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New Russian Editions of Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London!

Posted on Wednesday, November 22nd, 2023

There are new Russian editions of the first three of Ben Aaronovitch‘s Rivers of London novels, published by Эксмо’s Fanzon imprint!

RIVERS OF LONDON — Реки Лондона
MOON OVER SOHO — Луна над Сохо
WHISPERS UNDERGROUND — Шепот под землей

All three Russian editions were translated by Трубецкая Елизавета Георгиевна (Trubetskaya Elizaveta Georgievna). Here’s the synopsis for Реки Лондона…

Премия Академии НФ, фэнтези и хоррора.

Финалист премии «Дети ночи» и премии Грэма Мастертона.

Меня зовут Питер Грант, и я был на испытательном сроке в должности констебля в этой могущественной армии правосудия, которую законопослушные люди называют лондонской полицией.

Моя история началась, когда я попытался допросить свидетеля преступления, который был уже мертв… Это привлекло внимание инспектора Томаса Найтингейла, последнего мага в Англии.

Теперь я детектив-констебль и ученик колдуна, первый за последние пятьдесят лет.

Мой мир стал намного сложнее: в пригородах устраивают свои гнезда вампиры, боги и боги Темзы враждуют, а в сердце города, который я так люблю, что-то прогнило… Злонамеренный мстительный дух захватывает обычных лондонцев и превращает в марионетки, чтобы разыграть драму насилия и отчаяния. Призрак бунта и мятежа проснулся в городе, а мне придется навести порядок в этом хаосе — или умереть, пытаясь сделать это.

The three novels in the bestselling series are published in the UK by Gollancz, in North America by JABberwocky, and widely in translation. Here’s the English-language synopsis for RIVERS OF LONDON…

My name is Peter Grant, and I used to be a probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service, and to everyone else as the Filth.

My story really begins when I tried to take a witness statement from a man who was already dead…

Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. After taking a statement from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost, Peter comes to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny.

Suddenly, 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.

MOON OVER SOHO and WHISPERS UNDERGROUND eBooks Available in North America

Posted on Wednesday, November 30th, 2022

Just a quick post today to announce that eBook editions of Ben Aaronovitch‘s acclaimed second and third Rivers of London/Peter Grant novels are available again in North America! Published by JABberwocky, they are also available print-on-demand.

Here’s the synopsis for MOON OVER SOHO…

My name is Peter Grant, and I’m a Police Constable in that mighty army for justice known as the Metropolitan Police (a.k.a. the Filth). I’m also an apprentice wizard, the first in fifty years.

When your dad is an almost famous jazz trumpeter, you know the classics. And that’s why, when Dr Walid called me down to the morgue to listen to a corpse, I recognized the tune it was playing as the jazz classic ‘Body and Soul.’ Something violently supernatural had happened to the victim, strong enough to leave its imprint on his corpse as if it were a wax cylinder recording. The former owner of the body, Cyrus Wilkinson, was a part-time jazz saxophonist and full-time accountant who had dropped dead of a heart attack just after finishing a gig.

He wasn’t the first, but no one was going to let me exhume corpses just to see if they were playing my tune. So it was back to old-fashioned police legwork, starting in Soho, the heart of the scene, with the lovely Simone – Cyrus’s ex-lover, professional jazz kitten and as inviting as a Rubens portrait – as my guide. And it didn’t take me long to realise there were monsters stalking Soho, creatures feeding off that special gift that separates the great musician from someone who can raise a decent tune. What they take is beauty. What they leave behind is sickness, failure and broken lives.

The eBook is available via Kobo, Apple, and Amazon.

Here’s the synopsis for WHISPERS UNDERGROUND…

My name is Peter Grant, police officer, apprentice wizard and well dressed man about town. I work for ECD9, otherwise known as the Folly, and to the Murder Investigation Team as ‘oh god not them again.’ But even their governor, the arch sceptic and professional northerner DCI Seawoll, knows that sometimes, when things go bump in the night, they have to call us in.

Which was why I found myself in an underground station at five o’clock, looking at the body of James Gallagher, US citizen and Arts Student. How did he avoid the underground’s ubiquitous CCTV to reach his final destination, and why is the ceramic shard he was stabbed with so strongly magical?

As the case took me into the labyrinth of conduits, tunnels and abandoned bomb shelters that lay beneath the streets I realised that London below might just be as complicated and inhabited as London above.

And worse, James Gallagher’s father is a US senator, so the next thing I know, I’ve got Special Agent Kimberley Reynolds of the FBI “liaising” with the investigation and asking awkward questions. Such as ‘just what are you guys hiding down here’ and ‘how did you conjure that light out thin air?’

The eBook is available via Kobo, Apple, and Amazon.

