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Ben Aaronovitch's bestselling Rivers of London urban fantasy series • “The perfect blend of CSI and Harry Potter.” —io9Suspicious deaths are not usually the concern of Police Constable Peter Grant or the Folly—London’s police department for supernatural cases—even when they happen at an exclusive party in one of the flats of the most expensive apartment blocks in London. But the daughter of Lady Ty, influential goddess of the Tyburn river, was there, and Peter owes Lady Ty a show more favor.
Plunged into the alien world of the super-rich, where the basements are bigger than the houses, where the law is something bought and sold on the open market, a sensible young copper would keep his head down and his nose clean.
But this is Peter Grant we’re talking about.
He’s been given an unparalleled opportunity to alienate old friends and create new enemies at the point where the world of magic and that of privilege intersect. Assuming he survives the week…. show less
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Marble Arch has a ghoulish history, it was home to the Tyburn gallows, a place where the condemned would end up after their final trip along Oxford Street. It’s bloody legacy has returned with a vengeance with the death of a girl at an exclusive party of one of the Mayfair mansions that are normally empty. The residents of the Folly don’t normally bother with routine inquires about suspicious deaths, but it turns out that Lady Ty’s daughter was at the party, and as Peter Grant owes her a favour he is called in to assist. Plunging straight into the world of the super-rich, with their enormous homes expensive cars, Grant is about to discover that at the point where privilege, blood and magic mix, he has a first class opportunity to show more make new enemies and it might have a serious impact on his life span.
Aaronovitch is back with the next instalment in the highly entertaining and slick urban fantasy series, and very good it is too. He has upped the tension in this one too, and it is very fast paced, with twists and turns as you’d expect. Characters from the earlier books are back as well, adding to the intrigue. I’m glad they are back in London, as that is as much a part of the books as Grant, Nightingale and Molly. I almost gave five stars, as I though that this has been the best of the bunch so far; the characters are developing very well and the banter between Nightingale and Grant and the other officers is hilarious. Even though this had a really good plot, it felt like there was something being held back, that storylines were being drawn to set things up for the next in the series (please tell me that there are going to be more). Just needs Grant to crack his knuckles and get stuck in properly… show less
Aaronovitch is back with the next instalment in the highly entertaining and slick urban fantasy series, and very good it is too. He has upped the tension in this one too, and it is very fast paced, with twists and turns as you’d expect. Characters from the earlier books are back as well, adding to the intrigue. I’m glad they are back in London, as that is as much a part of the books as Grant, Nightingale and Molly. I almost gave five stars, as I though that this has been the best of the bunch so far; the characters are developing very well and the banter between Nightingale and Grant and the other officers is hilarious. Even though this had a really good plot, it felt like there was something being held back, that storylines were being drawn to set things up for the next in the series (please tell me that there are going to be more). Just needs Grant to crack his knuckles and get stuck in properly… show less
The tagline for this book is "Back in London. Back in trouble" and that's a pretty apt description.
We get forward momentum in Peter's relationships, his investigation against the primary antagonist, and his interactions with London's supernatural demi-monde. It still feels like a police procedural with a lot of explanation on how the detective work is carried out, but it's always balanced by the magic, the supernatural characters, etc. We get a fair bit of Lady Tyburn in this one, as her daughter is a person of interest in the suspicious death of a friend. This means we get to see Peter interacting a lot with London's 'upper crust' and trying desperately to avoid antagonizing Tyburn.
For me, the best part of this was getting some real show more traction on the Faceless Man. I can't go into any great detail, since this is book 6 of a series and I don't want to spoil anything from previous books. But YES, GIVE ME MORE. I think this is my favorite Rivers of London so far.
Aaronovitch has a stellar writing style that is witty, sarcastic, easy to read and shows rather than tells. Combine that with a great action plot and perfect pacing, and this is easily one of the best urban fantasy series out right now. I can't stop singing its praises. show less
We get forward momentum in Peter's relationships, his investigation against the primary antagonist, and his interactions with London's supernatural demi-monde. It still feels like a police procedural with a lot of explanation on how the detective work is carried out, but it's always balanced by the magic, the supernatural characters, etc. We get a fair bit of Lady Tyburn in this one, as her daughter is a person of interest in the suspicious death of a friend. This means we get to see Peter interacting a lot with London's 'upper crust' and trying desperately to avoid antagonizing Tyburn.
For me, the best part of this was getting some real show more traction on the Faceless Man. I can't go into any great detail, since this is book 6 of a series and I don't want to spoil anything from previous books. But YES, GIVE ME MORE. I think this is my favorite Rivers of London so far.
Aaronovitch has a stellar writing style that is witty, sarcastic, easy to read and shows rather than tells. Combine that with a great action plot and perfect pacing, and this is easily one of the best urban fantasy series out right now. I can't stop singing its praises. show less
Possibly the best yet. Aaronovitch apparently fixed his pacing problem, thank everything. This one has lots (and lots) of empowered female characters, people of color, massive (and excellent) critique of colonialism, multiple queer people (who survive to the end and aren't evil), a trans character (same), a good mystery, a reasonable amount of character development, and an all around good balance of life in the main characters' community. Also, enough well-timed pop culture references to keep it fun.
