The adventure continues! I don’t remember when I stuck with a series for this long, but this is the fifth book and I’m still very much into it!
This time the overarching story with the Faceless Man takes a backseat and Peter Grant is sent to the countryside to investigate the mysterious disappearance of two little girls. Nightingale conveniently has to stay back in London to guard Varvara Sidorovna, making room for another competent partner at Peter’s side: Beverly Brook, river goddess and love interest I actually want to get with the protagonist for a change.
The exchange of the “urban” in Urban Fantasy for Herefordshire works better than expected, Aaronovitch’s sense of humour picks apart countryside idiosyncrasies just as hilariously as it does in the city and I really want to see more of Dominic, Peter’s helpful liason in the local police.
I also want to see more of the Oswalds, I love how they are introduced and how one can imagine what Mellissa might be(e), but how this is kept for the future to be revealed.
The moments on the phone with Lesley are sad yet chilling, she sounds like she’s caught up in a cult, but I liked that this storyline wasn’t as present, especially Mr Punch, who is genuinely creepy and best used in small doses.
The disappearance/kidnapping case is structured really well, it’s a good crime story in its own and while the supernatural elements seem ridiculous on paper at first, Aaronovitch and Holbrook-Smith really make them work.
My only complaint is the ending. It’s way too abrupt and feels a little half-hearted tbh. I wanted more, more fantasy, more Molly relations, more answers on what happens with the little brat. But this is a series, so I hope this will at least partially satisfied in the upcoming book.
