Aaronovitch, Ben "Broken Homes"

Aaronovitch, Ben "Broken Homes" (Rivers of London 4) - 2013

Number 4 in the "Rivers of London" series, a crime story with wizards. Not my usual genre but I enjoy reading about London and the story is not too bad. But, as is the case with most crime stories, there is not much to talk about without giving away too much.

However, if you do want to read this, please start with the first novel in the series, "Rivers of London".

See more comments on my ThrowbackThursday post in 2025.

From the back cover:

 "A mutilated body in Crawley. Another killer on the loose. The prime suspect is one Robert Weil; an associate of the twisted magician known as the Faceless Man? Or just a common or garden serial killer?

Before PC Peter Grant can get his head round the case a town planner going under a tube train and a stolen grimoire are adding to his case-load.

So far so London.

But then Peter gets word of something very odd happening in Elephant and Castle, on a housing estate designed by a nutter, built by charlatans and inhabited by the truly desperate.

Is there a connection?

And if there is, why oh why did it have to be South of the River?"

The whole series:
"Rivers of London" - 2011
"Moon over Soho" - 2011
"Whispers Under Ground" - 2012
"Broken Homes" - 2013
"Foxglove Summer" - 2014
"The Hanging Tree" - 2016

"Lies Sleeping" - 2018

"False Value" - 2020

"Amongst Our Weapons" - 2022

I found a good site about this series: The Follypedia.

Aaronovitch, Ben "Whispers Under Ground"

Aaronovitch, Ben "Whispers Under Ground" (Rivers of London 3) - 2012

I don't think I ever would have picked up the first book of this series "Rivers of London" if I had seen the US edition "Midnight Riot". Doesn't have the same feeling. Also, I might have looked a little closer at the contents of the book.

Anyway, I am happy I did. I carried on with "Moon over Soho". And even in his third book about special policeman Peter Grant who works his magic in one of my favourite cities, Ben Aaronovitch shows his humour and his talent of writing a gripping story. I will definitely read the next book, "Broken Homes".

See more comments on my ThrowbackThursday post in 2025.

From the back cover:

"A Whole New Reason To Mind The Gap
It begins with a dead body at the far end of Baker Street tube station, all that remains of American exchange student James Gallagher - and the victim's wealthy, politically powerful family is understandably eager to get to the bottom of the gruesome murder. The trouble is, the bottom - if it exists at all - is deeper and more unnatural than anyone suspects . . . except, that is, for London constable and sorcerer's apprentice Peter Grant. With Inspector Nightingale, the last registered wizard in England, tied up in the hunt for the rogue magician known as 'the Faceless Man,' it's up to Peter to plumb the haunted depths of the oldest, largest, and - as of now 'deadliest subway system in the world.
At least he won't be alone. No, the FBI has sent over a crack agent to help. She's young, ambitious, beautiful . . . and a born - again Christian apt to view any magic as the work of the devil. Oh yeah - that's going to go well."

The whole series:
"Rivers of London" - 2011
"Moon over Soho" - 2011
"Whispers Under Ground" - 2012
"Broken Homes" - 2013
"Foxglove Summer" - 2014
"The Hanging Tree" - 2016

"Lies Sleeping" - 2018

"False Value" - 2020

"Amongst Our Weapons" - 2022

I found a good site about this series: The Follypedia. 

Aaronovitch, Ben "Moon over Soho"

Aaronovitch, Ben "Moon over Soho" (Rivers of London 2) - 2011

The sequel to "Rivers of London". We meet Peter Grant again, the trainee wizard in the London Metropolitan Police, who hunts supernatural forces, investigates supernatural crimes, tries to save the life of that make everyone's life miserable.

Same as the first one, this book is funny and interesting to read. Lots of fantasy elements mixed in with real life but deep down a crime story with likeable characters. If you enjoyed "Rivers of London", you will like this one, as well. If you haven't read "Rivers of London" (or "Midnight Riot" in the US), read that first. This really should be read as a sequel.

See more comments on my ThrowbackThursday post in 2025.

From the back cover:

"My name is Peter Grant, and I’m a Detective Constable in that might army for justice known as the Metropolitan Police (a.k.a. The Filth). I’m also a trainee wizard, the first such apprentice in fifty years.
Something violently supernatural had happened, something strong enough to leave an imprint on the corpse of part-time jazz saxophonist Cyrus Wilkinson as if he were a wax cylinder recording. He's not the first musician to drop dead of a heart attack right after a gig, but no one was going to let me start examining corpses to check for supernatural similarities. Instead, it was back to old-fashioned police legwork. It didn't take me long to realise there were monsters stalking Soho, creatures feeding off the gift that separates great musicians from those who can raise a decent tune. What they take is beauty. What they left behind is broken lives.

And as I hunted them, my investigation got tangled up in another story: a brilliant trumpet player, Richard 'Lord' Grant – my father – who managed to destroy his own career. Twice.

Policing: most of the time you're doing it to maintain public order. Occasionally you're doing it for justice. And, maybe once in a career, you're doing it for revenge."

The whole series:
"Rivers of London" - 2011
"Moon over Soho" - 2011
"Whispers Under Ground" - 2012
"Broken Homes" - 2013
"Foxglove Summer" - 2014
"The Hanging Tree" - 2016

"Lies Sleeping" - 2018

"False Value" - 2020

"Amongst Our Weapons" - 2022

I found a good site about this series: The Follypedia. 

Aaronovitch, Ben "Rivers of London"

Aaronovitch, Ben "Rivers of London" (US: Midnight Riot) - 2011

I originally bought this book because I thought it might be similar to those of Edward Rutherfurd, describing the history of a city or a country. I also liked the cover, a map of London. And since London is my favourite city in the whole world, I just had to read the book.

When I started reading it, I noticed it was completely different from what I expected. It was a police story, a crime novel mixed with fantasy elements. All genres I usually stay far away from.

However, Ben Aaronovitch has such a unique and funny way to describe his characters and the story, the good guys as well as the bad guys, the living as well as the dead, the spirits, the events. The author manages to create suspension, you hardly want to put down the book. The plot is witty, the characters likable, the mix of reality and fantasy interesting.

It was completely worth reading the book, and I will probably read its follow-ups "Moon Over Soho" and "Whispers Under Ground". I wouldn't be surprised to find it made into a movie or TV series in the future, either. I'm sure one of those talented young British actors can play the protagonist, Peter Grant, and there are plenty of fantastic older guys around who can play his master Thomas Nightingale.

Fabulous story, fun to read.

And - even though I think "Midnight Riot" is not a bad title for this novel, as usual, I really have no idea why this novel has to have a different title in the United States. I'm sure the American reader knows where London is.

See more comments on my ThrowbackThursday post in 2025.

From the back cover:

"My name is Peter Grant and until January I was just probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service and to everyone else as the Filth.

My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit - we do paperwork so real coppers don't have to.Then one night I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was already dead but disturbingly voluble ... and that led me to Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England. 

And that, as they say, is where the story really starts.

There's something festering at the heart of the city I love, a malicious vengeful spirit that's taking ordinary Londoners and twisting them into something awful; mannequins to act out its drama of violence and despair.

The spirit of riot and rebellion has awakened in the city, and it's falling to me to bring order out of chaos - or die trying."

The whole series:
"Rivers of London" - 2011
"Moon over Soho" - 2011
"Whispers Under Ground" - 2012
"Broken Homes" - 2013
"Foxglove Summer" - 2014
"The Hanging Tree" - 2016

"Lies Sleeping" - 2018

"False Value" - 2020

"Amongst Our Weapons" - 2022

I found a good site about this series: The Follypedia.