Rivers of London
Also known as Midnight Riot (US title).
My name is Peter Grant and until January I was just probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (as the Filth to everybody else). My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit – we do paperwork so real coppers don't have to – and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder inquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly voluable, and that brought me to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England. Now I'm a Detective Constable and a trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years, and my world has become somewhat more complicated: nests of vampires in Purley, negotiating a truce between the warring god and goddess of the Thames, and digging up graves in Covent Garden... and there's something festering at the heart of the city I love, a malicious vengeful spirit that takes ordinary Londoners and twists them into grotesque mannequins to act out its drama of violence and despair. The spirit of riot and rebellion has awakened in the city, and it's falling to me to bring order out of chaos – or die trying.
Ben Aaronovitch
Ben Denis Aaronovitch (born 1964) is a London-born British writer who has worked on television series including Doctor Who, Casualty, Jupiter Moon and Dark Knight. He is the son of the late economist and Communist Sam Aaronovitch, younger brother of actor Owen Aaronovitch and British journalist David Aaronovitch.
As well as writing the Doctor Who serials Remembrance of the Daleks and Battlefield, he has also written three spin-off novels in the Virgin Publishing New Adventures range, a new Bernice Summerfield novel and several short stories for Big Finish Productions. He created the ongoing Doctor Who character Kadiatu Lethbridge-Stewart, who has never appeared in the television series, but has appeared in various spin-offs. He is currently working as lead writer and script editor on the audio revival of the classic British space opera Blake's 7.
Rivers of London
Also known as Peter Grant series.
These are the adventures of Peter Grant, Police Constable, apprentice wizard and all round nice guy, as he tries to maintain law and order amongst the more ‘special’ members of London’s population.
Rivers of London consists of nine primary books, and includes four additional books that complement the series but are not considered mandatory reads, and the series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Book Reviews
That story has got a nice mix of everything: a crime story in today's London, a wizard apprentice and his master, several gods and supernatural beings - it's nearly perfect. Although I'm a quite unoriented person (thanks to the people who gave us the GPS!) I liked the detailed description of London. It makes you plan your next holidays ...