Bryant & May: The Lonely Hour: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780525485827)

"Oh, joy, a new Peculiar Crimes Unit case by Christopher Fowler . . . the best fun is running all over the city with these amiable partners."--The New York Times Book Review

The brilliant Arthur Bryant and John May take the late, late shift in a cat-and-mouse hunt with a killer who preys on his victims at the same time every night--the lonely hour of 4 A.M.

When a man is found hanging upside down inside a willow tree on Hampstead Heath, surrounded by a baffling assortment of occult objects, the Peculiar Crimes Unit is called in to investigate. Was this a botched satanic ritual pulled off by bored teenagers, a gang initiation, or the work of a mastermind with grander intentions? Bryant and May set off in search of answers and are soon reminded that London is a city steeped in blood and magic.

When another body is pulled from the river at dawn, it becomes clear that a killer lurks in the night. To catch him, the PCU switches to graveyard shifts, but the team still comes up short. As they explore a night city where the normal rules do not apply, they're drawn deeper into a case that involves murder, arson, kidnapping, blackmail, loneliness, and bats.

May takes a technological approach, while Bryant goes in search of his usual academics and misfits for help, for this investigation reveals impossibilities at every turn. How do you stop a killer who appears not to exist? Luckily, impossibilities are what the Peculiar Crimes Unit does best.

Author: Christopher Fowler
ISBN-10: 0525485821
ISBN-13: 9780525485827
Publisher: Bantam
Language: English
Published: 12/03/2019
Pages: 448
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.20lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.80w x 1.50d

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 09/15/2019
Publishers Weekly 09/16/2019
Booklist 10/15/2019 pg. 30
Library Journal 12/01/2019 pg. 63
Shelf Awareness 01/14/2020
Booklist 05/01/2020 pg. 39