Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.
Midnight Riot
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'Midnight Riot' is the USA name for 'Rivers of London', the first in a series of Urban Fantasy books by UK writer Ben Aaronovitch. At a guess I'd say the name change was to make a very British book appear less British, or perhaps 'Rivers of London' just doesn't sound like a fun or exciting read to American audiences. Rivers is the more fitting name but Riot does sound more fun.
I'd describe the book as a mix between 'The Bill', 'American Gods' and 'The Dresden Files'. 'The Bill' is a British Police TV drama for all you Yankee doodle dandies that happen to read this. I found being a fan of 'The Bill' and thus familiar with the London's Metropolitan Police organisational structure and lingo as well as the city of London a help given that the book is built around it.
The book starts out with Probationary Constable Grant and his fellow probie and wannabe love interest Leslie guarding the scene of a grisly murder where some poor chap has had his head knocked off. While Leslie is off getting a coffee Grant runs into a ghost who claims he's an eyewitness to the murder. Grant being a good copper takes this in his stride and takes down the details. From there we are taken on slightly amusing and sometimes exciting journey as Grant becomes an apprentice wizard, learns all about the rivers of London and the deities that belong to them, solves some puzzles by applying science to magic and tries to avoid a penis eating vagina......
All in all, not a very original or groundbreaking book but a very well written easy read.