Foxglove Summer (Rivers of London)

The plot thickens ! Ben Aaronovitch continues to weave police procedural into intriguing urban fantasy with this book, though as the mysteries across the series continue to mount, I wonder when we'll see any actual denouement for any of the ongoing intrigues.

This one wasn't as good as his last one. It took awhile to get into. I also agree with some of the other commenters that stated it didn't advance the story arc. My complaint? Too much British slang. I regularly watch British/Irish/Welsh television shows, but this book's use of slang was difficult for me to keep up with. I'm still looking forward to the next book, but the next book needs to go somewhere...

havnt finished it yet but am torn between spinning it out to enjoy every minute and reading it as fast as I can to get the whole story. Absolutely love the series. Peter finally becomes a father (sortof.. lol). Only small criticism that grates a tad is the continual use of the word white to describe someone. a 'white' man! A short 'white' boy etc etc.. ease up on that a bit Ben!

I am quite fond of the PC Grant novels, but in my opinion Mr. Aaronovitch should maybe wait a while longer, before putting the next one out. The story seems a bit loose and while I enjoyed the first novels, this just seemed ill written and/or rushed - especially at the end where the final climax just seemed a bit... Well, boring actually.

Another terrific romp with London's "Falcon" police force. While I'm not generally a fan of the fantasy genre, I love Aaronovitch's wit, and I appreciate that his characters are often as incredulous at finding themselves in the midst of magical forces as the reader would be.

Ben Aaronovitch has created a series with a fascinating and likable cast. Constable/wizard Peter Grant is a superb character but the supporting characters of Nightingale, Molly, Beverly, Leslie and the rest are just as engaging. I love the humor scattered in the books as well as the tidbits of information. All in all this book is a fine addition to the series with further development of a number of plots.

I have enjoyed all the Rivers of Lodin novels-- so much that I got through all five in about 10 days. My only complaint about this one was that the ending seemed rushed, leaving a lot of unresolved questions

Ben Aaronovich is always fun to read. His writing throws in a lot of little nuggets of description that are delightful; I keep stopping and quoting them to my wife, who snickers before she goes back to what she was doing before.

Peter leaves London to assist in a missing persons case. He works with the local constabulary, meets some very interesting people and...um...goes swimming....vigorously.
While it's a solid installment in the series, with plenty of action and interesting new details revealed about some favorite supernatural persons, I was left feeling that the story ended rather abruptly.
I read the last line and turned the page, expecting a bit of epilogue or teaser. Nope!
It won't be a problem when the next book is out because I'll be able to go from one to the next, but since it's likely to be a year or more till the next book, I will sulk.

I have read every single one of the "Rivers of London" novels (despite the fact that The Supernatural is not one of my fave raves), and have enjoyed them all. Less so, this one. Many (apparently) key characters are undeveloped (or look like mere placeholders for a future story), and too much is assumed that you'll recall from the earlier novels. Still, the nasty creatures from the Other Side are properly scary (though it might be noce to know why they are, other than they just are that way), and the creation of a new river god was cleanly smutty. Nice to see that PC Grant gets a little action at last.

Loved it! The witty repartee was wonderful! I kept my phone handy while reading each book in this series to look up the British terms and references that I didn't know. That added to my enjoyment of this book and the others!

Good read if you enjoyed the first four books. Only gave it four stars because it ends very abruptly without explaining things very well. Also, be forewarned that this book doesn't follow up much on the cliffhanger ending of book 4. Hopefully book 6?

Was waiting for the US release of this for a long time, a nice break from London in the series and I know people are upset that the faceless man and Lesley storyline doesn't feature much, but it's still a great read

Having read the previous four Rivers of London I was excited for the latest installment not least because of the surprise ending to the last book. Taking Peter out of London was did not change the flow of the book, regardless of most of the other main characters making limited appearances. The series is at heart police procedural mixed with fantasy and Aaronovitch excels at both without being bland or fantastical as so many of these genre books (perhaps separately) are.

