Bryant & May on the Loose
A colleague suggested Bryant & May mysteries a long time ago, so as I passed by the new book table this one popped out at me. Bryant & May as the matchstick advertising of the thirties suggests is a perfect match.
The books are all about strange and nefarious London crimes sorted out by the PCU (Peculiar Crimes Unit), think NCIS with a crazy assortment of British police officers. Christopher Fowler gives a little background you might find interesting before embarking on this series, and also check out his blog.
In Bryant & May on the Loose the PCU has offended the higher rungs at the Home Office and have been ousted from their headquarters. Bryant has taken to bed, even a headless corpse won’t get him up. When Meera Mangeshkar, one of his former Detective Constables is attacked by a man dressed as a stag, adorned with steel antlers, Bryant finally moves into action. Soon other bodies without heads are turning up. Fowler’s book explores the historical underbelly of London, this time, King’s Cross. It also takes a stab at corporate greed, gentrification and the inevitable urban decay.
The novel twists and turns like the King’s Cross streets but eventually all loose threads are nicely drawn together with a very shocking ending.
I probably should have started with the first book in the series, Full Dark House. Absolutely intend to go back and read all the others. This is one series I don’t want to let slip away.
P.S. My friend at work loved the Water Room. Be aware there seem to be a lot of different book covers for the series.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
I like these books a lot. Bryant and May are a great odd couple, as comfortable as old shoes, and the stories are rich in historical London colour.