Ben Aaronovitch False Value [Rivers Of London series Book 8]
The first instalment of Ben Aaronovitch's 'Rivers Of London' series was published around 2011, and became a Sunday Times bestseller, though I came across it by chance after idly glancing at my Kindle recommendations. I soon became hooked on PC Peter Grant, and I have just finished reading the most recent novel in the series, False Value. Aaronovitch has written two novellas, in addition to the novels, and has also published several short stories and graphic novels with Andrew Cartmel and others, based on the series.
The first instalment of Ben Aaronovitch's 'Rivers Of London' series was published around 2011, and became a Sunday Times bestseller, though I came across it by chance after idly glancing at my Kindle recommendations. I soon became hooked on PC Peter Grant, and I have just finished reading the most recent novel in the series, False Value. Aaronovitch has written two novellas, in addition to the novels, and has also published several short stories and graphic novels with Andrew Cartmel and others, based on the series.
Book 1: Rivers Of London The Furthest Station [novella]
Book 2: Moon Over Soho The October Man [novella]
Book 3: Whispers Underground
Book 4: Broken Homes
Book 5: Foxglove Summer
Book 6: The Hanging Tree
Book 7: Lies Sleeping
Book 8: False Value
There are several reasons why I enjoy this series, the main one being the protagonist, PC Peter Grant, a young, black police officer in the Met who narrates the novels with a self-deprecating, wry humour. Peter Grant is from a working-class mixed race family - his mother is from Sierra Leone. His father is a well-known (within the world of British jazz) jazz musician. Peter wanted to be an architect but ended up joining the Police, and in the first novel in the series, he learns of the existence of magic and meets Thomas Nightingale, the country's only 'magical detective', based at The Folly.
And that's the second reason I love the books - the depiction of Peter's own development as a magical practitioner, and the 'Falcon' cases he is involved with is a brilliant twist on the usual police procedural. Aaronovitch manages to combine the arcane and supernatural with the everyday problems of modern policing, in a way that is often funny, often tense and always entertaining.
Each novel has its own complete plot but there are narrative threads that run through the series so it is recommended that you read them in order. For example, Peter's friend PC Leslie May, is magically injured in book one and is then compromised as she turns 'to the dark side' for several novels.
Most of the stories are set in London, which is my third reason for loving them, as I find the London portrayed to be recognisable and accurate. I lived in South London for over a decade and the atmosphere of Aaronovitch's novels makes me homesick for the city at times. However, not all the novels are set in London. Foxglove Summer, one of my favourites, moves Peter temporarily out into the serious countryside. The novella, The October Man, dispenses with Peter altogether and is narrated by his German counterpart and Trier, Germany.
My fourth reason for loving the series is that I love the river gods and goddesses. By book 8, Peter is living with Beverley, the goddess of the Thames tributary Beverley Brook, who is expecting his twin children. The characters move on and progress through the novels, rather than remaining in an artificially static location in space and time, like some book series characters do. The Folly gradually expands in terms of practitioners and facilities.
My fifth reason for loving the books is that the characters are extremely well-drawn and distinctive - from Thomas Nightingale to other senior detectives like Seawoll and Stephanopoulos, and more junior police officers like Guleed, and then moving more widely to characters like Peter's parents and the various river gods and goddesses - all are lively and well-delineated. The plots are generally good too, with enough action sequences to keep you interested and enough mysteries to keep you turning the pages. I personally enjoy the more mundane police procedural elements too.
I am not a great reader of detective fiction, and if you are the sort of fan of the detective genre who wants their stories firmly set in the real world, then you probably wouldn't enjoy this series. But if you like a good detective story but are open-minded enough to enjoy the supernatural aspect, you should find these books a breath of fresh air. They are brilliant examples of hybrid novels, drawing on several genres to create a new genre. Energetic, entertaining and enjoyable.
https://www.benaaronovitch.com/
https://www.benaaronovitch.com/
RATING:
False Values
False Values
****
Key:
***** highly recommended - a 'must-read'
**** good - well worth taking the time to read
*** ok - will help to pass the time in a boring situation
** not very good - just about readable but flawed
* not recommended - boring, offensive, badly-written or deeply flawed in some other way
***** highly recommended - a 'must-read'
**** good - well worth taking the time to read
*** ok - will help to pass the time in a boring situation
** not very good - just about readable but flawed
* not recommended - boring, offensive, badly-written or deeply flawed in some other way
No comments:
Post a Comment