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DI Adams #0.5
What Happened in London
Baton. Light. Chocolate. Duck.
This is not DS Adams’ usual kit. This is not DS Adams’ usual case. She doesn’t think it’s anyone’s usual case, not with the vanishing children and the looming bridge and the hungry river. Not with the snap-snap-snap.
But six kids are missing, and she’s not going to let there be a seventh. Not on her watch. And she knows how to handle human monsters, after all. How different can this really be?
So: Baton. Light. Chocolate. And the bloody duck.
Let’s be having you, then.
What Happened in London is the story of how not-yet-DI Adams came to Toot Hansell, the village at the centre of the Beaufort Scales cozy mysteries. It is not, however, a cozy mystery. Urban fantasy with a good dose of humour, snark, and ducks, this is the story of a one detective who's determined to follow the evidence wherever it takes her, even when it contradicts everything she knows to be real.
For Beaufort readers, this is a darker story, and is very lacking in tea and cake. There is some violence, but none of it graphic, and there is no strong language, although there is some blasphemy.
And the snap-snap-snap …
This is not DS Adams’ usual kit. This is not DS Adams’ usual case. She doesn’t think it’s anyone’s usual case, not with the vanishing children and the looming bridge and the hungry river. Not with the snap-snap-snap.
But six kids are missing, and she’s not going to let there be a seventh. Not on her watch. And she knows how to handle human monsters, after all. How different can this really be?
So: Baton. Light. Chocolate. And the bloody duck.
Let’s be having you, then.
What Happened in London is the story of how not-yet-DI Adams came to Toot Hansell, the village at the centre of the Beaufort Scales cozy mysteries. It is not, however, a cozy mystery. Urban fantasy with a good dose of humour, snark, and ducks, this is the story of a one detective who's determined to follow the evidence wherever it takes her, even when it contradicts everything she knows to be real.
For Beaufort readers, this is a darker story, and is very lacking in tea and cake. There is some violence, but none of it graphic, and there is no strong language, although there is some blasphemy.
And the snap-snap-snap …
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 27, 2023
180 people are currently reading
250 people want to read
About the author
Kim M. Watt
42 books328 followersHello lovely people!
I’m Kim (as you may have guessed, given that you're on the author page for Kim). I write funny fantasies and off-beat cosy (or cozy, depending where you're from) mysteries set in a world not so dissimilar to ours - and in fact sharing many locations.
And in this not-dissimilar world you'll find mystery-solving dragons with a strong affection for barbecues and scones, and snarky feline PIs with human sidekicks. You'll run across baking-obsessed reapers running petting cafes stocked with baby ghouls, Apocalyptic riders on Vespas, and women of a certain age Getting Things Done. There may even be the odd born-again troll redefining troll-ness for the modern age about the place.
You'll find myth and reality clashing in small and spectacular ways, and discover the healing magic of tea and a really good lemon drizzle cake.
But, most of all, there will be friendship, and loyalty, and people of all species looking out for one another. Because these, above all things, are magic.
And you can find me rambling on about all this (and more) over on my website, or join me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for bad puns and many, many cat memes. Many.
Come join me!
I’m Kim (as you may have guessed, given that you're on the author page for Kim). I write funny fantasies and off-beat cosy (or cozy, depending where you're from) mysteries set in a world not so dissimilar to ours - and in fact sharing many locations.
And in this not-dissimilar world you'll find mystery-solving dragons with a strong affection for barbecues and scones, and snarky feline PIs with human sidekicks. You'll run across baking-obsessed reapers running petting cafes stocked with baby ghouls, Apocalyptic riders on Vespas, and women of a certain age Getting Things Done. There may even be the odd born-again troll redefining troll-ness for the modern age about the place.
You'll find myth and reality clashing in small and spectacular ways, and discover the healing magic of tea and a really good lemon drizzle cake.
But, most of all, there will be friendship, and loyalty, and people of all species looking out for one another. Because these, above all things, are magic.
And you can find me rambling on about all this (and more) over on my website, or join me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for bad puns and many, many cat memes. Many.
Come join me!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
October 26, 2024
Oh my.
Firstly, do not start this book at 11pm. You will not get any sleep. Partly because even if you put it down, you’ll hear it. The squeak of the spine, the fluttering of the pages… something not quite book-like… calling to you. So on will go the light and you’ll promise yourself just one more chapter….
And the next day you’ll be like DI Adams, surviving on coffee and occasional extraordinary brownies and seeing dogs climb fences. Because, you know, that’s what dogs do. And maybe looking like you might bite your colleagues because you’ll look like a zombie and potentially act like one due to no sleep. This book will grip you within its story and not let go so be prepared going in with snacks and caffeine because you won’t want to put it down.
This is both a prequel and not. DI Adams and a bridge in London runs throughout the Beaufort Scales series. You know *something* happened and that was a Something kind of something but you don’t know what. Until now. This is not a comedy although tremendously funny in places. This is certainly not cake-laden although brownies, chocolate and doughnuts feature. This is very much like a tale for a dark night when you are safely curled up with bright lights and a spare torch and maybe extra snacks.
Ms Watt has woven a fabulous prequel that interleaves tremendously well with other knowledge of her books, and you can read this as the very first book if you wish. None of the magic will be lost from any following books, and it only strengthens the stories you may have already read.
I’m not really saying anything about the book… that’s because I don’t want to give anything away. Even the lines that lie in between… the single lines you can quote… because you’ll want to relish every last one.
So when you do start it, realise it will have you until the very end, so bring chocolate (preferably Yorkie bars), a full mug of black coffee, and your duck. Especially the duck.
Firstly, do not start this book at 11pm. You will not get any sleep. Partly because even if you put it down, you’ll hear it. The squeak of the spine, the fluttering of the pages… something not quite book-like… calling to you. So on will go the light and you’ll promise yourself just one more chapter….
