This is the second book in the books about DC Peter Grant and as such, this review may contain certain spoilers for book one, Rivers of London. That’s the book you want to start with.
Something is killing jazz musicians in Soho. A promising jazz saxophonist, Cyrus Wilkinson, drops dead of an apparent heart attack after playing a gig. Doctor Walid suspects that something supernatural may have caused it and DC Grant can hear “Body and Soul” playing when he examines the body. Some investigation shows that Cyrus is not the first musician this has happened to. Cases go back a long way, something mysterious seems to be feeding off them, possibly a type of “jazz vampire”. While Peter doesn’t exactly trust Simone, Cyrus’ girlfriend, he does need her help and keeps being drawn to her, even though he knows it’s not a good idea to get involved with someone connected to a case.
There is also a deadly female stalking the streets, leaving men bleeding to death with their genitals chomped off. Inspector Nightingale is unable to help out as much as he could wish, and Leslie May is recovering at her parents’ house, reluctant to even see Peter, hiding her face every time he comes to visit. They communicate by text, and she helps him with research, but Peter is worried that their friendship is in danger of being as ruined as Leslie’s face if they don’t figure something out. As the various investigations progress, there are signs that they may be connected in some way. There is also someone sinister behind all of it. Is Inspector Thomas Nightingale really the only wizard left in England, or could there be someone else trained in magic, and using it for their own personal gain?
Full review here.
I hadn’t heard of these books before your two reviews, but they sound great. And the covers are lovely. Adding to the list!
I discovered these (thanks to my sister and her friend) right after Thanksgiving and now am about to read #5. I love series with a strong sense of place (along with a good sense of humor) so these books have gone down quite easily. There’s a little dip in quality for me in Whispers Underground (#3) but Aaronovitch picks it up well in Broken Homes.
I’ve already got Whispers Underground lined up as my next audio book. Glad to hear that the series continues mostly strong. I’m enjoying the setting and the cast of characters, so unless the series takes a drastic turn for the worse, I suspect I’m going to continue with it.