Broken Homes
2013
- fiction
- wizards
- fiction, mystery & detective, general
- fiction, crime
- london (england), fiction
- murder
- police
- investigation
- fiction, fantasy, general
- crime, fiction
The story
My name is Peter Grant, and I'm a keeper of the secret flame. Truth be told, there's a lot I still don't know. My superior Nightingale is trying to teach me proper schooling for a magician's apprentice. But even he doesn't have all the answers. A mutilated body in Crawley means another murderer is on the loose. But then I get word of something very odd happening in Elephant and Castle. Just the typical day for a magician constable.
What it’s like
Brisk, wry London at street level: rain on bus shelters, the hum of Underground platforms, pubs with sticky carpets, and the grimy-glamorous texture of the city's older estates and river walks. The prose is conversational and quick, first person in the voice of a young, sardonic police constable who narrates with dry asides, pop-culture references and affectionate jabs at his own ignorance. Magic here is tactile and precise, all sparks, unusual sounds and the odd eerie stillness, while the murder and missing-person threads keep a procedural rhythm of interviews, scene visits and tea-fuelled legwork. Vibe: funny, cheeky, urban-fantastical, with a warm undercurrent of mentorship as the protagonist slowly learns his craft from a patient, somewhat enigmatic senior officer. Pacing is brisk and episodic, with plenty of banter between chapters. Violence is present and occasionally grisly, mainly in the wake of a mutilated body and the supernatural menace, but it stays in the investigation rather than lingering on gore; there is some strong language and adult scenes. Good for readers who want a mystery with a laugh in it, fans of London as a character, and anyone craving a clever, lighthearted take on urban fantasy policing.
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