And the next day you’ll be like DI Adams, surviving on coffee and occasional extraordinary brownies and seeing dogs climb fences. Because, you know, that’s what dogs do. And maybe looking like you might bite your colleagues because you’ll look like a zombie and potentially act like one due to no sleep. This book will grip you within its story and not let go so be prepared going in with snacks and caffeine because you won’t want to put it down.
This is both a prequel and not. DI Adams and a bridge in London runs throughout the Beaufort Scales series. You know *something* happened and that was a Something kind of something but you don’t know what. Until now. This is not a comedy although tremendously funny in places. This is certainly not cake-laden although brownies, chocolate and doughnuts feature. This is very much like a tale for a dark night when you are safely curled up with bright lights and a spare torch and maybe extra snacks.
Ms Watt has woven a fabulous prequel that interleaves tremendously well with other knowledge of her books, and you can read this as the very first book if you wish. None of the magic will be lost from any following books, and it only strengthens the stories you may have already read.
I’m not really saying anything about the book… that’s because I don’t want to give anything away. Even the lines that lie in between… the single lines you can quote… because you’ll want to relish every last one.
So when you do start it, realise it will have you until the very end, so bring chocolate (preferably Yorkie bars), a full mug of black coffee, and your duck. Especially the duck.
January 9, 2023
I’ve been dying to know what happened in London since DI Adams arrived on the scene in Toot Hansel and boy was the wait worth it!
I’m a huge fan of the Beaufort Scales and Gobbelino London series and this story is sort of in the middle of lightness/darkness scale. A little closer to Gobbelino in my opinion. It kept me right on the edge of my seat the entire way. I could hardly bear to put down.
DI Adams needs her own series!
Kim Watt has shot to the top of my always read list since I discovered her books a few years ago and she remains firmly in place 🙂
I thank the author for an ARC of this book and assure you the review is heartfelt!
I’m a huge fan of the Beaufort Scales and Gobbelino London series and this story is sort of in the middle of lightness/darkness scale. A little closer to Gobbelino in my opinion. It kept me right on the edge of my seat the entire way. I could hardly bear to put down.
DI Adams needs her own series!
Kim Watt has shot to the top of my always read list since I discovered her books a few years ago and she remains firmly in place 🙂
I thank the author for an ARC of this book and assure you the review is heartfelt!
October 30, 2024
Rating: 2.5 stars
I needed an audio diversion and this dark urban fantasy novel was it. However, I don't think the narrator worked for me. The accent, odd swallowing of vowels, off pauses and pacing, gave the distinct impression of verbal diarrhea. I also felt the story was longer than the plot, but I did like the concept and the character (if she would just stop thinking so much). I'm also sure I missed something. For the life of me I cannot remember if any reason was given for the use of chocolate as a weapon, other than supernatural monsters apparently being fond of the stuff?🤷🏻♂️
I needed an audio diversion and this dark urban fantasy novel was it. However, I don't think the narrator worked for me. The accent, odd swallowing of vowels, off pauses and pacing, gave the distinct impression of verbal diarrhea. I also felt the story was longer than the plot, but I did like the concept and the character (if she would just stop thinking so much). I'm also sure I missed something. For the life of me I cannot remember if any reason was given for the use of chocolate as a weapon, other than supernatural monsters apparently being fond of the stuff?🤷🏻♂️
March 25, 2023
Nothing zany here. A "serious" tale by Kim M. Watt. The prequel to who our DI (detective inspector) Adams is and the case that led her to move north from London to Leeds, England.
Missing homeless people. Missing children. All there in the Christmas market by the bridge on the Thames River. There one minute. Zip! Gone the next. No signs of struggle. No signs of anything, except from one who can "see." And of course, no one believes the "see-er." Except DI Adams. An intense mystery, with a startling ending. If you have read any of the Beaufort Scales Mystery stories, you will want to read "What Happened in London."
This book also contains a short story, "The Gnome in the North," easily downloaded by Kindle or computer. The short story brings DI Adams to her first encounter with the ladies of the Women's Institute in the village of Toot Hansell.
Missing homeless people. Missing children. All there in the Christmas market by the bridge on the Thames River. There one minute. Zip! Gone the next. No signs of struggle. No signs of anything, except from one who can "see." And of course, no one believes the "see-er." Except DI Adams. An intense mystery, with a startling ending. If you have read any of the Beaufort Scales Mystery stories, you will want to read "What Happened in London."
This book also contains a short story, "The Gnome in the North," easily downloaded by Kindle or computer. The short story brings DI Adams to her first encounter with the ladies of the Women's Institute in the village of Toot Hansell.
August 11, 2024
Recently, I had the good fortune to stumble across Kim Watt's books. I've read three of them in the past month and they all made me happy.
I started with 'Baking Bad' (2018), which is the first book in the Beaufort Scales series, described as 'cozy mystery (with dragons)' set in a small Yorkshire village and featuring the members of the local Women's Institute and Detective Inspector Adams, newly transplanted from London to Yorkshire and leading her first murder investigation.
Cozy mysteries are hit-or-miss things for me. I have to be able to connect with the people and the humour. 'Baking Bad' did both so I went in search of the next book in the series, 'Yule Be Sorry' (2018). While I was searching, I found 'What Happened In London' (2023), a prequel to the Beaufort Scales series, written to answer a question that had stuck in my mind when I finished 'Baking Bad' - What had happened to DI Adams in London that made her leave the prestige of The Met answer to take a post in Leeds?
I loved the answer. As soon as I read these opening paragraphs, I knew I had another series to follow:
"THE BIN WAS LOOKING AT HER WITH INTENT. WITH INTENT. THE BIN WAS LOOKING AT HER WITH INTENT, and she had no idea how she knew that, or how it was even possible (obviously it wasn’t), but that was the current situation.
