Beverly H. (GainesvilleGirl) -
Helpful Score: 2
An outbreak of increasingly bizarre crimes has hit London, and fittingly has come to the attention of the Peculiar Crimes Unit. The killer has a dark history, a habit of staying hidden, and time itself is on his side. Detectives John May and Arthur Bryant may have finally met their match, and this time they're working against the clock. The real treat in this book is following these two guys around just to hear them think out loud.
A really good read.
A really good read.
Barbara S. (barbsis) -
Helpful Score: 1
Bryant and May are detectives with unusual means of solving crimes including using witches and psychics. This is the first investigation for the newly formed Peculiar Crimes Unit of the Metropolitan police in London. The case is strange with art vandalism, pornography, poison, secret societies and of all things, Gilbert and Sullivan operas.
What a convoluted story. This is a murder mystery wrapped in an enigma revolving around a huge old British family with a diabolical secret. The secret has been safe for 100 years but now something has gone terribly wrong and members of the family are being murdered in antiquated, bizarre ways.
The book started out strangely - the prologue is a rambling history lesson which has absolutely nothing to do with the story and no part of it is mentioned again. It kind of plods along - at times tedious but it grabs you from the start where you just have to know what the hell is going on. Though I did find it highly unlikely that every time May or Bryant went into a creepy place (like a cellar or tunnel) their flashlight died - gimme a break - couldn't the author come up with a novel way to put them in danger?
What a convoluted story. This is a murder mystery wrapped in an enigma revolving around a huge old British family with a diabolical secret. The secret has been safe for 100 years but now something has gone terribly wrong and members of the family are being murdered in antiquated, bizarre ways.
The book started out strangely - the prologue is a rambling history lesson which has absolutely nothing to do with the story and no part of it is mentioned again. It kind of plods along - at times tedious but it grabs you from the start where you just have to know what the hell is going on. Though I did find it highly unlikely that every time May or Bryant went into a creepy place (like a cellar or tunnel) their flashlight died - gimme a break - couldn't the author come up with a novel way to put them in danger?
Ron K. (WhidbeyIslander) -
A bit long at nearly 500 pages, but it never becomes boring as outlandish deaths that hark back to the methods in some of John Dickson Carr's books mount. There is a parallel plotline concerning a character named Jerry that I think could have been cut (which would have shortened the story), but all in all it was a fun read and sort of made sense by the end.
Bryant and May are at it again when several members of a prominent London family are killed in fantastic ways. Their research turns up a clandestine world of secret societies and family secrets which reaches all the way to India. The discovery of a unique mechanical device seals the case and brings down this powerful family. It is the usual rollicking good time orchestrated by the irascible Bryant and the dapper May.
Gerald G. (PhotoJer) reviewed Seventy-Seven Clocks (Bryant & May: Peculiar Crimes Unit, Bk 3) on + 92 more book reviews
Intriguing plot, people dieing all over the place, unusual twists and turns...great read.
Barbara M. reviewed Seventy-Seven Clocks (Bryant & May: Peculiar Crimes Unit, Bk 3) on + 152 more book reviews
I bought this book at a garage sale so am glad I only paid $.25 for it. I've never read anything by this author before. There were a lot of twists and turns with respect to the murders so it kept one reading. However, the ending re what was causing the murders was really a disappointment and very implausible. Without giving too much away, there were multiple murderers and different methods of killing people that simply weren't believable. A young girl named Jerry was one of the key characters who apparently had some problems in her past. The cause of the problems was revealed at the end of the book and really didn't add anything to the story. Although Jerry became involved in the investigation because two of the murders happened at the hotel where she worked, her character was more of a distraction. I found this book disappointing and wouldn't recommend it.
