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.