Rivers of London: PC Peter Grant, Book 1Audiobook review by Paul Fiander
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Written by: Ben Aaronovitch
Narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins Publisher: Orion Publishing Group Limited |
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Why Should I....Listen to Rivers of London?
Marrying genres can be a difficult job especially when they they are not usually considered the best bedfellows. However when the two strands come together they can create a spark of "Magic" and that is an apt way to describe Rivers of London. The mix of fantasy and crime allows a modern police procedural to take on a twist that puts its central character Peter Grant in a world he does not know. We share his voyage of discovery giving us an attachment to Grant. The plot itself is genuinely clever but it does show up one flaw in Audiobook narration (read the full review for more details). However Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is simply superb in his delivery throughout the entire performance. Rivers of London sets up a new way of looking at London and in PC Grant writer Ben Aaronovitch has created a star to build his series around. |
Full Review
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London is a rich ground for crime stories from Sherlock Holmes to the Bill the balance of the cities criminals have been investigated in a variety of forms. So to come up with something different is a challenge. For Rivers of London the difference is the addition of magic. It seems like a simple solution and in some ways it is. The trick however that writer Ben Aaronovitch created was to make the city as a much a part of the story as the magic and its central characters. Together all the elements help to make a rich listen that is full of action, danger, procedure and believable players.
Chief among the books cast is Peter Grant (from the title), we meet him as a probational officer getting ready to get his first assignment. From the outset he feels different to most leads in a police story, this is mostly due to his wandering mind as he finds it hard to keep track of his thoughts when doing Police work. This allows for a spot of humour in the book but more so it points to a person unsure of his place in the world. This is echoed by the listener as we are introduced to a new way of looking at the world. Grant has other imperfections that again help endear him to the listener, as you go through the book you will meet his mistakes and it’s these and the way he deals with them that show he is a character who is able to learn and grow. |
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Other than Grant we have a wonderful mix of characters from all walks of life, this is reflective of the population of London and gives the whole story a true feel. Obviously some of these characters are not entirely what they seem and the discovery of each of them allows the listener a chance for a knowing smile. We are going in knowing that magic is real but Aaronovitch is playing the Dungeon Master as he sets out the rules for who and what is present. This voyage of discovery does uncover some rather intriguing encounters and surprisingly it’s the ones that feel most benign that end up giving you the biggest chills.
The story itself sees the Metropolitan Police investigating a rather bizarre and gruesome murder in Covent Garden. The nature of which I will not get into however from there we get to see a few stories unfold that intermingle at odd junctures. This keeps the narrative on its toes and gives the whole performance an easily digestible pace. The chapters themselves are rather long with only 14 making up the just under 10 hour run time. This does mean bookmarks can be a great help especially if you are listening on a format that does not save your position. From the opening murder the rest of the plot grows to encompass an ever growing list of intrigue mostly centred around the River Thames and its contributories. These are not what you expect but are an honest joy in the way they are revealed.
The narration by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is a true performance with the expressiveness of Grant coming to the fore throughout. He does a great turn in each of the characters in the book and throws his accent around with aplomb. I did mention one problem in the summary and that is he is a little too good when uttering a phrase in the narration that you would read differently in the book. It’s not a major issue but does show a small downfall in the text translation as in the book the twist would be more shadowed.
Overall this is a book to get excited about, it shines a light on the wonder of real life London while opening up a window into the writer's imagination. With a further five books (book six The Hanging Tree is out next year) and an expanded universe in the form of a comic series (you can see our review of the first trade here) PC Grant really is a copper you should take the time to investigate.
The story itself sees the Metropolitan Police investigating a rather bizarre and gruesome murder in Covent Garden. The nature of which I will not get into however from there we get to see a few stories unfold that intermingle at odd junctures. This keeps the narrative on its toes and gives the whole performance an easily digestible pace. The chapters themselves are rather long with only 14 making up the just under 10 hour run time. This does mean bookmarks can be a great help especially if you are listening on a format that does not save your position. From the opening murder the rest of the plot grows to encompass an ever growing list of intrigue mostly centred around the River Thames and its contributories. These are not what you expect but are an honest joy in the way they are revealed.
The narration by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is a true performance with the expressiveness of Grant coming to the fore throughout. He does a great turn in each of the characters in the book and throws his accent around with aplomb. I did mention one problem in the summary and that is he is a little too good when uttering a phrase in the narration that you would read differently in the book. It’s not a major issue but does show a small downfall in the text translation as in the book the twist would be more shadowed.
Overall this is a book to get excited about, it shines a light on the wonder of real life London while opening up a window into the writer's imagination. With a further five books (book six The Hanging Tree is out next year) and an expanded universe in the form of a comic series (you can see our review of the first trade here) PC Grant really is a copper you should take the time to investigate.
Review copy and Cover Image courtesy of Publisher
