London's Glory: The Lost Cases of Bryant & May and the Peculiar Crimes Unit

Fans of Fowler's 12 Bryant and May novels (Full Dark House, etc.) will welcome this highly entertaining collection of short stories featuring senior detectives Arthur Bryant and John May of London's Peculiar Crimes Unit. Fowler is a fan of golden-age crime fiction, and it shows. Readers will find homicides occurring in locked rooms, bizarre murder weapons, and even stranger villains. The duo is unabashedly old, but that only means that in addition to creaking knees they have a wealth of knowledge and experience. Many of the selections are set at or around Christmas. In "Bryant and May and the Secret Santa," readers get a sly (and very funny) view of a department store Santa-land. "Bryant and May and the Bells of Westminster" is set in swinging 1969 London, with models in minis and politicians with roving hands. "Bryant & May and the Seven Points" takes readers inside a traveling freak show for some very creepy doings. This is a book for lovers of London, wit, and crimes that stretch the imagination. (Mar.)