This is a story about water, and London, and perhaps sounds ordinary enough from the description above. But if you have read the first Bryant and May book, Full Dark House, then you will know that it is going to be anything but. Only a writer of some considerable talent could write a wartime version of "The Phantom of the Opera" and get away with it. The irresistible humor, bizarre details (most of them true) about London, historical accuracy and larger-than-life characterization make this series a winner. You’ll never guess the plot, and to reveal any more would spoil it, but Fowler has a way of writing about modern London that is utterly compelling. He offsets the gloom and grime of this tale with wry humor and a style all his own, although this book is less successful than Full Dark House because it is too long. Without the added dimension of being set half today and half in the past, the story treads water in the middle (no pun intended) and loses some necessary momentum. This notwithstanding, it is a fine tale and well worth reading. If you like M J Trow, you will find that this is somewhat darker, but right up your dark alley.