Detective Sergeant Adams of the London Metropolitan Police had no time for problematic (and impossible) bins. She glared back at it, daring it to … she didn’t know. Bins were not something she’d considered a hazard before, other than in the olfactory sense, or as hiding places, but this one was different. Everything about it was just a little off. It was marginally too big, or too small. The colour was fractionally too intense, the familiar red on white of the logo too sharp, or the logo itself too big, or too small, or too something. And she could smell curry spices for some reason.
“No,” she muttered, and the world around her lurched, the yellow light stuttering. “No, what’s wrong with me? It’s just a bin.”
She looked away, peering deeper into the maze of slope-walled alleys, looking for her quarry. They had to be in here somewhere. She’d been right on their heels as they’d plunged off the street and into the dim-lit, secret ways that ran like veins just beyond the skin of London. They couldn’t have got far. She should’ve been able to see them, unless they’d hidden, but there were no turnings, no doorways, just—
“You,” she said, and turned her gaze back to the bin. It seemed closer. “But I’d have heard the lid go,” she added, frowning, and was sure – sure – that said lid creaked just slightly upward in response. It almost looked smug. “It’s just a bin,” she muttered, and shifted her grip on her telescopic baton. “You’re just a bin.”
Now she was sure it looked smug, but she stepped forward anyway.
She wasn’t going to be beaten by a bin."
'What Happened In London' is darker, faster and harder-edged than the Beaufort Scales cozy mysteries. There are no dragons, no WI, no tea and cake, just bad things happening on the streets of London. Things that can't be understood unless you have the imagination and the courage to see things that shouldn't be there.
Adams, a black woman who has pushed her way through to the rank of Detective Sergeant in the Metropolitan Police by hard work and the relentless application of logic, is faced with a case where children are being abducted from the Christmas market next to the river, even when the police are present in force There are no leads so, with the permission of her DI, Adams looks for patterns. She finds tenuous link between the abductions of the kids to the disappearance of homeless people. As she pursues this slightly improbable line of enquiry she starts to see things, things other people's eyes pass over, things like the bin, looking at her with intent.
What follows is a first-class, original, London Urban Fantasy mystery, told with a style that mixes grit with humour in a way that I loved.
Inevitably, I found myself comparing it to Ben Aaronvitch's 'Rivers Of London' series. Although both deal with a London in which an unseen-by-most magical world overlays the city, the tone of the two series is different. I loved 'Rivers Of London' but, reading 'What Happened In London', I saw for the first time how privileged Peter Grant is. He has a senior Establishment figure as a mentor. He's welcomed by the most senior Genus Loci and he constantly gives little lectures on architecture and jazz that set him outside most people's experience of the world.
Adams isn't privileged. As a black woman, she's excluded from the Met Boys Club and constantly at risk of being 'othered', a risk that will increase dramatically if she's labelled as the Fox Mulder of the team. Adams can't afford to admit, even to herself, that she's seeing things that other people can't. She also can't walk away when she's the only one who might stand a chance of finding the stolen children.
I loved how Kim Watt uses magic not as a route to privilege and power but as something that preys on the vulnerable and the excluded, something that flourishes because most people would rather look away than see what shouldn't be there. Adams believes that whatever is taking the children is also taking street people. Everyone wants to find the kids. Almost no one will even accept that the street people are missing. It was an excellent example of things that are real but which we refuse to see.
I quickly lost myself in this story. I was so excited to have stumbled across a first-class Urban Fantasy set in London that I had to make myself slow down so that I didn't rush through the prose.
I'm amazed and a little disappointed to see that 'What Happened In London' wasn't one of the 2023 books that everyone made a fuss over.
I loved 'What Happened In London' and I'm hungry for more. I've already downloaded the next book, 'All Out Of Leeds'. It starts after the third Beaufort Scales book, 'Manor Of Life & Death' so that's next on my reading list.
September 22, 2023
Actually I am still only half-way through so it's an interim rating. But it's the middle of the night and I have only just managed to drag myself away. I need some sleep - Adams would understand.
The book's not funny, though not lacking in humour. And it's really great to see DS Adams get all the action to herself. Much as I love the dragons and the ladies of Toot Hansell in the "sequels", this is the best yet. She's turning into a terrific character.
More when I reach the end. Except to add, I love the cover!
The book's not funny, though not lacking in humour. And it's really great to see DS Adams get all the action to herself. Much as I love the dragons and the ladies of Toot Hansell in the "sequels", this is the best yet. She's turning into a terrific character.
More when I reach the end. Except to add, I love the cover!
January 10, 2023
Splendid! A galloping mystery, DS Adams with a terrific, if hesitant and retiring, sidekick in the form of Jack, and a mysterious (to those who haven’t yet met Adams) dog in the shadows. Kim conjures a convincing and entirely recognisable London. I was with Adams as she explores the streets with a dawning realisation that she is in pursuit of horrors, supported only by her kindness, courage, a duck and gallons of black coffee. Although she never names places, I was visualising very familiar (to me) places along the Thames in central London. The story is dark, but told with Kim’s usual light touch and Adam’s solitary triumph over the threat lurking in the dark places of bridges, was cathartic. I had to take a deep breath when I finished it. Beautifully written, thoroughly readable and I am delighted to have found Kim’s books. Have it and Kim’s other stories to hand if you are seeking diversion, mystery and a bit of magic in a terrific story that will thoroughly engage you.
December 2, 2024
I really loved this one. I enjoyed seeing more of DS/DI Adams perspective on the world and learning about her family and life as well as finally learning what happened!! The story is a bit darker than the Beaufort tales, but it totally works and fits into the world Watt has built up. Looking forward to reading more DI Adams stories.
January 12, 2023
Fantastic!
This book has a wonderful spooky atmosphere, definitely darker than the Beaufort Scales books, but is not without humor, and really keeps you on the edge of your seat, it was nice to see more of DI Adams,
Can't wait for another!
Thank you to the author for an ARC!
This book has a wonderful spooky atmosphere, definitely darker than the Beaufort Scales books, but is not without humor, and really keeps you on the edge of your seat, it was nice to see more of DI Adams,
Can't wait for another!
