A classic detective story in an unsettling and wildly inventive setting. Miéville manages to avoid the tropes and paint a crime story with new colors -  this is not a story about a womanizing investigator, a dirty cop, or sex workers with hearts of gold. I couldn't guess the ending, either, which I appreciated as too many books lack in mystery these days. This is a bit more narrow in terms of his character development and the rich description from his other works - think of this book as Miéville stripped down. He continues to be one of my favorite modern authors.