fuddy-duddy， humorous， informative and oddly moving。The perfect companion book to the long-running series， which has had some recent shake-ups。 Fowler is a great writer， one that I have been following for a very long time， more than I care to think about， and has a real skill in capturing the voices of different characters and making them both distinctive and real in what they know and what they love。 The book is an encyclopedia of the weird and different places that make up London， what it has become and and what it has lost。 The City it made into a living， breathing thing， with a past that it sometimes prefers to omit， and yet secretly proud of， with the tenacity to think that the best is yet to come。 The love is quite apparent， for both his characters and the city they are based in。 Great fun。 A book that should replace Fodor's or Lonely Planet as the guide to walk around London with。 Fans of the Bryant & May series will enjoy this， both for the characters and for the history that is so important to the books stories。 However fans of urban fantasy will probably get a lot out of this， especially writers to get an idea of how the truth is sometimes stranger than fiction。 One could write quite a few books just based on a page or two here。 Fans of comic writers Grant Morrison， Alan Moore or the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch will also enjoy。 。。。more
Toni
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Are you by chance planning a trip to London？ Come along on this whimsical， humorous walking tour of London with Bryant and May from London's Peculiar Crimes Unit （ PCU）。 Its a bit different from their regular crime stories， but a very entertaining read。 There's lots of unique history about London。 They discuss rocks， clock， Pubs and neighborhood s， and so much more。Its the type of book you can read a little at a time or straight through; both ways very satisfying。 The book comes out near Christm Are you by chance planning a trip to London？ Come along on this whimsical， humorous walking tour of London with Bryant and May from London's Peculiar Crimes Unit （ PCU）。 Its a bit different from their regular crime stories， but a very entertaining read。 There's lots of unique history about London。 They discuss rocks， clock， Pubs and neighborhood s， and so much more。Its the type of book you can read a little at a time or straight through; both ways very satisfying。 The book comes out near Christmas and would make a wonderful gift for readers of this series or as a stand alone for English history lovers。 I'd like to thank Random House Publishing/Bantam， NetGalley and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this book。 It publishes on 12/6/22 。。。more
Annie
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Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader。 Bryant & May: Peculiar London is an exceedingly fun diversion in the Bryant & May PCU series by Christopher Fowler。 Due out 6th Dec 2022 from Penguin Random House on their Bantam imprint， it's 496 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats。 It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout。 I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive fo Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader。 Bryant & May: Peculiar London is an exceedingly fun diversion in the Bryant & May PCU series by Christopher Fowler。 Due out 6th Dec 2022 from Penguin Random House on their Bantam imprint， it's 496 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats。 It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout。 I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately。One of the things （and there are many） which I adore about the PCU series and of course Arthur Bryant himself are the wonderfully random side trips to obscure locations and the bizarre books to which he refers along his travels in London and environs。 The books which make up the central parts of the series are generally heavy on plot with only judicious sprinkles of tantalizing tidbits which Bryant pulls out of his dubious overcoat pockets seemingly at random。 I've read all the canonical books several times and always found myself wishing for more of the background locations and stories。 This is that book。 There's very little plot here， it's just full of the mad （and apparently at least mostly true） factoids which make the series books a joy to read。Five stars。 Highly highly recommended for extant fans of the series。 For readers unfamiliar with the series， I strongly recommend starting with some of the central titles （the first book is Full Dark House）。 There are now 18+ books in the series with at least one more planned， so it's a great choice for a long and delightfully bizarre binge read。 Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes 。。。more
Patricia Ann
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Christopher Fowler’s Peculiat London was a greatly anticipated book。 All the humor and idiosyncrasies of his PCU series was cleverly incorporated in this companion novel with his use of the characters as narrators。For anyone who wants a book that will entertain， amuse， question， stimulate， or educate oneself about the history of London， it will surely have reading appeal。 Thank you NetGalley and Bantam Books for an eARC。
Jan
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Laugh your sox off hysterical history。 Arthur Bryant and John May are the nation’s oldest serving detectives of the Peculiar Crimes Unit。 Here are reminiscences in the form of an irreverent tour of places and history of London。 A collection of juicy tidbits， if you will。A perfect bathroom （or subway） read where you can pick it up anywhere and pick a chapter at random。Absolutely loved it！I requested and received a free e-book copy from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine， Bantam via NetGal Laugh your sox off hysterical history。 Arthur Bryant and John May are the nation’s oldest serving detectives of the Peculiar Crimes Unit。 Here are reminiscences in the form of an irreverent tour of places and history of London。 A collection of juicy tidbits， if you will。A perfect bathroom （or subway） read where you can pick it up anywhere and pick a chapter at random。Absolutely loved it！I requested and received a free e-book copy from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine， Bantam via NetGalley。 Thank you！ （less） 。。。more
