Description
In every detective's life there are cases that can't be discussed, and throughout the Bryant & May novels there have been mentions of some of these such as the Deptford Demon or the Little Italy Whelk Smuggling Scandal.
Now Arthur Bryant has decided to open the files on eleven of these previously unseen investigations that required the collective genius and unique modus operandi of Arthur Bryant and John May and the Peculiar Crimes Unit - investigations that range from different times (London during the Great Smog) and a variety of places: a circus freak show, on board a London Tour Bus and even a yacht off the coast of Turkey.
And in addition to these eleven classic cases, readers are also given a privileged look inside the Peculiar Crimes Unit (literally, with a cut away drawing of their offices), a guide to the characters of the Peculiar Crimes Unit, and access to the contents of Arthur Bryant's highly individual library.
The first-ever collection of Bryant & May stories not only sheds light on eleven classic cases but also contains everything you need to know about the two octogenarian detectives and the Peculiar Crimes Unit.
About the Author
Christopher Fowler was the multiple award-winning author of almost fifty novels and short story collections, including the celebrated Bryant & May mysteries. His other novels include Roofworld, Spanky, The Sand Men and Hot Water. He has also written two acclaimed memoirs, Paperboy (winner of the Green Carnation Prize) and Film Freak, plus The Book of Forgotten Authors and Peculiar London, Bryant and May's singular and eccentric guide to the city. In 2015 Chris was awarded the Crime Writers Association's coveted 'Dagger in the Library' for his body of work. He lived in London and Barcelona. Diagnosed with cancer just as the UK went into lockdown in 2020, Chris died on 2nd March 2023.
Reviews
Witty, engaging mix of crime drama and comedy that's also an esoteric history of London. * THE SUN *
Off-kilter, witty and unorthodox...winningly eccentric...London, in all its non-homogenous, sprawling splendour, is as much a character as Fowler's sleuthing duo. -- Barry Forshaw * FINANCIAL TIMES *
Wonderful . . . not only are there eleven short stories featuring our elderly and eccentric detectives, but there are notes on all the regulars and also a divine cartoon of the Peculiar Crimes Unit premises . . . Fowler delivers a feast of cases with that slightly skew-whiff view. This really is great stuff * CRIMESQUAD magazine *
Book Information
ISBN 9780857503121
Author Christopher Fowler
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Bantam Books (Transworld Publishers a division of the Random House Group)
Publisher Transworld Publishers Ltd
Weight(grams) 199g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 127mm * 17mm