Bryant and May and the Memory of Blood (Bryant & May, # 9)

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Bryant and May and the Memory of Blood (Bryant & May #9)

by Christopher Fowler

4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 · rating details · 408 ratings · 89 reviews

Hardcover, 351 pages

Published 2011 by Doubleday

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Aug 04, 2012 Stuart Nager rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book I've read in the series (#8), and I enjoyed it enough to now go and start from the beginning.

Two seemingly doddering detectives in London head up the PCU (peculiar crimes unit): Bryant (a real eccentric) and May. This murder mystery is set in the world of London Theater and puppetry, two things that I'm very interested in, so that is what interested me in the first place.

There are enough twists and turns, and non-linear thinking, leading to the end, that it kept me engro...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Ann Sloan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Arthur Bryant and John May are delightful. I wish I had the pleasure of meeting them, especially Arthur Bryant. He defines the English eccentric. Set in London, most of the books’ locations are recognizable London landmarks such as St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tate Gallery and various theatres. One fascinating element was featured in The Water Room was the networks of tunnels and underground rivers underneath the city. One of the magnificent benefits of reading is the ability to visit places whe...more

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May 23, 2012 Wolf rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a review of the audio CD of 'Bryant & May and the Memory of Blood', the ninth story in a series but my first taste of Bryant and May.

The recording is entirely acceptable. The reading is generally good. Certain accents are clearly not the strong point of the actor doing the reading - a female Asian detective has a very strange voice that sometimes sounds closer to West Indian than anything else, for example. The general characterisation, however, is very well done and overall the tell...more This is a review of the audio CD of 'Bryant & May and the Memory of Blood', the ninth story in a series but my first taste of Bryant and May.

The recording is entirely acceptable. The reading is generally good. Certain accents are clearly not the strong point of the actor doing the reading - a female Asian detective has a very strange voice that sometimes sounds closer to West Indian than anything else, for example. The general characterisation, however, is very well done and overall the telling is a bonus.

As for the story itself, there was much to like here. The story involves an investigation by police officers of the Peculiar Crimes Unit into the murder of a young child, apparently by a Mr Punch puppet. There are only a limited number of possible suspects. It is, in many ways, a classic locked room style puzzle and the dark and stormy night of the murder and the outré atmospheric detail of Mr Punch (and later other Punch puppets) remind us of the great master of these sorts of stories, John Dickson Carr with his blend of apparently impossible crimes and arch gothic atmosphere.

There are entertaining digressions about the history of Mr Punch, the history of London, automata and the Grand Guignol. These were, for me at least, highlights of the story: entertaining and interesting nuggets of information on subjects that appeal to my curiosity.

The characters are sufficiently engaging to keep the story interesting, if not, it has to be said, always very believable, and the main detective dottily amusing. Those like me who come to the story without any previous contact with the characters need not worry that they will miss out as there is a lengthy introduction, giving brief character sketches of all the recurring characters, apparently in the form of a confidential report by a civil servant. Whilst useful to those joining the series at this stage, I do wonder how anyone familiar with the stories would find it. It also reveals, in its misuse of the word 'jurisprudence' to mean 'jurisdiction' or 'purview', a certain carelessness toward the details of the story - this is not the sort of mistake a Whitehall mandarin is likely to make - and such issues are recur through the book.

As another example a character is said to have died of blood poisoning or perhaps tetanus (there seems to be a confusion between the two) after getting a small cut earlier that day. Both conditions can be fatal but for them to have killed so quickly seems highly unlikely, yet we are asked to believe that no-one questioned this. Perhaps we aren't supposed to examine the story that closely but, in what is nominally a detective story these things stand out.

My main disappointments relate to the solution, however. Firstly, many of the more interesting aspects of the case turn out to be complete blinds to what is actually happening. Of course, that is entirely legitimate in the solution to a mystery but, where intriguing speculations turn out to in fact have no connection to the story, a slight sense of disappointment often follows: the plotting and solution is not quite so clever as you might have been lead to believe. Secondly, in order to incorporate the more bizarre and outré aspects of the crime the solution has to involve the murderer acting in a fairly incomprehensible manner. Unlike a Dickson Carr solution, for example, where the most implausible set of events is given an explanation - often by exceptional stage management - but where the actions all make sense within their context, here certain actions taken by the killer have little obvious internal logic. Thirdly, the solution does not 'play fair'. There is the appearance of a story that allows you to guess the murderer. It is likely that your suspicions will turn towards the murderer at some stage. It turns out that the detective is able to confirm who it is, however, thanks to information that the reader is not made privy to. Worse than that, we are given dialogue between the killer and a victim which does not fit with any of the other information we have about either the victim or the murderer and their proclivities.

