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.)