A great read, very interesting and informative. Makes me want to get out there and investigate some of the areas myself

Thank you Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for the arc of Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch. This has been sat waiting for me to read it for far too long. I was feeling scared, intimidated, and nervous, as there has been so much hype about the book and the series. What if I hated it? What would that say about me? Especially when so many of my peers absolutely love this series.
What can I say? I’m an idiot! Why did I wait so long I absolutely loved Constable Peter Grant, I loved the world building, and the supernatural murder investigation was just perfect. I could rhapsodise for hours about this book but, I’m sure it’s been done. I’m definitely not the first guest at this party and I will most definitely be progressing my way through the rest of the series.

A breath of fresh air, I had no idea what to expect, but the originality and unpredictability had me entertained from start to finish. Combining a touch of magic, with the streets (and rivers) of old London meant the book was bound to be charming.
Peter Grant is about to be reassigned to paper-pusher, when he really wants to be a constable. Luckily, or unluckily, he finds himself a part of an impossible murder case, and takes an eye-witness statement from a ghost. And so begins his recruitment into the investigation of magical crimes.
The author is such a professional, deftly inserting his wit while building memorable, breathing characters, into a completely wacky, unorthodox story line. This book is made for entertainment and suspended belief, and will richly reward. A crazy, creative imaginative personification of London rivers and magical London that I would highly recommend.

I read this a while back and just came across the fact that I had not reviewed it. It was a very enjoyable book and not the style of anything I had read before. I have since read most of the author's books and he is one of my favourites. Each living organism had names giving them so much life and adding to the story. Highly recommend.

I’ve been wanting to read this author for absolutely ages, but I’ve been putting it off incase I was disappointed, especially with all the hype there was around him.

I’m very relieved….I thought it would be a lot more serious but it’s not, it’s lighthearted and funny. The plot basically introduces us to Constable Peter Grant who it turns out can see ghosts, he’s immediately moved onto a different department in the police, and becomes involved in a supernatural murder.

This book hit all the right notes for me, the humour, the story, all of it.

Ben has a new fan!

My review is based on a copy that I received from the publisher. My thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group.

I've never read Aaronovitch work so I was keen on opportunity .. delightful for sure; good writing and full characters ...but .. a ghosts involvement put me off .. it means rules can change unaccountably .. the mystery itself is solid, and is certainly recommend him .. maybe just not for me .

think it is safe to say that it is a little bit hot today! It is 110% shorts weather, and as soon as I’ve finished work today I’m going to be settling down with something ice cold and my current read, Foxglove Summer, which is book #5 in the Rivers of London series. But I think we should re-wind a week or two, don’t you?

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Thank you so much to @orionbooks and @netgalley for giving me a review copy of the first book (prompting me to then download the rest!) which has filled the gap nicely whilst I await the new Time Police book in October!

Peter Grant has just finished his probation as a constable with the Metropolitan Police. Awaiting his next assignment, he ends up trying to take a witness statement from someone who is already dead, an unwitting piece of policing which hurls him head first into a secret unit of the Met, tasked with investigating crimes involving magic. Yes, you read that correctly. Magic.

These books honestly are brilliant. They’re unpredictable, very funny, full of both personably characters like Peter, and more that swing more towards the comfortingly sinister like Molly, their probably not quite human, silent housekeeper who I can’t wait to learn more of in the future books. The cases are clever, well planned out, and whilst the story plays out as narrated by one of their detectives, the books attitude to the Met is very much in line with the reality of most Londoners who‘ve ever come into contact with them!

Honestly, if you love a good thriller with a fantasy edge and you’re looking for a series to binge though the summer heat, Rivers of London is going to become your latest addiction, as it has mine!

