REVIEW: Rivers of London (Ben Aaronovitch)
Author: Ben Aaronovitch
My rating: 2/5.
Premise:
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.
The premise to this series sounded right up my street: crime, fantasy and ghosts. But in reality, the book didn't meet my expectations. The big thing that put me off was how much the women were sexualised. It seemed the main character had the maturity of a teenage boy when it came to women and so when he met an attractive woman or some breasts, he had to focus on it and get excited. The plot was interesting, but at the end it just didn't tie up for me. Maybe I missed something, but the motive for the "bad guy" wasn't explained well. I liked some of the details - similar to Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, there was a light of playing with London place names. Overall, a pretty meh book in my opinion and I probably won't bother with the rest of the series.