This is such a fantastic series that will never get old. Just like the other books before it, i enjoyed this wholeheartedly - the perfect mix of crime, mystery and the supernatural without going too far in the ‘what the hell’ direction. Richly drawn and loveable characters and apace that makes it hard to put down.

Peter Grant’s life seems pretty established now, since we first met him in Rivers of London and he discovered the branch of the police that deals with “weird bollocks”. Still training in magical skills, he’s now confident in his role, au fait with the ‘demimonde’, and even has a girlfriend who may or may not be the physical representation of a major English waterway. Yeah.

The story, too, is pretty established: this is not a volume for newcomers, this is a continuation of events that have been building over several books. If you don’t know who The Faceless Man is, or what Lesley may or may not be up to these days, or how Peter’s ‘relationship’ with Mr Punch has come about, then you’re really going to struggle with this.

As it was, it’s been long enough (for no good reason!) since I read the previous book(s) (and note to self: really, stop leaving series unfinished!!) that I was a little vague on just a few points. That was fine: I caught up quickly enough. But there was enough of a gap to make me very aware that this wasn’t a ‘whole story’ – not only is the ending (no spoilers!) fully open for the next instalment, but it picks up the plot directly not even from the previous book (Foxglove Summer), but back even further to Broken Homes!

So, read this as a series. I’m really quite looking forward to a bit of time passing, a few more books being out, and starting over from the very beginning as a continuous piece. As it stands, this one is a very good read but with flaws from that ‘middle book’ kind of feel, and perhaps just a bit of cockiness in both the main character and from the author being fully into his best-selling stride. I still want more!

This has been a really original and well written series so far and this sixth offering does not disappoint. It tells the story of PC Peter Grant and his continuing struggle with magical underworld types in London. As ever, we have two plot lines - here, we have a death due to drugs in which the daughter of Lady Ty is mixed up and we also have the ongoing search for the Faceless Man. I felt that the drugs story line was a little on the weak side, but it did re-introduce us to some interesting characters and it concludes well. In terms of the overarching narrative, we have some great revelations in this novel which really serve to push the story forward and as always, the interplay between Peter, his boss, Nightingale and the greater police force is really wonderful. Aaronovitch inhabits Peter Grant so effortlessly now that his inner dialogue with the reader is streamlined and full of tongue in cheek observations. I always look forward to the next book in this series and as yet, my anticipation hasn't been dampened.

Love this series! It's clever and twisty with wonderful use London, myth and crime. Please don't let these ever end.

And ... we're back. After nearly two years since the release of the last book in the series, it was with a mixture of delight and relief that I tore into the latest Peter Grant novel, the sixth in the series. A fair bit of world-building has gone on by now, with Peter far more adept in his abilities than he was back in the day, when he was first approached by the ghost in Covent Garden. After Foxglove Summer, which felt like something of a standalone, we are very much back in the thick of things with The Hanging Tree, which sees Peter draw closer than ever before to the Faceless Man, while also inevitably getting into the usual blend of explosions, collapsing buildings and general mayhem which makes the Folly an absolute headache for the Metropolitan Police.

My first thought on reviewing The Hanging Tree is that at this point, you will only be likely to pick it up if you have already read at least one of the series. If you have not, I metaphorically pat your arm sympathetically, refer you to The Rivers of London, and invite you to come back again after reading it. It's amazing. However, if you are an established fan, surely the only question to be asked is, does it live up to the others? Thankfully, the answer to that is yes. We see Peter back in his familiar stomping ground of London, having found apparent domestic harmony with Beverley the river goddess, but unfortunately trouble comes a-knocking in the form of Beverley's sister Tyburn, whose daughter has got herself into rather a lot of trouble. Under firm instructions from Tyburn to sort it out, no questions asked - and Peter does owe her a favour back from Whispers Underground - our favourite boy-detective-wizard-chap heads off to find out more.

Fun though Foxglove undoubtedly was, it does feel good to return to the tried and tested - general update on Peter's family and relationships, catch up with what is happening with his training and the folly and then we tear round London, culminating in chaos. My only slight peeve was that the novel felt a little light on Nightingale and even Toby, although this was perhaps understandable as Peter's situation with Beverley has become more serious. There were a few new character additions this time though, particularly Helena and Caroline, who certainly have potential to help if the next chapters continue to the darker turn. Tyburn's teenaged daughter Olivia - a perfect portrayal of the posh yah-girl - has got caught up in a police investigation of a drug overdose in suspicious circumstances and as Peter tries to discover where Olivia fits in the puzzle, he comes to realise that at least one of the other pieces involves the Faceless Man. After book after book of not quite catching sight of him, he is finally unavoidable.

While there are definite moments of high suspense, the joy of the series has always been in the humour. When Tyburn gets angry that Peter is not resolving matters quickly enough, Peter frets later over whether or not to check with Thames Water if her wrath has had any damaging effects. When Caroline observes how often Peter needs getting out of trouble, Peter acknowledges his damsel-in-distress tendencies, 'Sometimes Beverly rescues me, sometimes Lady Ty, occasionally Molly - I think there's a rota.' There is also reliable humour to be found in the contrast and clash between the methods of the Folly and those of the Metropolitan police - while Peter can apply crime-fighting jargon as much as he wants, refer to 'ethically-challenged wizards' and 'stakeholders' and keep up his log of actions, the rest of the Met is only ever going to regard the Isaacs as a menace.

The Peter Grant series has always been a series for people who like their fantasy with a heavy dose of reality - it appeals to me in a similar way that the Harry Potter books did but it does come with rather more in the way of cynicism. That being said, Aaronovitch can also be applauded for the way in which he has managed to build such an enjoyable series which manages to promote diversity without ever seeming effortful or didactic. I could pick out examples, such as the bossy female superior who inspires terror in her subordinates but still manages to have 'a wife in the suburbs', but I feel that that removes the subtlety. There are so many series out there which are totally whitewashed, but with Aaronovitch, one does not have that same sense of characters being white unless stated otherwise - it feels like modern Britain. On a less political note, Peter is also a very good-natured hero, trying his best to be a good copper in trying circumstances and fighting against the tide to keep all stakeholders happy - in this book, he even manages to catch Lady Tyburn's good side, with her advice on his relationship with Beverley offering one of the most poignant moments of the series thus far. As always, The Hanging Tree is a treat for fans of London, this time taking in a visit to Harrods where Peter naturally finds himself in a fireball fight. Still, Aaronovitch shows no sign of the format wearing thin, still managing to leave the reader with a shudder of realisation as he deals his trademark final-page revelation. We must simply wait and hope that it does not take another two years for Book 7.

All I have to say is this was a great book and I definitely recommend checking it out.