The Water Room

Peculiar Crimes Unit duo Arthur Bryant and John May, elderly but still razor-sharp detectives, investigate a series of very peculiar crimes indeed, infusing THE WATER ROOM with more than half a century of unique knowledge and experience. The seemingly impossible crimes lead the pair through a fascinating array of clues embedded in the depths and history of London's subsurface rivers and tributaries. Tim Goodman's narration provides suspense while delivering spot-on characterizations of Bryant's aging hoarseness and May's striking irony. The bickering between the two could not be more perfectly rendered. Goodman's engaging recitation ranges skillfully from the duo's distinct identities to women's dulcet tones to lyrical Indian accents. The result is a compelling mystery set in a rare environment shot through with caprice. A.W. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Starred review from May 23, 2005
Traditional mystery buffs with a taste for the offbeat will relish British author Fowler's wonderful second contemporary whodunit featuring the Peculiar Crimes Unit and its elderly odd couple, Arthur Bryant and John May (after 2004's Full Dark House
). A former colleague asks the eccentric Bryant, whose lack of polish coupled with a razor-sharp mind will remind many of Carter Dickson's Sir Henry Merrivale, to investigate his sister's death. Incredibly, the victim was found dead in her basement, apparently drowned, despite the absence of any moisture on her body or her surroundings. Bryant rapidly loops in his more down-to-earth partner, May, who has also been looking into a mystery with a personal connection—the unusual nocturnal ramblings of a disgraced academic who has begun probing London's underground rivers. More strange deaths follow before the unmasking of the surprising murderer. The author's black humor evokes Peter Lovesey's Peter Diamond series, and his successful revival of the impossible crime genre is reminiscent of John Sladek's superb Thackeray Phin novels, Invisible Green
and Black Aura
. Best known for his horror fiction (Rune
, etc.), Fowler should win a whole new set of readers with these fair-play puzzlers. Agent, Mandy Little
.