Ben Aaronovitch

After the death of a part-time jazz drummer, London constable and sorcerer's apprentice Peter Grant investigates a series of supernatural deaths in and around Soho that are linked to Peter's dad--a talented trumpet player named Richard "Lord" Grant. Original.

Moon Over Soho

I was my dad's vinyl-wallah: I changed his records while he lounged around drinking tea, and that's how I know my Argo from my Tempo. And it's why, when Dr Walid called me to the morgue to listen to a corpse, I recognised the tune it was playing. Something violently supernatural had happened to the victim, strong enough to leave its imprint like a wax cylinder recording. Cyrus Wilkinson, part-time jazz saxophonist and full-time accountant, had apparently dropped dead of a heart attack just after finishing a gig in a Soho jazz club. He wasn't the first. No one was going to let me exhume corpses to see if they were playing my tune, so it was back to old-fashioned legwork, starting in Soho, the heart of the scene. I didn't trust the lovely Simone, Cyrus' ex-lover, professional jazz kitten and as inviting as a Rubens' portrait, but I needed her help: there were monsters stalking Soho, creatures feeding off that special gift that separates the great musician from someone who can raise a decent tune. What they take is beauty. What they leave behind is sickness, failure and broken lives. And as I hunted them, my investigation got tangled up in another story: a brilliant trumpet player, Richard 'Lord' Grant - my father - who managed to destroy his own career, twice. That's the thing about policing: most of the time you're doing it to maintain public order. Occasionally you're doing it for justice. And maybe once in a career, you're doing it for revenge.

Sherry

I wish these books were about Nightingale instead.

Laura Mauler

Good plot, sloppy writing. All sorts of extra information, conversational asides, and insights into other characters that are unhelpful and distracting. The style is intended to feel casual and buddy-buddy, but it comes off like a first draft that badly needs an editor. An author should examine every sentence to see if it needs to be there, and if it's not necessary then CUT IT. This book could lose a good 50 pages of useless asides and other filler and be better for it.

Moth

I slightly less detailed review due to the fact I read this in parts and it I can't remember all my feelings from the start.

I really did enjoy this book, much as I did the first book. However, I did feel it suffered from second book syndrome compared to the first. That isn't to say it wasn't enjoyable. It was really amusing, much to my joy. Just like the first one. I did find the story and plot interesting, though slow. I did see the plot twist coming. It was part of the reason why I didn't read it all in one go like I did the first one, but sadly, most second books have that effect on me. But I admit, I'm excited for the third book.

Janice Hopper

This series about a London police constable apprenticed to a master magician & tackling supernatural creatures is really developing nicely. It combines mystery and supernatural elements, with a slight emphasis on the mystery part. It's not your usual urban fantasy, and I like that a lot. 

Looking forward to the next volume!

Danny Engström

A bit too much Jazz for my taste. Otherwise good.

I really want to like this series. I really want to like this. Magic policemen solve magic crime in magic London? But unfortunately it was written by Ben aaronvitch. Who thinks the idea that a man might wear women's clothes and is *an outdated word for a transgender individual* is a funny punchline. 

I brought the three first books in a box set so I might see if he realises that sometimes his attempts of being witty is just 

Codi 🤷🏼‍♀️

I really want to like this series. I really want to like this. Magic policemen solve magic crime in magic London? But unfortunately it was written by Ben aaronvitch. Who thinks the idea that a man might wear women's clothes and is *an outdated word for a transgender individual* is a funny punchline. 

I brought the three first books in a box set so I might see if he realises that sometimes his attempts of being witty is just sexism but I might not as well. 

But dear god what a disappointment 🙄 

Naomi J.

Wonderful! Not quite as good as 'Rivers of London', but still great fun. Love the way the spirit of my city comes through these stories.

Sabetha Danes

I really love the world building in this series. It's so engrained into the society, no one really bats an eye about magic. Well most usually roll their eyes like it's some annoying secret of London that they'd rather not have to deal with. Which is a hilarious way to address the public knowing about magic. 

