I was feeling down about the probable ending of the Bryant & May series, when along came this collection of stories. One of the best feature of the series has always been its celebration of London’s lesser-known sites, in all their peculiar histories. The setup here is that Arthur Bryant has left dozens of audiotapes about London, with additional crosstalk between him and his partner, John May, and some other colleagues. My only—and slight—quibble with the book is that it often doesn’t capture Arthur May’s “voice” the way the mystery books do.

Each short story takes the form of Arthur Bryant giving a walking tour of a particular part of London and describing some of its oddities and interesting past events. He can go off onto odd tangents, but it’s always entertaining. You’ll learn such things as why Dutch ships aren’t required to pay any fees when they dock in London and load or unload goods; your brain will spin at the dizzying name changes of tube stations; you will wonder why anyone would want to join the Wig Club, considering it required members to put on a lice-ridden wig ostensibly made from the pubic hair of various royal mistresses.

For lovers of London and tourism, this is an entertaining collection. If only all of the Bryant & May series’s London information could be published in map form! It occurs to me that since this is being published in early December, it would make a great gift for anyone with a curious mind who is planning a trip to London.

What a treat this is! While it will be most appreciated (and I expect adored) by fans of the long running series, even those who are not familiar with the characters will be entertained and intrigued by this series of stories told about various places in London. It is best read, I think, as a book to dip in and out of, to follow along on a map, to enjoy in bits and pieces, one at a time. Bryant, May, and other members of the team all have input. Yes, some of it is poppycock (and up to you to figure out what's real, what's not) but it's all delightful. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I learned more about London than I anticipated, didn't miss the mystery at all, and think this would make a great gift. If only there were more Bryant and May in the future......

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an advance copy to this most particularly different guide to one of the most amazing cities in the world.

Every city has a history that the residents are proud of. They are quick to point things out, sell memorabilia and discuss things ad nauseam. Then there is the history that comes out in after a couple of drinks, the history that politicians try to ban or hide behind a bodyguard of lies wearing the costume of patriotism. However between these are the things that neither side never wants to talk about, either through ignorance, shame, frankly who would care. A city like London, built, burned, bombed, even Brexited has a rich history of real, imagined and even imagined made real. Only two men could discuss this city, bare its secrets and hidden places to the world. Arthur Bryant and John May, London's oldest police officers, and members of the Peculiar Crimes Unit. Compiled by their chronicler, Christopher Fowler, Bryant & May: Peculiar London is a guide to a City that never stops growing and changing full of mysteries and peculiar places.

Arthur Bryant has been solving cases since the Second World War and he has forgotten more than any ten people combined could forget. John May has been his partner, not as long but long enough to understand Bryant's mind, and its lapses, though remaining a man of his own time, enjoying this century as much as Bryant enjoys the past. Together, well mostly Bryant have decided to share all their years of experience, reading, walkings and pub visits in what both consider the greatest city in the world. Joined by fellow members of the Peculiar Crimes Unit and some of Bryant's best sources and fellow researchers, each with their unique knowledge and skill set, they hope to combine what they know into a unique guide for outsiders and citizens alike. Secret clubs for the different classes and royalty, clubs that exist in store front, below train stations, clubs that don't exist, and places that don't want their existence known. The architecture of the city is discusses from classics, to occult based buildings and formations, the current mess that is the skyline with buildings that should have gotten a better look in planning stations. Lost train stations, lost train lines, docks, taxi diners, the book is both enlightening and entertaining. All told in a style that is a mix of fuddy-duddy, humorous, informative and oddly moving.

The perfect companion book to the long-running series, which has had some recent shake-ups. Fowler is a great writer, one that I have been following for a very long time, more than I care to think about, and has a real skill in capturing the voices of different characters and making them both distinctive and real in what they know and what they love. The book is an encyclopedia of the weird and different places that make up London, what it has become and and what it has lost. The City it made into a living, breathing thing, with a past that it sometimes prefers to omit, and yet secretly proud of, with the tenacity to think that the best is yet to come. The love is quite apparent, for both his characters and the city they are based in.

