Whispers Under Ground

Title: Whispers Under Ground
Author: Ben Aaronovitch
Published: 2012
Genre: Urban fantasy
Pages: 322


I bought Whispers Under Ground for the Kindle almost as soon as I finished the previous book (Moon Over Soho), but didn't get to reading it until summer holidays hit again. These are great quick and fun reads, just the thing to enjoy on a holiday, and if I haven't mentioned it a hundred times before, I love London. The SO and I went on a trip to Dubrovnik, Croatia, and after I finished Sourcery on the first or second night there, this was next.

And even though Dubrovnik is a beautiful place with turquoise water all around, the Old town and cheap beer, Whispers Under Ground didn't take long to finish. And I kind of went and got the next one and started that, too... I keep confusing what happened in which as I write this. Right! This is the one that started with the body at Baker Street Tube Station, with chapter names after the Tube stations. Young American art student James Gallagher has been stabbed to death with what appears to be... magical pottery. Peter is called to help with the investigation, while trying to keep any and all magical bits a secret from the FBI agent sent to help as well.

Both Christmas and James' senator father are coming as Peter follows the leads, as you can guess from the title, under the ground. You have to read the book yourself to find out what's hidden under the streets. Go on, these books are wonderful!


   The Metropolitan Police has a very straightforward approach to murder investigations. Not for them the detective's gut instinct or the intricate logical deductions of the sleuth savant. No, what the Met likes to do is throw a shitload of manpower at the problem and run down every single possible lead until it is exhausted, the murderer is caught, or the senior investigating officer dies of old age. As a result, murder investigations are conducted not by quirky Detective Inspectors with drink/relationship/mental problems but a bunch of frighteningly ambitious Detective Constables in the first mad flush of their careers. So you can see I fit in very well.