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See Ben Aaronovitch at Edinburgh Book Festival!

Posted on Monday, August 14th, 2017

The Edinburgh Book Festival began this past Saturday, and we wanted to draw your attention to Ben Aaronovitch‘s appearance on Wednesday.

“Shedding Light on London’s Darker Corners” takes place from 8:45-9:45pm at the Studio Theatre. More details can be found here, and below is the official description of the event:

The bestselling PC Peter Grant series barnstorms on with Ben Aaronovitch penning The Hanging Tree. Once more, Grant is forced to traipse through the secret nooks and crannies of London, this time to investigate a murder in the circle of super rich guests at a terribly exclusive party. Aaronovitch tells us how he pulls together the various strings of magic, privilege and an everyday copper to produce another fictional gem.

Ben is the best-selling author of the Peter Grant series. The latest book, THE HANGING TREE is out now in paperback, published by Gollancz in the UK and DAW Books in the US. Here’s the synopsis…

Suspicious deaths are not usually the concern of Police Constable Peter Grant or the Folly — London’s police department for supernatural cases — even when they happen at an exclusive party in one of the flats of the most expensive apartment blocks in London. But the daughter of Lady Ty, influential goddess of the Tyburn river, was there, and Peter owes Lady Ty a favor.

Plunged into the alien world of the super-rich, where the basements are bigger than the houses, where the law is something bought and sold on the open market, a sensible young copper would keep his head down and his nose clean.

But this is Peter Grant we’re talking about.

He’s been given an unparalleled opportunity to alienate old friends and create new enemies at the point where the world of magic and that of privilege intersect. Assuming he survives the week…

Paperback edition of THE HANGING TREE out now in the UK

Posted on Thursday, July 13th, 2017

It’s a busy week for Ben Aaronovitch. Hot on the heels of yesterday’s release of DETECTIVE STORIES #2, today sees the publication of THE HANGING TREE in paperback! Published by Gollancz, here’s the synopsis…

The sixth outing for PC Peter Grant in this bestselling series sees him back in London and facing up to the terrifying legacy of London’s hangings.

Suspicious deaths are not usually the concern of PC Peter Grant or the Folly, even when they happen at an exclusive party in one of the most expensive apartment blocks in London. But Lady Ty’s daughter was there, and Peter owes Lady Ty a favour.

Plunged into the alien world of the super-rich, where the basements are bigger than the house and dangerous, arcane items are bought and sold on the open market, a sensible young copper would keep his head down and his nose clean. But this is Peter Grant we’re talking about.

He’s been given an unparalleled opportunity to alienate old friends and create new enemies at the point where the world of magic and that of privilege intersect. Assuming he survives the week…

THE HANGING TREE has been published in the US by DAW Books, and in Germany by DTV.

Ben Aaronovitch, giving away the secrets to writing fantasy fiction…

Posted on Thursday, June 29th, 2017

This weekend — July 1st, to be exact — Sunday Times-bestselling author Ben Aaronovitch will be attending the Writers & Artists full-day conference on how to write fantasy fiction.

Specifically, Ben will be hosting a workshop — “Gripping your reader from the off: writing a compelling introduction to your world” — from 9am to 10:30am.

Ben Aaronovitch is the author of the bestselling, critically-acclaimed Peter Grant urban fantasy series. Currently comprised of six novels, four comic series and an upcoming novella, the series grows in popularity every year.

The novels are published in the UK by Gollancz, in the US by Del Rey (1-3) and DAW Books (4-6), and widely in translation. They include: RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES, FOXGLOVE SUMMER and THE HANGING TREE. The upcoming novella is THE FURTHEST STATION, due to be published by Gollancz and Subterranean Press in September.

The Rivers of London comic series are published by Titan Comics: BODY WORK, NIGHT WITCH, BLACK MOULD, and the ongoing DETECTIVE STORIES.

Ben Aaronovitch’s PROKLETÉ DOMOVY out now!

Posted on Monday, May 1st, 2017

BROKEN HOMES, Ben Aaronovitch‘s fourth Peter Grant novel, is out now in Czech! Published by Argo as PROKLETÉ DOMOVY, here’s the synopsis…

Začíná to jako obvykle – mrtvolou. Ale kdo v tom má tentokrát prsty? Běžný sériový vrah, nebo společník zvráceného kouzelníka známého pod přezdívkou Muž bez tváře? Než se policejní konstábl Peter Grant v novém případu zorientuje, pod soupravu metra vkročí londýnský urbanista a zmizí jistý starobylý grimoár. V Londýně nic neobvyklého. Ale pak se k Peterovi donesou zvěsti o prazvláštních událostech v oblasti Elephant and Castle, které se točí kolem věžáku navrženého bláznem, postaveného šarlatány a obývaného těmi největšími zoufalci. Mají tyto skutečnosti nějakou spojitost? A pokud ano, proč k nim proboha muselo dojít až na jižním břehu Temže, kde jindy chcípnul pes? Promiň, Toby.

Published in the UK by Gollancz and the US by DAW Books, here’s the English-language synopsis for BROKEN HOMES…

A unique blend of police procedural, loving detail about the greatest character of all, London, and a dash of the supernatural.

A mutilated body in Crawley. Another killer on the loose. The prime suspect is one Robert Weil – an associate of the twisted magician known as the Faceless Man? Or just a common garden serial killer?

Before PC Peter Grant can get his head round the case, a town planner going under a tube train and a stolen grimoire are adding to his case-load.

So far so London.

But then Peter gets word of something very odd happening in Elephant and Castle, on an 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?

The Peter Grant series is currently at six novels, three comic series, an audio-exclusive short story, and an upcoming novella.

Covering the Collected BLACK MOULD…

Posted on Thursday, April 20th, 2017

Ben Aaronovitch and Andrew Cartmel‘s critically-acclaimed third Rivers of London comic series, BLACK MOULD will be published by Titan Comics in a collected edition next month! Above you can see the cover, and here’s the synopsis…

It creeps! It crawls! It ooooozes! Something dark and slimy is dripping through the walls of suburban London. Not usually a police matter but there’s something very weird about this mould. Police Constable Peter Grant and his unwilling partner, Sahra Guleed, soon find themselves knee deep in killer muck! Meanwhile, their boss, Thomas Nightingale, is preparing to do battle against a haunted ice cream van. Good times.

The cover and series artwork is by the always-excellent Lee Sullivan and Luis Guerrero.

In the continuity of the larger Peter Grant series, BLACK MOULD falls between the fifth novel FOXGLOVE SUMMER and the NIGHT WITCH comic series, and the upcoming THE FURTHEST STATION novella and the recently-released sixth novel THE HANING TREE. (Ben has a full continuity on his website.)

The Peter Grant novels are published in the UK by Gollancz, and in the US by Del Rey (1-3) and DAW Books (4-6). The Rivers of London comics are published by Titan Comics.

Ben Aaronovitch’s Peter Grant series has been nominated for a Hugo!

Posted on Monday, April 10th, 2017

Ben Aaronovitch‘s critically-acclaimed, best-selling Peter Grant series has been nominated for a Hugo Award in the Best Series category!

The series is currently comprised of RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES, FOXGLOVE SUMMER and THE HANGING TREE. The series is published by Gollancz in the UK, and in the US by Del Rey (1-3) and DAW Books (4-6). The novels have also been widely published in translation. A new novella, THE FURTHEST STATION is out later this year, published by Gollancz (UK) and Subterranean Press (US). Ben is also writing an ongoing comic series with Andrew Cartmel, published by Titan Comics.

Here’s the synopsis for the first novel in the series…

My name is Peter Grant and until January I was just probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (and as the Filth to everybody else). My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit — we do paperwork so real coppers don’t have to — and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder inquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly voluable, and that brought me to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England.

Now I’m a Detective Constable and a trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years, and my world has become somewhat more complicated: nests of vampires in Purley, negotiating a truce between the warring god and goddess of the Thames, and digging up graves in Covent Garden… and there’s something festering at the heart of the city I love, a malicious vengeful spirit that takes ordinary Londoners and twists them into grotesque mannequins to act out its drama of violence and despair.

The spirit of riot and rebellion has awakened in the city, and it’s falling to me to bring order out of chaos — or die trying.

Winners of the awards will be announced at the 75th World Science Fiction Convention in Helsinki, Finland, on August 11th.

Ben Aaronovitch interview and upcoming event

Posted on Tuesday, April 4th, 2017

Ben Aaronovitch was recently interviewed for The Bestseller Experiment podcast…

Also, on July 1st, Ben is scheduled to lead a workshop on the key elements of writing fantasy fiction, as part of a Writers & Artists event in London!

