Moon Over Soho (Rivers of London 2)

 

Publication date: 1 March 2011
Published by: Gollancz
Genre: Crime / Fantasy

Blurb on the back of the cover

Something violently supernatural had happened, something strong enough to leave an imprint on the corpse of part-time jazz saxophonist Cyrus Wilkinson as if he were a wax cylinder recording.  He's not the first musician to drop dead of a heart attack right after a gig, but no one was going to let me start examining corpses to check for supernatural similarities.  Instead, it was back to old-fashioned police legwork.  It didn't take me long to realise there were monsters stalking Soho, creatures feeding off the gift that separates great musicians from those who can raise a decent tune.  What they take is beauty.  What they leave behind is broken lives.

And as I hunted them my investigation got tangled up in another story: a brilliant trumpet player, Richard 'Lord' Grant - my father - who managed to destroy his own career.  Twice.

Policing: most of the time you're doing it to maintain public order.  Occasionally you're doing it for justice.  And, maybe once in a career, you're doing it for revenge. 

My Review

The Rivers of London books are one of my favourite fantasy series.  I have read up to book 6.  I read that one recently and realised so much time had passed, I forgot some crucial details, so I decided to go back to the beginning.  

First Impressions
It was a while ago, but I recall that I loved the first book (Rivers of London) enough to buy the next two (Moon over Soho and Whispers Underground) at the same time.

The upside

Moon over Soho is a mystery about jazz musicians who are being killed just after they perform at clubs in the area of Soho.  No one knows how or why, but it's clear that something supernatural is going on.  Which is why PC Peter Grant is called to the case. 

Peter Grant is one of my favourite fictional characters.  He is a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter, with a sprinkle of Dr Who.  What's not to like?  Having gotten to know this character over the series, going back to the earlier books reminded me of the journey he has taken.  He was a new police officer in book one (and somewhat inept).  In this one he is still green - and still quite inept.  Which provides comedy value.  That said, he is nobody's fool and he delivers professionally when he needs to.  He makes for a better apprentice wizard, learning quickly from the master (his boss, Nightingale).

I like a good mystery and this one kept me interested all the way.

The downside

There was none

The verdict

Moon over Soho is a really fun read.  Amusing and hugely entertaining.

Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Publication date: 27 April 2021

Published by: Berkley Books
Genre: Contemporary Fiction (Romance with dark humour)

Synopsis
Meddelin Chan spends most of her time in the company of older women:  her mother and her aunts (they run a family business together in the wedding trade).  She is single and has not been in a romantic relationship since she left college.  Her mother and aunts are not even aware that she has ever had a boyfriend, as she kept her college relationship, the only romantic one she has had, a secret from them.  Meddy's mother becomes so concerned about her daughter's single status that she decides to find her a boyfriend.

When Meddy discovers that her mother has arranged for her to go on a blind date, she reluctantly agrees.  Unfortunately, she accidently kills her date, and in the panic, rather than call the police, she puts his body in the trunk of her car and takes it home to her mother.  Her mother calls her aunts who come over immediately.  Fearing that Meddy will be arrested and imprisoned for something that could happen to anyone, they hatch a plan to dispose of the body...

My Review

First Impressions
The book cover definitely pops - it certainly got my attention.  As someone drawn to dark humour, once I read the synopsis, I was sold.

The upside
This is certainly an original story.  I've never read anything quite like it.  I found it very amusing and highly entertaining.  The aunties' plan to dispose of the blind date's body seemed simple enough, but naturally, their plan goes awry.  In their attempt to get their plan back on track, a series of shenanigans ensue.  I was hooked, keen to discover where the story would go, and how (the hell!) they were going to get out of the mess they created. 

The stuff about the aunties' sibling rivalry felt real, as was the weight of Meddy's burden resulting from this family's back story and her close family ties. 

The downside

This is a romance, but I was not so convinced by it.  I was willing to buy into to idea that Meddy remained single since graduation, pining for Nathan (the one that got away all those years before).  But there is no way Nathan, who by the author's description is the perfect eligible bachelor, would have remained single (apart from a few blind dates) all those years.  It's just not realistic. I felt not enough time and attention had been given to the romantic plot.

It is fair to say that the aunties, as characters, are a bit exaggerated and somewhat stereotypical.  

The verdict

I would say certain aspects of the story needed a reality check.  I'm happy to suspend my disbelief, but for me the best stories are ones that are feasible.  If I am honest, by the time I got to the last few chapters I felt the plot twists and turns were verging on the ridiculous, and I was a little disappointed by that.  Even so, I don't regret reading this book.  In fact, I really enjoyed it.  

I suspect that this story being made into a movie is a matter of when, not if.  

There is a sequel coming out on 29 March 2022, and I intend to read it.