Great fun. A book that should replace Fodor's or Lonely Planet as the guide to walk around London with. Fans of the Bryant & May series will enjoy this, both for the characters and for the history that is so important to the books stories. However fans of urban fantasy will probably get a lot out of this, especially writers to get an idea of how the truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. One could write quite a few books just based on a page or two here. Fans of comic writers Grant Morrison, Alan Moore or the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch will also enjoy.

A very idiosyncratic "guide" to London, as viewed by Arthur Bryant and his somewhat unusual friends. While great fun, not as entertaining as the mystery series. Probably chiefly of interest to diehard Bryant and May fans.

I felt like I learned so much about London in this book! I was there years ago but I want to go back now. So many stories about buildings and oddities. I appreciated the book list at the end too.

Are you by chance planning a trip to London? Come along on this whimsical, humorous walking tour of London with Bryant and May from London's Peculiar Crimes Unit ( PCU). Its a bit different from their regular crime stories, but a very entertaining read. There's lots of unique history about London. They discuss rocks, clock, Pubs and neighborhood s, and so much more.Its the type of book you can read a little at a time or straight through; both ways very satisfying. The book comes out near Christmas and would make a wonderful gift for readers of this series or as a stand alone for English history lovers. I'd like to thank Random House Publishing/Bantam, NetGalley and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this book. It publishes on 12/6/22

Bryant & May: Peculiar London is an exceedingly fun diversion in the Bryant & May PCU series by Christopher Fowler. Due out 6th Dec 2022 from Penguin Random House on their Bantam imprint, it's 496 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

One of the things (and there are many) which I adore about the PCU series and of course Arthur Bryant himself are the wonderfully random side trips to obscure locations and the bizarre books to which he refers along his travels in London and environs. The books which make up the central parts of the series are generally heavy on plot with only judicious sprinkles of tantalizing tidbits which Bryant pulls out of his dubious overcoat pockets seemingly at random. I've read all the canonical books several times and always found myself wishing for more of the background locations and stories. This is that book. There's very little plot here, it's just full of the mad (and apparently at least mostly true) factoids which make the series books a joy to read.

Five stars. Highly highly recommended for extant fans of the series. For readers unfamiliar with the series, I strongly recommend starting with some of the central titles (the first book is Full Dark House). There are now 18+ books in the series with at least one more planned, so it's a great choice for a long and delightfully bizarre binge read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

"Thinking of a jaunt to England? Let Arthur Bryant and John May, London's oldest police detectives, show you the oddities behind the city's façades in this tongue-in-cheek travel guide.

It's getting late. I want to share my knowledge of London with you, if I can remember any of it.

So says Arthur Bryant. He and John May are the nation's oldest serving detectives. Who better to reveal its secrets? Why does this rainy, cold, gray city capture so many imaginations? Could its very unreliability hold the key to its longevity?

The detectives are joined by their boss, Raymond Land, and some of their most disreputable friends, each an argumentative and unreliable expert in their own dodgy field.

Each character gives us a short tour of odd buildings, odder characters, lost venues, forgotten disasters, confusing routes, dubious gossip, illicit pleasures, and hidden pubs. They make all sorts of connections - and show us why it's almost impossible to separate fact from fiction in London."

You've always wanted a rather "peculiar" tour of London, right?

Christopher Fowler’s Peculiat London was a greatly anticipated book. All the humor and idiosyncrasies of his PCU series was cleverly incorporated in this companion novel with his use of the characters as narrators.

For anyone who wants a book that will entertain, amuse, question, stimulate, or educate oneself about the history of London, it will surely have reading appeal.

Thank you NetGalley and Bantam Books for an eARC.

Exactly as advertised, this is a collection of tales that interweave the history, architecture, and social commentary on Fowler's own London. If that was the part of the Bryant & May books that you like the most -- Arthur Bryant's intricate and erudite rants about the convoluted underpinnings of seemingly random and disconnected events -- then you will love this book. For me, while I did enjoy it, I missed the the longer mystery narrative that clothed the history in the previous books.

hilarious, eccentric, England, London, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, senior-citizens, senior-sleuths, situational-humor, verbal-humor, friendship, tour, irreverent, snarky*****

Laugh your sox off hysterical history.
Arthur Bryant and John May are the nation’s oldest serving detectives of the Peculiar Crimes Unit. Here are reminiscences in the form of an irreverent tour of places and history of London. A collection of juicy tidbits, if you will.
A perfect bathroom (or subway) read where you can pick it up anywhere and pick a chapter at random.
Absolutely loved it!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam via NetGalley. Thank you!