Of course what stands out is the writing whether it be describing a scene or situation to delivery of often wicked dead pan humour. Aaronovitch is adept is describing the social classes on Britain, and this book he is on point with how they respond to the trauma of a missing child. Be it the catatonic wine dependency of the middle class to the pragmatic keep-myself-busy of the working class . He uses this same talent in commentating on social trends and the running joke about gastro-pub food descriptions is epic.

Having said that, I felt the pages whittle away near the end to what I though could only be a cliff hanger or at least wait-and-see ending. Sadly, without giving too much away, I was left disappointed in how Aaronovich wrapped things up making the book presumably a stand alone story. it seemed like he wanted to finish with said sharp ending but was kiboshed by the powers that be at publishing and wrote a deliberately out-of-left field conclusion.

I wont be put off by this transgression from reading the next in the series. I have had criticisms about the other books in some form or the other, but they are always well paced, fun and keep me wanting more.

Having read the previous four Rivers of London I was excited for the latest installment not least because of the surprise ending to the last book. Taking Peter out of London was did not change the flow of the book, regardless of most of the other main characters making limited appearances. The series is at heart police procedural mixed with fantasy and Aaronovitch excels at both without being bland or fantastical as so many of these genre books (perhaps separately) are.

Of course what stands out is the writing whether it be describing a scene or situation to delivery of often wicked dead pan humour. Aaronovitch is adept is describing the social classes on Britain, and this book he is on point with how they respond to the trauma of a missing child. Be it the catatonic wine dependency of the middle class to the pragmatic keep-myself-busy of the working class . He uses this same talent in commentating on social trends and the running joke about gastro-pub food descriptions is epic.

Having said that, I felt the pages whittle away near the end to what I though could only be a cliff hanger or at least wait-and-see ending. Sadly, without giving too much away, I was left disappointed in how Aaronovich wrapped things up making the book presumably a stand alone story. it seemed like he wanted to finish with said sharp ending but was kiboshed by the powers that be at publishing and wrote a deliberately out-of-left field conclusion.

I wont be put off by this transgression from reading the next in the series. I have had criticisms about the other books in some form or the other, but they are always well paced, fun and keep me wanting more.

Ben Aaronovitch, I will read anything you write. This one felt like a side story, but an enjoyable one regardless. I read that there is a UK hardcopy exclusive epilogue, which is effectively book DLC... not cool, there... please don't do that anymore.

An excellent addition to this pleasing series! It was fun to have Peter out of London while not truly out of his element. The issue of Leslie is only tangentially treated, and I think that will be our next installment.

This isn't deep, but it's fun and a real pleasant read.

Great book. I always enjoy the Peter Grant books, this one no less than the ones that came before. However, it loses a star due to lack of editing on the kindle edition. Left out words, wrong tenses, wrong words altogether, are there throughout the book, leaving you guessing at what should have been there. It was very distracting.

In this fifth book about the Folly, Peter goes to the countryside to help with a case of two missing girls. That case is the first half of the book, the second half is where you learn what really happenee.

The pacing is better in this book and once you start it you won't be able to stop reading.

We also get to learn much more about the world of the Folly and get some answers to questions from the first book.

Highly recommend this series to all lovers of fantasy or police procedurals, or like me both.

Not quite as good as the previous books, starts well, develops the characters and story and then when you think you're going to get a great conclusion it just stops. It's as though there's a missing chapter or something

Great addition to the Peter Grant series but the ending felt rushed and unsatisfactory. I can only assume it was intentional and aimed at ensuring we buy the next installment. Which I will no doubt do. Just worried about how long I will have to wait!

This volume seems like a pause in the series' development...nothing new or interesting. If you've read preceding books and enjoyed them then this effort should please. Although after the hundredth or so time the author pointed out a new persons race I was foundering when in the latter parts of the book this wasnt forthcoming...or had they already appeared and I'd missed it? Unsettling.

An ok read but not Ben's best work. While very little of the text is devoted to scene setting for its successor, this seems to be its main function - I expect the next book will be more plot driven. Obviously I am not a professional reviewer and probably not the target demographic ... however I will be buying the next book.

