BookBrowse Reviews Ten Second Staircase by Christopher Fowler

BookBrowse:

Fowler's latest detective story places him in the first rank of contemporary mystery writers

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This is Fowler's 14th book and his fourth in the Bryant and May series that started with Full Dark House (2003); followed by The Water Room (2004) and Seventy-Seven Clocks (2005) which some reviewers felt was a little disappointing.  However, all agree that he is definitely back on form with Ten Second Staircase, with some saying that it is his best yet.

His earlier books tended to be relatively humorous but now he focuses on what he describes as 'urban unease'. The Peculiar Crimes Unit handles crimes that the regular police are not equipped to deal with, cases that could cause social panic and ones that require sensitive handling.  If you haven't read any of this series before you're absolutely fine to start with this book. Full Dark House is set in 1940s London during the Blitz and the present day, The Water Room is set in the 1990s, Seventy-Seven Clocks in the '70s and Ten Second Staircase in the present day - Fowler says, "you know from the first book that they work together for fifty years, so I'm not too worried about being sequential."  He plans "at least six books in the series, maybe more".

Selected Review: "Far superior to the author's best earlier work, this fine effort places Fowler in the first rank of contemporary mystery writers and whets the appetite for the next Bryant and May case". - PW starred review.

This review first ran in the August 2, 2006 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.