Reviewed
by Jan Edwards
This is the third volume that follows the progress of Peter Grant,
Metropolitan Police constable and trainee wizard. This time we are taken below
ground into the dank and dangerous world of the London Underground and the sewers
where mysterious sightings of ghosts and street people are being linked with
organised crime. Goblin markets and underground raves are just two of the
things that PCs Peter Grant and Lesley May come across as they investigate the
disappearance of a son of a US Senator, aided and mislead by the beautiful and
headstrong FBI agent Kimberley Reynolds.
As Whispers Under Ground
concentrates very much on the trio of Grant, May and Reynolds, newcomers to Aaronovitch’s
London may want to read the first two Peter Grant books Rivers of London and Moon
Over Soho in order to fully understand the plotlines. For example: how and where
Grant’s mentor Inspector Nightingale, Molly the maid and Ziggy the dog come
into the equation. May’s facial destruction, for example is frequently referred
to, but only in terms of her reticence to be seen and Grant’s need to see her –
which occasionally veers into near obsession without resolution. But these are
small points.
Make no mistake, Whispers
Under Ground is a compulsive read, utilising the folklore and urban myths
of London and beyond to devastating effect. Aaronovitch ruthlessly plunders the
legends of fae magic and river spirits and entwines them seamlessly with such
modern myths as 24 Leinster Gardens. Dark humour and atmospheric explorations
of the unknown corners beneath London’s streets ensures that Whispers Under Ground does not
disappoint. The meticulous research that obviously went into this book makes
for an informative read without descending into the lectures and info dumps
that so often appear in the many fantasy books that take on unusual settings or
events. The magic is ever present but never steps beyond the realms of
‘possibility’, with well-defined limits and ramifications placed on its use.
All in all Whispers Under Ground
is another great urban crime fantasy in the ‘Peter Grant’ series, which sets us
up nicely for volume four. Highly recommended.
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