So, overall, an entertaining story, read well, which passes the time amiably but which leaves one feeling slightly dissatisfied.(less)

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Apr 21, 2012 Susanne E rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, london-britain, mystery

Another solid addition to a reliably entertaining series. The actual case in this one, a series of gruesome murders involving a theatre troupe and Punch and Judy puppets, wasn't my favorite of Fowler's inventions, but as usual the complicated web of London trivia, history, geography and mythology made up for everything else. After living in London for a year, I admire Fowler's use of London almost as the "third character" (as he puts it himself) even more, and I finally have an inkling of what i...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Tony rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-crime-detection

THE MEMORY OF BLOOD. (2012). Christopher Fowler. ***.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I discovered that he is a prolific British author of – mostly – crime novels featuring the duo of Bryant and May. This novel is either the ninth or tenth in that series. He has also authored books in the sci-fi/fantasy world, and writes a periodic column about “Neglected Authors” for a London newspaper. Back to this book. Arthur St. Johns Bryant and John May are both Senior Detectives of London...more THE MEMORY OF BLOOD. (2012). Christopher Fowler. ***.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I discovered that he is a prolific British author of – mostly – crime novels featuring the duo of Bryant and May. This novel is either the ninth or tenth in that series. He has also authored books in the sci-fi/fantasy world, and writes a periodic column about “Neglected Authors” for a London newspaper. Back to this book. Arthur St. Johns Bryant and John May are both Senior Detectives of London’s Peculiar Crimes Unit. This division of Scotland Yard was set up to deal with malfeasence beyond the norm that the Yard boys typically deal with. The role model for this series seems to be Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Bryant plays Holmes and May plays Watson. In this case, they are called into a murder case that occurred at a cast party from a current – though failed – production of a murder mystery in the West End. It seems that while the party is going on, someone got into the nursery of the producer, the host, and threw his eleven-month son out of the window. Since the apartment was located on the sixth floor, the fate of the young boy was obvious. When the producer went to check on the son, he found the door to his room locked from the inside and had to break it down. When he discovered what had happened, he and his wife were devastated. The only clue was the presence of a life-sized doll of Punch on the floor near the opened window. The doll was from the collection of the producer, who was an avid admirer of Punch and Judy from when he was a kid. The PCU squad was immediately called in, and all of the party-goers were kept in the apartment until they could all be interviewed. Of course, there were no obvious clues like fingerprints or shoe prints; the PCU team only knew that the murderer was one of the members of the party. Of course, during the investigation of this horrid crime additonal murders were carried out – all of people associated with the play. The PCU immediately starts their investigation into the possible link of Punch and Judy with the murder, and we get to share the author’s research on this childrens’ entertainment from earliest times to the present. There’s lots of red herrings, about as many as there were members of the cast and the supporting team. After a while, it begins to get tedious. In all, though, the novel was relatively entertaining and the basic concept different.
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Oct 06, 2011 Miles rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

On a rainswept London night, the wealthy unscrupulous Robert Kramer hosts a party in his penthouse just off Trafalgar Square. But something is wrong. The atmosphere is uncomfortable, the guests are on edge. And when Kramer’s new young wife goes to check on their baby boy, she finds the nursery door locked from the inside.

Breaking in, the Kramers are faced with an open window, an empty cot, and a grotesque antique puppet of Mr Punch lying on the floor. It seems that young Noah Kramer was thrown f...more On a rainswept London night, the wealthy unscrupulous Robert Kramer hosts a party in his penthouse just off Trafalgar Square. But something is wrong. The atmosphere is uncomfortable, the guests are on edge. And when Kramer’s new young wife goes to check on their baby boy, she finds the nursery door locked from the inside.

Breaking in, the Kramers are faced with an open window, an empty cot, and a grotesque antique puppet of Mr Punch lying on the floor. It seems that young Noah Kramer was thrown from the building, but the child was strangled, and the marks of the puppet’s hands are clearly on his throat…what's more, there was a witness.

