Detective Inspector William Brighton of Scotland Yard gets a possible break in his latest case when the person who allegedly kidnapped a young girl calls Brighton and asks to meet. This brings him to Zaliel, a wizard who demands to know where Brighton’s estranged mother, the author Anna Brighton, is located. Brighton has no idea, nor does he quite believe in Zaliel’s magic, despite the wizard bringing some bronze statues to life. But there is an indisputable link to Brighton’s mother, since Zaliel is a character’s name in Anna’s popular book series, The Magical Wooded World. In the meantime, the very real wizard, who still wants Anna’s location, abducts some other girls, and Brighton’s own daughter goes missing. An interrogation leads the DI to a forested spot where he stumbles onto a world (not unlike the one Anna has written about) populated by fairies, elves, a pegasus, and other fantastical creatures. In this place, Brighton encounters some gun-toting goblins and the hefty explosive they’ve stolen. Howis deftly blends a fantasy narrative with a police procedural; even when the supernatural elements take center stage in the latter half, the story remains grounded in the protagonist’s investigative work. (The kidnapping case, for example, involves infamous gangster Sid Fields, who raises the stakes for Brighton by threatening the DI’s family.) Both the heroes and villains wield magic (like telepathy) as well as more familiar weapons, such as firearms. Brighton is an appealing lead; he has the earmarks of a world-weary law enforcer who’s occasionally roughed up (“What happened to your face?” his wife asks at one point) but is still a devoted family man. Numerous mythical beings are introduced in the novel—a standout is Eddie, a “tall stocky female” with pointy ears. This entry kicks off a series, with the ending unquestionably setting the stage for a sequel.