Review: Midnight Riot

Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Midnight Riot takes everything I was unhappy about in my last foray into the world of supernatural crime novels (urban fantasy, apparently?), and fixes it. Set in a London where the supernatural world exists in the fringes of our own, more mundane, world, Midnight Riot follows PC Peter Grant through his first real cases. The A plot, from which the book takes its American title, involves a murderer taking inspiration from Mr. Punch, while the B plot, from which the book takes its British title, involves Grant trying to find a way to force the God and Goddess of the Thames make peace with each other, to avoid a supernatural gang war.

If, like me, you were interested in the Dresden Files but found yourself a little put off by the main character, this might be a good alternative. Peter Grant is one of those characters that you read about and think "why aren't we friends?" Then you remember "Oh, right. Because he's fictional." Where I found Dresden a little bit of a creep, Grant feels likable (despite both of them being awkward around women they're interested in).

Solid world building, an interesting (and likable) antagonist, and an creative take on various supernatural tropes makes this a really fun read. I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series.

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