It’s a perfect case for the Peculiar Crimes Unit. As John May and his team interrogate the guests, Arthur Bryant heads into the secret world of automata and stagecraft, illusions and effects. His suspicions fall on the staff of Kramer’s company, who have been employed to stage a gruesome new thriller in the West End. As a second impossible death occurs, the detectives uncover forgotten museums and London eccentrics, and take a trip to a seaside Punch & Judy show.

Then Bryant’s biographer suddenly dies. Was it a tragic accident, or could the circumstances of her death be related to the case? There’s just one hour left to solve the crime, but Bryant has buried himself away with his esoteric books. The stage is set for a race against time with a surprising twist…

Incredibly entertaining, Christopher Fowler’s Bryant & May and The Memory of Blood is another title – this year - that has taken me by complete surprise and entertained me from start to finish. The narrative is infectious and flows remarkably well throughout and together with an intelligent and humorous dialogue that had me laughing throughout, this book is a certain winner. In many ways Fowler’s prose reminded me of LC Tyler’s Herring on the Nile with its dry sense of humour and a quirky and cantankerous lead detective, miss it, miss out!

The Memory of Blood is the ninth title in the long standing Bryant & May partnership and serves as my introduction to the mind and intellect of author Christopher Fowler and boy, what an introduction it is; I couldn’t put the book down. I’m always concerned when I begin a series this far gone and approach it with a slight trepidation asking the inevitable questions – will I understand the characters, have I missed too much background history to enjoy it and will I get the in jokes.

Full review on the blog:- http://www.milorambles.com/2011/10/06...
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Dec 20, 2012 Ray Palen rated it 5 of 5 stars

What I enjoy best about Christopher Fowler’s hugely entertaining Peculiar Crimes Unit series starring Inspector’s Bryant and May --- and there are many things to enjoy --- is the fact that each novel can be read on its’ own without having to know the entire series.

Mind you, I think it’s a good idea to stick to chronological order whenever reading a series --- if for nothing else just to see the chemistry between the various characters grow with each successive novel. Fowler himself indicates at...more What I enjoy best about Christopher Fowler’s hugely entertaining Peculiar Crimes Unit series starring Inspector’s Bryant and May --- and there are many things to enjoy --- is the fact that each novel can be read on its’ own without having to know the entire series.

Mind you, I think it’s a good idea to stick to chronological order whenever reading a series --- if for nothing else just to see the chemistry between the various characters grow with each successive novel. Fowler himself indicates at the beginning of THE MEMORY OF BLOOD that you need not have read the prior PCU novels to enjoy this one. To make it even easier for the reader he opens the novel with a brief bio of each character at the PCU which makes you instantly feel like you already know them.

The Peculiar Crimes Unit --- or PCU --- is a British investigative team that gets the cases too complicated or obscure for the regular squad. The star players are the aging but still spry team of Bryant and May. They have seen some interesting cases in their time but this new one cuts right to the heart of an old British tradition. The Punch and Judy show --- a puppet show originating from the Victorian era --- has been entertaining people for centuries and has become historical street entertainment.

In this novel, the Punch and Judy characters are symbolically used in a far more sinister way. The cast of a popular new murder mystery play being put on at the Strand Theatre entitled The Two Murderers have been beset with tragedy. At a cast party, the infant son of the show’s producer is tossed to his death. Found by the infant’s body is a life-size puppet of Mr. Punch.

As Bryant and May begin interviewing everyone in the theatre troupe they find many who might want revenge on the show’s producer. But enough to kill his child? The answers lie not only in the curious relationships that have been spawned within the theatrical troupe but also in the very history of the Punch and Judy play. After the baby is killed in that play, the wife is the next victim. Bryant and May go out of their way to see that the Producer’s wife is protected --- but the killer switches things up and kills another member of the crew.

When the Producer himself is murdered, the PCU realizes there may be no rhyme or reason here and that they are all the unwitting pawns of a theatrical killer who has written them all into his own bizarre and deadly script. THE MEMORY OF BLOOD is witty, thoroughly engaging and informative. Fans of theatre, murder mysteries and classic British novels will salivate while turning each page of this one and Bryant and May are the perfect hosts to have by your side during the adventure.

