Library's review
It's soon clear to Constable Peter Grant, his mentor Thomas Nightingale, and apprentice Danni Wickford, that there's something larger going on, involving a weird quasi-religious cult two founded decades ago at Manchester University, a set of magical puzzle rings, and an avenging angel who seems to possess much more magical ability than can be accounted for. And since she's wandering around England to find the former members of the cult and kill them, figuring out from where — or when — she's drawing her magical skills is priority one.
"It's hardly likely to be an actual biblical angel," he said when I'd finished.
"Why not?"
"In a world chock-full of murderous blaspheming bastards," he said, "why would an omnipotent and omniscient deity pick a couple of obscure Brits to do away with in such a public manner?"
"Maybe they did something particularly bad?"
"Have you looked at the news recently?" said Postmartin. "It would have to have been something truly magnificent to get that manner of personal attention."
Along with the main crime plot, we've got Peter preparing for the birth of his twins by his partner, the river goddess Beverley Brook, and trying once again to capture rogue cop Lesley May.
Given my ongoing reading slump, I decided not to attempt to re-read any of the previous books before tackling this one, and it turned out to be fine. The important plot points are signposted and were readily recalled to mind when I encountered them. This series has a cast of thousands, but Aaronovitch does a fine job of subtly reminding readers who they are without getting bogged down in a bunch of exposition.
About the time this new book was being published in April, a collection of short stories set in the same universe was put on e-sale and I picked it up. I think it will tide me over nicely until the next full-length novel comes out.
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Fantasy. Fiction. Mystery. HTML:The ninth novel of the bestselling Rivers of London urban fantasy series returns to the adventures of Peter Grant, detective and apprentice wizard, as he solves magical crimes in the city of London. There is a world hidden underneath this great city. The London Silver Vaults�??for well over a century, the largest collection of silver for sale in the world. It has more locks than the Bank of England and more cameras than a paparazzi convention. Not somewhere you can murder someone and vanish without a trace�??only that�??s what happened. The disappearing act, the reports of a blinding flash of light, and memory loss amongst the witnesses all make this a case for Detective Constable Peter Grant and the Special Assessment Unit. Alongside their boss DCI Thomas Nightingale, the SAU find themselves embroiled in a mystery that encompasses London�??s tangled history, foreign lands and, most terrifying of all, the North! And Peter must solve this case soon, because back home his partner Beverley is expecting twins any day now. But what he doesn�??t know is that he�??s about to encounter something�??and somebody�??that nobody ever expects�?� Effortlessly original, endlessly inventive and hugely entertaining�??step into the world of the much-loved, bestselling… (more)