Thank you to the author for an ARC!
April 2, 2023
Different to the Toot Hansell WI stories, this is the prequel and explains why and how DIAdams ended up in Leeds. Cracking story I devoured in a few hours, it’s darker, a little more police procedural, but obviously in the same territory of supernatural mystery. Our heroine is flawed, like any normal person, Kim Watt builds characters you feel you know, and gets you invested in them as a person, as well as trying to work out the source of the mystery. Loved it
December 8, 2023
I read the first three chapters and it seemed like Adams was having a psychotic break rather than a paranormal experience. I struggle with my own mental health these days – real-life reality is nasty and creepy enough – and decided to read something else.
January 15, 2023
(ARC provided in return for honest review)
This is a prequel to the popular and beloved Beaufort Scales series, telling at last the oft-hinted at tale of what happened in London that made Detective Inspector Adams leave for the hopefully quieter pastures of Yorkshire (IRONY).
But Beaufort Scales fans be warned - this is no cosy mystery. No friendly dragons, no tea parties, and no cakes. This is a darker and more disturbing tale, with real menace lurking in the shadows ...
Adams has always been a character with depths to be explored, and here we see some of those depths plumbed as then Detective Sargeant Adams of the Metropolitan Police investigates a spate of missing children down by the river, and finds that the real story is much stranger than anyone else believes.
There are still some very funny jokes, but overall this is a book in which Kim Watt shows her range as a writer, handling the murky atmosphere of dark doings by the Thames every bit as well as the rural adventures of the Toot Hansell W.I. In fact, I would say this is her best book yet ... and with more to come from Adams, it gives us a lot to look forward to.
Snap-snap-snap.
This is a prequel to the popular and beloved Beaufort Scales series, telling at last the oft-hinted at tale of what happened in London that made Detective Inspector Adams leave for the hopefully quieter pastures of Yorkshire (IRONY).
But Beaufort Scales fans be warned - this is no cosy mystery. No friendly dragons, no tea parties, and no cakes. This is a darker and more disturbing tale, with real menace lurking in the shadows ...
Adams has always been a character with depths to be explored, and here we see some of those depths plumbed as then Detective Sargeant Adams of the Metropolitan Police investigates a spate of missing children down by the river, and finds that the real story is much stranger than anyone else believes.
There are still some very funny jokes, but overall this is a book in which Kim Watt shows her range as a writer, handling the murky atmosphere of dark doings by the Thames every bit as well as the rural adventures of the Toot Hansell W.I. In fact, I would say this is her best book yet ... and with more to come from Adams, it gives us a lot to look forward to.
Snap-snap-snap.
January 27, 2023
(Disclosre, I was presented with an ARC for an honest review)
This is the backstory of DI Adams from the Beaufort Scales series but can be read as a stand alone book. As a fan of the series it was great discovering more about Adams and what prompted her move to Leeds. This book differs from the series being a bit grittier, and closer in tone to the Gobbelino and London series (also by Kim M. Watts). Adams' motivations are explored with tension, intrigue, and humour, making her feel like a real person rather than a predictable character (a talent Kim has in spades). When DI Adams discovers the magical world existing along side ours she doesn't excitedly dive in head first. Surprisingly she wants to walk away, literally, by moving out of London. This decision makes her the first character I've read who wants to return to what's normal and safe, forgetting this new way of seeing the world and rejecting the baggage that comes with it.
Having your main character walk away from the magical should make for a very short fantasy story(!!) but Kim gives us a realistic character who questions how 'wonderful' this new way of living is. We're given a much needed emphasis on the psychological impact and responsibility seeing this side of reality brings. This twist gave me a completely new take on Adams, making her a deeper and more relatable character.
I don't give out 5 stars often, but this book earned it. Kim took a chance by taking a well liked character from Beaufort's cozy mystery style and putting her in a book that's less fantasy (but still with bridge monsters, reality avoiding toasties and reality seeing brownies, magic duckies, and bad intentioned bins) and more real world. And it works! More DI Adams please.
This is the backstory of DI Adams from the Beaufort Scales series but can be read as a stand alone book. As a fan of the series it was great discovering more about Adams and what prompted her move to Leeds. This book differs from the series being a bit grittier, and closer in tone to the Gobbelino and London series (also by Kim M. Watts). Adams' motivations are explored with tension, intrigue, and humour, making her feel like a real person rather than a predictable character (a talent Kim has in spades). When DI Adams discovers the magical world existing along side ours she doesn't excitedly dive in head first. Surprisingly she wants to walk away, literally, by moving out of London. This decision makes her the first character I've read who wants to return to what's normal and safe, forgetting this new way of seeing the world and rejecting the baggage that comes with it.
Having your main character walk away from the magical should make for a very short fantasy story(!!) but Kim gives us a realistic character who questions how 'wonderful' this new way of living is. We're given a much needed emphasis on the psychological impact and responsibility seeing this side of reality brings. This twist gave me a completely new take on Adams, making her a deeper and more relatable character.
I don't give out 5 stars often, but this book earned it. Kim took a chance by taking a well liked character from Beaufort's cozy mystery style and putting her in a book that's less fantasy (but still with bridge monsters, reality avoiding toasties and reality seeing brownies, magic duckies, and bad intentioned bins) and more real world. And it works! More DI Adams please.
January 13, 2023
This book is exceptional as a prequel to the Toot Hansell series. It is frightening and enthralling and plays on one's desire to "not believe" in anything outside the ordinary world. The story explains how DI Adams (then only a DS) ended up in Leeds where theoretically she would be a long way from the horrors lurking under London's bridges. (This I can relate to since as a small child I felt compelled to run through and away from bridges by the Thames because of a creeping fear of what might be hiding there).