JABberwocky also publish the first novel in the series, RIVERS OF LONDON (formerly MIDNIGHT RIOT in the US). The novels are published in the UK by Gollancz/Orion, and in Germany by DTV. The latest novel in the series is AMONGST OUR WEAPONS, published by DAW Books in North America and Orion in the UK.

New Taiwanese Covers for Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London series!

Posted on Thursday, April 21st, 2022

The first four books in Ben Aaronovitch‘s acclaimed, internationally best-selling Rivers of London series (倫敦探案系列) have been given new covers in Taiwan! Originally published between 2016-17, by Marco Polo (馬可孛羅文化事業), read on for some more details for each novel as well as the stunning new covers.

RIVERS OF LONDON, the first in the series, is published in Taiwan as 倫敦河惡靈騷動, and is translated by Zheng Yuxin (鄭郁欣). The new cover is above, and here’s the synopsis…

寒冷週二的凌晨時分，柯芬園聖保羅教堂的西門廊前躺著一具沒有頭的屍體。就要結束實習工作、接下來將分派到倫敦警察廳所屬轄區警局的菜鳥彼得．葛蘭特，基於職責在案發現場盤問了一名衣著老派過時的矮小男子，沒想到對方竟一五一十細細陳述了案發經過，其內容可信度非常高，只不過彼得恐怕沒辦法將這段證詞呈報給調查小組──

誰會相信一個平凡人光揮舞一根球棒就能將被害者的頭敲飛？誰又能接受提供證詞的這位老先生，是個死了足足一百二十年、站在光線下整個人變透明的鬼魂？

不過彼得相信，對現代警察來說，「看得見不存在的事物」是個不可或缺的重要技能，沒想到納丁格爾督察長不但願意接受這聽起來像胡謅的說法，還將彼得納入警察廳內最神祕的特殊犯罪部，聯手調查這樁超自然色彩濃厚的謀殺案。

在這個魔法捲土重來、惡靈騷動再起的時刻，暴力與叛亂已在古老的倫敦城內甦醒，想要解決一連串的詭譎怪案，還得有點福爾摩斯的腦袋與哈利波特的能力才行…

The second novel in the series, MOON OVER SOHO, is published in Taiwan as 蘇活月爵士魅影, and is also translated by Zheng Yuxin.

蘇活區，倫敦夜晚最熱鬧的地方，同時也是爵士樂發展的中心。在那裡，你可以找到歷史悠久且風格各異的酒吧和俱樂部，樂手們全都嚮往登上此處的表演舞臺，演奏最道地動聽的音樂。

一具被判定為自然死亡的屍體上，彼得．葛蘭特聽見了經典爵士樂曲的魔法殘跡，經調查後發現，過去一段時間大倫敦地區每年至少有三名爵士音樂家在演出後二十四小時內死亡，很可能是有某個術士或鬼魂、精靈之類的存在，正有計畫地殺害倫敦的爵士樂人──幾天後，再次傳來某個長號手暴斃的噩耗。

棘手的死亡事件不只一樁，就在魔法爵士殺手再度犯案的當晚，一名中年男子陰莖遭割裂、失血過多死在俱樂部裡，英國最後一位巫師警官納丁格爾告訴彼得，這是「陰牙」造成的傷口，很可能是某種超自然生物所為。

這下子彼得可頭大了，一個以爵士樂手為目標的魔法殺手，與一個擁有傷人利齒的超自然生物，該從哪個方向展開調查才好？首先，彼得必須找尋爵士樂專家的幫助，而他心底已經有了最佳人選……

悠揚輕柔的爵士樂聲響起，為流連倫敦街頭的人們帶來多少歡愉，

曲終人散的某個闇暗角落，躺著一具被魔法奪走性命的沉默軀體。

誰能同時扮演福爾摩斯與哈利波特的角色？只有菜鳥警察彼得．葛蘭特！

Translated by Han Yichen (韓宜辰) and Lin Zhaoling (林詔伶), WHISPERS UNDERGROUND is published as 地底城魔法暗湧 in Taiwan.

二次世界大戰後，英國的巫師所剩無幾，魔法逐漸式微、光明隨之遠離，除了納丁格爾與他唯一認可的學徒彼得．葛蘭特之外，再沒有人使用和練習魔法。然而，黑魔法師無臉男的出現，徹底打破了納丁格爾的認知，原來自一九五○年代起，就有巫師在牛津大學祕密教授魔法，更有學員加入黑暗勢力，製造出邪惡的超自然生物，讓倫敦陷入危機。

找出黑魔法師的真實身分，成為菜鳥警察彼得的當務之急，一樁發生在倫敦地鐵站的命案，卻令彼得不得不分心轉向追查，因為殺害死者的凶器，竟是一塊殘留魔法的陶器碎片。同時，命案死者的敏感身分，也招來了美國FBI派探員跨海介入調查。

死者是否又是一名非法學習法術的巫師？沾有魔法殘跡的陶器從何而來？被要求加入凶案調查小組的彼得，不但得全力追查凶器來源與凶手，還不能讓FBI發現任何「不尋常」的異狀。一方面諜對諜作戰，一方面向河神、半妖等超自然生物打聽情報，彼得這才驚異地發現，在倫敦紛亂複雜的地下鐵深處，很可能潛藏了一座不為人知的神祕之城……

And last, but by no means least, the fourth novel in the series, BROKEN HOMES, is published in Taiwan as 天空塔黑巫再現. Lin Zhaoling also translated this novel.

