My name is Peter Grant and until January I was just probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (and as the Filth to everybody else). My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit - we do paperwork so real coppers don't have to - and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder inquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly voluable, and that brought me to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England.

Now I'm a Detective Constable and a trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years, and my world has become somewhat more complicated: nests of vampires in Purley, negotiating a truce between the warring god and goddess of the Thames, and digging up graves in Covent Garden . . . and there's something festering at the heart of the city I love, a malicious vengeful spirit that takes ordinary Londoners and twists them into grotesque mannequins to act out its drama of violence and despair.


Exciting premise, confusing and boring execution.

Released at the 2013 Convention in Göteborg.

Picked this up from the Convention's book buffet...

I recently read it - an easy read, quite witty & entertaining, an urban fantasy which reminded me of Neil Gaiman and Colin Cotterill. A bit too much plot though (too many ideas, typical for a first novel...), but I enjoyed the well-researched background about London's history, and the sense of place the novel evokes.
I recommended it to somebody who likes these authors - will send the book to them as a surprise soon.

Hope you like it!

Thank you ApoloniaX for picking up such an exciting-sounding book for me from the convention buffet! I do think it's completely up my alley, and the fact that it was wild released at the annual convention bookbuffet makes the wishlist surprise all the more enjoyable! :)

ecuas needed a good book for his train journey home and this one, being promising and with a mind of its own, jumped at the chance of getting some fresh air and travelling through India...enjoy, and soon for I want it back!

A book from prachi to read on the 27 hour train journey home. I started reading it couple days back and am enjoying it thoroughly! Don't think its gonna take me long to finish it :)