There are very few books that I will buy as soon as they are released. While I probably spend more than most people on books, I do need to clothe and feed two kids so I try generally to stick to books on Kindle daily deals, wait til they’ve been out a while and come down in price, or - even better - borrow from the library. I know there are ways to get books for pennies or even for free, but for various reasons (possibly a future blog post in this?) I prefer to pay for my books so that authors receive their cut.

Sorry, sidetracked. Where was I? Oh yes, buying books on release day. There are a handful of authors whose books will always find their way into my hands immediately upon release. Christopher Brookmyre, Joanne Harris, Dorothy Koomson. And Ben Aaronovitch. Today’s review is another of my go-tos for blanket recommendation. Not everyone loves it, but those who do, love it hard.

Rivers of London cover.jpg — Rivers Of London

Gollancz, 2011

Ben Aaronovitch

I’ve heard this series described in various ways. Harry Potter for grown-ups; The Bill with an urban fantasy bent. Whatever; it’s magical realism done very, very right. From the start you can’t help but warm to Peter Grant. He’s funny, deftly capable, cocky and mistake-prone. The day he discovers his witness is a ghost sets the tone for Policing 3.0. While he works alongside his resolutely practical and pragmatic colleagues in the Force, Peter discovers The Folly, a known-but-not-discussed special ops branch of the Met that deals with magical crimes. Or “weird bollocks”, to quote one of his senior officers.

Detective Inspector Nightingale is in charge of The Folly: deceptively unassuming and always a gentleman, he becomes Peter’s mentor – in policing as well as in magic. It’s a partnership that works well, and their interactions are tightly written with well-paced dialogue. The various London (and other regional) accents come across well in the text, without being overblown.

Side note: as well as reading these on the page, I have listened to them all on audiobook, and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as narrator is a true delight.

“Seeing stuff that isn’t there can be a useful skill for a copper”

Starting with a late-night beheading outside St Paul’s, the book flies through the investigation of a range of mysterious murders, all of which indicate some magical involvement. Peter learns his craft as a policeman at the same time as learning basic spells; his delight at producing a werelight (a glowing globe produced in the palm of the hand) is tangible. His colleague Lesley May, a fellow probationary constable, is smarter and more streetwise than him – Aaronovitch writes excellent female characters, in comparison to some male authors who I believe may have never met an actual woman in the flesh. Keep Lesley in mind; her character arc across the series is totally inspired.

I can’t tell you much more without spoilers, so the rest is up to you. Start with Rivers of London, but know that you will likely end up buying Moon Over Soho shortly afterwards. There are seven published full Rivers of London novels, as well as related novellas, and graphic novels if that’s your thing. Volume eight, False Value, is due for release in November of this year - so you’ve time to get caught up before then. And now, I’m off to practice my werelight.