A mutilated body in Crawley. A killer on the loose. The prime suspect is one Robert Weil, possibly an associate of the twisted wizard known as the Faceless Man. Or maybe just a garden-variety serial killer.

Before apprentice wizard and Police Constable Peter Grant can even get his head 'round the case, two more are dropped in his lap: a town planner has gone under a tube train, and there's a stolen grimoire for Grant to track down.

So far, so London.

But then Peter gets word of something very odd happening on a housing estate designed by a nutter, built by charlatans, and inhabited by the truly desperate.

Is there a connection?

And if there is, why oh why did it have to be South of the River—in the jurisdiction of some pretty prickly local river spirits?

Trainee wizards Peter Grant and Lesley May are tasked with several investigations as DCI Nightingale continues to investigate several past unsolved magical murders.  First Peter investigates a seemingly routine traffic accident- routine that is until it is discovered that the driver had a body in his car prior to the accident.  Then an associate brings a suspicious suicide to their attention and finally a stolen grimoire leads them to a housing estate that has links to a German wizard turned architect and Nightingale to the realization that much more magic has survived in the world than he was aware of.  This is in addition to their continued search for the Faceless Man.  As they trace the various crimes it begins to look as if they are connected. When Peter and Lesley go undercover at the housing estate, death and betrayal bring about a shocking change for them all.

This entry in the series brings about some real leaps in the overall plot while giving us some more insights into each of the primary characters.  I am looking forward to the next entry to see where we go from the shocking end of this entry.  The whole series is highly recommended. ~~ Stephanie L Bannon

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