地底城事件結束後，納丁格爾與他的學徒彼得．葛蘭特體認到，黑魔法師無臉男的勢力已經擴張到他們難以察覺的深處，無論這位黑魔法師真正的目的為何，徹查所有的小鱷魚名單、找出無臉男的真實身分，絕對是當務之急。因此，即便是一樁看似簡單的交通意外，也不能錯過任何線索。

彼得的直覺沒錯，小鱷魚成員的交通意外演變為一件毀屍滅跡的凶殺案；不久之後，竟有第二名可疑的小鱷魚成員在地鐵站內跳軌自殺。一具屍體或許只是意外，但兩具屍體就不可能只是巧合，而且一定與無臉男有關。

為了化被動為主動，彼得決定設下誘餌引無臉男出現，沒想到出現的卻是令他們意想不到的另一個熟面孔，死去的伍德維爾．詹托的看護——凡倫卡，來自俄羅斯的魔法學徒，危險度極高的暗夜女巫。

現在，倫敦有兩名出手凶狠的非法巫師逍遙法外了。最令人擔心的是，暗夜女巫是否與黑魔法師相互聯手？小鱷魚的命案又是何人所為？此時，彼得追查到一本遭竊的德國魔法書，屬於瘋狂建築師艾瑞克．史騰堡所有，更進一步發現這些喪命的死者，都與史騰堡所蓋的空中花園大樓有關……

高掛空中的冠冕，點亮城市的火炬，

魔法與工業的結合，是不切實際的空想，還是真實存在的世紀之作？

The Rivers of London series is published in the UK by Gollancz; in North America by Del Rey (1-3), DAW Books (4-) and Subterranean Press (novellas); in Germany by DTV; and widely elsewhere in translation.

The ninth novel in the series, the Sunday Times #1 AMONGST OUR WEAPONS, was published this month by Orion Books (UK), DAW Books (North America), and DTV (Germany).

INTRODUCING RIVERS OF LONDON: A Perfect Time to Start Reading Ben Aaronovitch’s Best-Selling Series!

Posted on Wednesday, June 10th, 2020

Tomorrow, Gollancz publishes a new eBook collection featuring the first three novels in Ben Aaronovitch‘s acclaimed, best-selling Peter Grant/Rivers of London urban fantasy series! Perfect for newcomers to the series, we are sure it will help get you hooked on the series! Here’s the synopsis…

My name is Peter Grant, and until January I was just an ordinary policeman in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (and as the Filth to everybody else).

Then my life took a turn for the strange, and now I’m a Detective Constable and trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years. My world has become somewhat more complicated, and it’s safe to say the problems London’s streets throw at me are now much more difficult to respond to.

But there’s someone out there causing trouble, using all manner of magic to do it, and they’re putting ordinary Londoners at risk. It’s fallen to me to bring order out of the chaos – or die trying.

Like I said, life is stranger now. But I’m a police officer at heart, London is my city, and I’ve got a job to do.

This eBook boxset contains the first three novels in the bestselling Rivers of London series. Full of warmth, humour, and mysteries that will keep you guessing, this is your perfect introduction to a whole new side of England’s capital.

The first three novels in the series are RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO and WHISPERS UNDERGROUND.

The other books in the series are also published in the UK by Gollancz: BROKEN HOMES, FOXGLOVE SUMMER, THE FURTHEST STATION (novella), THE HANGING TREE, LIES SLEEPING and FALSE VALUE. The stand-alone novella, THE OCTOBER MAN (set in Germany) is also available via Gollancz.

The series has been a best-seller in the UK, and is widely available in translation. For more details, check out Ben’s client page.

Next Month, INTRODUCING RIVERS OF LONDON…

Posted on Friday, May 22nd, 2020

Next month (June 11th), Gollancz is due to publish a new eBook collection featuring the first three novels in Ben Aaronovitch‘s acclaimed, best-selling Peter Grant/Rivers of London urban fantasy series. This is a fantastic opportunity for new readers to get hooked on the series (we have no doubt that you will be). Here’s the synopsis…

My name is Peter Grant, and until January I was just an ordinary policeman in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (and as the Filth to everybody else).

