Aaronovitchus Rex 2-- Bryant and May

Christopher Fowler's protagonists are odd couple detectives in London's Peculiar Crimes Unit. I can see how the police procedural aspect and the strange cases scenario tie in to Peter Grant. But what struck me is how very by-the-book convincing and mundane Peter's procedurals are (even when dealing with people whose faces have fallen off) compared to the-- well, 'you must be joking' way Bryant and May conduct things. So (mutatis mutandis to avoid spoilers) someone dies at a small costume party. Do you then summon everyone who was there, in costume, and ask them to take the places they had when the murder was discovered? Much more Poirot than the MPS, I'd say. Especially for a police unit that complains of constant understaffing, lack of manpower, and pressure from above.

From the one sample I've read (Seventy-seven Clocks) and sampled (Bryant & May On the Loose) the action is much more off-the-wall weird than downright supernatural. This one at least is steampunk, decidedly, with the Victorian ethos cropping up at every turn. Nice if that's your thing. One nuisance thing, though, is that each book has lots of reminiscing about previous cases, so read in order (if you can find them) or skim to avoid spoilers. Dunno if I'd read more, though wiki has an enticing line- "The Victoria Vanishes has similarities with The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin."
( Cut for gripes )