Broken Homes

A Rivers of London Novel

By: Ben Aaronovitch

Narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith

Ben Aaronovitch's bestselling Rivers of London urban fantasy series • “The perfect blend of CSI and Harry Potter.” —io9

A mutilated body in Crawley. A killer on the loose. The prime suspect is one Robert Weil, possibly an associate of the twisted wizard known as the Faceless Man. Or maybe just a garden-variety serial killer.

Before apprentice wizard and Police Constable Peter Grant can even get his head 'round the case, two more are dropped in his lap: a town planner has gone under a tube train, and there's a stolen grimoire for Grant to track down.

So far, so London.

But then Peter gets word of something very odd happening 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—in the jurisdiction of some pretty prickly local river spirits?

Critic reviews

"It's witty, fun, and full of vivid characters, and the plot twists will keep even seasoned mystery fans guessing." —Publishers Weekly

"The most satisfying fantasy thriller to hit bookshelves in quite some time." —SFX Magazine

“The perfect blend of CSI and Harry Potter.” —io9

"The most entertaining book that I have read in such a long time.... It's very funny, it's very clever, it's very nicely written.... It's such a treat." —Nancy Pearl

"Aaronovitch makes the story sing, building momentum until the ending is literally breathless.” —SF Revu
"The prose is witty, the plot clever, and the characters incredibly likeable." —Time Out
"This book is, at its heart, a police procedural with an overlay of urban fantasy elements. The voice is persuasive and funny as all get-out, and the reader is engaged with the narrative from the very first page. Aaronovitch has written a diverse cast of characters who all feel like real people with their own specific motivations. This book is simply wonderful." —Romantic Times (top pick)

"This fast, engrossing novel is enjoyable, cheerful, and accessible to new readers." —Publisher's Weekly (for Whispers Under Ground)

OMG How will I survive until the next book?

Would you consider the audio edition of Broken Homes to be better than the print version?

The Narrator keeps me grounded in the differing accents of the characters... adding a level of complexity I might have missed had I read the book in my own American accent in my head.

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

YES, it was hard to stop.

Any additional comments?

Book three was not as great as the first two, leading me to wonder whether Mr Aaronovitch was having difficulty maintaining his commitments. This book brought me back as thoroughly as PC Grant escorting a suspect in for questioning. Do not miss this series.

Magical police procedural

The rivers of London series combines magical whimsy with London scenery and police mysteries. The narrator is one of the most engaging and imaginative I have ever heard. You will love it.

Holbrook-Smith continues to be superb

Holbrook-Smith continued to be a superb voice for Pete Grant and the whole divers cast of London inhabitants. while this book of the series gets a bit heavy on the technical details of architecture, the material isn't wasted, and I look forward to later use of the physics of magic demonstrated here. And who can get enough of Abigail, Zach, and Varvara Sidorovna.

Really enjoyable

I really like this one over the others so far. The architectural history of London is fascinating and using the backdrop of the paranormal makes it all more interesting. I also think this was more nicely detailed than the first and second books. There are a couple of loose ends, but I hope they get tied up in future stories.

love it!

The reader is fantastic! The stories are great. Each book gets better and better.