History Literature / ShadowPolice

* BurnTheWitch: In ''Who Killed Sherlock Holmes?", the Circle of Hands includes a symbolic witch-burning as part of the ceremony to open their conference. This shows that they understand very little about what the actual supernatural world, and are running mostly on partly-remembered rituals and traditions.

* DevilButNoGod: This is what the Smiling Man would like the heroes to believe (or, more specifically, that there is a Hell but no Heaven). Whether is actually true, or just a ploy to cause them to give in to despair remains to be seen.

* JackTheRipoff: In ''The Severed Streets'', the killer deliberately dresses up his murders with the the theatrics of Jack the Ripper as a deliberate smokescreen.

* BetrayedByTheCavalry: In ''The Severed Streets'', Quill is being pursued by the Ripper. [[spoiler:Neil Gaiman]] arrives to pick him up in a car and spirit him away. However, he is actually there to deliver Quill into an ambush.

* WhamLine: In ''London Falling'' when Quill asks his wife [[spoiler:"Why do we have a nursery?"]].

* WainscotSociety: Occult London functions as one--even with the Sight, it's hard to sort out who the real practitioners are from the wannabes, and even harder to get invites to their social events.

* DI James Quill - TheLeader
* DS Tony Costain - TheLancer, TheBigGuy
* DC Kevin Sefton - the intuitive one

* Det. Sup. Rebecca Lofthouse - Quill's superior, now one of the gang

* TheMasqueradeWillKillYourDatingLife: Averted, mostly. Sefton takes up with Joe pretty much immediately after gaining the Sight, and Joe seems remarkably OK with being an OccultDetective's {{Muggle}} partner. Sarah Quill is a hugely important rock for James Quill, but the horrifying nature of Occult London and Quill's own despair are putting her under strain, too. [[spoiler: We'll have to see how Peter Lofthouse adjusts to his wife's new secret life and the aftermath of his own months-long possession by an evil spirit.]]

* UnderstandingBoyfriend: Sarah Quill deserves some kind of medal. So does Joe.

* TheChainsOfCommanding: As the characters note in ''Who Killed Sherlock Holmes?'', Quill, as the team's leader, is least able to lean on his colleagues' support and help, and is therefore the first to crack under the phenomenal stress they're all under.
* GodsNeedPrayerBadly: Occult London is built out of what London believes about itself.

* GoMadFromTheRevelation: All of them to some extent, but DI Quill gets hit worst. [spoiler: He's getting help.]

* London Falling
* The Severed Streets
* Who Killed Sherlock Holmes?

* TheKeeperOfSecrets: Two of the four are in stable, long-term relationships with people willing to serve as Secret Keepers. James and Sarah Quill even have another Secret Keeper--her sister Lauren. [[spoiler: Presumably Peter Lofthouse will be joining the club, too, since he seems like an OK guy and has 30 years experience being a copper's husband--but, as of the close of book 3, Rebecca hasn't told him the truth yet.]]

* ChainsOfCommanding: As the characters note in ''Who Killed Sherlock Holmes?'', Quill, as the team's leader, is least able to lean on his colleagues' support and help, and is therefore the first to crack under the phenomenal stress they're all under.

* KeeperOfSecrets: Two of the four (three of the five, if you count Lofthouse) are in stable, long-term relationships with people willing to serve as Secret Keepers. James and Sarah Quill even have another Secret Keeper--her sister Lauren.

* TheMasqueradeWillKillYourDatingLife: Averted, mostly. Sefton takes up with Joe pretty much immediately after gaining the Sight, and Joe seems remarkably OK with being an OccultDetective's {{Muggle}} partner. Sarah Quill is a hugely important rock for James Quill, but the horrifying nature of Occult London and Quill's own despair are putting her under strain, too. [spoiler: We'll have to see how Peter Lofthouse adjusts to his wife's new secret life and the aftermath of his own months-long possession by an evil spirit.]

* PerceptionFilter

Ongoing series of UrbanFantasy PoliceProcedural by Creator/PaulCornell. Four normal cops in modern London were investigating a LondonGangster with an uncanny success rate when a BrokenMasquerade ensued, and now they're bringing their police training to bear on London's paranormal threats as the city's {{Occult Detective}}s.

* AsHimself: Creator/NeilGaiman, with his involvement and permission, is a supporting character in ''The Severed Streets''.
* OccultDetective

Ongoing series of UrbanFantasy PoliceProcedural by Creator/PaulCornell. Four normal cops in modern London were investigating a LondonGangster with an uncanny success rate when a BrokenMasquerade ensued, and now they're bringing their police training to bear on London's paranormal threats as the city's {{OccultDetective}}s.

Ongoing series of UrbanFantasy PoliceProcedural by Creator/PaulCornell. Four normal cops in modern London were investigating a LondonGangster with an uncanny success rate when a BrokenMasquerade ensued, and now they're bringing their police training to bear on London's paranormal threats.

* OccultDetectives

Ongoing series of UrbanFantasy PoliceProcedural by {{Creator/PaulCornell}}.

Ongoing series of [[UrbanFantasy]] [[PoliceProcedural]]s by [[Creator/PaulCornell]].