The Bryant and May mysteries are uniquely entertaining. The Peculiar Crimes Unit has kept readers turning the pages ever since Full Dark House was published in 2003.

Here is a long book that is filled with 49 chapters about London. The book is set up as a series of entries that can be read in any order. There are sarcasm, humor and facts in these pages. A few of the chapter headings include A Big Lump of Rock, A Town Named After a Drain; A Sweet and Comfortable Recreation, and The Longest Running Play. Dip in and out in a leisurely fashion.

Readers may themselves need to be mildly eccentric to fully appreciate this title. For example, The Longest Running Play, is about Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap. The detectives hardly give it an adoring review.

There is always something to consider in these pages which feature Bryant and May and many who know them. This book is recommended to open minded readers who are not looking for a typical guidebook.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

This book was not only funny but when it could be understood it was also educational. From the famous and not so famous rocks around London to the name changes a train station and so much more. There’s even confusion about London‘s origin story I found the conversations between Brian and John to be so hilarious and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the two of them there’s even a chapter on the different clocks in London and I learned that big Ben isn’t the biggest one. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope Chris Fowler does another book about other places in England he really has a talent for comedy and one dispersing something that could come out academic that’s very important I highly recommend this book. If you love history, crimes in total laughter you love this book. I was so excited to learn that these two characters South Crime and there’s books about it it’s like Christmas at the beginning of November. I highly recommend this book and totally loved it I received it from NetGalley and publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

London has made Bryant & May one of the greatest detective duos in literary history. The colorful creations of Christopher Fowler join Holmes & Watson in the heart and mind of this reader. So, it's appropriate Fowler gifts us a tour of London through the eyes of the peerless Peculiar Crimes Unit. Yes, that's right. We're educated on the history of London by many of the classic characters from the series. It's a brilliant way of reminding us how good the PCU books were. The banter between the characters is as witty as you'd expect. You'll laugh and you'll learn so very much about the city they called home. Education has never been such fun! Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam, & NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion. #BryantMayPeculiarLondon #NetGalley

Bryant & May Peculiar London by Christopher Fowler
This is a wonderful book for those who love London and have plenty of time to explore. It is not a book to read like a novel. Instead, it should be read multiple times then used to plan to walk to so many of these obscure, peculiar places described in the book most of which are hidden under your feet or behind facades. I am an American who when I was working would always make London my arrival station and departure station no matter where business took me in Europe. This gave me time to explore London. But this book brings out so many places hidden in front of my eyes. Christopher Fowler is a Londoner and a fantastic writer of the Bryant & May mysteries. The book is told through the voices of Bryant & May along with other characters from his books. It is a joy to read and I scribbled note after note of places to see on my next visit. I should warn potential readers this is not the travel book for 1st or 5th time visitors to London. Instead, I think it is for locals or people who visit often who are comfortable walking far from the underground to find these sites. It is a book than can be used for years and years for those who are lucky to call London home or visit often.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Intriguing and mysterious…friends…secrets…red herrings…curl up and escape…enjoy

Fowler has a created a fun series that includes this story. This is my first by this author. and I plan to circle back to the beginning of the series. Good stuff.

I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!

I love Bryant and May and all of their adventures. However, this book was a disappointment to me because it was more of a traveller's guide to London and its history. Not that it was billed as anything different, I was hoping that Bryant and May and a few of the other characters would actually solve a crime or something. Their tongue in cheek descriptions of London areas and buildings were interesting but I don't know London well enough to have the base knowledge of most of the places they discussed.

This is a fun addition to the BRYANT & MAY charming series. Rather than one procedural, the reader is offered a "walking" tour of London with Bryant & May as our tour guides. They reveal the unknown London. We learn some of London's history, its architecture, the more recent of which May can be funnily snarky about---past crimes, oddities, and the usual acerbic with of the team. This would make a good book for the nightstand. You can pick it up and enjoy the short rambles like an after-dinner cognac.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC.