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4. The Narrative Form
The book is essentially a police procedural, albeit with supernatural elements. Did you find it convincing as such? Did the book engage you at an intellectual level, emotional, or both? Or indeed, just pass you by without engaging you?
Comments
From what I know of UK police procedure, it seemed plausible for its time (the current state of the UK police is much more cash-strapped and underfunded than what was portrayed). The bureaucracy and interactions between the characters seemed believable. Characters didn't seem to do things for plot-contrived reasons. The heroes also mostly seemed to be likeable characters and I wanted them to succeed. The pace kept up, and it was a lively book.
So yes, I was engaged by the book.
I was engaged (though it was a reread and I've read much of the rest of the series, so I obviously like that sort of thing). The police procedural elements seemed convincing to me, and reasonably informative. I like the characters. I like the use of the supernatural.
I don't think I could tell a bad police procedural from a good one. Everything I know about how the police work comes from TV, and for all I know that's a consistently terrible representation. This felt adequately like TV, so I found it convincing. But it still might be bollocks.
I was engaged somewhat. I felt the opening was strong and that's when I was most engaged. I quite liked the character of Nightingale, and the relationship between the two cadets, and even the two older cops. I like the doctor pressed into the supernatural service, too.
But as clutter of standard fantasy trappings like vampires and fireballs increased, I rapidly started to lose interest. I don't feel those things really added anything, and if anything were included for mass market appeal.
I agree with @Apocryphal 's point. I think the setting would have been stronger with a tighter focus on spirits & possession and sympathetic/ritual magic. But then again, the whole book is an exercise in nerd-troping a standard genre (much like Harry Potter is a nerd-troped boarding school story), so that's somewhat to be expected.
Loved it! I watch police procedurals a lot, and enjoy them. I run procedurals often, and frequently in some genre, like SF procedurals, or Urban Fantasy procedurals. This one is well done, interesting, and kept me engaged fully.
It is really strange being the only one who really loved everything about the monthly book! I am usually the Debby Downer!
As a matter of interest, when you run procedurals, how do you tackle the issue which came up in another thread about getting the players to be aware of and stick to the rules of procedure?
I've often wondered this myself.
The first time the judge ordered a villain released in our supers police game because the players didn't read him his rights was the last time. Punish violations of procedure in-world. They will pay attention! Getting put on trial for killing a criminal without good reason. Body cams. Testifying in another cop's trial. The rules need to be followed.
This is the bit where I get unstuck. The characters have lots of knowledge about police procedure that the players don't. It's similar to the "problem" of games set in a different culture: how do the players navigate their characters through these different cultural mores?
@Apocryphal and @NeilNjae:
It is best if the GM is familiar with procedurals in fiction as well as police procedures. This may help: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331017648_An_Introduction_to_the_Police_Procedural_A_Subgenre_of_Detective_Genre
AFAIK, the first police procedural was Dragnet, BTW!
Whoa - that's a serious link. Thanks @clash_bowley !