Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

This is the first in a series. Be warned this is not a book of safe magic.

Rivers of London is set in modern times, when magic has all but died out or at least is well hidden. Peter Grant is a probationary PC who witnesses a murder and in the midst of chasing who he believes the killer to be ends up talking to a ghost. Because of this Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale takes him into his section, it is just him and Peter against the practitioners of magic. It is not only magic Peter has to come to terms with but also the Gods and Goddesses of London and other fantastical people.

The scenes of London are detailed and have been written by someone knowledgeable of London, its sights, sounds and smells which ooze from the page.

If you are expecting a traditional book of magic, forget it This is one of a kind, where magic and the real world collide, mobile phones, well anything technological within the range of magic have their circuits frazzled. 

The language is littered with British humour, which makes the characters full and alive.

The spectical of killing by magic is all too real as skin slides from the face and bones are crushed. 

The characters each have their own personalities and have no reliance on the others to uphold them. Peter's shock and disbelief when he meets Nightingale is well written and I feel reflects how many of us would feel if our whole world was turned upside down. For me this is why Peter seems so real, especially as we see his struggle to come to terms with everything and to learn the art of magic - no wand waving in this book.

The feuding between the Gods and Goddesses of the Rivers is jumpy and explosive, as you are reading you are waiting for someone to throw the first punch. Peter's unenviable position of peace negotiator really sees the characters struggle with this new world.

The crime is solved not just by tracing the essence of magic which is left behind when magic has been carried out, but by good old fashioned police leg work and databases.

If you want a read of wit and dry humour, along with a ride through London with a heavy dose of magic and intrigue then this is a book I recommend.