Reviewed by Ray Palen for Curled Up With A Good Book

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Apr 11, 2012 Sharon Goodwin rated it 4 of 5 stars

I’ve read previously #7 in this series (Bryant & May on the Loose) in the days before blogging and I chose #5 (The Water Room) for my choice in The Transworld Book Group Reading Challenge. When I saw #9 The Memory of Blood on Netgalley, having enjoyed the other two stories so much, I requested approval.

At the beginning of the uncorrected proof copy is a breakdown of the purpose of the Peculiar Crimes Unit (PCU) and the characters. It was great to see the same characters … I knew I was going...more I’ve read previously #7 in this series (Bryant & May on the Loose) in the days before blogging and I chose #5 (The Water Room) for my choice in The Transworld Book Group Reading Challenge. When I saw #9 The Memory of Blood on Netgalley, having enjoyed the other two stories so much, I requested approval.

At the beginning of the uncorrected proof copy is a breakdown of the purpose of the Peculiar Crimes Unit (PCU) and the characters. It was great to see the same characters … I knew I was going to enjoy this one too so settled down to read on Adobe Digital Edtions.

We start the story at the end … yes, that’s right, at the end. We’re at a party in a Chamber of Horrors. All the guests are locked in and the PCU has until midnight to arrest the murderer. One of the guests is the murderer …

The PCU has a fresh start in this book – as far as the premises are concerned. They are now housed in a building that several occult societies have used in the past and there are some interesting finds in the attic. The building is said to be built over a convergence of leylines. Straight away we have the esoteric connection that I’ve loved in the previous books. Although re-housed, the PCU still gets into a tangle with those in high places in Government who want the unit to be closed down!

There is still the banter between the team and Arthur Bryant is still his eccentric self, thinking out of the box to get results. I think the following excerpt will show the respect he feels about the niceties of society:

‘Well, you’re not getting results using traditional investigative methods, are you?’ Bryant took out his gobstopper to see if it had changed colour, then reinserted it into his mouth. (Bear in mind Arthur is an elderly gentleman!)

As always there are some unusual and interesting facts in the story. This time based on Punch & Judy and the psychology of that story. Despite my dislike of puppets coming to life, I found this fascinating. I don’t think I would be able to watch this at the cinema though!

Alongside the investigation into the murders runs another plotline. Arthur Bryant has been writing his biography with the help of Anna. There is a tragedy involved which is left open for conclusion in the next book. I think this will be quite a journey!

It’s so easy to become involved in the story. Apart from all the interesting facts, the tension is building all the time with layers of tragedy. I’ve not been able to guess the murderer in the previous books and this time was no different.

The Memory of Blood is another exciting page-turning, tension-filled story. If you’re not already a fan but enjoy finding out unusual facts and love a murder/mystery then I recommend you buy yourself a copy. You won’t be disappointed!

I would like to thank the publishers, Random House Publishing Group for approving my request on Netgalley.(less)

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May 28, 2012 Patrick rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought hooray, another Peculiar Crimes Unit book to take away the taste of stupid formula thrillers and self-righteous political preaching masquerading as novels.

Seriously. I'm having a good baseball season and a really good trout season, but reading season has been rough lately.

Anyway, I'm giving this one four stars mostly out of loyalty to Mr. Fowler, who stubbornly insists on writing books for adults. (As opposed to adult books, which nobody does anymore. Alas.)

It's a little creaky. The ma...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Jeannie and Louis Rigod rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This volume has us exploring the past and present days inside a British theater. A fancy cast party is held by the producer of a new stage production in his home.

We meet the suspects, or have we? Amidst the glamor and deceit we hear a scream and the mystery begins...who killed the baby? Punch? Can it be?

Senior Inspectors, Bryant and May are put on the case as it is highly sensitive. Because of the baby? No, because a high official's daughter is caught up in the midst of the matter. Peculiar Crim...more

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May 22, 2012 Patricia Weenolsen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Memory of Blood, by Christopher Fowler, published by Bantam Books, 2011

The two oldest members of the Peculiar Crimes Unit in London don’t often totter (even though their unit does). Arthur Bryant is sloppily brilliant, and John May is brilliantly tolerant of his partner’s failings and a good match for his wit; they are once again on the case.