The love of music, mixed with the love of London, it's so engulfing. It feels like you're walking the streets with Peter. These books read like your sitting at a café, and Peter is telling you about his latest case. Which is fun, because Peters side thoughts are funny, and he tells it in such a laid back manner that you can't help but want to know more.

His character growth from the last book to this one is fascinating. He is like growing a heart I guess? Ha. I don't know how to explain it, he's still a pretty crass main character, but he is also becoming less of a solo act I guess. Caring about those around him, and doing what's right by them.

I love his approach to magic, wanting to do all the tests. It feels like the book has the old way on display as we learn about the world, and how Nightingale's era did things, but it also has the new way, which I hope is hinting to a new generation of magic users. 

This case was intricate and took us all around London meeting interesting people-magical and not. I look forward to the plot lines that were opened up here for future books. It looks to be an exciting ride. I hope the cases having many layers to dissect continues, because it makes it more complex and harder to tell who the really villains are. I didn't suspect one of them in this book at all. 

Lesley, oh Lesley. I don't want to say much here because I don't want to spoil any of her development but man. After our first run in with her in this book I was so hoping it was going to develop the way it did. Glad to see she will still be a key part of the series. 

The Peter does seem to make a lot of HP comments, which feel a bit cheap, like it's leaning on that world building already there to explain how something works in this world. But I also get that if a lot of us discovered magic right now, we would probably be making the same comparisons. 

If you love police procedural mysteries, that are funny but build a vast magical world, you'll love this series.

Grace Emilia Machon

Kerri McDonald

This is my favorite book in the series, so far. There, I said it. I don’t know if it’s because of all the references to jazz music and the jazz scene. Or maybe it’s watching Peter trying to get his feet under him in his magical apprenticeship. And I always love learning more about the magical world in this series. All of it comes together to create a story that I absolutely loved.

This story follows Peter as he investigates a suspicious string of dead musicians who all have one song connecting them. As he gets deeper into the case, he also starts to learn of a rogue magician who may be making a reappearance: The Faceless Man. This was such a fast-paced, intriguing read that kept my interest from page one until the end!

I think my favorite aspect of this installment is that we get introduced to the series overarching plot, which has been getting more interesting and twisty as the series continues. It also feel like we really settled into the world of this series in this book. It certainly made me eager to continue!

BODY AND SOUL The song. That’s what London constable and sorcerer’s apprentice Peter Grant first notices when he examines the corpse of Cyrus Wilkins, part-time jazz drummer and full-time accountant, who dropped dead of a heart attack while playing a gig at Soho’s 606 Club. The notes of the old jazz standard are rising from the body—a sure sign that something about the man’s death was not at all natural but instead supernatural. Body and soul—they’re also what Peter will risk as he investigates a pattern of similar deaths in and around Soho. With the help of his superior officer, Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, the last registered wizard in England, and the assistance of beautiful jazz aficionado Simone Fitzwilliam, Peter will uncover a deadly magical menace—one that leads right to his own doorstep and to the squandered promise of a young jazz musician: a talented trumpet player named Richard “Lord” Grant—otherwise known as Peter’s dear old dad.

Andy Nicolaides

I listened to the audiobook of the first book in the series (Rivers of London) and found my mind wandering. Despite this, I’d still heard good things about the series so gave book 2 a try. It didn’t go much better, unfortunately. 

It’s a really interesting premise, but this book was incredibly slow and the story was just pretty uninteresting. I feel bad saying this about someone’s work, but personally I’d avoid this and couldn’t recommend this series, based on the first two books. I can’t see myself reading book 3 and beyond. 

Laura Dobie

Another enjoyable and humorous fantasy crime outing for Peter Grant, with lots of comic details of British culture.

Marcel

Irgendwie werde ich nicht warm mit der Serie. Peter Grand ist und bleibt mir egal, genau wie jeder andere Charakter.

Moon Over Soho

Reviews