Dear Mr Aaronovitch

Please never stop writing. You are amazing and I love your characters. This world is brilliantly drawn with so many layers and corners, but with this crispy crust of satire. You are magnificent. Keep writing. Maybe even just really focus on that. Who needs to go outside? Meh. Just write the next book.

Thank you so much.

Kind regards,
Me

As always, I thoroughly enjoyed this PC Grant novel. I did find it was less engaging than the others have been, but that could be deliberate as Peter is currently operating under huge emotional stress. I like that we find out "what" Molly is, and Dominic is a great new character. Again, I enjoy the gradual unfolding of the Ettersburg history - looking forward already to what we find out in novel number six.

A fantastic book pitting the largely unknown Fae against a Humanoid River and her boyfriend the Apprentice Adept Police Officer.

Peter Grant is a terrific character and this book holds all the drama of Sherlock Holmes investigating a mystery in the Moors.

Lesley's hasty departure in the last book is investigated in the background as Peter investigates missing children in the boonies of England. Nightingale is surprisingly absent throughout the story as Peter starts making strides to work the mysteries of the world on his own.

A strong ending finished the book in a satisfying manner but I was left with a few questions and desires. Mainly: More Fae interaction and their world, some info on the River's of London, and more Nightingale because the interaction with Peter Grant is one of the things that has made this series so good.

All in all, another fantastic book by Ben Aaronovitch.

This is the fifth book in the Rivers of London series starring Peter Grant, London police constable and wizard in training. This time, he’s sent to the countryside to see if a case has any magical component to it. Two young girls have vanished, and the local PD hasn’t turned anything up yet. At first it doesn’t seem like there is any magic involved, but as Peter investigates he turns up things that the local PD have missed, and he starts getting suspicious. Soon he discovers that there is a lot about the magical world that his mentor has not told him about, including invisible carnivorous unicorns. He gets the girls back, but that’s far from the end of the story.

Peter grows a lot in this story. He takes charge of the investigation, something he’s not done in London. He mixes technology with magic. He uses magic on the fly. And he hasn’t lost his deadpan delivery of snark.

I love this series; the author has given our hero a wonderful voice with a great way of describing things that make me giggle a lot. Taking him out of London was refreshing, as was his relationship with Beverly Brook. Even though the larger story arc that’s been building over the first four books is not advanced, I didn’t miss it at all. Long may this series live! Five stars out of five.

4.5 stars, actually.

Peter Grant with all his low key heroism, practical attitude towards magic's tendency to fry modern electronics, and his true respect and honor for those different from himself are back in this worthy addition to the series.

He's out in the countryside dealing with a kidnapping and mysterious bumps and noises in a woods. There's no Nightengale or Lesley for him to play off of. Luckily, Beverly Brook is around and basically saves this book from being just straight up cop and magic lingo with Peter's slightly naive emotional narration.

The best parts for me were navigating the tricky police jurisdictional stuff between mundane cops and Peter Grant's magic-focused division, any scene with Beverly, and Peter's good humored reaction to all the crap that goes down around him.

It loses a half star for sometimes Peter having too flat of an emotional affect, for not having enough Lesley, and for sometimes just a tad bit too much lingo/slang for U.S. me to follow at times. (i would reread a few lines, guess, shrug, move on. It wasn't a fatal flaw.)

Near the end, we get a little hint from Lesley that something big's building. I'm hoping that Peter also gets to show us some emotions more consistently. He seems cut off from himself, and that could be juicy to exploit.

