Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch

This was quite a strange little tale, but that is what we are reading the Peter Grant series for; right?  The premise of a magical pottery sherd being used as a murder weapon was definitely out there and yet, somehow the author manages to weave a whole civilization out of this one, small sherd.  To be honest I found it completely gripping and was nearly late for work twice reading this book.

Lesley May is finally back.  She is still suffering from Mr Punch's devastating atack on her from Rivers Of London but it isn't swept aside, her injuries are front and centre in a very matter of fact way.  To be honest, maybe that's why I like these books so very, very much, the Magical world is very matter of factly dealt with throughout and this gives it a real air of authenticity.  There is also a lot more about Police procedure in this book and the juxtaposition of the two worlds meeting through Thomas Nightingale and Peter Grant is sublime.  I really love the slightly ascerbic conversations with senior officers who are "in the know" about The Folly but don't particularly like that it exists.

This has everything you could wish for a book - high art (clearly Ryan Carroll is supposed to be a contemporary of Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin but just never made it), underground trains on not so underground tracks, the grand Victorian Sewers underpinning the City and those pesky River Goddesses and their underground raves.  Throw in the Nazareth Market, a Goblin and a secret civilization and this book has just about everything you could want.

The same wit is present in this book as the previous two in the series and Peter grant is at his inept best.  He really can be a bumbling idiot at times but he's all the better for it!