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.
Download and start listening now!
"I am still in love with this storyworld! I appreciated getting to know more about Peter's colleagues. They feel real. I'm not a huge fan of jazz, so found the story intriguing (in a good way). My only *regret* is that I want Peter to make better choices about his love life..."
— Kara (4 out of 5 stars)
“A terrific follow-up to [Aaronovitch’s] novel Midnight Riot, the debut of Peter Grant and his own weird London. Grant continues to learn the ropes of magical London, a process that takes him on a trip through Nightingale’s haunted past and into some of the most interesting places you won’t find on any official tour. Aaronovitch makes the story sing, building momentum until the ending is literally breathless.”
— SF Revu“A realistic modern-day police procedural populated by increasingly solid characters and written in the same consistently witty style as the first Peter Grant novel [Midnight Riot]…One of the most entertaining books I’ve read in a long time.”
— Fantasy LiteratureFresh and exciting and an absolute must buy.
— Saxon Bullock, SFX Magazine" I loved this booked...and will miss it, the writer and his stories are fantastic...going to read the next one very very soon. "
— Ruth, 2/5/2014" Liked this next one as well as I did the first one in the series. It involves magic, and a mystery with a sense of humor. "
— Carol, 2/3/2014" Peter Grant, London cop and would-be magician lurches from crisis to crisis, some of his own making, of course. Nightingale really does need to sit the boy down, or possibly sit on him. "
— Jean, 2/3/2014" Second procedural about London cop dealing with magic. The running theme of this series is "magic costs, no really" but this book seemed to involve much less threat to main characters; I hope the author isn't going soft already. Also: no matter how hot the ex-lover of one of your victims is, you really should pay more attention to the possibility that she is involved in the case! Even in-story cops should have *that* much genre awareness. "
— Andrew, 1/30/2014" Currently loving his book. For me not as good as the first but still a great read "
— Ricky, 1/29/2014" Greatly enjoyed the second book. Looking forward to number 3. "
— Chompa, 1/14/2014" Not as great as Midnight Riot, but I'm still sad this is it for Peter Grant. Wouldn't mind if his story continued. "
— Heather, 1/2/2014" Love this series, the author gets the balance of 'magic' and 'real' London spot on. A real page turner. "
— Tim, 12/29/2013" Loved it. Full of great banter/narrative gems. How can you not love something with jazz vampires and a woman with a vagina with teeth in it. "
— Anne, 11/27/2013" Enjoyed this one almost as much as the first. Need to carry on very soon with the next one. I did think Rivers of London was much funnier though. "
— Geri, 11/16/2013" Crime and fantasy, my two fav genre, combined in one book with added comedy too. Easy to read, one of those can't put down ones that only took 2days to read. Would definitely recommend "
— Sue, 11/4/2013" The sequel to Rivers of London. I didn't think it was quite as good as the first book, but none the less it was a very good read. Nice to read something very different. "
— Lisa, 10/4/2013" Irgendwie werde ich nicht warm mit der Serie. Peter Grand ist und bleibt mir egal, genau wie jeder andere Charakter. "
— Marcel, 8/10/2013" A series I shall stick with! Thoroughly enjoyable. Love the fact that London is the place you know but e events happening there are so out of this world. "
— Tricia, 7/31/2013" Peter Grant returns. Mumbling his way through his arcane training, solving crime whilst remaining hilariously sharp. I did however struggle through the majority of this book. Not because it's a bad read, simply I don't like the jazz scene, which is fundamental throughout. "
— Kevin, 3/25/2013" I loved the first book, am going on to read the third...found this one to have moments of brilliance interwoven with some muddled prose. The brilliance is fun, though. Milliyaps...awesome! "
— Doranna, 3/12/2013" Harry Potter meets the Met, excellent. Loved the humour and the underlying sense of dark foreboding, looking forward to next instalment of this series. "
— David, 2/13/2013" Volume #2 in the series. Continues to build the magic world with more about the characters and the revelation that there are more wizards, who are "ethically challenged" I am enjoying the series. "
— Bob, 2/2/2013" I really enjoyed this one. I felt that it was better paced then the first. "
— Jamie, 11/17/2012" More coherent than the first. "
— Kate, 11/16/2012" Not quite as good as the first book in the series but enjoyable non the less "
— Simon, 11/10/2012Ben Aaronovitch was born in London in 1964 and had the kind of dull, routine childhood that drives a man either to drink or to science fiction. He is a screenwriter, with early notable success on BBC’s legendary Doctor Who, for which he wrote some episodes now widely regarded as classics, and which even he is quite fond of. After a decade of such work, he decided it was time to show the world what he could really do, and he embarked on his first serious original novel. The result was Midnight Riot, the debut adventure of Peter Grant, followed by Moon over Soho and Whispers under Ground.
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is a Ghanaian-born British actor who has appeared on stage, screen, and television. A graduate of the Guildford School of Acting, he won a Manchester Evening News Theatre Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.