Full Dark House - Christopher Fowler - SPOILER Thread

[Susan]

The first in the Bryant and May series.

When a bomb devastates the office of London's most unusual police unit and claims the life of its oldest detective, Arthur Bryant, his surviving partner John May searches for clues to the bomber's identity. His search takes him back to the day the detectives first met as young men in 1940.

In Blitz-ravaged London, a beautiful dancer rehearsing for a sexy, sinister production of 'Orpheus In The Underworld' is found without her feet. Bryant & May's investigation plunges them into a bizarre gothic mystery, where a faceless man stalks terrified actors and death strikes in darkness. Tracking their quarry through the blackout, searching for a murderer who'll stop at nothing to be free of a nightmare, the duo unwittingly follow the same path Orpheus took when leading Euridyce from the shadows of Hell.

Back in the present day, John May starts to wonder if their oldest adversary might be the killer who took his partner's life. He must work alone to solve a puzzle that began over half a century earlier...

In a war-shaken city of myths, rumours and fear, Bryant & May discover that a house is not always a home, nothing is as it appears, the most cunning criminals hide in plain sight, and the devil has all the best tunes. Dark drama and black comedy combine as Bryant & May take centre stage in their first great case.

Feel free to post spoilers in this thread.

[Judy]

I've finished this now - a slight disappointment overall for me and I won't bother to read any more in the series. I enjoyed the characters of the two detectives and I loved the way the author describes London. I also liked the references to The Phantom of the Opera. But... I thought it was very slow at times, and none of the female characters was very believable.

My main problem, though, was that the plot was just too far-fetched and didn't really hang together. I couldn't believe for a moment that Elspeth and her son would be able to hide away in the theatre for his entire life, without anyone suggesting she moved out, sent him to school, got him medical treatment, etc etc.

Also, it was too obvious that Bryant would turn out to be alive - the dental records were a dead giveaway for anyone who has read a lot of older mysteries.

[Jill]

I did think that the stealing of the dental records gave me hope that Bryant wasn't dead, but as this book wasn't written in the GA era, and that the main character was "killed" in the first few pages, I felt anything was possible.
I also, didn't really think twice about the son being hidden away, as I grew up living a few doors away from a girl who believed all her life that her grandmother was her mother, when in actual fact her mother was her sister. Elspeth never had her family to fall back on.

[Fred]

Judy wrote: "I've finished this now - a slight disappointment overall for me and I won't bother to read any more in the series. I enjoyed the characters of the two detectives and I loved the way the author desc..."

Judy, don't give up on this series. I haven't read Full Dark House but did enjoy The Water Room and White Corridor. I decided to read the books because a reviewer compared them to John Dickson Carr who is one of my favorite authors. Impossible crimes and far fetched plots. Try again

[Susan]

I have also finished this now and, while I liked it, I didn't love it. However, I did like the characters of Bryant and May and thought they were the best thing about the book.

[Judy]

Fred wrote: "Judy, don't give up on this series. I haven't read Full Dark House but did enjoy The Water Room and White Corridor. I decided to read the books because a reviewer compared them to John Dickson Carr ..."

Thanks Fred, perhaps I will take a peek at one of the later books.

I've been meaning to try John Dickson Carr, but he seems to be quite difficult to get hold of - a lot of his books are out of print and expensive. I think he is someone where I'll have to forget the idea of reading in order and just read whichever of his books I can find!

[Judy]

Susan, I agree that the characters of the two detectives were the best thing about the book. I also quite liked the third detective, Sidney Biddle.

[Jill]

Biddle certainly improved once he had got some hands-on experience.

[Susan]

Yes, Biddle was great. I have a feeling that the series will improve and this was a debut in a series where the author threw everything, including the kitchen sink, at the first book... Less may have been more.

[Judy]

On John Dickson Carr, I've just realised that more of his books are actually available than I thought - if you go on his author page at Amazon, it says he has only one title on Kindle, but if you search for his name several others turn up.

[Susan]

Sadly, the first book in both his series are not on kindle though - It Walks By Night and Hag's Nook. Years ago, I actually brought a paperback version of Hag's Nook, which is somewhere in my house - but where, I know not! One of the best things about kindle for me is that I can, actually, locate my books...

[Jill]

That certainly is an advantage Susan, and beats going through boxes in the loft as I have to, Although I am slowly getting all the books at least listed , if not sorted. I know where the first 3 of the Gideon Fell books are, but more are up there hiding I'm sure.

[Jan C]

Judy wrote: "On John Dickson Carr, I've just realised that more of his books are actually available than I thought - if you go on his author page at Amazon, it says he has only one title on Kindle, but if you s..."

I have been able to pick up a number of JDC's on kindle. The others have been from used book stores. I pick them up when I see them. And not too expensive either, usually $3-5.