joyce w。 laudon
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The Bryant and May mysteries are uniquely entertaining。 The Peculiar Crimes Unit has kept readers turning the pages ever since Full Dark House was published in 2003。Here is a long book that is filled with 49 chapters about London。 The book is set up as a series of entries that can be read in any order。 There are sarcasm， humor and facts in these pages。 A few of the chapter headings include A Big Lump of Rock， A Town Named After a Drain; A Sweet and Comfortable Recreation， and The Longest Running The Bryant and May mysteries are uniquely entertaining。 The Peculiar Crimes Unit has kept readers turning the pages ever since Full Dark House was published in 2003。Here is a long book that is filled with 49 chapters about London。 The book is set up as a series of entries that can be read in any order。 There are sarcasm， humor and facts in these pages。 A few of the chapter headings include A Big Lump of Rock， A Town Named After a Drain; A Sweet and Comfortable Recreation， and The Longest Running Play。 Dip in and out in a leisurely fashion。Readers may themselves need to be mildly eccentric to fully appreciate this title。 For example， The Longest Running Play， is about Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap。 The detectives hardly give it an adoring review。There is always something to consider in these pages which feature Bryant and May and many who know them。 This book is recommended to open minded readers who are not looking for a typical guidebook。Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Janalyn Prude
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This book was not only funny but when it could be understood it was also educational。 From the famous and not so famous rocks around London to the name changes a train station and so much more。 There’s even confusion about London‘s origin story I found the conversations between Brian and John to be so hilarious and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the two of them there’s even a chapter on the different clocks in London and I learned that big Ben isn’t the biggest one。 I thoroughly enjoyed this This book was not only funny but when it could be understood it was also educational。 From the famous and not so famous rocks around London to the name changes a train station and so much more。 There’s even confusion about London‘s origin story I found the conversations between Brian and John to be so hilarious and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the two of them there’s even a chapter on the different clocks in London and I learned that big Ben isn’t the biggest one。 I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope Chris Fowler does another book about other places in England he really has a talent for comedy and one dispersing something that could come out academic that’s very important I highly recommend this book。 If you love history， crimes in total laughter you love this book。 I was so excited to learn that these two characters South Crime and there’s books about it it’s like Christmas at the beginning of November。 I highly recommend this book and totally loved it I received it from NetGalley and publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review。 。。。more
Mike Stafford
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London has made Bryant & May one of the greatest detective duos in literary history。 The colorful creations of Christopher Fowler join Holmes & Watson in the heart and mind of this reader。 So， it's appropriate Fowler gifts us a tour of London through the eyes of the peerless Peculiar Crimes Unit。 Yes， that's right。 We're educated on the history of London by many of the classic characters from the series。 It's a brilliant way of reminding us how good the PCU books were。 The banter between the cha London has made Bryant & May one of the greatest detective duos in literary history。 The colorful creations of Christopher Fowler join Holmes & Watson in the heart and mind of this reader。 So， it's appropriate Fowler gifts us a tour of London through the eyes of the peerless Peculiar Crimes Unit。 Yes， that's right。 We're educated on the history of London by many of the classic characters from the series。 It's a brilliant way of reminding us how good the PCU books were。 The banter between the characters is as witty as you'd expect。 You'll laugh and you'll learn so very much about the city they called home。 Education has never been such fun！ Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine， Bantam， & NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion。 #BryantMayPeculiarLondon #NetGalley 。。。more
Paul
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Fowler has a created a fun series that includes this story。 This is my first by this author。 and I plan to circle back to the beginning of the series。 Good stuff。I really appreciate the free ARC for review！！
Michael Reilly
