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Rivers of London

Rivers of London, Book 1

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Rivers of London

By: Ben Aaronovitch
Narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
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Summary

 Book 1 in the Rivers of London series, from Sunday Times Number One bestselling author Ben Aaronovitch.

My name is Peter Grant, and I used to be a 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 story really begins when I tried to take a witness statement from a man who was already dead...

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.

Praise for the Rivers of London novels:

'Ben Aaronovitch has created a wonderful world full of mystery, magic and fantastic characters. I love being there more than the real London'
NICK FROST

'As brilliant and funny as ever'
THE SUN

'Charming, witty, exciting'
THE INDEPENDENT

'An incredibly fast-moving magical joyride for grown-ups'
THE TIMES

Discover why this incredible series has sold over two million copies around the world. If you're a fan of Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams - don't panic - you will love Ben Aaronovitch's imaginative, irreverent and all-round irresistible novels.©2011 Ben Aaronovitch Crime Fiction Fantasy Fiction Mystery Police Procedural Paranormal Funny Exciting Witty Magic Detective Wizardry England Magic Users
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Critic Reviews

A darkly comic read with characters you can't help but like
Funny and wildly inventive
Masterfully crafted . . . gives the late, great Terry Pratchett a run for his money
Ben Aaronovitch has created a wonderful world full of mystery, magic and fantastic characters. I love being there even more than the real London
Charming, witty, exciting
An incredibly fast-moving magical joyride for grown-ups
What would happen if Harry Potter grew up and joined the Fuzz. A hilarious, keenly imagined caper
A consummate story of real policing in a vividly real world intersecting the decidedly unreal to marvellous effect. Filled with detail and imagination, the quality of this achievement stands out, making Aaronovitch a name to watch
Magical, mysterious and mesmerising, Rivers of London will have you spellbound
An engaging mix of magic and police procedural, this is a great kick off to a very promising series as well as the most satisfying fantasy thriller to hit bookshelves in quite some time. Witty, imaginative and gripping
We can't fault the pace, ingenuity and creativity of Rivers of London. With each page, we're eager to learn more about this mysterious new world, set on very familiar streets
The perfect blend of CSI and Harry Potter
Great, great fun
It's a real treat - Hot Fuzz meets Harry Potter via hardboiled police procedural - with a compelling cast of characters and a nail-biting mystery to be solved
Rivers of London manages to be fresh and original and a wonderful read. I loved it
All stars
Most relevant
I was looking for a new series to get stuck into and stumbled upon this.. And I will fully admit to choosing this purely based on the narrators voice of Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.

It's the kind of voice that felt like I should be listening to the story in a perpetual bubble bath with a glass of red wine and a chocolate.. TREAT yo self!!

The story was good to, very light easy listen .. Not high brow or Man Booker prize winner material though. Like adult youth fiction.

I think I read a review that described it as if "Harry potter joined the fuzz" but let's face it , love him as so many do Harry potter was never a cool dude. This is more like Harry Potter being a cool urban London dude that joined the coppers. Worth a go for the voice alone!

Just to let you know, I work for Audible, but the views expressed in this review are 100% my own.

What a voice! (Book wasn't too bad either.)

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This is the first of the Peter Grant books. British policemen with magic. A really well written book that plausibly brings magic into the modern world. Beautifully read by Kobna Holbrook-Smith who makes the English accents sound great (at least to Australian ears). Really worth reading, and I'd recommend the rest of the series once you have finished this one.

Wow! A fantastic book

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Where does Rivers of London rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book got me hooked on the entire series. I love the fun approach to writing and story. The candid language and writing comes alive as an audio book. The performance is the best I have come across. LOVE IT.

What does Kobna Holdbrook-Smith bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

The way Kobna Holbrook-Smith reads, interprets and adds to the experience of this story means that these books come alive as an audio book. I read a hard copy of one of the series but had to go back to the audio as I missed the characterisation and richness of the audio. I have to now admit I have somewhat of a crush on this voice!

Addictive!

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Somewhere between Inspector Morse and Harry Potter for grownups. intriguing and highly entertaining! Try it!

Inspector Morse meets Harry Potter...

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it was a great preformance, enjoyed the story. it's a book for modern fantasy and detective story lovers.
This is book one in the series ( which the disruption doesn't note) and I'd be keen. to hear more

first book whets appetite

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