My Thoughts On The Book:

'Two missing children. One lost copper'

The Plot Of The Story:
I'm so excited to write this review as I think most of the blog's followers know by now that I am a HUGE fan of Ben Aaronovitch's Peter Grant books of which Foxglove Summer is the latest.
For those who don't know much about these wonderful books then it's fair to say that these are like a kind of Harry Potter for adults. Peter Grant is a Metropolitan police constable working in London, a young black man with dreams for his career until one of the cases he's working on brings into the world of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale who is England's last magician and investigate those cases that the normal police can't or won't. Now Peter is Nightingale's 'apprentice' and learning the tricks of Nightingale's trade while being thrown into a world he could never have guessed existed was out there under the surface of London and includes the gods and goddesses of all of London Rivers.
Previously all of the Peter Grant books have been set in and around the city of London as both Grant and Nightingale investigate various magical cases together but Foxglove Summer is different as this time Peter is out of London in the countryside and he's working without Nightingale guidance as Nightingale remains in London while opting to send Peter some assistance in the form of one the goddesses of London's river, Beverley Brook, who Peter has a rather 'personal' connection with.
Two little girls have gone missing in a small Herefordshire village and while it's initially believed to be a straight kidnapping case it soon becomes clear to Peter that there is something supernatural afoot but can he solve it without his boss and is there truly such a thing as an invisible unicorn?

What Is There To Love?
As per usual this books has everything there is to love. It's funny and sincere while still having a serious edge and a supernatural and paranormal feel to it.
Peter's character continues to grow and evolve from book to book and this is grand step for him to be working a magical case on his own away from Nightingale watchful eyes, it really allows him to come into his own and with a little help from a local copper, who is willing to believe in magic, and from the super sexy Beverley Brook Peter is finally able to come into his own and to prove that has learnt a great deal from nightingale and their work and that is more than capable of doing this on his own now. His burgeoning relationship with Beverley continue to grow now that his friend and partner Lesley has turned on Peter, Nightingale, The Folly and their work after event at the end of Broken Homes. Peter continues to be the snarky guy we've come to know and adore and it's so good to see out alone and having to rely on his own instincts for a change which I think is a great move on the author's part.
Of course Beverley Brooks, river goddess of London, makes her presence known and felt here and it's good to have her back and in more detail than usual. She's supposed to be there to support Peter but you get the sense that she's up to something else on the side that isn't going to become clear straight away either. The naughty scene in the river is proof of her having another plan involving Peter and while she does give a basic explanation of what she's up to I think there may be more to it later on, we'll see.
Something else to love that will only have meaning to fellow fans of the series is that in this book we finally get to find out exactly what kind of magical creature Molly, The Folly's odd and brilliant housekeeper actually is after so long wondering. It's a pretty cool answer too!
I will say that Foxglove Summer is a little more of a police procedural than before but that doesn't make the book any less superb and creative, it just gives it a slightly different feel to the previous titles while still remaining just as cool and wonderful.

What Is There To Dislike?
While I love and totally approve with the fact that Peter is out alone and working under is own steam I did find myself rather missing Thomas Nightingale's presence. He is in the book but is mainly seen, or heard, just on the phone with Peter, giving his support from home at The Folly and I did find myself missing him more than I thought I might.

How's The Writing?
As per usual Ben Aaronovith's writing is as epic as usual and his talent for making his novels serious and yet amusing continues to impress. His work is descriptive and gives you such a god feel for what is happening and for the world that the character inhabit in general. The mythology in these books in particular is amazing, it's a dense and completely believable background despite it's magical and supernatural beginnings and having such a great mythology behind the story gives the world-building of these books something fantastic to anchor themselves into. It's awesome and astounding work!
He also has a great knack for including modern pop culture to the books by using the normal way that us Brits speak and express ourselves using it, we've seen mentions from everything from Harry Potter to The Lord Of The Rings and beyond, it's such a cool feature of the books.
Character-wise Aaronovitch has a knack for brilliantly and creatively animate his characters so that they come to life in a way that I haven't experienced in the same way before. He gives them extraordinary life and keeps them real while putting them into unusual circumstances.
As for the pacing of the books then Aaronovitch has a great touch for getting it just right, the right mix of the slow, explanatory parts of the story an the fast, action packed bits. It's great mix that keeps the story moving forward and keeps the reader engaged with the story.