Ben is the critically-acclaimed, best-selling author of the Peter Grant urban fantasy series. The series so far includes six novels, published in the UK by Gollancz, in the US by Del Rey and DAW Books, and widely in translation…

… an upcoming novella, due to be published by Gollancz and Subterranean Press…

… and three comic series published by Titan Comics…

Ben Aaronovitch’s BROKEN HOMES out now in Czech!

Posted on Tuesday, March 28th, 2017

Ben Aaronovitch‘s fourth Peter Grant novel is now available in Czech! Published by Argo as PROKLETÉ DOMOVY, here’s the synopsis…

Začíná to jako obvykle – mrtvolou. Ale kdo v tom má tentokrát prsty? Běžný sériový vrah, nebo společník zvráceného kouzelníka známého pod přezdívkou Muž bez tváře? Než se policejní konstábl Peter Grant v novém případu zorientuje, pod soupravu metra vkročí londýnský urbanista a zmizí jistý starobylý grimoár. V Londýně nic neobvyklého. Ale pak se k Peterovi donesou zvěsti o prazvláštních událostech v oblasti Elephant and Castle točících se kolem věžáku navrženého bláznem, postaveného šarlatány a obývaného těmi největšími zoufalci. Mají tyto skutečnosti nějakou spojitost? A pokud ano, proč k nim proboha muselo dojít až na jižním břehu Temže, kde jindy chcípnul pes? Promiň Toby.

Argo also publish the first three novels in the series.

BROKEN HOMES is published in the UK by Gollancz, in the US by DAW Books, and has been published widely in translation. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

A mutilated body in Crawley. Another killer on the loose. The prime suspect is one Robert Weil — an associate of the twisted magician known as the Faceless Man? Or just a common garden serial killer?

Before PC Peter Grant can get his head round the case, a town planner going under a tube train and a stolen grimoire are adding to his case-load.

So far so London.

But then Peter gets word of something very odd happening in Elephant and Castle, on an 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?

Ben Aaronovitch’s DER GALGEN VON TYBURN out this year in Germany!

Posted on Friday, February 10th, 2017

Ben Aaronovitch‘s highly-anticipated sixth Peter Grant novel, THE HANGING TREE, will be published in Germany this May! Published as DER GALGEN VON TYBURN by DTV, here’s the synopsis…

In seinem sechsten Fall muss der fabelhafte Peter Grant

– ein verschollenes altes Buch wiederfinden einen verdächtigen Todesfall auf einer Party der Reichen und Schönen Londons aufklären

– versuchen, es sich dabei nicht völlig mit Lady Ty zu verderben

– vermeiden, vom Gesichtslosen ins Jenseits befördert zu werden

– sich mit einem ganzen Haufen rauflustiger Amerikaner herumschlagen, die definitiv zu viel ›24‹ gesehen haben.

Kurz: Peter bekommt die einzigartige Gelegenheit, es sich mit alten Freunden zu verderben und sich dabei jede Menge neue Feinde zu machen. Mal vorausgesetzt, er überlebt die kommende Woche.

THE HANGING TREE is published in the UK by Gollancz and in the US by DAW Books. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

The sixth outing for PC Peter Grant in this bestselling series sees him back in London and facing up to the terrifying legacy of London’s hangings.

He’s been given an unparalleled opportunity to alienate old friends and create new enemies at the point where the world of magic and that of privilege intersect. Assuming he survives the week…

DTV also publishes the first five novels in the series: DER FLÜSSE VON LONDON, SCHWARZER MOND ÜBER SOHO, EIN WISPERN UNTER BAKER STREET, DER BÖSE ORT and FINGERHUT-SOMMER.

In the UK, Gollancz publishes the first five novels in the series: RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES and FOXGLOVE SUMMER. The first three books in the series are published in the US by Del Rey, and the second three novels are published by DAW Books. The series has also been published widely in translation — more details about international editions can be found on Ben’s author page.

THE HANGING TREE out today in the US!

Posted on Tuesday, January 31st, 2017

Ben Aaronovitch‘s highly-anticipated sixth Peter Grant novel is out today in the US! Published by DAW Books, here’s the synopsis for THE HANGING TREE…

But this is Peter Grant we’re talking about.

He’s been given an unparalleled opportunity to alienate old friends and create new enemies at the point where the world of magic and that of privilege intersect. Assuming he survives the week…

THE HANGING TREE was published in the UK Gollancz, in November 2016. It is due out in Germany in May 2017, published by DTV.

