Third in the Bryant and May Mystery series, SEVENTY-SEVEN CLOCKS is set in 1973 London, and begins the adventures of the precocious detectives Arthur Bryant and John May. Details about how Bryant and May first joined Scotland Yard's Peculiar Crimes Division head up this compelling read. As the department's name implies, the detectives are sent to investigate particularly odd and offbeat crimes: homicide by snake bite, someone eaten by a very hungry tiger and poisoning through tainted makeup.

All investigations lead to the Whitstable family, whose Alliance of Eternal Light group is questionably culpable. Bryant and May are much younger in this volume than in the previous two, and readers will find that it offers a fresh look at their comedic relationship with one another, as well as highlighting their personal foibles and perceptions. I enjoyed reading this text, but was surprised at the ending, which left me wondering at how such a lovely book could have such a tedious denouement.