Peter Grant is facing fatherhood, and an uncertain future, with equal amounts of panic and enthusiasm. Rather than sit around, he takes a job with émigré Silicon Valley tech genius Terrence Skinner's brand new London start up—the Serious Cybernetics Company.

Drawn into the orbit of Old Street's famous 'silicon roundabout', Peter must learn how to blend in with people who are both civilians and geekier than he is. Compared to his last job, Peter thinks it should be a doddle. But magic is not finished with Mama Grant's favourite son.

Because Terrence Skinner has a secret hidden in the bowels of the SCC. A technology that stretches back to Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage, and forward to the future of artificial intelligence. A secret that is just as magical as it technological—and just as dangerous.

With Beverly pregnant with twins, Peter has taken a job at the Serious Cybernetics Company in their security department. After thwarting a workplace shooting, the company owner assigns Peter the job of investigating why the employee had so suddenly become angry enough to become violent and then not remember why afterwards.  Of course magic is involved and the more Peter digs the more apparent it becomes that there is something dangerous, and possibly magically, hidden on the secretive floors few have access to.

We tie up a couple of loose ends that were not tied up in Lies Sleeping but other issues are still not resolved. It becomes even more apparent that magic is still alive and spread more widely throughout the world than Nightingale had thought as some more American magic practitioners show up to interfere in London’s magical world. We meet a few new characters; Tyrel Johnson and his family are ones I’d really like to see more of in future books. Mr. Aaronovitch has been focused on Rivers of London graphic novels (compilations of the comic books) over the past couple of years but hopefully he will not leave his print fans in the lurch and we will see the next book in the series soon but while we wait I may just go find those graphic novels. The whole series is highly recommended. ~~ Stephanie L Bannon

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