Totally going to dust off this thread now...
I just finished reading the first two books in Ben Aaronovitch's
Rivers of London series.
Midnight Riot (also goes by Rivers of London in the UK):
Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.
Moon over Soho:
BODY AND SOULThe song. That’s what London constable and sorcerer’s apprentice Peter Grant first notices when he examines the corpse of Cyrus Wilkins, part-time jazz drummer and full-time accountant, who dropped dead of a heart attack while playing a gig at Soho’s 606 Club. The notes of the old jazz standard are rising from the body—a sure sign that something about the man’s death was not at all natural but instead supernatural.
Body and soul—they’re also what Peter will risk as he investigates a pattern of similar deaths in and around Soho. With the help of his superior officer, Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, the last registered wizard in England, and the assistance of beautiful jazz aficionado Simone Fitzwilliam, Peter will uncover a deadly magical menace—one that leads right to his own doorstep and to the squandered promise of a young jazz musician: a talented trumpet player named Richard “Lord” Grant—otherwise known as Peter’s dear old dad.
Things I enjoyed about these books (in no particular order):
- The protagonist (Peter) is of a mixed race and it's not handled in an awkward way. He's also got dimension - he's believable, with both qualities that make him a hero and faults that make him human. He screws up at times, and that makes the plot even better.
- Although it's about magic, there's quite a bit of science and modern invention thrown in. In that respect, it's a police investigative novel first and magical fantasy second. I definitely didn't get that feeling from the book description, but I think it also made the books more memorable.
- The first novel had plot twists that were a genuine surprise, but in retrospect I realize that there were a lot of subtle hints that make sense once you know the big twist (kind of like Sixth Sense). I was able to guess a couple of the twists in the second novel, but there were still a few surprises.
- There's a lot of info about London, and it's the kind of stuff that you don't see in a tourist book. It was very cool and very interesting to read, as it made the city come alive.
- The second book is about jazz music, and it's also just full of both factual information. It just leaves you with a feeling that jazz is very cool.
- There's a variety of emotion - humor, tense moments, drama.
- I like the writing style.
So, thumbs up from me. Get a copy if you get a chance.