This isn’t my usual type of book, but I’m glad I read it.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

I read this as part of a book group after a strong recommendation from a friend and, though it does have a lot to offer, I was disappointed. My hopes were high. I wasn't expecting anything more than a fun and fairly interesting read, but I think the novel gets too bogged down in the science of the magic world. The main character never really makes sense to me, continually making decisions which don't really match with his knowledge, understanding and experience. Towards the climax, he seems to act in a way which suggests he isn't that concerned about a friend who is in serious danger, while his obsession with the women around him is very distracting. I don't believe the book ever works out what tone it wants to be, opting at times for light-hearted and whimsical before something jarringly brutal happens.

I'm intrigued by the world that Aaranovitch begins to create here and I'm planning on reading subsequent novels, but I must say that this isn't the strong opener to the series that I had anticipated.

“It started at one thirty on a cold Tuesday morning in January when Martin Turner, street performer and, in his own words, apprentice gigolo, tripped over a body in front of the West Portico of St Paul’s at Covent Garden".

This is an urban fantasy take on the detective novel with a police procedural that gives a close-up view of a modern London with undercurrents of magic and magical beings. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Ben Aaronovitch has already made a big impression on contemporary culture as the author of the Dr Who novels. I was therefore delighted to see him turn his writerly talents to the genre I like most – thrillers. This novel debuts the fictional London police constable Peter Grant, who is recruited to a unit that solves paranormal and unusual crimes. Peter and his colleague Thomas Nightingale do so with a unique blend of police investigative skill, deadpan humour, magic tricks and humility in a mixture that results in a great written narrative. Thrown into the mix are references to the River Thames and its tributaries, and to the lives of ordinary Londoners who reside on their shores. If, like me, you enjoyed this debut, you will be heartened to hear there are already two sequels available, entitled Moon Over Soho and Whispers Underground, that I will certainly be seeking out. Firstly, though, I would like to send my thanks to the publishers and to NetGalley for the ARC they gifted me that enabled this impartial review.

i so wanted to like this book but i found the story much too fantasy for me to relate to it. i appreciate that the story is well written but i just could not gather interest in the creatures and the murders.

Thank you so much for my earc of this book! I so wanted to love this one but unfortunately I just wasn’t gripped by the story, I didn’t finish.

As usual in my reviews I will not rehash the plot (plenty of reviews like that out there already!) Instead, I recommend that you read this book for yourself!

This book appealed to me on many levels - as a long-term fan of fantasy and magical novels I really enjoyed those aspects of the story, particularly the way in which they intermeshed with "real life". Also loved the settings, as I used to work in Covent Garden and was delighted to recognise some of the locations.

There are some great characters here - Peter Grant is an appealing and intelligent novice in "the arts"; Nightingale is a very believable figure; Beverley Brook and her extended family are all interesting characters, as is the pathologist (whose name escapes me at time of writing - apologies!).

The writing is full of the kind of unintentional humour - found in everyday things and stituations - that I love.

Some of the descriptions of the murders are a little grim, but that's murder for you!

I'm not sure how this series has escaped my attention before now - but I plan to remedy that!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

Wow this was a great read… Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London's Metropolitan Police. After taking a statement from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost, Peter comes to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny.
Suddenly, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.

‘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’ - Peter Grant, narrator of ‘Rivers of London’ by Ben Aaronovitch, 2011.

I first read this superb work of British urban fantasy in 2012 and was pleased to revisit it again this year when Orion Publishing Group Gollancz offered a digital review copy via NetGalley.

Peter Grant had been a probationary constable in the Metropolitan Police until he attempted to take a witness statement from a ghost during a murder enquiry. Peter's ability to communicate with the corporally challenged brings him to the attention of Detective Inspector Thomas Nightingale, the last wizard in England, who is in charge of investigations into crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the supernatural.

Peter is promoted to Detective Constable and becomes a trainee wizard under Nightingale's tutelage. He finds himself plunged into a strange world that sees him dealing with nests of vampires and assisting in complex negotiations between the warring gods and goddesses of the rivers of London. There is also a wave of murders linked to that initial crime in which a malignant spirit is taking over the bodies of ordinary Londoners in order to act out a violent drama.

