Moon over Soho

OK, this was really good. The humor, the London culture and scene, the characters, I pretty much liked it all... except that I could not understand why he wasn't seeing what he was missing. I was so worried for him, yet it didn't turn the way I thought. I also felt so bad for Lesley and wanted so much for her, yet we see Peter struggling right from the beginning with her severe injury. Peter just seems so really with the whole of it. You really feel like you are there, in London or talking with his friends, or co-workers. Everyone of the previous characters grows a little more.

So this investigates the death of Jazz musicians right during/after performances. This had a lot of Jazz references, which although I am not up much with Jazz, he did make it interesting enough and not bored to tears. I thought this was really actually a pretty good balancing act. Since his mentor (governor) is still recovering, he is still much on his own here. I like how he questions his mentor and argues with him on the rights and wrong of it. He might be under his tutelage but it is not going to go unquestioned and he is still a cop when it comes down to it. Still I totally agree with Nightingale, that the sisters needed to be put down. Even they figured that out when they realized what they were doing. 15 dead people between them means quite a few killings. I get that Peter does not think they were responsible because they did not know what they were doing but... since they do not know how to control it, keeping them alive (undead?) just is dangerous and requires too many resources. I really liked this even if I might not have agreed.

I think this series is the best of UF investigative series. It is a bit light on the fantasy and stronger in the police procedural but its strongest quality is bringing the city and characters alive.

__Updates while reading _

I'm a little over 1/2 way through and loving the characters, talk and actions but not so much the investigation. One thing is frustrating me so much. Simona should be a prime suspect from the beginning, yet he doesn't even suspect her, and then sleeps with her. Then even after feeling bad about shucking his duties in the investigation, sees her coming out of a bakery almost undressed, with food on her face, she says she doesn't have to pay, and then they go off a sleep together... while he is on duty! Even afterwards, and he feels bad about shucking the investigation, he doesn't question it?

80%- Yeap, frustrating same issue. I love the people and characters and how they interact. The new characters also. Still the same problem with the suspects in the investigation. His mother attacks Simone. He doesn't get back up? Well we will see what happens from here. He'll probably bring it around to make sense but still. Just a little frustrating in this one thing.

For a writer trying to look so clever (e.g. look at this crazy idea: jazz vampires! look at my music saviness!) it is rather lazily put together on the side of social relations (super one dimensional) and moral reasoning it equips its protagonists with, which makes it about as deep as your average tv crime series. Zero empathy for his former colleague Leslie?! That's just one example where this character doesn't seem very convincing. And especially how Aaronovitch writes the relationship with the vampire seems dragged so deep out of the 1950s crime noir cliche box that it made me groan. So: It's absolutely fine as pulpy not-lasting reading fodder but hardly more.

I requested this book from the library, and got an email telling me it was ready for pickup. From time of email to time of finishing the book was probably about six hours.

I don't think this book does anything special, but it's just solidly well done, and engaging.

I can't help comparing this book to Butcher's Dresden Files, still. Harry Dresden does this thing where he bemoans his luck with women, and at first the reader thinks, "Well, that's because you're an idiot, Harry, and think women are some kind of magical creature with special women-logic and women-wants." And then the reader, several books in, starts to realize that apparently it's not just Harry that thinks that, but Butcher as well, and then generally the reader gives up and goes looking for the good Dresden Files fanfiction.

(For values of "the reader" which are equal to "me.")

In this book, Peter Grant bemoans his luck with women, and perhaps I am too generous to Aaronovitch, but I really feel like although Peter doesn't know, Aaronovitch does, that Peter would have better luck at maintaining longer relationships if he gave slightly more weight to women as conversational partners in his selection of romantic prospects.

(Peter's main criteria appears to be "are they willing to fuck him and unemcumbered?" which granted, important criteria, but I feel he could do better.)

Ben Aaronovitch isn't really breaking new ground with his Rivers of London urban fantasy series. We have most if not all of the standard trappings after all. But perhaps more important he's doing the genre with style.

Of course we have our mysterious wizards, now including some black... ahem ethically challenged wizards. And our hero quips and gets beaten up in a suitably stoic manner. But the majority of the magical creatures we get to see are refreshingly different, so this certainly doesn't feel like a re-tread.

Aaronovitch picks up a number of hints that he dropped in the first book in the series Midnight Riot, but while he expands on them, he keeps them trailing. And this story doesn't have the same complete feel that the first did. Yes, the immediate case is resolved, but not all of the villains are caught and there are a lot more unanswered questions.

That's not a bad thing from my perspective, since I'm really enjoying the series and want to read more, but it does mean you should start with book 1.

It was also nice to see both the author and the characters address some of the nastier aspects of what happened in the first book head on. Again not resolved, but then... this was something that wouldn't be resolved so quickly.

I'm really looking forward to reading the next in the series. I think this is probably right up there with the Harry Dresden books for favorite urban fantasy.

Suspense, interesting characters, danger, love, magic, humor and -- perhaps best of all -- police procedural mockery of the highest order. Here's a sample:[return][return]"Are you the SIO on this, ma'am?" I asked. The senior investigating officer on a serious crime was usually at the very least a detective inspector, not a sergeant.[return][return]"Of course not," said Stephanopoulis. "We have a DCI on loan from the Havering CID but he's adopted a loose collaborative management approach in which experienced officers undertake a lead role in areas where they have the greatest expertise."[return][return]In other words, he'd locked himself in his office and let Stephanopoulis get on with it.[return][return]"It's always gratifying to see senior officers adopt a forward-looking posture in the vertical relationships," I said and was rewarded with something that was almost a smile.