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 … 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.
From the Paperback edition.
more
Midnight Riot is what would happen if Harry Potter grew up and joined the Fuzz. It is a hilarious, keenly imagined caper.
Fresh, original, and a wonderful read . . . I loved it.
Do you know this series?? SO FUN. There’s a new, sixth, book due out this Fall (The Hanging Tree)… They are really cool books about the world-within-the-world, set in London (my favorite city in the world), with a fantastic (literally) cast of characters. This is the first one – I liked it the best (as is so often the case), but the others are all also exceedingly good. Well, to be honest, the last – Foxglove Summer – wasn’t my favorite (it was regularly good not exceedingly good). But the series as a whole is really extraordinary (literally and figuratively) and definitely fun if you like your mysteries with a little dash of the unusual…
Okay, if you are a big fan of Jim Butcher like I am, this is a great series to read until the next Dresden Files novel comes out. It all takes place in London so some of the references might not be familiar, but it definitely doesn’t take away from the story. Great read that my sister found for me.
Filled with detail and imagination . . . Aaronovitch is a name to watch.
I love fantasy-mystery mashups and Midnight Riot does not disappoint! By turns hilarious, scary and wildly imaginative, this first book in the Rivers of London series has one of the most engaging narrators I’ve encountered in a long time. Peter Grant is a newly minted constable with London’s Met who stumbles over magical mayhem and ends up in the tiny division that tackles supernatural threats. The lightning-fast plotting and propulsive action scenes keep the pages flying, but it’s the fully-fleshed characters and impressively smart writing that hooked me from the start. After wading through some colossal fantasies that felt padded and just … all over the place, this compact, tightly-paced book was such a breath of fresh air. I’m on the second now, review to come!
First in a series of outlandish and sometimes hilarious incidents. A bit on the crazy side and totally English. Enjoyed it a great deal but plan on looking for the others in the series to either purchase or in your local library because like Lays potato chips you can’t read just one.
Engaging original characters, whimsical mysteries and a grand tableaux. What more can you ask for?
Compares very favourably to American Gods by Neil Gaiman, and this is meant as a huge compliment!
Knows his history and includes little nuggets of info about London. Well written and entertaining. I enjoyed every book. Nice concept and lots of fun. Look forward to more books by this author. Come on guy, get writing…
This book is the first of series that takes place in modern-day London and involves magic mixed with a Metropolitan police squad that confronts crimes committed through sorcery. The main character, Constable Peter Grant, is just starting out when he discovers he can do magic. DCI Thomas Nightingale, an expert at magic, lures Peter to join his Unnatural Crimes Unit. Humor, madness and mayhem abound. Each book in this series is a cliffhanger and it’s better to read them in order.
Recommended by a friend with similar tastes, this is the first book in what appears to be a series, and I’m glad I took my friend’s advice! The matter-of-fact protagonist definitely puts a new spin on the urban fantasy genre as he gamely trots through a whole shift in his worldview. I like the contrast it provides — I like new things.
Excellent book. Excellent series.
The audiobook is fantastic, they found the perfect voice for this story.
If you don’t enjoy British humor, think shows like Black Books, then you probably aren’t going to find this book that amusing, and maybe a little boring. It reads much like how I would imagine a Londoner would tell me a story if I met him in a pub. Much different than an American urban fantasy.
The main character, Peter, takes you though the story of how he discovered magic is real/first case in the same way you’d expect him to tell you the story about how he landed his first girlfriend. Rough around the edges, unconventional and crass. I enjoyed his laid back take on magic, and his lot in life.
This world has an array of characters that I look forward to getting to know better in future books. I love the way everyone knows magic/paranormal is real to some extent, and either still don’t believe it, or roll their eyes at it as if it’s childish. Makes it more realistic in the sense that it’s very likely how people would act about it.
The author does a fantastic job at introducing the reader to a wide list of “this is real” situations in this world, without having a main character that is actually wanting to have a long chat about what the rules are or what is real. Peter remains skeptical until proven otherwise, pushes boundaries and experiments in a manner that is refreshingly normal.
The mystery is well laid out, kept me guessing all the way to the end. I am curious if the future books will be as expansive, or if this one was just so we could get to know all the major players in the world.
You’ll love this book if you like to believe that magic is real, and follow a low brow male lead detective as he shakes up tradition.
Notes: HP Mentions, infant death.
Vivid Prose
Short of playing the theme to EastEnders when you open the cover and stuffing a Cadbury’s Flakey down your gob, this book couldn’t get any more English if it tried. The author does a wonderful job of making London come alive and off the page.
Midnight Riot is the first book in the Rivers of London. Peter Grant is a newly minted constable and trying to figure out his career path. One night, after a brutal murder and all the other police and crime scene techs have gone home, Peter is left to secure the scene until morning. While maintaining his watch, he is approached by a ghost who witnessed the crime.
This opens a whole new unknown world to Peter. He connects with Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale who investigates crimes involving the strange and unknown. Nightingale takes Peter under his wing and the two of them try to get to the bottom of things.
The book has a number of surprising twists that have you quickly turning the page to find out what happens next. The supporting characters are a wide range of individuals that are just as interesting as Peter and Nightingale.
I enjoyed everything about this book and look forward to reading the next in the series.
Midnight Riot feels like a show that might come on after Doctor Who on BBC America. It’s like a cross between Luther and Harry Potter. It feels like you’re getting a real look at contemporary London and its police force… only there’s magic… and ghosts…and scary stuff.
This book and its sequels create a compelling, yet believable world where the paranormal becomes a part of everyday police work.
I always look forward to a new book. Peter and Beverly are great and learning about Nightingales past.
If you want some urban fantasy that’s a bit different, this is a great series. Magical cops, London, shenanigans.
A wildly bizarre story with great characters. I’ve read a couple of these books and they are fun. I recommend reading them in order though.
I love this book. It is the first in the fascinating series about a London policeman that finds out magic is real and starts training to be a wizard. I highly recommend reading and all the books in the series. You won’t want to miss any of them.
Admitted anglophile, this is a great series about a young police London constable who has a gift for magic, fighting not only the bad guys, but racialism and administration inertia, for the good of all.