Rivers of London: Ben Aaronovitch’s supernatural police procedural oozes London

Ben Aaronovitch’s supernatural police procedural Rivers of London is deeply rooted in London. It’s not just set there, but London’s geography, culture and history infuse and shape the storyline, with enough detail to give readers who know London plenty of fun opportunities to spot places they know.

It tells the story of policeman Peter Grant who discovers a ghost, magic and a special police unit in short order, becoming a grown up version of Harry Potter as he learns his craft battling ghosts and evil (but with better prose than Potter had). Despite the presence of magic, the criminal thriller treats the reader fairly – there’s a logic to who did what and why which the reader can (hope to) unearth, rather than a sudden waving of hands to explain away plot mysteries because ‘magic’.

A most enjoyable read, and an even better audio book thanks to the great narration.

If you like this, you might also be interested in Seventy-Seven Clocks by Christopher Fowler.

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Buy Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch here.