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Rivers of London: Action At A Distance #1
Rivers of London: Action At A Distance #1 | Ben Aaronovitch, Andrew Cartmel
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Calibri} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Calibri; min-height: 14.0px} From the outside, theres nothing especially unusual about one particular building nestled amongst a neat row of tall Georgian terraced houses in Russell Square, London. An unsuspecting passer-by certainly wouldnt know that its home to a Special Operations Unit working for Londons Metropolitan Police, specializing in all things magic. Nor would they know that tucked safely inside the building is a library chock-full of filing cabinets, each one packed with case files documenting the magical divisions history. In charge of this building (known as The Folly) is Thomas Nightingale, the ranking officer of the SOU and one of the most powerful magicians in Europe, whose work for the Met dates back as far as the British Colonial Empire. A private man, his wizarding-trainee, Detective Constable Peter Grant, has long prodded him for stories from his career. Now, Peter is about to uncover some of his mentors elusive past
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BookmarkTavern
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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julesG Yessss! 4d
KathyWheeler Yay!! 4d
Booksblanketsandahotbeverage I just came here to post this 🤣 *happy dance* July 2025! (edited) 4d
random_michelle (GASP) WANTWANTWANT! 4d
65 likes4 comments
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Read4life
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

This has been on my shelf for a long time! I pulled it from my book tree (so it‘s a #Roll100 book for me) & made it my August #ReadOrDonate pick.

This was a nice mix of mystery & magic/paranormal. The cast of characters is diverse & I want more of them. This series has now been added to my TBR.

#BookSpinBingo #ReadOrDonate #SeriesLove2024 #readyourTBR #Roll100

PuddleJumper 🎉🎉 My copy has been on my shelf for probably 4?3 years 🤣 3mo
TheSpineView Great job!💜📖 3mo
willaful I started the audio once and I think liked it but got distracted. So many books, so little time! 3mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3mo
55 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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Robotswithpersonality
Rivers of London: Stray Cat Blues | Ben Aaronovitch, Andrew Cartmel
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Pickpick

A marvelous time. Gets just as gritty as the novels can in subject matter, but there's something innately cheerful about the shorter form and the colourful art. Hurray for liberated cat people and Abigail and the foxes, among others, saving the day!
⚠️Nudity, forced prostitution

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Robotswithpersonality
Rivers of London: Stray Cat Blues | Ben Aaronovitch, Andrew Cartmel
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The canon fondness of talking foxes for cheese puffs in the Rivers of London series fills me with such joy.
☺️🦊♥️🧀
Also apparently this series has graphic novels?!

julesG Yes, I'm so behind on the GNs. My local library doesn't have them and I don't want to read them as ebooks. 3mo
Robotswithpersonality @julesG Yeah, digital from the library was my only option. Apparently there is a collection available/coming out for this set, but I read it as four separate issues via my library's subscription to Hoopla. Haven't even checked whether they have the others. 3mo
10 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Read4life
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Here‘s my pick for August‘s #ReadOrDonate book.

julieclair This looks fascinating! 4mo
Booksblanketsandahotbeverage Rivers of London is one of my favorite series. I hope you enjoy it 😁 4mo
36 likes2 comments
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CatLass007
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

#ReadAway2024 #SeriesLove2024 I really enjoyed this first book in a new-to-me series and will continue listening to the rest. Even though many of the events were horrific, I did not feel horrified. I felt extremely curious about the cause of the events. This book is a murder mystery and urban fantasy. Recommended.

Aimeesue Kobna Holdbrook Smith is such a fabulous narrator 💜 5mo
TheSpineView Fantastic! 5mo
CatLass007 @Aimeesue He really is!! 5mo
DieAReader 🥳Great! 5mo
69 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Super_Jane
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Mehso-so

3.75/5 🌕🌕🌕🌖🌑

#fantasy #funny

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JuliaTheBookNerd
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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#River 💦❤️ #StorySettings 🐝🌷🎣🏕️🌳

#BookNerd 🤓📚💙

Dragon My favourite paranormal police procedural 🐉💚📚 7mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Awesome 🤩 7mo
Eggs Beautiful colorful covers ❤️❤️❤️❤️ 7mo
56 likes1 stack add3 comments
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julesG
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

It's @Ddzmini's fault. Her posts made me want to revisit Peter, Nightingale, Leslie, Beverly and Molly.

#SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

TheSpineView Fantastic! 8mo
Andrew65 I really need to get back to this series, only read the first 2. Well done 👏👏👏 (edited) 8mo
60 likes2 comments
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Ddzmini
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

I really liked this as it has a little of everything and some more besides great read

BookmarkTavern I love this series! And if you like audiobooks, the ones for the whole series are just amazing! 💖 8mo
julesG @BookmarkTavern second the audiobook suggestion, I love Kobna Holdbrook-Smith's narration. 8mo
Ddzmini @BookmarkTavern and @julesG I‘ll have to look at the audibles I‘m on #3 now 📖 8mo
41 likes3 comments
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annamatopoetry
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Rivers or London: I liked the entire series, but the first one does a lot of heavy lifting for the worldbuilding, while less polished I like that it's a standalone.
The Dawn of Everything is such a deep dive in anthropology and history of power, makes my head spin.
Black: The History of a Color is my favourite in the series because of black's status as both within and outside the color world, which lends more breadth to the narrative.

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Robotswithpersonality
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

So glad this is a series, because there's a lot going on that I want to see explored further, and as this novel had to introduce so much, I think the pace might even out better in later books. Funny, violent, as interested in telling you historical facts about London, as it is about speculating on the scientific underpinnings of magic or doing the detective work to solve crimes. Marvelous narrator for the audiobook.⚠️Infant death, gore, SA, racism

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annamatopoetry
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

I really liked this one! The humor is my kind, apparently the way to make me care about crime is making it magical, and the pacing was enjoyable enough that I ended up finishing it at home; I rarely read at home. An acquaintance complained that the protagonist is too horny, but I felt like it was an intentional flaw for a series where there's a bildungsroman element but the mc is an adult. He's gotta mature more. Sad spl doesn't have the series.

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annamatopoetry
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Haven't been reading much but still enjoying this despite progressing at a snail's pace

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annamatopoetry
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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"... it's like you're seeing stuff that isn't there."
"Like what?"
"I don't know," said Lesley. "I can't see stuff that isn't there."
Liking this one so far, despite it being unreasonably difficult to find due to not being sold by the original title in the US. blegh.

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BookMaven9
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Panpan

🌟DNF. Started out great! Then by 100 pages in started meandering in the dullest of places. It never gained the steam it had in the beginning so I tapped out. Too many books 📚 to waste time.

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WeeWeegieBookworm
Midnight Riot | Ben Aaronovitch
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Q+A with Ben Aaronovitch tonight 🥰

Booksblanketsandahotbeverage How fun! I ordered Winter‘s Gifts from Blackwell‘s. (RIP Book Depository) 1y
16 likes1 comment
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Littlewolf1
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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BOOK MAIL❣️ look what my Owl delivered today🦉 Super excited to finally have the first six of the series. I have been wanting to read it for the past several years and haven‘t been able to get my hands the first book until now. 😆

Ruthiella Fun! I‘ve not read this series (yet) but I‘ve heard good things. 2y
19 likes1 comment
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Susanita
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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A fun mix of mystery and paranormal/fantasy. I agree with an earlier comment that the two stories didn‘t really gel together, but I‘m looking forward to more from these characters.

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Minervasbutler
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

Engaging blend of police procedural and fantasy with a decidedly British slant sees newly-minted copper Peter Grant drafted into the department of the Met responsible for the uncanny. Often very amusing as well though two separate storylines don't entirely gel.

Libby1 I adore this series. 2y
writerlibrarian I love this series. In all its variations… novels, novellas and graphic novels. 2y
Dragon One of my favourite series - the audiobooks are good 👍 💚🐉 2y
53 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Tonton
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch

Loved this when it first came out, and now looking forward to bingeing: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jul/07/ben-aaronovitchs-rivers-of-london-...

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TheSpineView
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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#FirstLineFriday @ShyBookOwl

"It started at one thirty on a cold Tuesday morning in January when Martin Turner, street performer and, in his own words, apprentice gigolo tripped over a body in front of the Eastt Portico of St. Paul's ay Covent Garden."

52 likes1 stack add
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TheSpineView
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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#LMPBC @persephone1408

It come today! Last month it took 10 days. Why so much faster???

persephone1408 Awesomesauce! I have no clue. 2y
thereadingpal Interesting book! I love the cover 2y
TheSpineView @thereadingpal Yes! Reminds me of the cover for A Darker Shade of Magic. 2y
TheSpineView @persephone1408 Me either!🤔🙄😏 2y
64 likes1 stack add4 comments
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persephone1408
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
Mehso-so

Well it started of really good but it stagnated about 100 pages in... Im 300 pages in now and I would finish it if I had time but I don't. Have to mail my #lmpbc book tomorrow. @TheSpineView it will be on the way tomorrow.

