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    Midnight Riot
    Midnight Riot
    Midnight Riot
    Audiobook9 hours

    Midnight Riot

    Written by Ben Aaronovitch

    Narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateSep 28, 2012
    ISBN9781452680071
    Midnight Riot
    Author

    Ben Aaronovitch

    Born and raised in London, Ben Aaronovitch worked as a scriptwriter for Doctor Who and Casualty before the inspiration for his own series of books struck him whilst working as a bookseller in Waterstones Covent Garden. Ben Aaronovitch’s unique novels are the culmination of his experience of writing about the emergency services and the supernatural.

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    Reviews for Midnight Riot

    4/5

    2,321 ratings226 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This was so much fun. It has witty and engaging characters, a great storyline, and is well written. Definitely interested in reading more from this author.
    • 3/5
      It has all the right components of being a fun book, but something essential is missing. It winds up being a book that is neither really good or really bad. I probably will continue with the series, though, because it has the potential of being really good.
    • 5/5
      A fantastic blend of fantasy and the grim realism of policing in modern Britain (and, of course, specifically London Town). Ben Aaronovitch has a wonderful style of writing that's both full of the traditional British dry humour and knowledgeable enough to teach you the lore of the world without talking down to you, a skill that's sadly lacking in a surprising number of authors.

      Definitely worth your time!
    • 5/5
      Great fun. A supernatural fantasy wrapped in a police murder mystery.
    • 4/5
      In my search for Fforde-esque funnies, I found Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch. Success! Something that amused me!
      Equipment for ghost hunters: thermal underwear, very important; warm coat; thermos flask; patience; ghost. (p24)The blurb on the front says something about it's what would happen if Harry Potter grew up and joined the fuzz, but no.
      ‘So magic is real,’ I said. ‘Which makes you a … what?’
      ‘A wizard.’
      ‘Like Harry Potter?’
      Nightingale sighed. ‘No,’ he said, ‘not like Harry Potter.’
      ‘In what way?’
      ‘I’m not a fictional character,’ said Nightingale. (p39)I mean, yes wizards and yes England. But otherwise no. While I liked Harry Potter, it didn't strike me as funny. Fantastical, adventurous, and (later) dark, yes. Funny? No. But this book amused me - riots, face-explosions, murders and all.
      Somebody was screaming and I had to check it wasn’t me. It could have been me. I certainly wanted to scream, but I remembered that, right then and there, Lesley and I were the only coppers on the scene, and the public doesn’t like it when the police start screaming: it contributes to an impression of things not being conducive to public calm. (p134)Not to say that this book was focused on humor. It's a ghostly murder mystery with some river-related diplomacy thrown in, it just has an amusing outlook. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

      Of course, there are only four books in the series, which means it won't be too long before I'm on the hunt again for some Fforde-ish like amusement. Maybe I just need to focus the hunt on British authors - Fforde is British (but then so is Robert Rankin and I was unable to finish the one book of his I attempted to read). And British-ness does come with one (personal) negative, which is the only reason I wasn't able to fully love Aaronvitch's book: sometimes I just had no clue what he was talking about.

      With my past travels and interacting with folks that learned British English (vs American English) as their second language, I think I'm pretty good about understanding British-isms. Okay, okay, so the time I read the UK edition of the third Harry Potter book, I did have a bit where I couldn't figure out how Harry's torch didn't set the bedsheets on fire as he used it to read under the covers, but I figured "eh, wizard". I did eventually clue in and, since then, have been much more in the know thanks to regular exposure to things like Sherlock, Cabin Pressure, Top Gear and other British goodies. But when name brands are used or specific grocery chains are named, I just don't get the related subtext. So there were a fair number of these moments that left me a bit out of the loop. (And I probably would have gotten the big mystery more if my exposure to Punch and Judy existed outside of brief allusions to them in other movies.)

      Also, I had to look up what the heck a groundnut was. (Most of the internet agrees that it is a peanut.)

      So yes, thumbs up for fun books! Pretty sure Moon Over Soho is next.
    • 4/5
      Great narration. Fast moving plot. It requires the suspension of disbelief needed for any urban fantasy. The well drawn characters and vivid settings in London make this an easy, entertaining experience.
    • 5/5
      Excellent narration and writing. It's hard to find urban fantasy for actual adults but this one reads like classic literature. It's also fun and the narrator is actual perfection. What a great gem I have found in this series. I'm over the moon!
    • 3/5
      Interesting premise, and our hero almost got over my first impression of him (three times in the first fifteen pages you mention wanting to sleep with your co-worker?) by the end of the book. Enjoyable- pretty sure I'll check out book two.
    • 4/5
      Very British, very creative and lots of fun. Rivers of London is not your run of the mill mystery. The pacing, dialogue, characters make it ... magical. Fun, fast read.
    • 3/5
      Peter Grant is at the end of his probationary period as a London cop, but instead of getting on the detective track, his distractability and curiosity puts him next in line to be a paper pusher. Luckily, it's about this time he discovers he can see ghosts, and he's rapidly snatched up by Inspector Nightingale, the only magician on the force. Now instead of filling out paperwork he's running around London trying to stop a killer who uses the supernatural to incite violence.

