The Furthest Station

By: Ben Aaronovitch

Narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith

Length: 3 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's Summary

A stunning PC Peter Grant novella continues this best-selling series with commuting ghosts, a kidnapping, and a superb new London mystery!

PC Peter Grant is heading west.

The Furthest Station is Ben Aaronovitch's first PC Grant novella...and there's something going bump on the Metropolitan line. And when commuters start reporting encounters with ghosts up and down the track - encounters which they forget entirely within minutes - Peter Grant gets a call to investigate. And the very first interview leads to a ghost-hunting expedition....

The first ever Peter Grant novella, this is a fantastic London-based mystery.

©2017 Ben Aaronovitch (P)2017 Orion Publishing Group

Critic Reviews

" The Hanging Tree is definitely one of the best in the Grant/Aaronovitch pantheon. There again, so have most of the previous books in the series and the odds are the next one probably will be too." ( The Bookbag)
"Aaronovitch deftly balances urban fantasy with the police procedural. As for Grant, he's a wonderful blend of laconic copper and, methodically researching how magic works, full-on nerd." ( Crime Scene)
"This series is brilliant!" ( Teen Librarian)

Solid and fun, not much plot

Fun novella in the Rivers of London series, this time with the world of ghosts partially explored and some expansion of Abigail's studies as she seeks to be taken on as an apprentice. Abigail has appeared before (a relative of Peter Grant), and Grant unwisely told her that if she passed a certain test in Latin he would teach her magic. Well, as Grant and Nightingale look into a suspected kidnapping (based on information from two dissolving ghosts), we also see Abigail's dedication to her studies. I can just see the Folly's denizens growing by one in some book soon and was happy for a mostly happy ending to the kidnapping case.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Delightful writing and narration

This author and narrator team make the Peter Grant series my favorite audio book series. The writing is imaginative - with twisty plots and characters with depth and layers.

The narration is fabulous, with interesting change-ups in pacing, fantastic and recognizable voices.

Ben Aaronovitch and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith do outstanding work. I always look forward to the next book and find listening to this series delightful.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Don't miss The Furthest Station

What do I love about this audiobook series? The vivid London landscape, the digressions about architecture, the musicality, the diverse backgrounds of all the characters (not one character is a cardboard stand in -- even if we're not told their whole story), the details of a police procedural, Peter's efforts to apply science to magic, the dashing Nightingale, the rich context of history, class, and region... and I could go on. There could not be a better narrator for this series than Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. If you haven't read the series, start at the beginning and don't skip this installment-- even if it's a novella, it's a wonderful listen. I can't wait for the next full length novel. Thank you, Mr. Aaronovich, now back to work!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Very well done all around.

Loved it as usual but as good as it is, I know it's a short but I miss a chat with Peter's Parents all though it was nice to have more of Abigail. I'd love to see another series with just Abigail and I don't particularly like children in books but I'd make an exception for her.

The audio was really well done as usual.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

enjoyable

This is an enjoyable tie-over while waiting for the next book in the series. The wit that makes the series so enjoyable continues strong in this novella.

Great Novella in Peter Grant Series

This was a great, short audiobook in the Peter Grant series. As always, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith's narration was excellent - his accent work is great and he imbues the story with even more fun than the text on its own (which is saying something, because the text is delightful). If you have enjoyed previous entries in the series, this entry (about ghosts on the tube) is a worthwhile addition.

A great glass of wine.

Ben has spoiled us with the Peter Grant books, we're so used to having the full bottle that to be given a single glass only wets our appetite for more. I'd say more, but I don't want to spoil any piece of a thoroughly enjoyable story.

A short, good story

A nice taste, I wish it were a full length book. I love the reader, and if I pick up the physical copy, it will be Kobna's voice I heard in my head. (Seriously, I wish he would do more audiobooks!) I like the story, but it doesn't stand on it's own, it doesn't really delve deep into any characters, it's almost like the author was being wrung by his publisher for a contract obligation. I suspect when the Peter Grant/Folly series continues on, it will be easily skipped. I DO love the series, I wish the author would buckle down and get some forward momentum.

Wonderful Whimsy

The Peter Grant series is wonderful. It's light and magical. The writing and storyline is full of fairies, river gods and goddesses and other mythical beings with funny, scary, and whimsical personalities that come alive with Kobna Holbrook-Smith's artful narration. I look forward to the next installment.

Worth a listen for fans of this series.

Any additional comments?

Fun series. Perfect narrator. I typically become bored with lengthy series. This one is no exception. But so far, all have been fun enough to continue. I'll plan on listening to the next one assuming the narrator hasn't changed. I think if Ben were to change narrators I might move on though. Story is entertaining, but no longer has the vibrancy of the earlier books in this series... The mystery is interesting, but I'm not on the edge of my seat..

Ok but

The short stories / novellas are not a patch on the books. It is all rather lightweight and thin

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Much better but

Left wondering why this story wasn't incorporated into a full length novel. Good story more akin to the early books, with touches of Neverwhere. But some unresolved plot holes and the asides to American listeners /readers niggled. Teen character may please younger audience but overall not sure this was worth a credit.

14 of 15 people found this review helpful

Slightly disappointed

I love the peter grant mysteries. This one is very short. Doesn't really get off the ground. Lacks a lot of the usual humour and heart of the earlier books. The basic plot has substance and could of gone a lot further. Seemed slightly rushed.

12 of 13 people found this review helpful

rather disappointing to be honest.

compared to the previous six books in the series,I felt robbed of a decent storyline,I was so looking forward to this book,but alas it was very short,and it seems the author was stuck for a decent worthwhile story. sadly disappointed.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Below par

Sadly short and although narration was up to the normal excellence the story was perhaps not on form. Not the best considering I have been waiting since April. Very disappointing, I’m almost ashamed to say.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Great story, superb narration

Ben Aaronovitch and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith are my dream team audio book pairing. Engaging stories full of the believable and unbelievable, narrated with clarity, precision, humour and an uncanny ability to move between character voices.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Good but too short

As always a good story but this time much too short.

I look forward to the next novel

9 of 10 people found this review helpful

Not the best Peter Grant book by a long shot

If you only read this Peter Grant book you probably won’t read any more. Definitely not up to the usual standard in characters or story. Should be seen as a side story and not a novel but as a fan I wasn’t impressed at all. Here’s hoping the next one has more thought put into it

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

not long enough

not long enough by far, it only just got going when it came to an end.

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

Not of the normal standard

This is a very short book in relation to the other books also it is more like a "stand alone" accompanying novel not adding much to the ongoing theme.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful