Moon Over Soho: Ben Aaronovitch

Although my favorite genre is mystery novels, I have been dabbling in reading science fiction and fantasy novels in the last few years. Straight fantasy novels don't usually excite me, although I keep trying (and welcome suggestions). But the blend of mystery and fantasy often works for me. The Rivers of London series is the perfect example of that sub-genre. From my point of view, the series is very successful because it gives just as much attention to the investigation (in this case, by a policeman) as it does to the fantasy elements.

Moon Over Soho is the 2nd book in a series by Ben Aaronovitch. Peter Grant is the hero, and in the first book he is a probationary constable in the Metropolitan Police Service in London. He wants to be assigned to the CID, but it looks like he is headed for the dreaded Case Progression Unit, where he will be stuck doing paperwork. Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale saves him from this fate, drafting him into a specialist unit that deals with ghosts, spirits, vampires.

To give a sample of the tone of the story, here is a quote from the beginning of  the second chapter:

The general public have a warped view of the speed at which an investigation proceeds. They like to imagine tense conversations going on behind the Venetian blinds, and unshaven but ruggedly handsome, detectives working themselves with single-minded devotion into the bottle and marital breakdown. The truth is that at the end of the day, unless you’ve generated some sort of urgent lead, you go home and get on with the important things in life — like drinking and sleeping and, if you’re lucky, a relationship with the gender and sexual orientation of your choice. And I would have been doing at least one of those things the next morning if I hadn’t also been the last bleeding apprentice wizard in England. Which meant I spent my spare time learning magic, studying dead languages, and reading books like Essays on the Metaphysical by John “never saw a polysyllabic word he didn’t like” Cartwright.

And learning magic, of course — which is what makes the whole thing worthwhile.

This book is described as an urban fantasy and it does fit within that genre. The thing I don't like about that label is that there is an expectation that urban fantasies mostly have female protagonists and are strong on romance (at least from what I have read). This book has a young black male protagonist; romance is involved but not the strongest element. There is, however, in this book, a lot of explicit sex. For a while that bothered me but it is integral to the plot so... 

Actually Peter is of mixed race, but he is a person of color and that often affects how he is treated in his work and his investigations. This is not dwelt on but does add another dimension. Jazz is a theme throughout the book. Peter's father, Richard "Lord" Grant, is a jazz musician, and jazz musicians are being targeted in the latest case. Another very strong element of the books is the author's love of and extensive knowledge of London. In a sense, this can be distracting to someone who doesn't know much about the area, but I still enjoyed this aspect.

If I have not already made it clear, I did like this book a lot. I have the third book in the series and will be reading that soon. This book did not make as big an impact on me as the first one. That may have been that I was really mesmerized by the writing, the humor, the fun in reading the first book, but knew what to expect when I got to this one. It might have been the emphasis on sex, which I still think could have been toned down a bit. Regardless, a wonderful read and a series I want to continue.

This is definitely a series you would want to read in order. I am sure I would have been entirely lost if I had started with this book.

This is my first submission for Once Upon a Time VIII.

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Publisher: Gollancz [2011]
Length: 373 pages
Format: trade paperback

Series: Rivers of London, book 2