Then my life took a turn for the strange, and now I’m a Detective Constable and trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years. My world has become somewhat more complicated, and it’s safe to say the problems London’s streets throw at me are now much more difficult to respond to.

But there’s someone out there causing trouble, using all manner of magic to do it, and they’re putting ordinary Londoners at risk. It’s fallen to me to bring order out of the chaos – or die trying.

Like I said, life is stranger now. But I’m a police officer at heart, London is my city, and I’ve got a job to do.

This eBook boxset contains the first three novels in the bestselling Rivers of London series. Full of warmth, humour, and mysteries that will keep you guessing, this is your perfect introduction to a whole new side of England’s capital.

The first three novels in the series are RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO and WHISPERS UNDERGROUND.

Gollancz has also published the other novels in the series, which currently also includes BROKEN HOMES, FOXGLOVE SUMMER, THE FURTHEST STATION (novella), THE HANGING TREE, LIES SLEEPING and FALSE VALUE. The stand-alone novella, THE OCTOBER MAN (set in Germany) is also available via Gollancz.

The series has been a best-seller in the UK, and is widely available in translation. For more details, check out Ben’s client page.

Five Peter Grant novels available as a UK Kindle “Gold Box” today only!

Posted on Sunday, January 5th, 2020

The first five novels in Ben Aaronovitch‘s critically-acclaimed, beloved Peter Grant series are available as a UK Kindle “Gold Box” today! Each novel is priced at 99p: RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES, and FOXGLOVE SUMMER!

In case you haven’t had the chance to read the series, this is a fantastic way to get started (and hooked) on Ben’s great, entertaining and gripping novels! Here’s the synopsis for the first novel, to whet your appetite…

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 voluble, 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.

The novels are published in the UK by Gollancz; in North America by Del Rey and DAW Books; and widely in translation. Ben has also written two novellas, which are published by Gollancz in the UK and Subterranean Press in North America. The eighth novel, FALSE VALUE, is due to be published next month by Orion (UK) and DAW Books (North America).

If you’re already caught up and can’t wait for FALSE VALUE, Orion has made an excerpt available! You can find that here.

If you love the series and characters, be sure to also check out the Rivers of London comic series, published by Titan Comics!

New, cast production of EIN WISPERN UNTER BAKER STREET out next week!

Posted on Friday, November 22nd, 2019

Audible Germany continues its range of cast productions for Ben Aaronovitch‘s acclaimed, best-selling Peter Grant series with a new edition of WHISPERS UNDER GROUND! Published in Germany as EIN WISPERN UNDER BAKER STREET, on November 28th, here’s the synopsis…

Die Urban-Fantasy-Reihe des britischen Erfolgsautors Ben Aaronovitch geht weiter: Nach dem Erfolg von “Die Flüsse von London” und “Schwarzer Mond über Soho” ermittelt Peter Grant in seinem dritten magischen Fall in den mystischen Katakomben des Londoner Untergrunds. Ein Audible Original Hörspiel mit den Sprechern Leonard Hohm, Victoria Mayer und Tim Schwarzmaier, der schon Harry Potter seine Stimme lieh, uvm.

Ein Toter im U-Bahn-Tunnel der legendären Baker Street hinterlässt magische Spuren und ruft damit Peter und seine Kollegen von der Drei-Mann-Spezialeinheit für Übernatürliches auf den Plan. Als wären Ermittlungen in Abwasserkanälen nicht schon schrecklich genug, bekommt das Team Verstärkung durch FBI-Agentin Kimberley Reynolds.

Als sich herausstellt, dass der Vater des ermordeten Kunststudenten ein hohes Tier im US-Senat ist, werden mit amerikanischer Autorität sämtliche Register gezogen. Peter muss all sein diplomatisches Geschick aufbringen, um die Völkerfreundschaft durch unkonventionelle und leicht magische Ermittlungsmethoden nicht zu gefährden. Aber das Wispern der gequälten Geister unter Baker Street macht es ihm nicht leicht alles unter Kontrolle zu behalten…

The first two novels are also available in cast production editions, published by Audible.

WHISPERS UNDER GROUND is published in print and audio in the UK by Gollancz, in North America by Del Rey; and is available in print in Germany, published by DTV.

Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Peter Grant is learning magic fast. And it’s just as well – he’s already had run-ins with the deadly supernatural children of the Thames and a terrifying killer in Soho. Progression in the Police Force is less easy. Especially when you work in a department of two. A department that doesn’t even officially exist. A department that if you did describe it to most people would get you laughed at. And then there’s his love life. The last person he fell for ended up seriously dead. It wasn’t his fault, but still.

