When several members of the same family are murdered in extraordinarily gruesome ways, elderly police investigators Arthur Bryant and John May, together with their newly-constructed experimental team, are given the task of catching the culprits as rapidly as possible. Young Jerry Gates, slumming it as a receptionist at the elegant Savoy Hotel, has the bad luck to witness two of the murders, and she is determined to solve the case herself, especially when the police seem to ignore her insights. As two parallel investigations go deeper into the arcane history of the family involved, their legacy and the strange ways of Victorian secret societies, the bodies continue to pile up, until it seems that there never will be a new day dawning for the targeted victims…. Before he was known for his brilliant Bryant and May mystery/paranormal series, Christopher Fowler was making a name for himself in the horror genre; this book may be the first introduction of Bryant and May, but it is not considered to be part of that series even though it manifestly is. I don’t read much horror these days, but this is a fast (but long) read and Fowler’s signature humor and obvious love of London shine through as much as they are evident in the later books. If you’re already a fan of Bryant and May, you’ll want to read this; if you’re a fan of horror, you’ll enjoy it too. Recommended. ( )