As ever Kim's descriptive language paints scenes in rich shades of light or fog and delineates characters so well. This is not a light story of cakes and tea but of police and missing children and dread. There is, of course, still humour and light touches - especially about teas and coffee. We also get a hint of the mystery dog who reappears in Yorkshire. At least it explains why a very down-to-earth copper has the ability to see another world beyond the norm.
I also liked the intro with appropriate warnings. Plus I must acquire a pocket-sized duck torch to go with my multitool.
Outstanding story and it increases my liking for DI Adams. a true stubborn hero.
As ever Kim's descriptive language paints scenes in rich shades of light or fog and delineates characters so well. This is not a light story of cakes and tea but of police and missing children and dread. There is, of course, still humour and light touches - especially about teas and coffee. We also get a hint of the mystery dog who reappears in Yorkshire. At least it explains why a very down-to-earth copper has the ability to see another world beyond the norm.
I also liked the intro with appropriate warnings. Plus I must acquire a pocket-sized duck torch to go with my multitool.
Outstanding story and it increases my liking for DI Adams. a true stubborn hero.
January 17, 2023
I've read the Beaufort Scales series and have been wondering about DI Adams' history.
This book finally filled in that blank.
Although less light-footed than the Beaufort Scales series, it was excellent. The further I got the more difficult it became to put the book down. Highly recommend this, the characters have substance and are consistent, there is humour, there is desperation, there is chocolate and there is determination.
Go for it and avoid bridges in the fog.
This book finally filled in that blank.
Although less light-footed than the Beaufort Scales series, it was excellent. The further I got the more difficult it became to put the book down. Highly recommend this, the characters have substance and are consistent, there is humour, there is desperation, there is chocolate and there is determination.
Go for it and avoid bridges in the fog.
January 11, 2023
Wow ! Amazing
The story of DS Adams before her move up North.
This prequel fits perfectly
It’s a bit darker than the lovely tales of dragons and toot Hansel but retained the humour and the pace and the wonderful visual storytelling
Dive in , you won’t want to put this down
The story of DS Adams before her move up North.
This prequel fits perfectly
It’s a bit darker than the lovely tales of dragons and toot Hansel but retained the humour and the pace and the wonderful visual storytelling
Dive in , you won’t want to put this down
January 11, 2023
The fantastically dark and quirky back story of the long suffering D I Adams from the Beaufort Scales mysteries. I loved it . Will never look at bridges the same again....
January 27, 2023
I always knew chocolate and rubber ducks were important. Now I finally know why! I’m so glad my natural instincts were spot on. We’ve all wanted to know What Happened in London since DI Adams appeared on the scene in Toot Hansell. Now that we know, nothing will ever be the same…
I recently finished Rivers of London and while reading What Happened in London I kept wishing Adams could go have a talk with Mother Thames!
I loved the book, we can only hope it’s the first of a new series. Thanks to the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I recently finished Rivers of London and while reading What Happened in London I kept wishing Adams could go have a talk with Mother Thames!
I loved the book, we can only hope it’s the first of a new series. Thanks to the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
August 13, 2024
This prequel takes such a dark turn but it was spectacular loved every page
January 26, 2023
I need more stars! This is by far the best book I've read by Ms Watt. It's not a cozy mystery. But it's a well-written, well thought out mystery. I could not put it down.
I have been a huge fan of DI Adams throughout all the Toot Hansell books. She's always been my favorite character because I feel like she's the most well developed of all of them. And now she's the star of her own book and (hopefully) the star of her own series.
I've read everything this author has published and never had one I didn't love. If you have just found her, you are in for many books you'll really enjoy.
I have been a huge fan of DI Adams throughout all the Toot Hansell books. She's always been my favorite character because I feel like she's the most well developed of all of them. And now she's the star of her own book and (hopefully) the star of her own series.
I've read everything this author has published and never had one I didn't love. If you have just found her, you are in for many books you'll really enjoy.
May 9, 2024
This one is absolutely enthralling. While the author has written a bushel of cozies, What Happened in London is not one of them. This prequel follows DS Adams on the case that saw her made DI. There are children going missing in London, gone without a sound. It has a lightly spooky vibe with a focus on seeing the things that most folks don't see. From the get go, I was reminded of the City Between series by W R Gingell. It also touched on some of the prejudices of policing in a way that was neither overly subtle nor condescending. It's a paranormal mystery urban fantasy crime novel sort of thing, and I'm already wondering how to find more books like it. I couldn't put this book down and finished it in one sitting. Five stars, amazing.
January 29, 2023
Like other reviewers, I received an ARC copy; like others, I strive to give an honest comment.
And like all those others I found this DI Adams story by Kim Watt darker and smoggier than the previous Beaufort Scales stories. Which is good. I don’t mind a little cosiness but ultimately that becomes a battle not between the darkness and the light but between the lite and the full-cream. This story is small scale, almost one on one, but as a fantasy it still has epic and dramatic weight. Not everything has to be on the scale of Helm’s Deep. I read it in one sitting. Highly recommended.
And like all those others I found this DI Adams story by Kim Watt darker and smoggier than the previous Beaufort Scales stories. Which is good. I don’t mind a little cosiness but ultimately that becomes a battle not between the darkness and the light but between the lite and the full-cream. This story is small scale, almost one on one, but as a fantasy it still has epic and dramatic weight. Not everything has to be on the scale of Helm’s Deep. I read it in one sitting. Highly recommended.
March 5, 2023
Slightly darker than the Beaufort scales books this is a prequel to but hits the nail on the head brilliantly. Children are going missing and it seems DI Adams is about to get her first glimpse into what passes most of us by.
February 18, 2023
In ‘What Happened in London’ we finally get to learn how and why DI Adams ended up leaving the capital for voluntary exile in Leeds. It is a prequel but very far from the bucolic world of the Dragons and their friends in the WI - the hills and fields, villages and gardens and twisty roads, where the sun always seems to be shining. This is Adams’ personal backstory, set in a darker and much less cosy urban landscape, closer in feel to the Gobbelino books.