      Peter Grant is a great main character, well crafted and already showing a lot of depth. The magic systems are intriguing--there's a whole subplot about the personifications of the Thames getting into fights, and another subplot in which Peter applies the scientific method to magic, to everyone's bemusement. The main plot is scary, macabre, and a bit weird. Just what I like to see in urban fantasy! And perhaps best of all, this book is seriously funny. Not in a way that distracts from the plot or characters, but in a way that shows them off.
    • 4/5
      Interesting read with some fresh ideas. A bit like Dresden Files. Good secondary characters.
    • 4/5
      This book is an urban fantasy police procedural with a lot of contemporary London detail. London is to some extent one of the characters. I found it engaging but not to the level of the best fantasy which can draw you in to full suspension of disbelief. The lead character starts out as a cheeky, young male copper on probation who is then assigned to a two-man unit specializing in supernatural crime. The narrative tone is wry, flippant and colloquially snarky. I definitely enjoyed that. Amusing similes abound. Magic and the supernatural are not the accepted norm in this reality so effort must be put in to hiding as well as resolving their impact. While the middle of the story line dragged for me during this re-read, I found the finale essentially satisfying if low key. I have read all the novels subsequent to this first in the series but it is not a favorite reread. I give it 3.5 stars.
    • 2/5
      I will try to make it short, do I ever manage to make it truly short? Nah, a few sentences and then done, haha, wishful thinking. Ok on to my review.

      I expected more, but then that is my problem, I always expect more. This was another sort of UF, a more quiet one (yes in my weird opinion), it was just very British. It was more about solving the crimes, and by doing that experiencing the paranormal world that is around.

      Peter, a young cop, learns to that there is more to life when he meets DCI Nightingale. Soon he is on the case where strange violent crimes are haunting London. We meet Rivers, ghosts and more. A good tale.

      But yes I guess I wanted more. I checked the future books and he seems to have a new flirt in each book...a very manly thing to do. Not a fan.

      Well written, different, but when it comes to grading. It was good, so it gets a 3. Some of my 3 are books I will rush out to buy, some are not. Do not ask me how I grade. Anyway this is not one of those rush out to get more. Maybe I am being nice with the 3 then...hm. Cos at the moment I do not feel to even read more by this author, but I do want that when it comes to 3s. let's downgrade it to 2,5.
    • 3/5
      Slow to start, and very much a police procedural. A good story, nonetheless. For someone in the US, I thought it was a bit hard to follow at times (both in location and language). All in all, a good read for anyone who enjoys Urban Fantasy.
    • 5/5
      Not for everyone, I suppose, but I have read the first few in this series twice each. This is the first one and I recommend that a new reader start here and proceed to Moon Over Soho. Suspenseful, funny, fast moving. The characters are well developed and surprisingly realistic for such a fantastical story.
    • 4/5
      A great series for Dresden Files fans. Not only is there magic and murder, but because Peter Grant is on some levels a nerd's nerd who wants to learn magic because he needs to know how things work, there are also Monty Python jokes in the narration.
    • 5/5
      I'm a few books into the series and really enjoying the fun, but at times dark, feel of these books.
    • 5/5
      Perfect blend of nerd, and Paranormal with a dash of romance.
    • 4/5
      This was a fun book. Not my usual type of mystery since it involves witchcraft, ghosts and water spirits but the author (who wrote for Dr. Who previously) makes it all come together. I loved all the architectural and historical details woven into the story plus there are laugh-out-loud funny moments.Peter Grant has been with the London Police for two years which means his probationary period is over. He was really hoping to get into CID but his superior officer thinks his skills would be better suited to doing paperwork. Then Peter sees a ghost in Covent Garden and his life changes forever. He is taken on as an apprentice wizard to Captain Nightingale who is a wizard in the police force. A suspicious series of murders has been committed and it looks like a revenant is responsible. Moreover it looks like the script for a Punch and Judy show is being followed. It is up to Peter and Nightingale to find the perpetrator before he can spread the mayhem.I will be reading the next book in this series very soon.
    • 4/5
      This is an intriguing beginning to a series about a London police officer who is just trying to avoid a career of paperwork when he finds himself questioning a ghost at a crime scene. Peter Grant never believed in ghosts, and now that he's conversed with one, he still doesn't really. But when he's apprenticed to a self-proclaimed wizard whose running a mysterious special branch, Peter begins to wonder if everything he's always known is maybe a tiny bit wrong.
    • 3/5
      A surprisingly decent paranormal mystery/horror/urban fantasy-thing of that flavor made so lucrative by The Dresden Files. Holds an obvious love and fascination for the city of London that you can't help being affected by. The police procedural elements with its insights into that bureaucratic behemoth that is the London Metropolitan Police was also involving.Nothing to write home about, but an enjoyable distraction that makes you want to pick up the next book in the series at the best opportune moment.
    • 4/5
      Comparisons between this book and Harry Potter and/or Harry Dresden seem to abound (when do they not, these days?). The world of Peter Grant stands well on its own, though. The explanations for magic are a lot more scientific, and Peter is an amiable, amusing narrator. The story is delightfully creepy in the right places too. I did end the book feeling like the characters had never quite come alive for me, though. The connection always seemed just out of reach. Still, I've already bought the second in the series, so I'm willing to keep at it.
    • 5/5
      Very enjoyable - definitely want to read more in the series. Fun and light, with an interesting perspective - a hip young Obama like cop.
    • 3/5
      Constable Peter Grant wants to be part of the Murder Team. Instead he is assigned to desk work for the Case Progression Unit. His luck changes when he learns he can see ghosts. This brings him to the attention of DCI Nightingale, who is the only member of a police unit that investigates magic and paranormal related crimes.I really wanted to like this book. It came highly recommended by many LibraryThingers. It has all the attributes of a book I would like; author who wrote for Doctor Who, London setting, fantasy and paranormal elements, a mystery to solve. Yet the book never grabbed me. I didn’t care about the main character who was also the narrator. The story was slow to get started and had many starts and stops. The one character I was really interested in, DCI Nightingale, ends up in the hospital and completely out of the story for the last half of the book. The river gods and goddesses were fun and I liked the Punch and Judy theme. Otherwise, this book was a big disappointment.
    • 3/5
      I first came across Rivers of London on the Kindle store, and downloaded the sample. I was intrigued by the first chapter, and put it on my wishlist. A friend or two read it, and finally one lent me his copy. He thought I'd tear through it in one go.