TheSpineView That's a bummer! I will be on the lookout for it. 2y
18 likes1 comment
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persephone1408
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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julesG
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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🌞 Tagged is a re-read
🌞 It's an audiobook, also reading an eARC and a graphic novel
🌞 I'd give the tagged book 4 stars right now
🌞 I highlight when reading eBooks, use sticky notes on physical copies.

#ThoughtfulThursday @MoonWitch94

Want to play? @khooliha @Read-y_Picker @rockpools @ImperfectCJ

ImperfectCJ Thanks for the tag! 3y
MoonWitch94 Thanks for playing ☺️📚 3y
42 likes2 comments
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BookishBelle
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

This was such a good book! The storyline was great. The characters were likable and there was plenty of crazy magic stuff going on. This is my #LMPBC pick for #GroupL. Starting The Windup Girl, my #GroupV book for this round next!

BookishBelle Tagging y‘all in the comments because my app crashed last time I tried to post this with all of you tagged. @sprainedbrain @persephone1408 @TheSpineView @Mynameisacolour @DanaManiac @Kdgordon88 3y
TheSpineView 👍📖📚 3y
Ericalambbrown The audiobooks for this series are extraordinary!! I‘m relistening ti them now in preparation for the 9th book coming out soon. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith narrates them all and his performances are outstanding. 3y
BookishBelle @Ericalambbrown Thank you so much for letting me know! I‘ll have to check them out. I‘m always looking for a good audiobook for my commute. 3y
31 likes4 comments
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ewyattx
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

Currently loving this book, it's fast paced and leaves me very nostalgic of all the places Peter visits in London.

The hardback is a beautiful looking book too, recently released for the 10 year anniversary since first release.

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BookNAround
Midnight Riot | Ben Aaronovitch
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Getting back to this Christmas gift pre-read. I have to read it and decide which of my sons I intend to give it to. 😂

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Ericalambbrown
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Yay!!!!! New Rivers of London book coming in April!

For you nerds like me that love this series, Mr Aaronovitch posts about it over in FB land:

https://fb.watch/9PkjDEY8Jo/

😂 Also - The trailer makes want to yell “Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!!!!”

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AutumnRLS
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Last half of November wrap up I loved the new Charlotte Holmes book. The Deavabad Trilogy wrapped up beautifully. I'm really enjoying the Rivers of London series. Finally, I wish I had read Mister B Gone instead of listening to it because the whole conceite really revolved around the reader holding a tradition book in their hands.

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PuddleJumper
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Yet another new book because my other ones didn't fit in my bag 😅 Hairdresser running late so found a nice graveyard to sit and read in

Another for #shelfofshame because I found a bookmark 3 chapters in!

@Clwojick

Clwojick 😂😂😂 3y
27 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Katerina
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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So, due to a rail strike where I live, I'll now be on a tram for the next hour and 20 minutes. But hey, reading time 😊

Deifio That series is so good! Hope you enjoy it too! 3y
10 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Katerina
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Giving this a second try now. Last time (a couple of years ago) I only made it to about page 60 before something else caught my fancy. Let's see what happens this time.

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Skeeterisme
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

Delightful

54 likes1 stack add
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CourtSmall
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

Books 113 & 114/2021 ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 & ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Audiobooks

I first read these in 2015 and gave them both 5 stars. I have just listened to the audiobooks (which are well narrated) but I'm not feeling as enamoured with them so have revised ratings.

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KathyWheeler
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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1: I love Ben Aaronovitch‘s Rivers of London series.
2: Someone already mentioned this, but I love that they‘re set in places I know or could visit, but they have a supernatural twist to them.
3: Charleston. There probably already is something, but I don‘t know the genre well enough to know what it would be.
#sundayfunday

BookmarkTavern I just finished False Value today! I have really enjoyed this series. Thank you for posting! 4y
17 likes1 comment
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EadieB
Midnight Riot | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

#MidnightRiot #BenAaronovitch

Peter Grant is a constable on probation. He dreams of being a detective on London‘s Metro Police. DCI Thomas Nightingale uses magic to solve crime and likes the fact that Peter is getting information about murder from a ghost. This is a witty and twisting urban fantasy that uses imagination to help solve crime. Interesting characters and unique plot kept the pages turning. Looking forward to Book 2 and recommend.