DS Adams (not yet promoted) works the mean streets of a London lovingly brought to life in all its dirty, dangerous, energetic, ancient glory. The writing is wonderfully descriptive and very sensory - the smells of the Christmas market and the littered alley, the chill of the wind off the river, the shadowy corners of the city, the looming bridge and black, forbidding water. Darkness is a feature - it is set during the short, cold, dingy days before Christmas, with much of the action taking place at night.
The story is a fine mix of mystery, myth and police procedural, set in the real modern world with all its problems of urban decay, crime and social exclusion. The gripping plot follows a gruelling police investigation into vanishing children, the pattern familiar from novels and TV: a search for clues and suspects, frustration when these lead nowhere, ingrained prejudices, a fine disregard for working hours, very bad eating habits. But in addition, there is of course the hidden world within our own, invisible to most, and as perilous as a Grimm’s fairy tale.
Already dealing with the grinding investigation, Adams has the added issue that she has become aware of the unseen world (not that she wants to acknowledge this). But whatever she encounters, Adams keeps on doing what she knows is the right and decent thing - which she sees as just doing her job - refusing to take the easy way out however weary and battered she becomes, in the face of opposition from both colleagues and denizens of the ‘unseen’. She is a true hero - brave, honest and humane.
What Happened in London is written with such a light touch that the darker themes form a natural part of the story, without weighing it down, just as the mythic hidden world fits naturally within and alongside the mundane city. There is plenty of humour, great characters and sharp dialogue, especially the verbal sparring between Adams and her DI Zahid, and the cryptic utterings of the rather fey Jack.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and found it so absorbing that I read it in one go. I hope Kim will be giving us more DI Adams (and of course the Dandy, who makes his first mysterious appearance here).
DS Adams (not yet promoted) works the mean streets of a London lovingly brought to life in all its dirty, dangerous, energetic, ancient glory. The writing is wonderfully descriptive and very sensory - the smells of the Christmas market and the littered alley, the chill of the wind off the river, the shadowy corners of the city, the looming bridge and black, forbidding water. Darkness is a feature - it is set during the short, cold, dingy days before Christmas, with much of the action taking place at night.
The story is a fine mix of mystery, myth and police procedural, set in the real modern world with all its problems of urban decay, crime and social exclusion. The gripping plot follows a gruelling police investigation into vanishing children, the pattern familiar from novels and TV: a search for clues and suspects, frustration when these lead nowhere, ingrained prejudices, a fine disregard for working hours, very bad eating habits. But in addition, there is of course the hidden world within our own, invisible to most, and as perilous as a Grimm’s fairy tale.
Already dealing with the grinding investigation, Adams has the added issue that she has become aware of the unseen world (not that she wants to acknowledge this). But whatever she encounters, Adams keeps on doing what she knows is the right and decent thing - which she sees as just doing her job - refusing to take the easy way out however weary and battered she becomes, in the face of opposition from both colleagues and denizens of the ‘unseen’. She is a true hero - brave, honest and humane.
What Happened in London is written with such a light touch that the darker themes form a natural part of the story, without weighing it down, just as the mythic hidden world fits naturally within and alongside the mundane city. There is plenty of humour, great characters and sharp dialogue, especially the verbal sparring between Adams and her DI Zahid, and the cryptic utterings of the rather fey Jack.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and found it so absorbing that I read it in one go. I hope Kim will be giving us more DI Adams (and of course the Dandy, who makes his first mysterious appearance here).
February 12, 2023
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: If you know the Beaufort Mysteries, you know that DI Adams worked in London before transferring to Leeds. Part of that were weird, unexplainable things happening and giving her migraines…So here’s the story of what happened to her in London
My thoughts:
I was really excited to finally see what Adams did in London and how she managed the weird things happening there. The book is much darker in tone, less cake and tea and friendship, so be aware of that. Instead, it’s about kids and homeless people going missing and people only caring about one of these groups. The story has a lot of suspense, of “can they get them back in time?” and really kept me on edge.
DI Adams is like we know her, no-nonsense and driven to clear up the crimes. I quite liked seeing a little of her Mom in the story too. I feel like she knows a lot about the world. Zahid was kinda nice and I enjoyed seeing a man taking an interest in his family in a mystery, which, honestly doesn’t happen that often? I feel like most dads in most books are somewhat absent…?
I really liked how we got a definite conclusion of one half of the crime, but the author still managed to clad so many parts about the monsters in uncertainty and wonder, giving them a look but at the same time keeping it all so vague, that the mysterious air is not lost. I like it. Especially since Adams herself doesn’t want to look to closely at it again.
I’ve only been to London for like one day, so I can’t say a lot about the accuracy of the setting, but I feel like the feeling of a big city with thousands of people milling around every day, not knowing each other and just going after their day, was captured in a very lovely and true way.
As always, Watt manages to somehow turn darker scenes and chapters into somewhat humorous ones, as is shown by the very first sentence of the book: “The bin was looking at her. With intent.” I was honestly a little disappointed the carnivorous bins didn’t play a larger role, because that scene had me hooked! The atmosphere in that damp, dark alley, the dim light and the silence in a roaring city…it all just fit. And so does the rest of the book.
I can definitely recommend this book, if you’re up for a mystery with some slightly surreal scenes, carnivorous bins and weird bridges in London. I loved it!
Synopsis: If you know the Beaufort Mysteries, you know that DI Adams worked in London before transferring to Leeds. Part of that were weird, unexplainable things happening and giving her migraines…So here’s the story of what happened to her in London
My thoughts:
I was really excited to finally see what Adams did in London and how she managed the weird things happening there. The book is much darker in tone, less cake and tea and friendship, so be aware of that. Instead, it’s about kids and homeless people going missing and people only caring about one of these groups. The story has a lot of suspense, of “can they get them back in time?” and really kept me on edge.