‘Fans of Ben Aaronovitch’s Peter Grant series will be delighted to discover that this latest instalment is just as good a the previous five… The pace is constant, strong and relentless throughout. Ben Aaronovitch is a master of metropolitan magical mayhem and the action is delightful. This is a tight thriller which is compelling and buckets of fun. If you already know the series, it’s high time you got re-acquainted.’ — Starburst

‘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

THE HANGING TREE is a Sunday Times Bestseller!

Posted on Sunday, November 13th, 2016

We are delighted to report that Ben Aaronovitch‘s sixth Peter Grant novel, THE HANGING TREE is #5 on the Sunday Times bestseller list! The highly-anticipated novel was published last week in the UK by Gollancz. Here’s the synopsis…

The sixth outing for PC Peter Grant in this bestselling series sees him back in London and facing the terrifying legacy of London’s hangings.

He’s been given an unparalleled opportunity to alienate old friends and create new enemies at the point where the world of magic and that of privilege intersect. Assuming he survives the week…

The novel is due to be published in North America by DAW Books in January 2017.

Aaronovitch’s LES DISPARUES DE RUSHPOOL out today in paperback

Posted on Wednesday, August 31st, 2016

Ben Aaronovitch‘s fifth Peter Grant novel, FOXGLOVE SUMMER, is out today in French paperback. Published as LES DISPARUES DE RUSHPOOL by J’ai Lu, here’s the synopsis…

L’agent Peter Grant, dernier apprenti sorcier et brillant enquêteur de la Police Métropolitaine de Londres — la Métro, pour les intimes – quitte cette fois la capitale britannique pour se rendre dans une petite bourgade du Herefordshire où les forces de police locales échouent à enrayer la vague d’enlèvements d’enfants dont leur communauté est victime.

Assisté de Beverley Brook, Peter se retrouve bientôt embourbé jusqu’au cou dans une affaire pour le moins louche. Passe encore le danger omniprésent, la mauvaise humeur des flics du coin, la franche hostilité des dieux locaux… mais des boutiques qui ferment à 4 heures de l’après-midi?!

Quelle horreur!

FOXGLOVE SUMMER is published in the UK by Gollancz, in the US by DAW Books, and in Germany by DTV. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

In the fifth of his bestselling series Ben Aaronovitch takes Peter Grant out of whatever comfort zone he might have found and takes him out of London — to a small village in Herefordshire where the local police are reluctant to admit that there might be a supernatural element to the disappearance of some local children. But while you can take the London copper out of London you can’t take the London out of the copper.

Travelling west with Beverley Brook, Peter soon finds himself caught up in a deep mystery and having to tackle local cops and local gods. And what’s more all the shops are closed by 4pm…

And, finally, just a few of the reviews praising the novel…

‘The very setup of the books is both urban and fantastic… The main story functions as an interesting thriller, and the additional commentary on the way the UK handles major incidents like the disappearance of children is both thought-provoking and carefully handled… FOXGLOVE SUMMER is evocative, mysterious, engaging, and, mostly, enormous amounts of fun. Fans of the Peter Grant series will not be disappointed, and those new to the books should start with Rivers in London, safe in the knowledge that the sequels are just as good.’ — Starburst

‘Ben Aaronovitch is in top form in this fifth Peter Grant novel… As ever, the realistic police procedural details ground the plot, but the wonderful and unexpected fantasy world that lurks just below the surface of reality makes this tale the rousing success that it is. The tension is high from the opening of this unpredictable story, but the gravity of Grant’s newest case doesn’t keep his snarky humor or his wry insight from shining through, making this a book that new readers and fans alike will relish.’ — RT Book Reviews (January 2015 Top Pick)

‘The combination—and frequently, the clash—of modern policing methods with magic and folklore remains a compelling juxtaposition… Peter’s voice remains compelling. It’s one of the most appealing things about this series. In removing him from his usual stomping grounds to the countryside, Aaronovitch takes the opportunity to cast a minor side-eye at the white uniformity and unthinking assumptions of part of Britain: as a mixed-race lad from London, Peter sticks out in Leominster… It’s amusing. It’s diverting. It’s fun…’ — Tor.com

‘A bloody good page turner… This is a book that I can’t recommend enough… a great jump on point for new readers, but it also keeps up the greatness of the previous four novels. 10/10’ — Cult Den

