Title: Midnight Riot (Rivers of London #1)

Author: Ben Aaronovitch

Publisher: Del Rey 2011

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 322

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme

Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.

Been on my TBR list for years, I finally picked it up and was pleasantly surprised by this police crime / fantasy novel. I really enjoyed diving into Peter Grant’s life and revelations to the world beyond. I loved the mythology of the city and the various inhabitants. I want to learn more of what’s going on under the surface. I want to learn more about Nightingale and Molly (although I have my suspicions as to what they are). I really enjoyed the murder mystery in this volume and can’t wait to see what happens in the second book. Great urban fantasy!

Rivers of London

• #1 Midnight Riot

• #2 Moon Over Soho

• #3 Whispers Under Ground

• #4 Broken Homes

• #5 Foxglove Summer

• #6 The Hanging Tree

• #7 Lies Sleeping

• #8 False Value

Next up on the TBR pile: