Wednesday 7 August 2013

'Rivers Of London' by Ben Aaronovitch

I have discovered a new addiction in the books of Ben Aaronovitch. I was browsing in Waterstones at Covent Garden a few months ago and picked up 'Rivers of London' - in part, I must admit, because of the title and cover - and read a few pages before putting it back on the display table. But I remembered it and, when looking for a new Kindle book, downloaded it to read on my way too and from work.

It's an odd little tale of PC Peter Grant who discovers a flair for seeing ghosts and other oddities and joins the 'magic' unit of the Metropolitan Police Force, a unit of one other. The title comes into its own as he meets the personifications of the Thames and its tributaries, dangerous magic and starts to learn magic himself. It's fascination increases as it names names around central London, pubs and clubs in Covent Garden and Soho, branches of Paperchase and other shops and cafes. That's something I really like and that lends it an air of reality as Peter Grant travels around London and we can follow him. Obviously, Mr Aaronovitch loves London and relishes finding out little-known facts to throw into the mix in his books.

I devoured the first book far too quickly so I had to download the second, 'Moon Over Soho' which continues PC Grant's adventures as he delves further into magic and different aspects of London, particularly Soho. We're introduced in more detail to his family and the history behind the 'magic unit' in the police force, to the jazz vampires and more history of London. There's lots of running around, police procedures, magic thrown around and somehow hidden from mainstream news and a host of new as well as old characters.

There are two more books in this series so far (the fourth book was only published last month) so I'm now torn as to whether I download the third book immediately or put it off a while to keep the tension going. The next book apparently delves in the Tube tunnels and sewers of London so should be most illuminating given the number of tube stations that have been closed down and mothballed in the centre of town while others have opened since the last war. Decisions decisions.

What should I do?

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