Amongst Our Weapons: The Rivers of London 9

Amongst Our Weapons is the ninth book in the Rivers Of London series by best-selling British author, Ben Aaronovitch. When DC Peter Grant is called to the London Silver Vaults, he brings along his Special Assessment Unit trainee, DC Danni Wickford. Witnesses describe a flash of light before David Moore falls down dead, with a neat hole in his chest, and his heart scooped out. No vestigia, though.

Moore was at the silversmith demanding the return of a silver puzzle ring his ex-wife had sold, but not to this silversmith, apparently. Althea Moore still has it, a strange thing that unfolds and is inscribed with different languages and symbols, and is definitely enchanted. David's flat does have vestigia and strange marks scratched into the front door.

Phone records send Grant, Wickford and DS Sahra Guleed to the home of David's uni friend, Preston Carmichael. And that's when things start repeating: door markings, another ring (missing), a scooped-out heart, vestigia. Soon the SAU are tracking down members of a group from a quarter of a century earlier, people who believed they were touched by the Holy Spirit.

And somewhere in the mix, a warning from a former associate Peter would rather not see, a stolen lamp that contained quite the opposite of a genie, and traces of the Sons of Wayland and their smithing tradition. A trip to Manchester, the old stomping ground of DCI Alex Seawoll, is undertaken.

The SAU need to find an important archive, hidden during the war, but before any information is forthcoming, Peter is required to facilitate path out for a contingent of wartime ghosts. All this, while Beverly is on the verge of giving birth to twins, and would really prefer that Peter stays close to home.

River spirits, talking foxes, diggers in the backyard, a Goblin Fair that needs a permanent home, a brush with a Spanish Inquisitor, FBI liaisons, and a fiery angel on a mission: Peter has to juggle a lot of balls while trying to sort this one out.

Twice, his life is saved by the person he least expects, and Thomas proposes radical action to curb the recklessness of the new father. As always, quirky and clever with snappy dialogue and plenty of black humour: just marvellous!!

This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and DAW Publishing