If I was to give a quick description of this book I'd probably call it a UK version of the Harry Dresden series. But that doesn't really give it the credit it deserves.

Ben Aaronovitch may be known to some of you as the script writer for a couple of solid Doctor Who episodes (Remembrance of the Daleks and Battlefield). Here he shows not only a good grip on the basics of urban fantasy but also some nice background on the Metropolitan Police Force. Which gives the book an authentic feel.

Setting is critical to this book. In the UK it is titled Rivers of London and that name has significance. In the US it's been called Midnight Riot because... Americans.

Not only are the rivers themselves physically embodied in the book, but the locations add character and color. You couldn't simply transplant the story to New York and have it work the same way.

The book is also refreshingly multicultural (appropriate given the London setting) without making a big deal about it. The characters simply come from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds.

If I have complaints it's that certain things are glossed over. None of the characters seem terribly upset or disconcerted by the sudden discovery of magic. Similarly they're not as upset as I might expect when things go almost catastrophically wrong.

And yet there's so much going on so fast that these are really only things I notice after the fact. There are three novels in the series so far and I'm looking forward to reading the next one.