Title Midnight riot / Ben Aaronovitch.

SRP 2011 REVIEW: An outstanding entry into the field, Aaronovitch brings the wit he used to such skill writing for the famed British TV series "Doctor Who" to a rolicking, fast-paced urban fantasy series set in London. Midnight Riot, also known as "Rivers of London," features a young mixed-raced man, a rookie cop, who ends up embroiled in a heinous series of murders. His aspirations of joining the murder team of the Metropolitan Police are thwarted when he ends up assigned to the department of one man, Thomas Nightingale, the last remaining wizard in the United Kingdom. The plot accelerates from the first chapter and never looks back, weaving together Aaronovitch's brilliant sense of humour with roaring action, tension, and a fine foundation for further books in the series, all wound around a story developed upon an old classic of theatre/folk tales (I won't spoil the story, but you'll recognize it as you see it). This is a great start, and the main character Peter is extremely likable, especially when dealing with hoary traditions. If you're a fan of Jim Butcher, this is the next level.