Welcome to the Folly

Police Constable Peter Grant has his education only just behind him, as it turns out by chance that he can see ghosts. He promptly assigned to a fairly obscure special department of the London police and DCI Thomas Nightingale, in his magicians. Peter moves into magic headquarters of London (The Folly), is the sorcerer's apprentice, makes acquaintance with vampires, gods families, Undead, Trolls ... and clarifies in this environment outrageous crimes.

The idea to mix a murder mystery with fantasy, I find quite original. At least to me like it has not yet come across. The attraction consists mainly in the contrast between utter normality and magic, which is consistently maintained from the beginning to the end. London and the big city life, the hierarchy in the police force, the local applicable rules and regulations, including Holmes and PACE - all of which are known from many other thrillers. Even Peter himself is different at first glance, not all the other series policemen, whom one regularly encountered as thriller readers. The magic, the undead and so he mentioned almost in passing, as if all the most normal thing in the world. The nonchalance with which he talks about his adventurous life has, I liked and very amused.

"Rivers of London" is well written, full of original ideas and wry humor. The abstruse fantasy detective story I could not take really seriously, despite various law brutal crimes, so that the voltage is usually kept within limits. Crime purists with a fondness for hard-hitting action and high voltage I would therefore not recommend the book. Fans of London, typical British humor, imaginative stories and quirky characters are, however have fun with it. Me at least, it has very well maintained, and "Moon over Soho" is already in my cart.

Addendum 15.01.2015:
As I have found by chance, Amazon has thrown together for incomprehensible reasons, the reviews of Band 1 (Rivers of London) and Volume 2 (Moon over Soho) and all published each in both books. My text refers only to "Rivers of London".