The Readventurer
  • Home
  • YA Reviews
  • Adult Reviews
  • Contests and Giveaways
  • Policies
  • About Us
    • Flannery's Challenges
    • Catie's Challenges
  • Contact Us

Adult Review: Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch

4/23/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Moon Over Soho (Peter Grant #2)
Author: Ben Aaronovitch
Publication Date: 3/1/11
Publisher: Random House

Blurb(GR): 
The song. That’s what London constable and sorcerer’s apprentice Peter Grant first notices when he examines the corpse of Cyrus Wilkins, part-time jazz drummer and full-time accountant, who dropped dead of a heart attack while playing a gig at Soho’s 606 Club. The notes of the old jazz standard are rising from the body—a sure sign that something about the man’s death was not at all natural but instead supernatural.

Body and soul—they’re also what Peter will risk as he investigates a pattern of similar deaths in and around Soho. With the help of his superior officer, Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, the last registered wizard in England, and the assistance of beautiful jazz aficionado Simone Fitzwilliam, Peter will uncover a deadly magical menace—one that leads right to his own doorstep and to the squandered promise of a young jazz musician: a talented trumpet player named Richard “Lord” Grant—otherwise known as Peter’s dear old dad.

Review:
Whenever I contemplate continuing a series that I love, there’s always that little bit of anxiety in the back of my mind: will this one live up to the rest? Will I have to abandon yet another series? Well, if any of you out there are worried about this one, be at ease. This installment is lovely and I have no doubt that fans of the first book will enjoy this one just as much.

At the end of Midnight Riot (aka, Rivers of London), Peter had just learned of a rather ferocious new murder. In this installment, he is on the trail of that particularly incisive (har har) killer as well as a black ethically challenged magician and a ravenous jazz vampire. Along the way, we are treated to interesting glimpses of Peter’s parents as well as the mysteriously ancient Thomas Nightingale.

The villains, crimes, and continuing mysteries still feel hazy to me. There's an attempt to force all three mysteries to magically come together and it doesn't quite coalesce. However, in the end, I found it hard to care. I enjoy these stories for their dry and witty humor, for the unique blend of science geekery and magic, and for the completely wonderful MC. If the solution to the mystery feels a little forced, or the villains feel a little flat, I am willing to let that slide because everything else is so enjoyable.

The main character feels so authentically young, and I don’t just mean because he loves his Playstation, and can’t help but act like a complete idiot when it comes to romance. He’s very youthfully idealistic and hopeful, while at the same time bringing a fresh, inventive mind to the stuffy old world of magic. Once again, I loved his ingenuity, clever scientific analyses, and silly nerd jokes.

There’s only one part of this book that I didn’t quite enjoy. I think that you know what I’m talking about, Peter. I see you hanging your head right now, and you should! For shame, Peter. FOR SHAME. Even I could see that she was a complete slag* from fifty paces away, and not even in an ironic, postmodernist way. You’d better make this up to me Leslie.

*A fun word that I picked up recently. Another fun word that I learned from this book: flannel, which seems to be similar to the American baloney. I’ll have to stick with my kinsmen on this one though, because flannel? Not only is it comfortable, durable, and let’s face it, sexy; it’s the perfect winter time fashion statement. Whereas, baloney? Serves no real purpose on Earth.

Also, if any of my fellow ignorant Americans are wondering what a Scouse accent is (like I did) then check out this mini-documentary: scouse accent.

Perfect Musical Pairing
Kate Nash – We Get On

Oh, Peter. When I declared you my fictional boyfriend, I really felt like we could get on. And then I caught you having wild monkey sex with that trampand now I just don’t know. 

What? No…of course that wasn’t me the other night at the folly. Telephoto lens? Seriously, I don’t even know how to work a remote control…much less a sophisticated piece of surveillance equipment. 

What, these? These are just some…photos…that I…found…in the gutter…the other day. I came to see you as soon as I found them, obviously. You really need to be more careful. This world is a crazy place…*shaky laugh* 

3.5/5 Stars
Readventurer C Signature
0 Comments

    Archives

    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    November 2011
    August 2011
    June 2011

    Categories

    All
    Adult
    Booker
    Contemporary Romance
    Crime
    Dark
    Disturbing
    Drugs
    Erotica
    Faeries
    Fantasy
    Favorites
    Funny
    Futuristic
    Historical
    Horror
    Hot Guys
    Lesbian
    Medical
    Memoir
    Murder
    Mystery
    Nonfiction
    Paranormal
    Paranormal Romance
    Politics
    Post-Apoc/Dystopia
    Pregnancy
    Published: 1920
    Published: 1954
    Published: 1956
    Published: 1977
    Published: 1984
    Published: 1986
    Published: 1989
    Published: 1990
    Published: 1992
    Published: 1994
    Published: 1999
    Published: 2000
    Published: 2001
    Published: 2002
    Published: 2006
    Published: 2008
    Published: 2009
    Published: 2010
    Published: 2011
    Publisher: Bantam
    Publisher: Berkeley
    Publisher: Circlet Press
    Publisher: Crown Archetype
    Publisher: Delacorte
    Publisher: Del Rey
    Publisher: Dorchester
    Publisher: Golden Apple
    Publisher: HarperCollins
    Publisher: Jove
    Publisher: Leisure Books
    Publisher: NAL Trade
    Publisher: Night Shade Books
    Publisher: Orbit
    Publisher: Pocket
    Publisher: Random House
    Publisher: Riverhead Books
    Publisher: Roc
    Publisher: Shaye Areheart
    Publisher: Signet
    Publisher: Silhouette
    Publisher: Viking
    Publisher: Viking Adult
    Publisher: Vintage
    Publisher: William Morrow
    Relationships
    Reviewed: 2010
    Reviewed: 2011
    Reviewed: 2012
    Romance
    Science Fiction
    Setting: Canada
    Setting: Chicago
    Setting: Hawaii
    Setting: Ireland
    Setting: Maryland
    Setting: New York
    Setting: South Africa
    Setting: Sweden
    Setting: Texas
    Setting: Virginia
    Short Stories
    Space
    Synesthesia
    The Year Of The Classics
    Thriller
    Time Travel
    True Crime
    Urban Fantasy
    Vampires
    Witches
    World Building
    Zombies

    RSS Feed


Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.