A theatre group boasts members whose characters are more eccentric than the ones they play. These include a murderer, Mr. Punch, the puppet of Punch and...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-charm, mystery-england, mystery-humor

Bending the bounds of police procedurals as far as they can move, Bryant and May of the Peculiar Crimes Unit investigate a horrible murder that takes place in a theater-owner's apartment during a party. What's more, it seems to be an impossible crime in a locked room. The only "person" who could have committed it is a valuable antique Punch puppet. As usual, the Peculiar Crimes Unit is under pressure to produce or be dissolved; there's some internal dissension among the usually loyal group; and...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Flavia de Luce fans, whodunnit fans

I really enjoyed this book! This is the most recent installment in the series of 9 books. Even though this is #9, it's the first one I've read. I have not heard of these books but the cover caught my eye at the library, and paid off. It was pretty entertaining. The author states upfront that these books can be read out of order, and I found this is true, now I'll be going back to read the others.

One thing that was a challenge for me is that there were SO many characters. It was tough to keep tra...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Candy Wood added it · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries

Not my favorite of the Bryant and May series, this. We’re back to the theatre scene, learning about the Punch and Judy tradition as well as some West End history, and we get to visit some of London’s less appealing (to me, anyway) attractions, such as a version of the London Dungeon (I always wonder what the disclaimer stating that any resemblance to actual places is coincidental is supposed to mean in cases like that). The personalities of the Peculiar Crimes Unit’s members are mostly taken for...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Leslie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-books

In their ninth recorded case, indomitable detectives Arthur Bryant and John May (still going strong after a partnership of some seventy years) and their team at the Peculiar Crimes Unit must solve the murder of a toddler who, evidence suggests, was the victim of an antique Punch doll. In a side plot, the woman assisting Bryant with his memoirs, which touch on sensitive national security issues, has also died mysteriously and her files have disappeared. A gruesome theatrical murder mystery and a...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Probably my most favorite PCU book yet. This one involves the theater and secrets and while I don't like the necessity of the first murder (of an infant), the entirety of the story and the inclusion of many different personalities made it more interesting. Throughout the story, there is a murder that isn't related to the theater situation but a lead up to probably the next book where the Unit will take on Kasavian...but I'm just assuming. Usually these books leave me a bit confused but this one...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Spuddie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another excellent entry in this off-beat series featuring the quirky characters of the Peculiar Crimes Unit in London. The author says he keeps trying to kill them off, but his editor won't let him--thank goodness! This is easily one of my very favorite series.

The elderly detectives Arthur Bryant and John May are once again on the trail of a killer, and though their methods are vastly different, as always they get there in the end with the help of their diverse and interesting staff. This one i...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Bryant and May take on another peculiar crime but, of course, that is the work of the Peculiar Crimes Unit. This time, a baby is thrown from a window, and the "prints" match those of a Mr. Punch (of Punch and Judy fame) doll. With a touch of locked-room drama (the murder occurred during a party held by the victim's parents and the room is inaccessible from the outside), the cantankerous Bryant and logical May think they'll have the case solved in no time. They're wrong. Fowler works in historica...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, detective, mystery

Review fro Badelynge.
Christopher Fowler's wonderful creations, elderly detectives Bryant and May and the Peculiar Crimes Unit are called in to investigate the brutal killing of a young baby taken from its cot in a locked room, shaken to death and callously thrown out the window. And on the floor next to the cot lies a life size Mr Punch doll. As ever Bryant dives into the esoteric aspects of the case while May employs solid police work. The book kicks off with some documents detailing the histor...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Adam Stone rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime

The Memory of Blood is very much Bryant and May by numbers with all of the best bits of all the previous eight novels (i.e. the characterisations of the regulars in the peculiar crimes unit, and the sort of crimes that come their way, which are never straightforward and simple) all present and correct and lots more of minutiae about the history of London (which is a hell of a lot more interesting that I thought that it would be) and some more esoteric subjects which are not usually mentioned in...more

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May 15, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, library

