THE WATER ROOM (Christopher Fowler)

I'm not really sure I would ever read another Christopher Fowler mystery, not because this wasn't fascinating (who knew there were so many rivers under London?), but because it was so complicated.  If you enjoy a mystery that is a bit (or a lot) off-center, this one could be for you.  It might be better to start with the first in the series, though.  Arthur Bryant and John May are the elderly detectives who head up the Peculiar Crimes Unit, a division of the London police.  Bryant is an elderly hoarder who doesn't seem overly concerned with appearances and May is a bit of a lady's man.  Their unit tackles the unusual and outlandish crimes that the regular police don't care to handle.  This one is set in a small subdivision where an elder woman is found dead in her living room, dressed as if ready to set off for a journey but with a mouthful of river water.  Other odd deaths ensue, eventually leading to a tour of London's underground rivers and a pretty satisfying denouement.  We read this for our Christie Capers "Detecting Duos" theme.