‘There are only a few urban fantasy series I would drop everything for, and this is one of them… A lot of urban fantasies sell themselves as mysteries, but this one actually feels like a mystery, with subtle clues dropped along the course of the investigation that the attentive reader might pick up and use later on to put together the pieces… Peter’s most hilarious lines are often laced with strong undertones of sarcasm and self-deprecation, and delivered with the kind of subtlety that contrasts greatly with the in-your-face type of snark that I’m so used to in my mostly American UF heroes and heroines… this book is a great example of how a series and its main character can grow while still retaining everything that makes the previous novels so great. An extraordinary fun ride that’s not to be missed.’ — Bibliosanctum (5* Review)

Cover Reveal: DER GALGEN VON TYBURN by Ben Aaronovitch

Posted on Tuesday, July 12th, 2016

Ben Aaronovitch‘s sixth Peter Grant novel, THE HANGING TREE, now has a German cover! The novel is due to be published in February 2017 by DTV, as DER GALGEN VON TYBURN. Here’s the synopsis…

In seinem sechsten Fall muss der fabelhafte Peter Grant

– ein verschollenes altes Buch wiederfinden einen verdächtigen Todesfall auf einer Party der Reichen und Schönen Londons aufklären

– versuchen, es sich dabei nicht völlig mit Lady Ty zu verderben

– vermeiden, vom Gesichtslosen ins Jenseits befördert zu werden

– sich mit einem ganzen Haufen rauflustiger Amerikaner herumschlagen, die definitiv zu viel ›24‹ gesehen haben.

Kurz: Peter bekommt die einzigartige Gelegenheit, es sich mit alten Freunden zu verderben und sich dabei jede Menge neue Feinde zu machen. Mal vorausgesetzt, er überlebt die kommende Woche.

THE HANGING TREE is due to be published in early 2017 by Gollancz (UK) and DAW Books (US). The first five novels in the series are out now: RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES and FOXGLOVE SUMMER. The comic series BODY WORK and NIGHT WITCH are also available, published by Titan Comics.

RIVERS OF LONDON: BODY WORK Out Now in US

Posted on Tuesday, March 29th, 2016

The collected paperback of Ben Aaronovitch and Andrew Cartmel‘s RIVERS OF LONDON: BODY WORK is out now in the US! It had already been available digitally, but it hits shelves today in dead-tree format. Published by Titan Comics, here’s the synopsis…

Peter Grant looks look your average London police officer, but he is actually a part-time wizard in a very elite branch of the Metropolitan Police. It’s his job to investigate those crimes that regular cops don’t like to talk about because they often involve vampires or strange things in Underground tunnels.

Peter’s latest case features a self-driving killer automobile, a Serbian refugee, the Most Haunted Car in England, a handsome drug dealer with a nice paisley scarf and a seemingly harmless wooden bench with a dark past!

The comic series is set between books four and five in Ben’s Peter Grant urban fantasy series — BROKEN HOMES and FOXGLOVE SUMMER, both of which are published by Gollancz in the UK and DAW Books in the US. Here is the series to-date, including the upcoming THE HANGING TREE:

RIVERS OF LONDON: NIGHT WITCH #1 Out Now!

Posted on Wednesday, March 16th, 2016

The first issue of RIVERS OF LONDON: NIGHT WITCH is out now! Written by Ben Aaronovitch and Andrew Cartmel, this is the second comic series set in Ben’s best-selling urban fantasy world. The series is published by Titan Comics. Here’s the synopsis…

A police vehicle on a routine prison transfer in north London is stormed by Russian hoodlums seeking to free a very particular prisoner. Their target is a witch. A very powerful witch who doesn’t want to be free. Things rapidly turn very ugly for the hoods and it’s soon a job for full-time police constable and part-time wizard, Peter Grant.

Titan Comics also published RIVERS OF LONDON: BODY WORK, which is now available as a collection. This afternoon, between 6-7pm, Ben and Andrew will be at the Forbidden Planet Megastore in London, signing copies of the collection and also RIVERS OF LONDON: NIGHT WITCH #1. At the event, a special edition of the comic will be available. Here’s the exclusive variant cover…

Ben’s Peter Grant series is published in the UK by Gollancz. So far, the series includes: RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES, FOXGLOVE SUMMER, and the upcoming THE HANGING TREE. The series is also published in the US by Del Rey (books 1-3) and DAW Books (4-6). The series has also been published widely in translation.