Now something horrible is happening in the labyrinth of tunnels that make up the tube system that honeycombs the ancient foundations of London. And delays on the Northern line is the very least of it. Time to call in the Met’s Economic and Specialist Crime Unit 9, aka ‘The Folly’. Time to call in PC Peter Grant, Britain’s Last Wizard.

Here are just a few of the reviews the novel has received since it was first published…

‘One of the most refreshing things about former Doctor Who writer Aaronvitch’s Rivers of London series of magical procedurals is that they are blessedly free of manufactured rivalries. Instead, Police Constable (and freshly minted wizard) Peter Grant works for a supernatural branch of the London police department that is more interested in solving crimes than creating drama. In Grant’s third outing (after Moon over Soho), he gets called in to help with a magic-linked murder at an Underground station. The victim turns out to be the son of a U.S. senator, with a sketchy, not-quite-human roommate. To solve the murder, Grant and his associates, including disfigured fellow magician Lesley May and trigger-happy FBI agent Kimberley Reynolds, plumb the city’s depths as well as its secret history. This fast, engrossing novel is enjoyable, cheerful, and accessible to new readers.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘… the Peter Grant novels by Ben Aaronovitch are a great way to feel like you’re actually visiting the city by the Thames… Ben Aaronovitch writes some of the funniest prose in current fantasy. These books are extremely entertaining, mainly because narrator Peter Grant has a hilarious voice and a sly sense of humor… quirkily effective prose and dry humor, making it a pure pleasure to read… I’m usually not a big fan of urban fantasy, but this series is so much fun that I always look forward to the next installment. If you’re looking for a fast-moving, entertaining urban fantasy that’ll make you feel like you’re visiting London vicariously this summer, pick up series opener MIDNIGHT RIOT / RIVERS OF LONDON. And if you’ve already read the first two books, you’ll probably be glad to hear that the newest installment WHISPERS UNDER GROUND is just as good.’ — Tor.com

‘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.’ — RT Book Reviews

‘Aaronovitch… improves with each novel he does; this is the best so far, and the previous books were a lot of fun as well.’ — Starburst

‘The quality of the writing is superb with an instantly engaging style and subtle humour that makes reading the novel a real joy and almost impossible to resist… The ending is pretty dramatic and very much a seat-of-your-pants cliff hanger that really does leave you wanting more, I can’t wait to read more in the life of Peter Grant.’ 5/5 — SF Book Reviews

‘The prose is witty, the plot clever and the characters incredibly likeable…’ — Time Out

Czech Audiobook edition of WHISPERS UNDERGROUND now available via Audible!

Posted on Friday, October 11th, 2019

The Czech audiobook edition of Ben Aaronovitch‘s third Peter Grant novel, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND is available now through Audible! Published by Tympanum as ŠEPOT PODZENÍ, and read by Tomáš Kobr, here’s the synopsis…

Další případ ze světa nejúspěšnější městské fantasy uplynulého desetiletí! Peter Grant na cestě do labyrintem londýnského metra. Jmenuji se Peter Grant. Není to tak dávno, co jsem byl obyčejný četnický zelenáč v řadách londýnské Metropolitní policie. Teď jsem policejní detektiv a čarodějnický učeň. Jenže inspektor Nightingale má plné ruce práce s pátráním po Muži bez tváře, takže stojím nad mrtvolou amerického studenta na stanici metra Baker Street sám. Vlastně ne sám, FBI mi poslala na pomoc nějakou mladou ambiciózní křesťanku. No, hezká je, ale veškerá kouzla jsou pro ni jasné dílo ďáblovo. Je na čase ponořit se strašidelné hlubiny nejstarší, největší a nyní i nejvražednější podzemní dráhy na světě.

The print edition of the novel is published in Czechia by Argo. The Peter Grant series is published in the UK by Gollancz, in North America by Del Rey (1-3) and DAW Books (4-), and widely in translation. Here’s the English-language synopsis for WHISPERS UNDERGROUND…

Peter Grant is learning magic fast. And it’s just as well – he’s already had run-ins with the deadly supernatural children of the Thames and a terrifying killer in Soho. Progression in the Police Force is less easy. Especially when you work in a department of two. A department that doesn’t even officially exist. A department that if you did describe it to most people would get you laughed at. And then there’s his love life. The last person he fell for ended up seriously dead. It wasn’t his fault, but still.

Now something horrible is happening in the labyrinth of tunnels that make up the tube system that honeycombs the ancient foundations of London. And delays on the Northern line is the very least of it. Time to call in the Met’s Economic and Specialist Crime Unit 9, aka ‘The Folly’. Time to call in PC Peter Grant, Britain’s Last Wizard.