This is the ninth book in Christopher Fowler's Bryant and May mysteries, and I think it may be one of my favorites. The titular heroes, often not taken seriously by either their superiors or their coworkers, still manage to solve a particular nasty series of murders in the nick of time. (I have to confess that Arthur Bryant, in all his misanthropic, sarcastic, quirky glory is my favorite character in the series. Not that I'd want to sit next to him on the Tube, but his antics are a delight to wa...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Charty rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Good old Bryant and May and the PCU, up to their old tricks again. This felt like one of the most linear and straightforward of their mysteries and I was perhaps a little disappointed in the mode of murder. The secondary murder involving Bryant's memoir transcriptionist was the more fascinating but truncated. Given the ending however, I suspect it will the focus of the next book/case. Many of the unit's personnel were barely on the page (including Crippen) which made for a less rich but ultimate...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Ilinca rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm only giving it four stars because it's such a great ride. Sadly, it doesn't really take you anywhere... The story is so nicely told and sprinkled with Bryant & May classic moments and detective thrills and by-lines and all, that the ending comes as a disappointment. Kind of like, you know, the author didn't know until the very end who he wanted to pin the murders on. Too bad. But even on a bad day, this team is so much fun to ride with, I even forgive them the flimsiness of the last twen...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Jeanne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

My two favorite geriatric detectives are back, and the Peculiar Crimes Unit has its hands full. There are two mysteries in this latest Bryant & May outing:

1. The young lady writing Bryant’s memoirs is murdered.
2. A series of murders are committed and tied to the owner of a local theatre company.

In many ways, this is classic Bryant & May. I love that Fowler has brought the gang back to the theatre, the setting for the first mystery in the series. As usual, the mystery is strange and convo...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Steven D rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love Fowler's books. They always have a love of London (my home town) and London history/lore. This one has more of English cultural history as opposed to just London history. Bryant and May are wonderfully developed characters. Their relationship is one of long standing friendship that goes back over decades. It shows differently in this book than others in the series. Somehow more restrained, more trust between them. Anyway, I'm a fan so can't help but love the stories.

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Nov 20, 2012 Alana Muir rated it 4 of 5 stars

How have I gone this long without reading anything by Christopher Fowler? I may have found a new addition to my list of favorite authors. This book is a crime/murder mystery novel that is a clear and definite homage to Sherlock Holmes with occasional hints of Jasper Fforde. It was a fun read with engaging characters. I look forward to reading more by this author. (Full disclosure: I won a free copy in a goodreads giveaway. But it would have been worth paying for.)

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Jan 06, 2012 Jan Edwards rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another chapter in the Peculiar Crimes Unit files. Eccentric detectives follow up on crimes with a supernatural twist.

The most refreshing thing about these investigators is their lack of baggage. Eccentric they may be - but they get on with the job in hand without the emotional setbacks so many fictional sleuths seem obliged to cart around with them.

Christopher Fowler writes as always with such style, humour and amazing skill.

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Nov 21, 2012 Louise rated it 4 of 5 stars

not as quirky,or outlandish as some of the earlier books, in fact there seemed to be very little of the usual odd goings on... but still a great story, with two of my favourite characters... who get better with each book.
a simple who dunnit really, with small list of suspects, but the reveal as always comes with those tiny clues I never, as the reader, pick up on.
looking forward to next one.

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May 15, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another enjoyable entry in Fowler's series about the two detectives in the Peculiar Crimes Unit solving a peculiar crime. The background of Fowler's London makes it an especially enjoyable series to read for lovers of London or historical fiction used as seasoning for the story and further encouragement if any were needed to read Peter Ackroyd's books The Thames and London.

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Apr 26, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fiction, humor, mysteries

This mystery series is wildly entertaining. An "eyes only" briefing supposedly uploaded on Wikileaks provides a helpful intro for those readers unfamiliar with Bryant & May and the Peculiar Crimes Unit. I loved this snippet from the author's acknowledgements: "As always, the least likely-sounding facts in this novel are, in fact, true."

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About Christopher Fowler

Christopher Fowler is an English novelist living in London, his books contain elements of black comedy, anxiety and social satire. As well as novels, he writes short stories, scripts, press articles and reviews.

He lives in King's Cross, on the Battlebridge Basin, and chooses London as the backdrop of many of his stories because any one of the events in its two thousand year history can provide ins...more

More about Christopher Fowler...

Books by Christopher Fowler

The Victoria Vanishes (Bryant & May, # 6)

Seventy-Seven Clocks (Bryant & May, # 3)

Ten Second Staircase (Bryant & May, # 4)

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11804800-bryant-and-may-and-the-memory-of-blood?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344505127l/11804800.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11804800-bryant-and-may-and-the-memory-of-blood?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Bryant and May and the Memory of Blood by Christopher Fowler[/url]

Bryant and May and the Memory of Blood (Bryant & May #9)

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