Andrew65 Great 👏👏👏 4y
wanderinglynn That sounds interesting. 👍🏻 4y
See All 7 Comments
EadieB @wanderinglynn Yes! It is a different concept! 4y
SW-T Love this series! 4y
EadieB @SW-T I‘m enjoying it too! 4y
TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! 4y
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Read-y_Picker
Midnight Riot | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

Finished our first book of 2021! Not what I expected but enjoyable still. There were 2 major plots running through the book - the investigation of a murder and also the underlying story of the Rivers of London, the name of the series, the original title of the book. Probably why I had some trouble staying focused but I‘ll definitely go for the next book in the set. I‘ll give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ because I waited so long to read it and wasn‘t let down 😊⬇️

Read-y_Picker Should note that this is my author with first name beginning with B for #Booked2021 as well as a great start to #seriesread2021! @Cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraTheBibliophage @TheSpineView 4y
Cinfhen Yay! At least you knocked off two prompts 🥊 4y
Read-y_Picker @Cinfhen my kind of multitasking lol 4y
Cinfhen Same!!!! 4y
33 likes1 stack add4 comments
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PaulaNovotna
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Mehso-so

The whole plot seemed as if conjured from thin air, the clues and interrogations didn't make much sense. Everything was kind of tied together in the end but the whole process of getting there was not enjoyable at all. I lacked world building; the introduction of the characters, magic, vampires, rivers being people... all of it felt thrown in without any particular reason. All in all it's not a bad a book but it's not great either.

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Libby1
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Are you like me? Are you half or part way through about 5 different series? #ProgressItNovember is an excellent way to focus on making progress in them. I‘m going to join in, as I hope to catch up on Ben Aaronovitch‘s fantasy crime Rivers of London series.

This is a great idea, @Andrew65 !

Andrew65 Thanks for reposting 😍 This is one of my many series but only finished the first two! 😬 (edited) 4y
Libby1 Hi, @Andrew65 . I‘ve read the first 5 books so far. I really enjoy them. Which series are you going to try to progress? 4y
Andrew65 @Libby1 This is something I‘m thinking about, possibly the Maisie Dobbs Series by Jacqueline Winsoear and the Karen Pirie Series by Val McDermid. 4y
39 likes3 comments
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BarbaraJean
Midnight Riot | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this first book of the Rivers of London series. It‘s urban fantasy, set in London, and reminded me a lot of the Matthew Swift series. Aside from a few instances of unnecessary female objectification, overall this was a nice little supernatural mystery. My biggest pet peeves were the title change between the UK and US editions and the atrocious cover on the copy that showed up from my library hold (guess which is which?!).

Ruthiella Yes, agree the US cover is awful! 😐 4y
34 likes1 comment
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PurpleTulipGirl
Midnight Riot | Ben Aaronovitch
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IT STARTED at one thirty on a cold Tuesday morning in January when Martin Turner, street performer and, in his own words, apprentice gigolo, tripped over a body in front of the West Portico of St. Paul‘s at Covent Garden.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

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Deifio
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BookmarkTavern
Midnight Riot | Ben Aaronovitch
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It‘s time to adapt! 📕👉🏻🎥

1. As long as I know there is a book, I try and read it first. Sometimes I don‘t know, like with Jurassic Park 😂
2. Holes, that‘s the most faithful book to movie adaptation I‘ve ever seen. And I loved it!
3. 👆🏻 So far, everyone involved in this appears to be a fan of the source material, so I‘m stoked!

#sundayfunday Have a good day and don‘t forget to tag me!

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Since I enjoy movies as much as books and books are usually better than the movie, I watch the movie first most of the time. I've been disappointed when I read the book first (I'm looking at you School Ties & Miss Peregrine). Is the tagged book #1 of the series? I've been looking at it for a long time and haven't pulled the trigger yet. 4y
BookmarkTavern @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick It is the first! It‘s title outside of the US is Rivers of London, which is also the series title. It‘s a little rough, but good fun. And they get progressively better. And if you like audiobooks at all, I can not recommend them enough! The narrator is brilliant! ❤️ 4y
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Thanks! I just commented on someone else's post that some of my favorite series started with a so-so first book. I don't mind audiobooks, but I don't listen to enough of them to pay for a service. I'll check the library and if I'm super intrigued there is always a trial run! 4y
BookmarkTavern @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick The library is where I managed to get the first two books! After the second one, I ended up just buying the res today the series immediately! 😅 And trial runs are great! Hope you manage to find it! 4y
56 likes4 comments
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Kathrin
Die Flsse von London: Roman | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

It's always exciting when you find a new series that you get giddy for the next book.

The book goes by "Rivers of London" and "Midnight Riot".