Instead, with the slow methodical patience of the drunk and terrified, Martin Turner dialed 999 and asked for the police. Martin, noting the good quality coat and shoes, had just pegged the body as a drunk when he noticed that it was in fact missing its head.Īs Martin noted, to the detectives conducting his interview, it was a good thing he’d been inebriated, because otherwise he would have wasted time screaming and running about-especially once he realized he was standing in a pool of blood. The fact that it was entirely possible for someone to be all three simultaneously is why good-Samaritanism in London is considered an extreme sport-like BASE jumping or crocodile wrestling.

Being a seasoned Londoner, Martin gave the body the “London once-over”-a quick glance to determine whether this was a drunk, a crazy or a human being in distress. Martin, who was none too sober himself, at first thought the body was that of one of the many celebrants who had chosen the Piazza as a convenient outdoor toilet and dormitory.

I T STARTED at one thirty on a cold Tuesday morning in January when Martin Turner, street performer and, in his own words, apprentice gigolo, tripped over a body in front of the West Portico of St. I loved it.”–Charlaine Harris Read Excerpt Aaronovitch is a name to watch.”–Peter F. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. It is a hilarious, keenly imagined caper.”–Diana Gabaldon

“ Midnight Riot is what would happen if Harry Potter grew up and joined the Fuzz.

Midnight riot book