Reviews

Though Full Dark House begins with a slow simmer, it quickly picks up speed and soon the reader is racing alongside newly-minted detectives Arthur Bryant and John May in WWII-era England, and May alone in present day, eager to reach the end of this suspenseful whodunit. WWII: When a dancer quite literally loses her feet, Bryant and May are called in to investigate at the Palace Theatre. Present day: a bomb goes off in the Peculiar Crimes Unit, claiming Arthur Bryant and leaving his partner John May to figure out exactly what transpired. I was so shocked by the ending revelation that I dropped what I was doing. In short, I definitely recommend this one, with the caveat that it does take a little time to get going... but the going is very much worth it.

pannapark's review against another edition

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3.0

I'm very glad I read Bryant & May and the Burning Man before reading this one, the first in the series. I found it a bit too convoluted and dizzy making between references to past and present, Greek mythology, blitz bombings, dead bodies and endless traipsing around the Palace Theatre, largely in the dark! I will read another in the series.

geekwayne's review against another edition

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4.0

The first in a fairly highly regarded series that I only just heard about. Quirky mystery set in London during the modern day as well as during World War 2 era. Bombings, blackouts and the pervasive fear of those days feature prominently as a backdrop to a series of horrific murders in a theater.

We meet our 2 series heroes John May and Arthur Bryant during the tragic aftermath of a modern bomb explosion, and then in flashbacks to their first case together.

Satisfying mystery, interesting cast of characters and very capable writing will have me coming back for more of this series.

om_nom_nomigon's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

katherine_alexis's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense slow-paced

Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

therealkathryn's review against another edition

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4.0

It's always a pleasure to find a good new mystery author. The main characters (from the very appropriately named Peculiar Crimes Unit) and storyline were quirky without becoming annoying. I also enjoyed the setting, which moved between London during the Blitz and present-day London.

myfrogmonster's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This was an interesting mystery. I guessed one of the big reveals early on but not sure it was necessarily meant to be a shocking surprise.

I mean there are more than a dozen books in this series and it is called Bryant and May so...........

I did not guess the ultimate outcome. Not even a niggle in the back of my brain so well done.
I did confuse a few characters - the theater cast is pretty big. But it didn't really detract from the story.
Jumping in time was also fine. No issues going back and forth.
I also found the war information interesting. It really set an atmosphere for London during the blitz.
I have not gotten particularly attached to the characters. Partly why I waffle between three and four stars. I am hoping they grow on me as I read through the series - or at least book two since it is on my TBR shelf.
All in all I am really excited to read more in this series. Looking at the series list I will be busy for quite a while. Yay!

Breakdown of rating:
Enjoyment: 3
Writing: 4
Characters: 2
Plot: 3
Readability: 4
Setting/World Build: 4

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