That is where the The Metaphysical Coordination Unit gets involved. If the crime committed has any supernatural aspect to it, then it gets bumped up to this group. Think of them as Dresden Files' Special Investigations division, but in a world where magic is not only widely known, but accepted.
Detective Zaniel "Havoc" Havelock has been a part of the unit for a long time, and given his unusual upbringing, he is particularly useful in anything angel-related. When he was a young boy, Havelock showed the potential to be able to speak to angels. He was then enrolled into the College of Angels, a kind of boarding school that helps hone these rare gifts so that they could be the perfect messengers between the angels and mankind. While he spent his formative years in the College's care, something happened just before becoming a full Angel Speaker that caused Zaniel to leave his adoptive family, join the military and, eventually, become a cop.
A Terrible Fall of Angels starts with Havoc and The Metaphysical Coordination Unit being called in to what looks to be an apparently mundane case of rape and murder. Mundane that is, except for the single large white angel feather found at the crime scene. Zaniel quickly discerns that an angel isn't directly involved in the crime at hand (either as victim or perpetrator) and the feather's existence is there so that The Metaphysical Coordination Unit. in general, and Havoc, specifically, is brought in on the case. As Havelock and his squadmates start to dig into the case, they start to learn that there is a supernatural force behind the crime and it is of a very unusual nature. Even when they confront the suspect, they are left uncertain if the perpetrator is a willing accomplice or another victim.
As if the case involving a brutal murder and the subsequent violent encounter with their suspect isn't hard enough to deal with, Zaniel is also going through a separation with his wife. Around investigating potential demonic possession, Havelock attends couples therapy and has to deal with a wife who feels he prefers the job over her. To make matters worse, aspects of his past start to creep into his case in several unexpected ways.
Not only does the presence of the angelic feather dredge up Zaniel's past associations, but when a colleague is injured, the department asks for help from the College of Angels and Havelock finds himself having to deal with several old friends who view his exit from the College in a very bad light. To top everything off, Zaniel also runs into an old friend who was driven mad by failing the final test to becoming an Angel Speaker, but for some reason, appears to be perfectly fine now. While Havelock's current case and the sudden appearance of old acquaintances might not be directly connected, there are enough threads linking them to make it clear that there is something bigger going on than the simple rape and murder that started the book off.
As a detective novel, A Terrible Fall of Angels: A Zaniel Havelock Novel - Book 1 was an interesting read. At times, it felt like the story went off into the weeds, but by the end of the book, even some of those apparent stray threads tied back to the overall tapestry Hamilton was weaving. It will be interesting to see where she takes Detective Zanield Havelock in the future as it's clear that there are several plots started in this book that are bound to bear fruit in upcoming novels. I will be keeping an eye out for future additions to this series.