Here are just a handful of the reviews the novel has received…

‘One of the most refreshing things about former Doctor Who writer Aaronvitch’s Rivers of London series of magical procedurals is that they are blessedly free of manufactured rivalries. Instead, Police Constable (and freshly minted wizard) Peter Grant works for a supernatural branch of the London police department that is more interested in solving crimes than creating drama. In Grant’s third outing (after Moon over Soho), he gets called in to help with a magic-linked murder at an Underground station. The victim turns out to be the son of a U.S. senator, with a sketchy, not-quite-human roommate. To solve the murder, Grant and his associates, including disfigured fellow magician Lesley May and trigger-happy FBI agent Kimberley Reynolds, plumb the city’s depths as well as its secret history. This fast, engrossing novel is enjoyable, cheerful, and accessible to new readers.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘… the Peter Grant novels by Ben Aaronovitch are a great way to feel like you’re actually visiting the city by the Thames… Ben Aaronovitch writes some of the funniest prose in current fantasy. These books are extremely entertaining, mainly because narrator Peter Grant has a hilarious voice and a sly sense of humor… quirkily effective prose and dry humor, making it a pure pleasure to read… I’m usually not a big fan of urban fantasy, but this series is so much fun that I always look forward to the next installment. If you’re looking for a fast-moving, entertaining urban fantasy that’ll make you feel like you’re visiting London vicariously this summer, pick up series opener MIDNIGHT RIOT / RIVERS OF LONDON. And if you’ve already read the first two books, you’ll probably be glad to hear that the newest installment WHISPERS UNDER GROUND is just as good.’ — Tor.com

‘The quality of the writing is superb with an instantly engaging style and subtle humour that makes reading the novel a real joy and almost impossible to resist… The ending is pretty dramatic and very much a seat-of-your-pants cliff hanger that really does leave you wanting more, I can’t wait to read more in the life of Peter Grant.’ 5/5 — SF Book Reviews

‘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.’ — RT Book Reviews

The next novel in the series, FALSE VALUE, is due to be published in February 2020.

There’s some SUSURROS SUBTERRÁNEOS in Spain…

Posted on Wednesday, October 31st, 2018

Ben Aaronovitch‘s best-selling, critically-acclaimed third Peter Grant novel WHISPERS UNDERGROUND is out now in Spain! Published by Oz Editoral as SUSURROS SUBTERRÁNEOS, here’s the synopsis…

Es hora de llamar de nuevo al agente Peter Grant, el último mago de Gran Bretaña

Es Navidad, y Peter Grant recibe una llamada de la inspectora Stephanopoulos: debe investigar un asesinato en uno de los túneles del metro de Londres en Baker Street, un lugar tenebroso, húmedo y con un pasado muy oscuro. Todos los indicios apuntan a que una fuerza mágica ha intervenido en la muerte de la víctima, James Gallagher, hijo de un senador estadounidense. El FBI envía a la agente Kimberly Reynolds para colaborar en la investigación y Peter se verá obligado a ocultarle cualquier atisbo de magia. En las oscuras entrañas de la ciudad, plagadas de cloacas victorianas y ríos enterrados, resuenan los susurros de unos espíritus torturados que buscan venganza…

Oz Editorial has also published the first two books in the series: RIVERS OF LONDON as RÍOS DE LONDRES, and MOON OVER SOHO as LA LUNA SOBRE EL SOHO.

WHISPERS UNDERGROUND is published in the UK by Gollancz and North America by Del Rey. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Peter Grant is learning magic fast. And it’s just as well — he’s already had run-ins with the deadly supernatural children of the Thames and a terrifying killer in Soho. Progression in the Police Force is less easy. Especially when you work in a department of two. A department that doesn’t even officially exist. A department that if you did describe it to most people would get you laughed at. And then there’s his love life. The last person he fell for ended up seriously dead. It wasn’t his fault, but still.

Now something horrible is happening in the labyrinth of tunnels that make up the tube system that honeycombs the ancient foundations of London. And delays on the Northern line is the very least of it. Time to call in the Met’s Economic and Specialist Crime Unit 9, aka ‘The Folly’. Time to call in PC Peter Grant, Britain’s Last Wizard.

The whole series is published in the UK by Gollancz (in print, eBook and audio). The novels are published in the US by Del Rey (1-3) and DAW Books (4-7), and the novellas are published by Subterranean Press. The novels have been published widely in translation.

Peter Grant gets a new set of new jackets…

Posted on Monday, May 14th, 2018

A couple of weeks ago, the cover for the highly-anticipated LIES SLEEPING was unveiled. You may, however, have missed that all of Ben Aaronovitch‘s Peter Grant novels (and the novella) have been re-jacketed! Above you can see all eight of the UK covers, in chronological order. We think you’ll agree that they’re rather nice, and they look great all together!