So now it's not just a great 'verse with some problematic novels. Now there's a solidly GOOD BOOK set in this great 'verse. #happy surprise
So now it's not just a great 'verse with some problematic novels. Now there's a solidly GOOD BOOK set in this great 'verse. #happy surprise
I am so into this series. I am delighted at its continuing evolution and the sheer richness of content and character. Also, it's funny, and that is not to be sneezed at lately. Peter's adventures continue. Implications of how the demimonde works expands. All the real stuff of racism and tension in modern policing remain. The mystery is fast paced and impressive, and convoluted in the right ways. Leslie May has firmly returned to the stage, in what capacity we still don't know. And the faceless man has a name.
Ghahh. Good story, fascinating world and setting of course - but half the events here are connected to events in previous books (and the rest, clearly, will be connected to events in later ones). The arc here is so strong it almost obscures the story. The fact that I haven't read any of the previous books in several years, and had forgotten most of the details of these connected events, didn't help. Also, it looks like the editor got caught up in the story in the last few chapters and missed a bunch of blatant errors - wrong words, missing or misplaced words, and punctuation that makes a sentence make no sense. Threw me out of the story a bit. There were no such errors (that I noticed, at least) earlier in the book, just in the climax show more and aftermath.
Whine, moan, grumble - it was still a great book, and I'm moving on to Lies Sleeping very soon. show less
Whine, moan, grumble - it was still a great book, and I'm moving on to Lies Sleeping very soon. show less
We waited largely in silence and stillness, except for a furious unvoiced argument about whose turn it was next to play Angry Birds on Caroline's phone, which only really ended when the phone in question buzzed and we got a text saying – You may alight whenever you feel ready.
'He took his time,' I said.
'Does this happen a lot?' said Caroline.
'Nope,' I said. Sometimes Beverley rescues me, sometimes Lady Ty, occasionally Molly - I think there's a rota.'
Tyburn asks Peter to return a favour he owes her when one of her children is caught up in a drug-related death, and the Folly gets closer to unmasking the true identity of the wizard known as the Faceless Man. Nightingale and Peter also come across representatives of another magical show more tradition that has been passed down from mother to daughter since the time of George II, so another 'arrangement' has to be agreed.
This is one of my favourite books in this series, maybe my overall favourite. show less
'He took his time,' I said.
'Does this happen a lot?' said Caroline.
'Nope,' I said. Sometimes Beverley rescues me, sometimes Lady Ty, occasionally Molly - I think there's a rota.'
Tyburn asks Peter to return a favour he owes her when one of her children is caught up in a drug-related death, and the Folly gets closer to unmasking the true identity of the wizard known as the Faceless Man. Nightingale and Peter also come across representatives of another magical show more tradition that has been passed down from mother to daughter since the time of George II, so another 'arrangement' has to be agreed.
This is one of my favourite books in this series, maybe my overall favourite. show less
I enjoy Peter Grant's company. I'd read the books even if there was no other plot that following Peter around and seeing his disdainful reaction to the rich and tasteless, his fierce opposition to the abuse of power, his passion for architecture, his dismissal of history written only from the victor's perspective and his endless appetite to know more.
In "The Hanging Tree", Peter has stepped out of Nightingale's shadow and is making a place for himself in the Folly, the Met and in the supernatural world, from the demi-monde to the river gods. He's now operating with confidence, building alliances and deepening relationships. He's also still leaving a swath of property damage behind him wherever he goes.
I'm left with the impression that show more the plot of "The Hanging Tree" meandered a bit from it's original course as the tree itself is almost incidental to the story. If it did wander, it didn't make the flow any weaker. From his summons by Lady Ty, goddess of the Tyburn river, to repay a favour owed by suppressing her daughter's involvement of an incident in One Hyde Park, home to the mega-rich, through confrontations with enemies old and new, the plot builds like a tidal bore as Peter pushes his way towards the truth.
The journey gives lots of opportunities for Peter to unleash his wit on the wealthy, their buildings, their art, their understanding of colonial history and the cars they choose to drive (I love the idea of a Range Rover being described as a Chelsea Tractor).
The strongest characters in this book are women, (provided you count Goddesses as women). Peter is surrounded by them and very much at ease with them. He listens to them, acknowledges their power, sees through their pique and temper and knows them for the impulses and instincts that push them and him to be better. Peter is now in a grown-up relationship with Beverly, the twenty-something river goddess who rescued him in the last book. He's also building a relationship with witches raised outside of the male-dominated rules of the Folly and with his self-declared "Muslim Ninja" colleague on the murder squad who, this time, gets to tell some of her own Origin Story.
As always, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith brings the characters in the book alive, coping with accents from all over the world and giving Peter Grant his distinctive voice..