DI Adams is like we know her, no-nonsense and driven to clear up the crimes. I quite liked seeing a little of her Mom in the story too. I feel like she knows a lot about the world. Zahid was kinda nice and I enjoyed seeing a man taking an interest in his family in a mystery, which, honestly doesn’t happen that often? I feel like most dads in most books are somewhat absent…?
I really liked how we got a definite conclusion of one half of the crime, but the author still managed to clad so many parts about the monsters in uncertainty and wonder, giving them a look but at the same time keeping it all so vague, that the mysterious air is not lost. I like it. Especially since Adams herself doesn’t want to look to closely at it again.
I’ve only been to London for like one day, so I can’t say a lot about the accuracy of the setting, but I feel like the feeling of a big city with thousands of people milling around every day, not knowing each other and just going after their day, was captured in a very lovely and true way.
As always, Watt manages to somehow turn darker scenes and chapters into somewhat humorous ones, as is shown by the very first sentence of the book: “The bin was looking at her. With intent.” I was honestly a little disappointed the carnivorous bins didn’t play a larger role, because that scene had me hooked! The atmosphere in that damp, dark alley, the dim light and the silence in a roaring city…it all just fit. And so does the rest of the book.
I can definitely recommend this book, if you’re up for a mystery with some slightly surreal scenes, carnivorous bins and weird bridges in London. I loved it!
November 7, 2025
Having read and loved all the Beaufort Scales books, I was intrigued by what had happened to DI Adams to get her there. She was definitely, deliberately not saying something!
I was keen to eek out spooky season, so this was my opportune moment to delve in. The Beaufort Scales series is full of cake and wonderful chaos. This story, as the author warns, is darker, though. But then I trust Kim M Watt - she can make even the dark and dangerous sound beautiful with her beautiful phrasing. She has a delightful way of viewing the world in terms of sharp angles and diffuse light.
So, the story:
Children are going missing in the Christmas Market! And there are strange people about - ones who are not quite all they seem. But then there are the forgotten - they're going missing too, not that anyone seemed to care before DS (not yet DI) Adams got involved.
Jack is a colourful character, and a wonderful addition to this cast. He's fascinating.
And it was comforting and lovely to see the 'dog' make a tentative introduction this early in Adams' career.
The bridge itself becomes a character in its own right, with its looming, dark girders, and the Thames swirling below with its hungry currents.
I love how determined DS Adams is. She will sniff out a case and keep investigating until it's solved, even when the clues she discovers make 0 sense and give her migraines.
NB This is not a book for those folk who don't like arachnid behaviour
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to those readers seeking a thrilling mystery with an unusual nature. An intriguing book that peeks behind the flimsy veil of reality.
I was keen to eek out spooky season, so this was my opportune moment to delve in. The Beaufort Scales series is full of cake and wonderful chaos. This story, as the author warns, is darker, though. But then I trust Kim M Watt - she can make even the dark and dangerous sound beautiful with her beautiful phrasing. She has a delightful way of viewing the world in terms of sharp angles and diffuse light.
So, the story:
Children are going missing in the Christmas Market! And there are strange people about - ones who are not quite all they seem. But then there are the forgotten - they're going missing too, not that anyone seemed to care before DS (not yet DI) Adams got involved.
Jack is a colourful character, and a wonderful addition to this cast. He's fascinating.
And it was comforting and lovely to see the 'dog' make a tentative introduction this early in Adams' career.
The bridge itself becomes a character in its own right, with its looming, dark girders, and the Thames swirling below with its hungry currents.
I love how determined DS Adams is. She will sniff out a case and keep investigating until it's solved, even when the clues she discovers make 0 sense and give her migraines.
NB This is not a book for those folk who don't like arachnid behaviour
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to those readers seeking a thrilling mystery with an unusual nature. An intriguing book that peeks behind the flimsy veil of reality.
January 28, 2023
Disclosure: I received an ARC. I am giving this review voluntarily. Believe me, if I didn't like the story, I would say so.
While I first met DS Adams in the Beaufort Scales books, this can absolutely be read as a standalone novel. It's darker and grittier than the more lighthearted dragon mysteries - which is perfectly fine. This kind of story needs to be dark and gritty.
It's fascinating to witness this pivotal moment in Adams's career and to see her grow from it. Even knowing where she ends up later, it's the circumstances that lead her there that matter. (Can you tell I'm being deliberately vague in an attempt to keep from revealing spoilers?) The mental gymnastics she goes through, trying to reconcile the "real" world with the impossible, are truly impressive. And I love it that DS Adams is not a perfect, Mary Sue character. She has her flaws and awkward moments, which make her very relatable.
There is magic here. It's a sinister and threatening magic, and if you've ever seen something out of the corner of your eye that you know can't really be there, then this magic is believable. And it's essential to solving this missing persons case.
The minor characters are well developed, as is the world-building. And for those of us who care about such things (like me), there are very few typos.
I think what matters the most to me is Ms. Watts's compassion toward people overlooked by society. She treats these characters with dignity and really makes the reader see them. This is the kind of story that will find its way into your heart and stay there.
While I first met DS Adams in the Beaufort Scales books, this can absolutely be read as a standalone novel. It's darker and grittier than the more lighthearted dragon mysteries - which is perfectly fine. This kind of story needs to be dark and gritty.
It's fascinating to witness this pivotal moment in Adams's career and to see her grow from it. Even knowing where she ends up later, it's the circumstances that lead her there that matter. (Can you tell I'm being deliberately vague in an attempt to keep from revealing spoilers?) The mental gymnastics she goes through, trying to reconcile the "real" world with the impossible, are truly impressive. And I love it that DS Adams is not a perfect, Mary Sue character. She has her flaws and awkward moments, which make her very relatable.
There is magic here. It's a sinister and threatening magic, and if you've ever seen something out of the corner of your eye that you know can't really be there, then this magic is believable. And it's essential to solving this missing persons case.
