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  • Ten-Second Staircase

  • Bryant and May, Book 4
  • By: Christopher Fowler
  • Narrated by: Tim Goodman
  • Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (529 ratings)
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Ten-Second Staircase cover art

Ten-Second Staircase

By: Christopher Fowler
Narrated by: Tim Goodman
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Summary

An artist is found dead in a gallery with locked doors and windows. A television presenter is struck by lightning while indoors.

Two seemingly impossible crimes that only Arthur Bryant and John May of the Met's Peculiar Crimes Unit might be able to solve. But Bryant has lost his nerve, and May is fighting to keep the unit from closure. Worse still, an unsolved mystery from the past has returned to haunt them.

©2006 Christopher Fowler/Defiant Films (P)2007 WF Howes Ltd

Critic reviews

"This fourth Bryant and May novel delivers a delirious blend of black humor and suspense." ( Booklist)
"This fine effort places Fowler in the first rank of contemporary mystery writers." ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Ten-Second Staircase

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Crime writing with a twist

I have now listened to all the Bryant and May on Audible and have enjoyed them thoroughly. The 'added bonus' of the historical material, plus the quirky characters and slightly strange plots, and the humour, make them always a good listen.
After the 4th book or so its true some of the characters and their lines can seem a teensy repetitive - but the plots are always different . . .

and the author can be excused having to re-introduce characters for new readers.

The only crime writing I would read thats set in the modern day!!

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

All books are a matter of taste and this is mine.

My type of story, murder and humour. a little gruesome, bizarre with some interesting historical facts.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Mispronunciation

Tim Goodman produces excellent character voices but he frequently mispronounces words, which is very irritating.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Let down by farcical plor

Normally quite like this series and it's well read, but plot is totally unsatisfactory. Motivations make no sense. None of characters act credibly and suspension of disbelief an impossibility

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

The book is good. It is not just about solving the case, it's much more than that. The characters are flawed but brilliant and you feel you are listening in on the world of familiar friends. The best detective double act ever, with a stellar supporting cast. Tim Goodman is excellent as all the characters. If the books ever came to the TV, I could not watch any episodes. Tim Goodman is Bryant & May.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely love it!

Intriguing, fascinating tales of London and it's history with brilliant storytelling by Tim Goodman. Love it all!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Another ripping yarn!

Bryant and May are on the trail of the mythical highwayman who can't exist. Meanwhile, the Home Office are trying to disband them and Longbright it trying to hide evidence. Yet another day at the PCU read with alacrity and style by Tim Goodman and frankly I wouldn't want to listen to anyone else!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

another winner!

love Christopher Fowler's imaginative stories and Tim Goodman is a wonderful narrator!
His knowledge of London is immense, brilliant!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

Having enjoyed many books from Audible this title left me cold.

The blurb seemed interesting but I just couldn't get in to the story at all and found the narrator became increasingly annoying (partly my own fault for not checking out the preview).

Still that said, out of 40 plus downloads this has been the only one that hasn't lived up to expectations, so not a bad average really!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Packed with History

As ever, a good story, but the history, description and characterisation are what really make these books great.

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1 person found this helpful