The brilliant Arthur Bryant and John May take the late, late shift in a cat-and-mouse hunt with a killer who preys on his victims at the same time every night—the lonely hour of 4 A.M.
... wildly entertaining ... Granted, parts of the solution may look more obvious to younger folk than to our older detectives, in much the same way that the killer was flummoxed by the generational divide that more or less sets off this tale of grief and vengeance. It’s to Christopher Fowler’s credit that he provides that contrast and acknowledges it frankly while weaving it seamlessly into his narrative ... Fowler also continues his excellent work chronicling the endlessly fascinating minutiae of the city of London. Interspersed with the murder mystery are excerpts from Bryant’s idiosyncratic walking tour guide, which reveal both a boundless knowledge and affection for the great metropolis ... Poetic and evocative, the myriad glimpses into London life had me greatly missing a city I’ve always been fond of but have had only a very few days as an adult to explore. Reading Bryant & May: The Lonely Hour felt like living a love letter, not only to a magnificent city in all its dirt and glory, but also to an unconventional detecting partnership that may have been dealt a deadly blow. Die-hard fans will either love this installment of the series or scream bloody murder: regardless, we’ll all be eagerly awaiting the next book in order to find out what lies in store for our beloved investigative team.
Readers of the series are treated to a history lesson and tour of London; exposure to an ensemble of quirky, unique characters; and a vocabulary lesson, with an emphasis on arcane insults. And, of course, there is an intriguing, baffling mystery at the beating heart of each volume, as well as a dollop or two of romance. One receives quite a bit for the price of admission ... Fowler, who is involved with other projects on a regular basis, never sacrifices quality or quantity. But I don’t know if I can wait another year to see what occurs.
There’s nothing funny about murder, much less serial murders, yet readers can count on a few lighthearted, even laugh-out-loud, moments ... A significant entry in a series that’s as entertaining as it is eccentric.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay[/caption]