The minor characters are well developed, as is the world-building. And for those of us who care about such things (like me), there are very few typos.
I think what matters the most to me is Ms. Watts's compassion toward people overlooked by society. She treats these characters with dignity and really makes the reader see them. This is the kind of story that will find its way into your heart and stay there.
January 15, 2023
I received an ARC of this book for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this book.
DI Addams is a much loved character from the Beaufort Scales series of books by Kim Watt. She had previously been a detective in London, but moved north to Leeds following an incident involving a bridge and what she saw under it.
In London she was a DS. During a Christmas period children start disappearing from a Christmas market situated near one of the many bridges in London.
DS Adams (call her Jeanette at your peril) and her DI boss are helping in the search, but nobody has seen anything or heard anything. However Adams begins to see strange things like a hungry and smug looking bin and an odd looking dog.
She meets a young man who is a member of the unhoused community and he tells her that other members have gone missing.
Is there a pattern are the missing adults and children related and what exactly is she seeing under the bridge in the fog and how can a little metal duck and lots of chocolate bars help.
This is not quite as ‘cosy’ a mystery as the Toot Hansel mysteries, it’s a little more in tune with the Gobellino London series. It’s funny with lots of snarky chat between Adams and her DI but there is an increasing sense of dread and anxiety.
I absolutely loved it and at times couldn’t bear to put it down.
I absolutely loved this book.
DI Addams is a much loved character from the Beaufort Scales series of books by Kim Watt. She had previously been a detective in London, but moved north to Leeds following an incident involving a bridge and what she saw under it.
In London she was a DS. During a Christmas period children start disappearing from a Christmas market situated near one of the many bridges in London.
DS Adams (call her Jeanette at your peril) and her DI boss are helping in the search, but nobody has seen anything or heard anything. However Adams begins to see strange things like a hungry and smug looking bin and an odd looking dog.
She meets a young man who is a member of the unhoused community and he tells her that other members have gone missing.
Is there a pattern are the missing adults and children related and what exactly is she seeing under the bridge in the fog and how can a little metal duck and lots of chocolate bars help.
This is not quite as ‘cosy’ a mystery as the Toot Hansel mysteries, it’s a little more in tune with the Gobellino London series. It’s funny with lots of snarky chat between Adams and her DI but there is an increasing sense of dread and anxiety.
I absolutely loved it and at times couldn’t bear to put it down.
January 18, 2023
Well now. I love Kim's writing and own her complete back catalogue (or at least what she's shared with the world up until now!). The Beaufort Scales series is lighter in tone than the Gobbelino London series, and DI Adams is a character from the former. There have been hints of a mysterious past in her early career in London but What Happened in London far surpasses what I could have imagined the story would transpire to be. I'm blown away by this gem of a book.
What Happened in London has all the hallmarks of a truly excellent thriller with some weirdness thrown in to make things interesting. Things that lurk beneath the surface of the known, the visible, things seen from the corner of your eye unless you're unlucky enough to be their victim, when they become very, very real. There are lighter moments in this book but they contrast beautifully with some Really Scary Stuff. Personally, I think this is the best thing Kim's ever written. It is superb. If she ever wanted to make real moolah from writing, she could be up there with the greats writing thrillers, and based on this book I would absolutely read them. But I really like the Toot Hansell WI ladies, the dragons, Green Snake and a certain snarky cat, so I hope to see more of those.
Just read this, you'll be glad you did. Quality stuff.
What Happened in London has all the hallmarks of a truly excellent thriller with some weirdness thrown in to make things interesting. Things that lurk beneath the surface of the known, the visible, things seen from the corner of your eye unless you're unlucky enough to be their victim, when they become very, very real. There are lighter moments in this book but they contrast beautifully with some Really Scary Stuff. Personally, I think this is the best thing Kim's ever written. It is superb. If she ever wanted to make real moolah from writing, she could be up there with the greats writing thrillers, and based on this book I would absolutely read them. But I really like the Toot Hansell WI ladies, the dragons, Green Snake and a certain snarky cat, so I hope to see more of those.
Just read this, you'll be glad you did. Quality stuff.
January 17, 2023
A must-read for anyone who loves a paranormal mystery with a cast of unforgettable characters.
The premise: Several kids have gone missing from the area around a festive market in London. When DI Adams chases down a possible suspect, she learns a little more than she bargained for... one, garbage bins aren't all they seem, and two, homeless people are also going missing from the same area. And since her superiors don't want to believe or care about what she's learned, it's up to Adams to figure out what strange things are really lurking around London.
While this was an utterly compelling story that I couldn't put down, it is a somewhat slow-paced tale (until the last quarter of the novel when things REALLY ramp up in the most delightful way). However, don't be fooled by this slow pace. The whole time, Watt was playing with my curiosity like a cat with a mouse... What's up with the bins? Where are these missing people going? What's the deal with the damn toasties!? Combined with the doggedly determined Adams, it made for a story that was easy to get lost in.
This is billed as a prequel novel, but trust me, you DO NOT have to have read any of Watt's other books to understand and enjoy this highly recommended book.
The premise: Several kids have gone missing from the area around a festive market in London. When DI Adams chases down a possible suspect, she learns a little more than she bargained for... one, garbage bins aren't all they seem, and two, homeless people are also going missing from the same area. And since her superiors don't want to believe or care about what she's learned, it's up to Adams to figure out what strange things are really lurking around London.
While this was an utterly compelling story that I couldn't put down, it is a somewhat slow-paced tale (until the last quarter of the novel when things REALLY ramp up in the most delightful way). However, don't be fooled by this slow pace. The whole time, Watt was playing with my curiosity like a cat with a mouse... What's up with the bins? Where are these missing people going? What's the deal with the damn toasties!? Combined with the doggedly determined Adams, it made for a story that was easy to get lost in.
This is billed as a prequel novel, but trust me, you DO NOT have to have read any of Watt's other books to understand and enjoy this highly recommended book.
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