Midnight Riot

Rivers of London, Book 1

By: Ben Aaronovitch

Narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith

Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2011 Ben Aaronvitch (P)2012 Tantor

Still waters run deep?

Great combination of magical and mundane set in modern London. What a fun book! But plenty of shadowy reality mixed in.

Great book - fantastic listen

I think I would have loved this book even if I had read it myself but the narrator, Kobna put this over the top for me. His narration brought the characters to life in such a clear and distinctive why that this was an absolute joy. Also the story is great and there's just enough of my kind of humor that I have now written my first actual review. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Not as good as I thought it might be

I was really excited to start this book but although the concept was good the execution wasn't . The writing was dull and the narrator was difficult to understand as times.

Way better than I expected and fun, too.

What did you love best about Midnight Riot?

The characters are made real and likeable. The fantasy aspect doesn't overwhelm the story - just gives it some interesting twists. The narration is excellent.

What does Kobna Holdbrook-Smith bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His accent is perfect for the story - not a highbrow British accent, but rather one more fitting to Peter.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. You never knew where the action was going to take you or how it would end-up.

Any additional comments?

A fun and unpredictable listen.

good concept

time travel, ghosts, police detectives and London. what is not to like? unusual format great story

Oh no, it's over

I've read this book twice and listened to it once and still can hardly bear to step out of this London, even for a day or two. Fortunately, it's the first in a series.

Not what I expected

This book was lots of fun. The humor was great right from the beginning, the narration was lovely and the story was unique and well written. Enjoyable listen.

Really great

I super enjoyed this. The writing is great—witty and often very funny. It’s full of wonderful “history of London” tidbits sprinkled here and there. The narrator is spot on and fantastic.

My only criticism is that the ending feels a bit thrown together? The protagonist just seems to stumble through the end. He doesn’t feel super in control of things and just has a resolution almost handed to him.

Other than that, it’s super great. Looking forward to reading more of these.

Great Beginning

I purchased the first three in a series sale and I really enjoyed this one. Some of the narration felt more like listening to a play which I don't necessarily enjoy though it was great acting. One content note: it's unfortunate that most cell phones don't have removable batteries anymore! Is there a solution for this in regards to paranormal damage!? Looking forward to starting book 2.

Very satisfying start to a new series

This book came across as well researched, well written, and well plotted. Overall, I was very impressed and the book at a wonderful job of keeping my attention, and making the awkward transition between a reader and any new series very worthwhile.

The narration was consistent in quality, emotional in the right places, and without errors.