      Not quite true, as it happens. Oh, all in all, I think it took about two hours to read, but sometimes a few days would go by without me reading more. It reminded me a lot of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files books -- which is not really a compliment, coming from me. They were similar in tone, and something about the narrators was similar. Thankfully, I didn't pick up on the same type of waves of misogyny -- sorry, I mean chivalry -- but I wasn't entirely happy. Do guys really think with their dicks to this extent? Leslie was, most of the time, a great character -- and then I was left feeling rather like she'd been there as a plot device all along. To fill in that role, of Pretty Polly, who is a silent onlooker and untroubled when wooed by a murderer...

      Not a great start for women in this series, particularly with the nubile Beverley eventually used as a hostage, and then the whole thing ending with vagina dentata...!

      To some extent, it depends what happens to Leslie now. Is she just the instrument for trowelling on Peter's manpain? Or the exposition tool to help Peter figure everything out? Or will she have a plot of her own?

      I will be reading Moon Over Soho, though I did think Rivers of London also had a few problems with pacing, but I won't have the same tolerance with it. I do like the idea -- actual, officially sanctioned members of the constabulary dealing with supernatural events -- and I do love a good crime story when it falls together reasonably well.
    • 5/5
      This book was a surprise. I wasn't expecting a book quite so well written and interesting (don't know why).This is the story of a young British police officer who becomes an apprentice to a wizard in a special police division. Peter and his team must find whatever has been magically terrorizing innocents on the streets of London. In their quest, they recruit help from the "Rivers" of London--one of the more interesting aspects of the book. This is something that could easily become too convoluted to understand, but was instead a delightful addition.As soon as I finished this one, I immediately ordered the next two in the series. Great story, great writing.
    • 4/5
      "... the public doesn't like it when the police start screaming; it contributes to an impression of things not being conducive to public calm." I like it when I come across a book that doesn't feel like dozens of other books that I've already read. This droll urban fantasy kept presenting me with unexpected situations and characters. Constable Peter Grant encounters a ghost at a crime scene. That surprising occurrence leads him to being assigned to work with inspector Thomas Nightingale, a wizard who comprises a one-man X files-like unit of the police.I didn't know that there are a Mother and Father of the Thames and that they don't exactly get along. There are also has vampires, trolls and magic in London. The team winds up investigating a spate of cases where people die due to their faces falling off. You have to admit that's different.Grant is inexperienced with all things supernatural. As Nightingale tries to teach him magic and how to police some unusual criminals, Grant is self-deprecating, but intelligent, and a worthy apprentice for Nightingale. I liked both characters but I definitely learned more about Grant in this book. I hope that I find out more about Nightingale in subsequent books in the series.
    • 4/5
      A detective story set in a parallel London where magic is real but invisible to most. Peter Grant is a police constable and apprentice wizard; he and his boss, with the help of various magical creatures, protect the city from chaos. The level of detail really adds to the reading; from police procedures to accurate geography, the author has clearly done his homework. Described as "Harry Potter joins the Fuzz", it's definitely a book for adults not children; it's violent and dark, and there is swearing throughout. I found the ending a little weak, but I'll still definitely go on to read the next one.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed it; I’ll read more in the series. That said, I was bothered by the protagonist’s unrealistic speed of conversion from “there’s no such thing as ghosts” to phlegmatic acceptance of all things magical. At the very least there should have been some sense of marvel. It was actually the item I had the most trouble suspending disbelief about in story containing ghosts, vampires, wizards and their ilk.
    • 2/5
      load of old rubbish really :-) but entertaining enough.