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This is a spin off from the Bryant and May detective stories。 Bryant and May are the two senior detectives in London's Peculiar Crimes Unit。 The series is wonderful， and Arthur Bryant is the best part。 He is a curmudgeon odd duck whose head is filled with random information， including the story of every block in London。 The concept is that this is Bryant's attempt as a book about London。 It is stitched together from tapes Bryant made before his death in the last Bryant and May book。 The conversa This is a spin off from the Bryant and May detective stories。 Bryant and May are the two senior detectives in London's Peculiar Crimes Unit。 The series is wonderful， and Arthur Bryant is the best part。 He is a curmudgeon odd duck whose head is filled with random information， including the story of every block in London。 The concept is that this is Bryant's attempt as a book about London。 It is stitched together from tapes Bryant made before his death in the last Bryant and May book。 The conversational tone is augmented by interruptions from John May， Janice Longbright and the whole collection of Bryant's odd friends。 There is no particular pattern to the book。 He starts talking about a neighborhood or a pub and then tells stories about everything near it。 Sometimes he starts on themes， London bridges or London parks。 Sometimes he invites friend to talk about magic in London or the horror of modern London architecture。 The book in the series always revolved around peculiar London places。 In his afterwards Fowler describes this as a "Bryant and May book， only without the murder plot。 That is about right。 It does lag sometimes， because there is no plot。 It reads at times like a guidebook， until it veers off into odd things。 I was fascinated， for instance， about the large museum in the cellar of the Blomberg Headquarters in central London which was built because the building is built over the site of an ancient Roman temple dedicated to Mithras， the Roman god。 There are good bits of miscellaneous information， "There are only twenty-two countries in the world that we （the English） did not invade。"， and good one-liners， "the higher the buildings， the lower the morals。"London is a spectacularly complicated city， and this is a nice appreciation of that complexity。 。。。more
Jim Higgins
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4。5 stars
Susan Amper
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This is a fun addition to the BRYANT & MAY charming series。 Rather than one procedural， the reader is offered a "walking" tour of London with Bryant & May as our tour guides。 They reveal the unknown London。 We learn some of London's history， its architecture， the more recent of which May can be funnily snarky about---past crimes， oddities， and the usual acerbic with of the team。 This would make a good book for the nightstand。 You can pick it up and enjoy the short rambles like an after-dinner co This is a fun addition to the BRYANT & MAY charming series。 Rather than one procedural， the reader is offered a "walking" tour of London with Bryant & May as our tour guides。 They reveal the unknown London。 We learn some of London's history， its architecture， the more recent of which May can be funnily snarky about---past crimes， oddities， and the usual acerbic with of the team。 This would make a good book for the nightstand。 You can pick it up and enjoy the short rambles like an after-dinner cognac。 Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC。 。。。more
Fiona Thompson
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This was an unexpected delight because I thought I had read the last of the Bryant & May books but Christopher Fowler has spoilt us with yet another moment with the characters。This is not a typical B&M book - there is no crime to be solved - but what we have is an exploration of their London， their peculiar and wonderful London。 Christopher Fowler knows his London well and brings us such a richness of stories， as told by his characters， that I had to keep checking they were accurate facts and no This was an unexpected delight because I thought I had read the last of the Bryant & May books but Christopher Fowler has spoilt us with yet another moment with the characters。This is not a typical B&M book - there is no crime to be solved - but what we have is an exploration of their London， their peculiar and wonderful London。 Christopher Fowler knows his London well and brings us such a richness of stories， as told by his characters， that I had to keep checking they were accurate facts and not some part of Arthur Bryant's imagination！ They are indeed facts （well， I trust they are as I didn't check everything！） and this should become a Guide to London - a London we don't normally see when we visit， nor， I expect if we live there。 If I lived in London I would follow the trail of crumbs that the Peculiar Crimes Unit has provided and delve into places I didn't imagine existed。It's a beauty of a book and I laughed so many times - just one example， the reference to a music hall song 'Don't buy any seafood， Mother， Dad's coming home with crabs。' which also appears in the B&M book， The Lonely Hour。 。。。more
Emma Goldman
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This book is every bit as entertaining as the Bryant and May PCU stories。 There is the same snarky exchanges between the two detectives， plus a roll call of Arthur Bryant's contacts， many of whom have rather strange backgrounds， and even criminal records。 Between them， plus other members of the Unit， tales of London's buildings， history， oddities and constant changes are revealed in the haphazard way that Arthur has made his own。 Revelations abound， with "academic" and personal commentary provid This book is every bit as entertaining as the Bryant and May PCU stories。 There is the same snarky exchanges between the two detectives， plus a roll call of Arthur Bryant's contacts， many of whom have rather strange backgrounds， and even criminal records。 Between them， plus other members of the Unit， tales of London's buildings， history， oddities and constant changes are revealed in the haphazard way that Arthur has made his own。 Revelations abound， with "academic" and personal commentary provided by the guest contributors。 I am totally unfitted to comment on the exact accuracy of the information， although a list of books referred to at the end looks reliable enough。 Sadly， Raymondo arrives late， and the information he had prepared gets sidelined by Arthur，and so is missing from this grand tour of the city。Mr Fowler should be complimented on his skilful handling of Arthur Bryant's recollections， and keeping Arthur to the actual subject of the book， something that the rest of the PCU seem to find impossible。Five stars。 。。。more
Michelle Birkby
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