I very much enjoy the world of this series - the story is leading us through the trials of a police force in an increasingly magical London very well. However, I spent much of this volume frustrated and annoyed with the main character.Peter is an amusing fellow with a scientific turn of mind, always trying to unpick and understand how magic works. But he spends much of this book completely failing to _think_. Investigating what appears to be a female 'jazz vampire' killing jazz musicians, Peter not only arranges for his own father to perform, but spends half the story rolling about in bed with the mysterious girlfriend of one of the dead musicians. He even briefly considers the possibility that she may be involved, and dismisses it.Even more problematic is Peter's friend Lesley, a previously very perky and competent policewoman. In the previous novel Lesley's face "fell off" thanks to a magical possession. At the beginning of this story, Lesley asks Peter if there's anything magic can do.He says, "No."That's it. Not "I haven't found anything yet, but I'll keep looking. I won't pretend there's any guarantee, but I'll do everything I can." Not "My teacher tells me that any kind of magical healing would cost you your soul and your sanity." Just "No."Lesley accepts this, without any sign of resentment toward Peter, and Peter later notes that he doesn't feel guilty about what happened to Lesley. How nice.Problem is, this is a magic system which produces catgirls, and has former humans becoming river gods who can recover from iron spikes through the heart. There's no justification or reasoning behind why Lesley can't be helped at least in a minor way with magic - if only to relieve some of the considerable pain she's in. No explanation of why it's not possible. Just "No.".And in another sign of Peter not thinking things through, he repeatedly demonstrates the first step of learning magic to Lesley, then leaves her to her own devices. Of course she - faceless, career-less, with nothing in particular to live for - practices and practices until she masters it. He's lucky she didn't kill herself or become drawn to the evil magicians apparently infesting London. The evil magicians might at least be interested in _trying_ to give her back a lower jaw.
