This seems like a book made for anyone who enjoyed Men in Black. It's got the same deadpan, banal approach to the extraordinary. Also, it too happens to be about a young black cop who gets inducted into a secret world by an old white official who's job it is to protect the mundane from the paranormal.
Specifically, London is overflowing with all manner of cryptids, ghosts, wizards, nymphs and all kinds of nasty surprises, and our protagonist, Peter, is thrust into it headfirst by an old fashioned, Inspector Morse / David Niven type detective. Peter is a fun protagonist. He's geeky, shy, sexually frustrated bloke who consequently is doomed to a life in admin. As such. he's full of wry opinions on police work, culture, history and race.
Rivers of London is a light mystery, so don't expect any major philosophical detours. Its committed chiefly to solving a mystery and having a bit of a laugh on the way. That doesn't stop it from having some genuinely unpleasant twists though, and the comedy often serves to disguise the ambushes. The only thing readers should be aware of is that there a lot of English references and slang, which is fine if you are from the UK but might have outsiders reaching for the urban dictionary every few minutes. Other than that, I have no hesitation recommending Rivers of London. The fact that I've already launched into the sequel within a minute of finishing it says something about its appeal.
Ghostbusting, by the Book
This seems like a book made for anyone who enjoyed Men in Black. It's got the same deadpan, banal approach to the extraordinary. Also, it too happens to be about a young black cop who gets inducted into a secret world by an old white official who's job it is to protect the mundane from the paranormal.
Specifically, London is overflowing with all manner of cryptids, ghosts, wizards, nymphs and all kinds of nasty surprises, and our protagonist, Peter, is thrust into it headfirst by an old fashioned, Inspector Morse / David Niven type detective. Peter is a fun protagonist. He's geeky, shy, sexually frustrated bloke who consequently is doomed to a life in admin. As such. he's full of wry opinions on police work, culture, history and race.
Rivers of London is a light mystery, so don't expect any major philosophical detours. Its committed chiefly to solving a mystery and having a bit of a laugh on the way. That doesn't stop it from having some genuinely unpleasant twists though, and the comedy often serves to disguise the ambushes. The only thing readers should be aware of is that there a lot of English references and slang, which is fine if you are from the UK but might have outsiders reaching for the urban dictionary every few minutes. Other than that, I have no hesitation recommending Rivers of London. The fact that I've already launched into the sequel within a minute of finishing it says something about its appeal.