Ben’s Peter Grant series is published in the UK by Gollancz., and currently includes: RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES, FOXGLOVE SUMMER, THE FURTHEST STATION (the novella), THE HANGING TREE and LIES SLEEPING. Ben has also been writing the Rivers of London comic series (with Andrew Cartmel), published by Titan Comics.

Peter Grant gets some new Polish jackets…

Posted on Tuesday, October 17th, 2017

Above you can see the cover for the upcoming Polish edition of Ben Aaronovitch‘s WHISPERS UNDERGROUND. Due to be published by MAG, here’s the synopsis…

Nazywam się Peter Grant i jestem detektywem posterunkowym w potężnej armii sprawiedliwości znanej jako policja londyńska (tudzież psiarnia). Szkolę się także na czarodzieja, jestem pierwszym takim uczniem od pięćdziesięciu lat. Oficjalnie pracuję w wydziale do zwalczania przestępstw gospodarczych i innych, w jednostce dziewiątej, znanej też jako Szaleństwo i jako jednostka, o której grzeczni, dobrze wychowani gliniarze nie rozmawiają w kulturalnym towarzystwie.

Od poniedziałku mam okazję zająć się prawdziwą policyjną robotą. Niezidentyfikowana Ofiara została zadźgana na torach metra przy stacji Baker Street. Obecność magii niewykluczona.

Niezidentyfikowana Ofiara okazuje się synem amerykańskiego senatora i zanim zdążysz powiedzieć „międzynarodowy incydent” do sprawy posterunkowego detektywa Granta dołącza agentka FBI Kimberley Reynolds.

A w ciemnych tunelach londyńskiego metra, pośród pogrzebanych rzek i wiktoriańskich rynsztoków niesie się szept o zemście zza grobu.

Najnowsza sprawa posterunkowego detektywa Granta zaraz się wtoczy na śliskie tory…

The first two novels in the series — RIVERS OF LONDON and MOON OVER SOHO — have already been published in Poland (also by MAG), but will also receive new covers, to match the style of the third book…

The Peter Grant series is published in the UK by Gollancz, and currently includes six novels and one novella. Ben has also written, with Andrew Cartmel, four comic series featuring the characters and set in the world of the series (published by Titan Comics).

WHISPERS UNDERGROUND next month in Taiwan!

Posted on Wednesday, January 25th, 2017

The third novel in Ben Aaronovitch‘s best-selling, critically-acclaimed Peter Grant series is due out in Taiwan next month! WHISPERS UNDERGROUND is due to be published as 地底城魔法暗湧 by 馬可孛羅文化事業.

The publisher has also released RIVERS OF LONDON (倫敦河惡靈騷動) and MOON OVER SOHO (蘇活月爵士魅影) in Taiwan.

The series is published in the UK by Gollancz, in the US by Del Rey (1-3) and DAW Books (4-6), as well as widely in translation. Here is the English-language synopsis for WHISPERS UNDERGROUND…

Ben Aaronovitch’s WHISPERS UNDERGROUND out now in Czech!

Posted on Wednesday, October 26th, 2016

The Czech edition of Ben Aaronovitch‘s WHISPERS UNDERGROUND is out today! Published by Argo as ŠEPOT PODZEMÍ, here’s the synopsis…

Tentokrát to začne mrtvým tělem na konci stanice metra Baker Street, vším, co zůstalo po americkém studentovi Jamesi Gallagherovi. Jeho zámožná a politicky vlivná rodina se chce pochopitelně dostat této hrůzné vraždě na kloub, potíž však tkví v tom, že Jamesova smrt představuje ještě větší a nepřirozenější záhadu, než kdo vůbec tuší… tedy kromě londýnského konstábla a čarodějova učně Petera Granta.

Jelikož je inspektor Nightingale, poslední oficiální čaroděj v Anglii, zaneprázdněn pátráním po nevyzpytatelném kouzelníkovi známém také jako Muž bez tváře, je pouze na Peterovi, aby začal zkoumat strašidelné hlubiny nejstarší, největší a nyní i nejvražednější podzemní dráhy na světě. Ovšem nebude na to sám. Kdepak, FBI mu posílá pomocnici. Mladou, ctižádostivou, krásnou křesťanku, která má sklony vnímat veškerá kouzla jako dílo ďáblovo. No, to tedy bude…

The third novel in Ben’s Peter Grant series, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND is published in the UK by Gollancz. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Peter Grant is learning magic fast. And it’s just as well — he’s already had run-ins with the deadly supernatural children of the Thames and a terrifying killer in Soho. Progression in the Police Force is less easy. Especially when you work in a department of two. A department that doesn’t even officially exist. A department that if you did describe it to most people would get you laughed at. And then there’s his love life. The last person he fell for ended up seriously dead. It wasn’t his fault, but still.