If you'd like to listen to Kobna in action, click on the SoundCloud link below.
https://soundcloud.com/orionbooks/ben-aaronovitch-on-london-writing-and-the-hang... show less
In "The Hanging Tree", Peter has stepped out of Nightingale's shadow and is making a place for himself in the Folly, the Met and in the supernatural world, from the demi-monde to the river gods. He's now operating with confidence, building alliances and deepening relationships. He's also still leaving a swath of property damage behind him wherever he goes.
I'm left with the impression that show more the plot of "The Hanging Tree" meandered a bit from it's original course as the tree itself is almost incidental to the story. If it did wander, it didn't make the flow any weaker. From his summons by Lady Ty, goddess of the Tyburn river, to repay a favour owed by suppressing her daughter's involvement of an incident in One Hyde Park, home to the mega-rich, through confrontations with enemies old and new, the plot builds like a tidal bore as Peter pushes his way towards the truth.
The journey gives lots of opportunities for Peter to unleash his wit on the wealthy, their buildings, their art, their understanding of colonial history and the cars they choose to drive (I love the idea of a Range Rover being described as a Chelsea Tractor).
The strongest characters in this book are women, (provided you count Goddesses as women). Peter is surrounded by them and very much at ease with them. He listens to them, acknowledges their power, sees through their pique and temper and knows them for the impulses and instincts that push them and him to be better. Peter is now in a grown-up relationship with Beverly, the twenty-something river goddess who rescued him in the last book. He's also building a relationship with witches raised outside of the male-dominated rules of the Folly and with his self-declared "Muslim Ninja" colleague on the murder squad who, this time, gets to tell some of her own Origin Story.
As always, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith brings the characters in the book alive, coping with accents from all over the world and giving Peter Grant his distinctive voice..
If you'd like to listen to Kobna in action, click on the SoundCloud link below.
https://soundcloud.com/orionbooks/ben-aaronovitch-on-london-writing-and-the-hang... show less
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- Canonical title
- The Hanging Tree
- Original title
- The Hanging Tree
- Original publication date
- 2016-11-03
- People/Characters
- Peter Grant (Constable); Beverley Brook; Thomas Nightingale (DCI); Abdul Haqq Walid (Dr); David Carey (DC); Richard Folsom (DAC) (show all 39); Reynard Fossman; Richard Grant; Sahra Guleed (DC); Caroline Linden-Limmer; Lesley May; Olivia McAllister-Thames; Molly; Zachary Palmer; William Pollock; Harold Postmartin (Dr); Kimberley Reynolds (Agent); Alexander Seawoll (DCI); Miriam Stephanopoulos (DI); Elizabeth Ten-Tons; William Tyburn; Cecilia Tyburn-Thames (Lady Ty); Jennifer Vaughan (Dr); Phoebe Beaumont-Jones; Aiden Burghley; Christina Chorley; Roderick Crawford; Finula; Omer Kubat (PC); Helena Linden-Limmer; Dean Miller; James Murray; Patricia Polly; Wanda Pourier; Albert Pryce; Albertina Pryce; Fergus Ryan; The Faceless Man; Richard Kettridge (DS)
- Important places
- London, England, UK; Harrods, London, England, UK; Lane End, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
- Epigraph
- Through the streets our wheels slowly move;
The toll of the death bell dismays us.
With nosegays and gloves we are deck’d,
So trim and so gay they array us.
The passage all crowded we see
... (show all)With maidens that move us with pity;
Our air all, admiring agree
Such lads are not left in the city.
Oh! Then to the tree I must go;
The judge he has ordered the sentence.
And then comes a gownsman you know,
And tells a dull tale of repentance.
By the gullet we’re ty’d very tight;
We beg all spectators, pray for us.
Our peepers are hid from the light,
The tumbril shoves off, and we morrice.
Tyburn ballad as transcribed by Francis Place - Dedication
- This book is dedicated to all librarians everywhere – for they are the true keepers of the secret flame and not to be trifled with.
- First words
- I dreamt that I heard Mr Punch laughing gleefully by my ear, but when I woke I realised it was my phone.
- Quotations
- And I thought I heard laughter echoing out of the city, but it might have just been the traffic.
Hyde Park Corner is what happens when a bunch of urban planners take one look at the grinding circle of gridlock that surrounds the Arc de Triumphe in Paris and think - that’s what we want for our town. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)And I thought I heard laughter echoing out of the city, but it might have just been the traffic.
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)His technical notes end with a quote from [[Anatole France]], loosely translated:
The majestic equality of the law forbids rich and poor alike from pissing in the streets, sleeping under bridges, and stealing bread.” - Original language
- English
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 823.087663
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- Fantasy, Fiction and Literature, Mystery
- DDC/MDS
- 823.087663 — Literature & rhetoric English & Old English literatures English fiction By type Genre fiction Adventure fiction Speculative fiction Fantasy fiction Urban fantasy
- LCC
- PR6051 .A76 .H36 — Language and Literature English English Literature 1961-2000
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