Couldn't put it down.

Plot fantastic , but narrative and characters superb. First Bryant and May I've read. Can't wait for next.

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I am loving this book

I have never read anything by this author but I am totaly gripped by this book. I am just about finished the first part and am looking forward to more.

I will be sad when it comes to the conclusion.

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21 people found this helpful

A very good match

Started off a little confusing continued with intriguing twists and turns, really enjoyed the reading.

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Unexpected ending

I really liked how it took me back to a 70-ies London and the unexpected ending.

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Fowler Delivers Again but...

Not the best Bryant & May. The plot is messy and the core of the idea a bit daft - unless you view it as a metaphor. It's still fun, funny, serious and absorbing. It kept me quiet to and from Marrakesh on an otherwise tedious flight.

That said, it's still a great listen but oh dear... I know the narrator is just an actor and having worked with hundreds of them I am aware of their limitations. This narrator is spot on with characterisation.... brings them to life but some of him mispronunciations are woefully. Either, he doesn't know the words or his errors have just not been corrected. I counted eleven. But there are more, I'm sure. It's not the narrator's fault. It the producer. The producer is there to weed out the mistakes and get the edit right. Sadly, in the Audible age when there are so many actors voicing stories there is also a paucity of good producers. Most are asinine twelve year olds who are afraid to stand up to a 'name' narrating. Trust me. Some of the best TV and stage and film actors make absolutely hopeless talking book narrators.
It's not the case here - he's great. He just can't pronounce or read certain words correctly.

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Unbelievable but enjoyable

This book is in the spirit of Conon Doyle's most convoluted and unbelievable stories. Though set in the 1970s against the back-drop of strikes and power-cuts, the style is far removed from realistic crime detection novels. It's a complicated story with all sorts of threads and clues: Gilbert and Sullivan's operas and the Savoy Theatre; the Goldsmiths' Guild and Indian trade are all woven together in the lives of a wealthy family who are being killed off in bizarre ways and chosen for death by a mysterious system, the preposterous methodology of which is only revealed near the end of the book. Suffice to say the title gives you a clue.
If you enjoy Conon Doyle or Agatha Christie's style of murder mystery I think you'll like this book.

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5 people found this helpful

Bryant and May on the trail of a family secret

What did you like best about Seventy-Seven Clocks? What did you like least?

I like the characters of Bryant and May and the amazingly detailed descroptions of London, but this is not my favourite story as it became a bit repetitive

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I like the early parts about the Whitstable family but after the first 4 deaths it got a bit repetitive.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

When Bryant made the family tree from plates

Could you see Seventy-Seven Clocks being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?

No, it's too dependant on description.

Any additional comments?

A good addition to the series but not my favourite

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Not the best one

At times it felt as though this story didn't know what it wanted to be. Was it mythical, spiritual, straight crime? In the end the resolution of the story was satisfying but it was a little hard going.
Excellent narration.

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As good as ever.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I freely admit to loving all the Bryant & May books. I have them in practically every format available, and they are never less than a joy to read or to listen to. When it comes to the listening part, I have to say that Tim Goodman is just great - for me, he absolutely IS Arthur Bryant - I can't imagine him speaking any other way. Although occasionally he does get mixed up and give us Arthur's voice when he should be John, but frankly I can forgive him that, because it's entertaining and funny and everything a Bryant & May book should be.

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What a joyful find.

I stumbled across this series and will have started out of order, in fact began at the last book inadvertently. Then I ended up at book three - such fabulous writing, such quirky characters, such wonderful images, turn of phrase and knowledge. Just a joy. Only criticism is that is overly long, however the use of language takes the listener along nicely.
Oh, and not forgetting the excellent narrator, practically perfect!

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