Now something horrible is happening in the labyrinth of tunnels that make up the tube system that honeycombs the ancient foundations of London. And delays on the Northern line is the very least of it. Time to call in the Met’s Economic and Specialist Crime Unit 9, aka ‘The Folly’. Time to call in PC Peter Grant, Britain’s Last Wizard.

Gollancz has published the whole series to date in the UK: RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES, and FOXGLOVE SUMMER. The highly-anticipated sixth novel in the series, THE HANGING TREE, is due out next week in the UK! The series is published in the US by Del Rey (1-3) and DAW Books (4-6), and has been published widely in translation — for more details, see Ben’s author page.

New Peter Grant Audiobook in Germany

Posted on Friday, July 22nd, 2016

Today, GoyaLiT/DTV release a dual-audiobook edition of Ben Aaronovitch‘s third and fourth Peter Grant novels. Published in Germany as EIN WISPERN UNTER BAKER STREET and DER BÖSE ORT, here’s the synopsis…

Ein Wispern unter Baker Street: Ein junger Mann wird im U-Bahn-Tunnel nahe der Station Baker Street erstochen aufgefunden. Peter Grant, Constable und Zauberer in Ausbildung, wird frühmorgens an den Tatort gerufen. Der unbekannte Tote stellt sich als Sohn eines US-Senators heraus und ehe man noch »internationale Verwicklungen« sagen kann, hat Peter bereits die FBI-Agentin Kimberley Reynolds am Hals.

Der böse Ort: Seltsame Dinge geschehen im Skygarden Tower, einem berüchtigten Sozialwohnblock in Südlondon. Zunächst geht es nur um ein gestohlenes altes Buch über Magie, das aus der Weißen Bibliothek zu Weimar stammt. Doch dann weitet sich der Fall rasant aus. Denn der Erbauer des Towers, Erik Stromberg, ein brillanter, wenngleich leicht gestörter Architekt, hatte sich einst nicht nur mit Design, sondern auch mit Magie beschäftigt.

The novels are published in the UK as WHISPERS UNDERGROUND and BROKEN HOMES by Gollancz; and in the US by Del Rey and DAW Books, respectively. They are also available as audio-books in the UK (narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith) and US.

DTV has published all of Ben’s Peter Grant novels to date, and are due to published the sixth, DER GALGEN VON TYBURN, in 2017. Here are the covers:

WHISPERS UNDERGROUND Now Available in Hungary

Posted on Monday, June 27th, 2016

WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, Ben Aaronovitch‘s third Peter Grant novel, is out now in Hungary. Published by Gabo as FÖLD ALATTI SUTTOGÁS, here’s the synopsis…

A londoni rendőrök holttestre bukkannak a Baker Street-i metróállomás távoli végénél: az áldozat egy amerikai cserediák, James Gallagher, akinek politikailag befolyásos családja érthető módon mielőbb a végére akar járni a hátborzongató gyilkosságnak. A probléma csak az, hogy senki sem tudja, ehhez milyen mélyre kell ásniuk – senki, kivéve a közrendőr és mágustanonc Peter Grantet. Nightingale főfelügyelő, Anglia utolsó bejegyzett varázslójának támogatásával Peter neki is áll feltérképezni a legnagyobb, legrégibb, és újabban legveszedelmesebb metróhálózat bugyrait. Ráadásul segítséget is kapnak az FBI-tól Kimberley Reynolds különleges ügynök személyében, aki azonban nem repesne az örömtől, ha tudná, mi minden zajlik a felszín alatt.

Gabo have also published the first two novels in the series, RIVERS OF LONDON (LONDON FOLYÓI) and MOON OVER SOHO (SOHO FELETT A HOLD). WHISPERS UNDERGROUND is published in the UK by Gollancz (who publish the whole series), and in the US by Del Rey. It has also been published widely in translation. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Peter Grant is learning magic fast. And it’s just as well – he’s already had run-ins with the deadly supernatural children of the Thames and a terrifying killer in Soho. Progression in the Police Force is less easy. Especially when you work in a department of two. A department that doesn’t even officially exist. A department that if you did describe it to most people would get you laughed at. And then there’s his love life. The last person he fell for ended up seriously dead. It wasn’t his fault, but still.

Now something horrible is happening in the labyrinth of tunnels that make up the tube system that honeycombs the ancient foundations of London. And delays on the Northern line is the very least of it. Time to call in the Met’s Economic and Specialist Crime Unit 9, aka ‘The Folly’. Time to call in PC Peter Grant, Britain’s Last Wizard.

The Peter Grant series, to date, includes: RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES, FOXGLOVE SUMMER and the upcoming THE HANGING TREE. It also includes the comic series RIVERS OF LONDON: BODY WORK and NIGHT WITCH, published by Titan Comics.