I could tell from the outset that Aaronovitch is in love with London and, as suggested by the title, its history and cityscape are central to the story. It is also very much a police procedural as Peter Grant and others investigate a series of strange murders.

His descriptions of London were highly detailed and I attributed this to assisting readers who are not familiar with the history and cityscape of London.

The story itself was fast-paced with plenty of pop culture references and wry humour and I loved it. It has been published in the USA as ‘Midnight Riot’.

Following this powerful debut, Aaronovitch has continued to write more adventures for Peter Grant and Company with the ninth novel, ‘Amongst Our Weapons’ published this week.

Very highly recommended novel and series.

Rivers of London is the first book in this series. When a headless corpse is found in Covent Garden probationary constable Peter Grant is given the unenviable task of guarding the crime scene overnight. When a ghost comes along to give him his opinion of the murder so begins this urban fantasy.
The dialogue is very much British humour, the characters well developed. Peter is then teamed up with DCI Thomas Nightingale head of investigating crimes involving magic. Peter’s world changes beyond all he thought he knew as he learns of Vampires ghosts, gods and goddesses of the river, whilst being taught how to perform magic by his DCI.
Horrific murders continue to occur and it’s a race against time to try stop them.
I enjoyed this story but this book was enough for me, I don’t feel I need or want to carry on the series, Peter Grant though is a great character and I wish him well in his magical journey.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Ben Aaronovitch published Rivers of London several years ago. I glanced at the first few pages at the time but got distracted and didn’t continue with it. What a mistake! I’ve now just read the whole book in less than 24 hours. I was desperate to find out what happened next.

Peter Grant is a young police constable who is on duty, guarding a murder scene in Covent Garden, when a ghost gives Peter an eye-witness account of the murder. The book then follows Peter as he starts his apprenticeship in a really small department of the Metropolitan Police Force, i.e. DCI Thomas Nightingale and Peter. This department comprises all those coppers (i.e. Nightingale and Peter) who can do/see magical things.

Is this Harry Potter for adults, then? I’ve thought about that and I think the answer is “No. It’s different.” Yes, there are spells; yes, there are spirits; but you probably wouldn’t want a ten-year-old reading books with these fruity Anglo-Saxon words. Also, the references are much more sophisticated than JK Rowling’s. Don’t misunderstand me: I enjoyed the Harry Potter books, but the resonances in Rivers of London run deeper. There are also some wonderful phrases that made me snigger in an unbecoming manner: “You can always tell an old cop car because, however hard you scrub, it always smells of old cop” and Nightingale’s way of distinguishing himself from Harry Potter: “I’m not a fictional character”.

Right, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to line up the remaining books in the series and start reading my way through them…

#RiversofLondon #NetGalley.

New mixed race copper in the Met, Peter Grant, has his life turned upside down when he discovers that he can see ghosts and that he has the potential to be a wizard. Also that the Met has its own wizarding department - though no one ever talks about it - run by Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale. Seconded to Nightingale to learn the magical ropes, Peter discovers a world where the gods and goddesses of the Thames and its tributaries are real and interact with humans. This is a smart blend of urban fantasy and police procedural. The main character, Peter Grant, has a great 'voice' and his witty observations are crisp and funny. London itself becomes a character, too and there's a solid sense of place. The supporting characters are well fleshed out, Leslie, the mysteriously silent Molly and her culinary experiments, the enigmatic Beverley Brook, Lady Tyburn and the other River gods and goddesses, Dr Walid the pathologist, Guleed, Seawoll, Stephanopoulos and even Toby the dog I enjoyed this so much that I galloped through all the available Peter Grant books without coming up for air. Highly recommended.

It's been nearly a decade since I read Rivers of London for the first and fell hard for this series, buying and reading every installment.
It was an exciting ride and it was great going back to where it started and discover that you didn't remember a lot of details but it didn't matter because you fell in love again with the series.
I think this book it's a great love letter to London and it's history. I read it slowly, appreciating the details and the humour.
I can't wait to read the next book, I want to recommend this one to anyone who didn't read it yet.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine