Broken Homes

Broken Homes is the fourth book in Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series.  I may not have enjoyed the last two books, Moon Over Soho and Whispers Underground, as much as the first, but I wasn't ready to give up on Peter Gant just yet.

A mutilated body in Crawley.  Another killer on the loose.  The prime suspect is one Robert Weil; an associate of the twisted magician known as the Faceless Man?  Or just a common or garden serial killer?

Before PC Peter Grant can get his head round the case a town planner going under a tube train and a stolen grimoire are adding to his case load.

So far so London.

But then Peter gets word of something very odd happening in Elephant and Castle, on a housing estate designed by a nutter, built by charlatans and inhabited by the truly desperate.

Is there a connection?

And if there is, why oh why did it have to be South of the River?
 
I was disappointed to find that the first half of Broken Homes was a convoluted mess. Complicated and jumbled, there were so many plot elements, most dropped within a blink of an eye, that I had a hard time keeping track of what was going on.  I was losing interest up until Peter and Leslie moved into an apartment on a housing estate.  Finally the case (or cases?  I lost track) became a lot more interesting and coherent.  This was the turning point for the whole book, and suddenly I couldn't put Broken Homes down.  I think that Aaronovitch has a reverse Steven Moffat writing style, in that he's not very good at setting a story up, but boy can he finish one (Moffat's intro of a two-part Doctor Who episode are mostly better than the conclusion).  I would have been in for a shock if only I hadn't got bored in the beginning and read the last page...With all the possibilities that have been set in motion, I am actually looking forward to the next instalment.

I also have to point out that, as always, Aaronovitch's knowledge of the history of London oozes through his prose; no chapter is left without a historical fact.  I just wish that he would be more forthcoming with the history of his characters.  Admittedly Broken Homes does reveal a few pieces of info here and there, but I'm greedy.  Can I have some more please?

If you've enjoyed the series so far, then you're going to love Broken Homes.  However, if like me, you've not been impressed with the last couple of books, try and stick with this latest Peter Gant adventure until the end, I promise that those last few chapters are worth it.

Cool Covers of the Future

Broken Homes didn't make it on to my Top Ten as I spotted the new cover only moments ago over at The Folly.  Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to Peter Gant's latest adventure, even though the last two books haven't lived up to the amazing Rivers of London.  Most of all I'm glad they've kept with the same style of cover - don't you just hate it when they change mid-series? - as they're really very clever and I haven't seen anything similar yet.

 

 

Whispers Underground

I was really impressed with Ben Aaronovitch's first book, Rivers of London, but not so much by the second offering, Moon Over Soho.  However, I was prepared to forgive a 'sophmore slump' and hoped that Whispers Under Ground would be a return to form.

It's December, and Peter Gant is investigating the death of a young American artist who was found at Baker Street tube station.  With Inspector Nightingale busy, the case leads Peter to into the hidden depths of the London Underground, with an FBI agent hot on his heels.  

As always, Aaronovitch's knowledge of London is impressive, as is the way he weaves said knowledge into the story seamlessly.  However, I didn't feel that much happened or engaged with Peter's investigation until the last hundred pages.  In some instances it felt that Aaronovitch was shunning the magic aspect of the series for a more conventional set up.  I had been told by another reader that more was revealed about the faceless man, but this was not the case.  Or at least not in a substantial way that would make me eager for the next instalment.  Perhaps when Aaronovitch has a plan for the series and knows where it will end the stories will improve and he will exploit their full potential.  Nonetheless, Whispers Under Ground is a very well written, witty and informative piece of fiction and well worth a read. 

Rivers Of London & Moon Over Soho

I reserved Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London after a recommendation from a good friend.  While we have different tastes, we're both fans of Harry Potter and so it's not surprising that she read ROL as it is described as if 'Harry grew up and joined the fuzz'.  It isn't as literal as that but it is definitely a good line to use for those who have trepidation into delving into the paranormal/fantasy genre.  Or for those who have grown up with the Potter books and are now looking for a more adult read without all the sexy time that vampire novels seem to be so concerned with.


Peter Gant has just finished his probationary period with the MET, and is afraid that he's going to be stuck on desk duty, rather than being a 'proper' copper.  After a strange meeting while guarding a crime scene, Peter is informed the next day that he is to join the Economic and Specialist Crime Unit.  The only other member of the unit is DCI Nightingale, and Peter is required to move to 'The Folly' where he is inducted into the world of the supernatural.
What follows is a good crime story, with plenty of twists so at times I had no idea what to expect next.   There's a few parts that are obvious, but I'm willing to overlook them because I love that Aaronovitch can appropriately distribute his vast knowledge of London and it's history throughout the book.

The second book in the series, Moon Over Soho, picks up a few months after the events of ROL, this time Peter's efforts are focused on the Jazz scene in, yes you guessed it, Soho.  There's two cases on the go: a woman who has been dismembering males, and a man found dead at a jazz club.  I don't think I enjoyed this tale as much.  I wasn't in a rush to finish it which is normally a bad sign.  I felt that there was an element of trying too hard to set up an ongoing series, and that this book was merely a bridge between the first novel and what is to come.  However, I'm still putting Whispers Under Ground (Book 3) on my wishlist, and would definitely recommend to anyone who's fan of paranormal crime fiction.