Final Thoughts:
As every book in the series before it Foxglove Summer is another outstanding entry into this fantastic and funny creation by one of my favourite and must-buy authors. Seeing how Aaronovitch took the London boy out of London this time around and gave him something new and different to do this time around this book is just as good as the others and it a worthy part of a set of books that I would heartily recommend to each and every one of you out there.
If you want a series that a bit different from the norm with a paranormal/magical twist then Ben Aaronovitch's Peter Grant books are really worth giving a shot as they are really are some of the best books I've ever read! Give them a go, you really don't know what you are missing out on unless you unless try right?

Fifth in the PC Peter Grant urban fantasy series (a.k.a., Rivers of London) and revolving around Peter Grant, a magics apprentice within the police. This action takes place in Herefordshire.

My Take
I do adore Peter's sense of humor. It's so snarky as he starts off so prim and proper and then throws in the kicker, ROFL. Okay, so it's really Aaronovitch, but you know what I mean.
"There's nothing quite like Latin for disguising the fact that you're making it up as you go along."
It's a completely different take on policing, lol. All the usual "actions" and passing anything and everything up the chain of command so you're not caught holding the bag. Interviewing rivers, casting werelights, deputizing a goddess, you know, just your average everyday policing. *smirk* Then there's the question of official statements. What's left off the public one; what goes on the real one.
"Do you know who I am?

Yes sir — you're nicked."

It's another facet of magic in officialdom as Aaronovitch veers into a different kind of investigation, one involving missing children and a retired, official wizard with an odd sort of granddaughter.

Mmmm. Poster boy for diversity, huh…

Hugh explains why Nightingale is always referred to as "the Nightingale". Oh, boy. A useful blend of real history and real Nazi-induced horrors, as we learn a bit more about what Ettersberg was really about.

I like how Aaronovitch blends the reality with the supernatural. The girls going out to watch the moon. How their parents assume they're getting their ideas from the Lord of the Rings. The My Little Pony association. Unnatural events that have occurred in the historic past that Peter is able to re-interpret based on his new awareness. How the natural landscape, nature trails, woods, bodies of water, and more are concentrations of potentia with their own characters. Makes you want to take a look around and…wonder.

I'm also wondering if Aaronvitch is a Blackadder fan? I know he's a Dr. Who fan!
Oh, lord, seems that "fun" in the river was how Peter's "milkshake brings all the gods to the yard".

Some good tips for men in this, ahem, *as I laugh*…
"I made a point of mouthing a big 'ow' and acting like I was in pain. You have to do this — if you don't, they kick you again to make sure you got the point."

The Story
It's the disappearance of two young girls in the English countryside that forces Peter out of London. An unnatural countryside with supernatural activity galore.

It's a tricky case, as Peter Grant must be a policeman as well as interpret magical phenomena to his fellow coppers. Along with those nudges and winks that grease the wheels…lol.

The river spirits — local and otherwise — get into the action as well, leaving Peter to cope with them as well as the swank pubs that cater to the tourists.

The Characters
Police Constable (PC) Peter Grant is a magic apprentice within an arcane division in the Metropolitan Police, the Specialist Assessment Unit (SAU). His master, boss, and governor is Detective Inspector Thomas Nightingale, one of the very few survivors of Ettersberg. Molly is the Folly's housekeeper with, um, interesting choices in cooking.
"Whatever was in the sandwiches, you didn't want them getting too warm and going off, or starting to smell, or spontaneously mutating into a new life form."
Former PC Lesley May is a colleague, a friend he thought, who tasered him in the back in Broken Homes , 4. Operation Carthorse is the plan to get Lesley back.

Specialist Assessment Unit…
…deals with magic and supernatural incidents. Professor Harold Postmartin is the Folly's archivist and amateur historian based in Oxford.

The rest of the Metropolitan PD, London
Dr. Walid is Scottish and a world-renowned gastroenterologist and practicing cryptopathologist. HOLMES II is a computer program that is supposed to correlate data input by the police on case files. Inspector Pollock is with the Department of Professional Standards tracking Lesley's "actions". A Falcon assessment is determining, formally, if a case is better off with SAU and not buggering up their own budget.

Herefordshire
Hugh Oswald survived Ettersberg. Just. Now he lives in Number One Moomin House where he keeps bees. Mellissa is his protective granddaughter. Barnaby Atkins Esq. was a county practitioner back in the early part of the twentieth century.
"As an architect, Erith might have been a progressive classicist, but he shared with his contemporaries the same failure to understand that you need to be able to open the oven door without having to leave the kitchen first."
The Wyldes are neighbors to the Oswalds. A father and his sons, Australians, who seem to be very friendly with Mellissa.

Rushpool is…
…a tiny village at the center of a massive police search, Operation Manticore, for two eleven-year-olds, Nicole Lacey and Hannah Marstowe, who have been missing for over forty-eight hours. Hannah's parents are Joanne and Andy Marstowe. Their other children include Ryan, the oldest, then Mathew, and then Ethan, the youngest. Derek and Vicky Lacey are Nicole's parents. Zoe Lacey Thomas was an older daughter who ran away. Her mother was Derek's first wife, Susan.

Ian Huntley was the last to see them. Marcus Bonneville owns the local pub, the Old Mill. Gabriella Darrell is a schoolfriend of the girls; Clarissa is her humorless mother. Mr. Darrell is CEO of a building services company. Alec is a software engineer. Russell Banks of Leominster is a potential suspect. Silly bugger. He'd been "dogging" it. Sharon Pike is a freelance journalist and newspaper columnist. Patrick Blackmoor manages the forest.

Miss Teveyddyadd, a.k.a., Miss Tefeidiad, is the goddess of the River Teme. Corve is her daughter, a tributary of the Teme. Lilly is her youngest. Beverley Brook is the daughter of the River Thames, a goddess of a small river of her own, and a sometime-girlfriend of Peter's. Sabrina is a testy river goddess.
"'We used to get heads,' said Corve. …

'Oh yes,' said Miss Tefeidiad. 'You got some respect in those days.'"

Princess Luna is a friend of Hannah's. She's a pony. Seems she has a Queen, who provides an unexpected reveal about Molly.

Herefordshire PD
Detective Constable (DC) Dominic Croft is Peter's minder. Samantha "Stan" is Dominic's very dubious friend. A bit of a nutter. Victor Lowell is Dominic's boyfriend and a farmer who gets his market updates via Twitter and listens to 50 Cent. Dominic's dad and Harry Plimpton are Andy Marstowe's second cousins.

Inspector Charles Edmondson is the geographic commander for northern Herefordshire. DCI David Windrow is the senior investigating officer. Richard is POLSA, a search specialist. Detective Sergeant (DS) Allison Cole. Sally Donnahyde is a special constable and a primary school teacher in her other job. She'll rein in the journalists. Police Sergeant Robert Collington heads up the Rushpool PD. DC Henry Carter is the lead FLO for the Laceys. (A FLO is a Family Liaison Officer.) Kimberly Cidre is with the High Tech Crime Unit in Worcester.

The fair with…
…its Travelers will lend a hand. Some of the families involved are the Wilsons, Carters, Spangolis, and Reginalds. Ken.

Varvara Sidorovna Tamonina is currently in SAU custody; she was with the 365th Special Regiment of the Red Army. Albert runs the electronics shop; he's into aliens.

Vestigia is the imprint magic makes on physical objects. Hyperthaumaturgical degradation is damage by magic. Potentia silvestris is a type of magic produced by forests while rivers produce potentia fluvialis , sources which enable gods, goddesses, and spirits ( Genius loci ) to create a locus. Polidori had hoped for a potentia naturalis , magic from plants. Seducere is a type of influence which maddens a person. A hedge wizard is any magical practitioner who picked up their skills on their own or who had retired.

Operation Spatchcock was Ettersberg, n operation the Nightingale was against, the retrieval of the Black Library. David Mellenby thought they should be able to unite magic with quantum theory, and he was furious with the Germans.

The Smoke is London.

The Cover and Title
I love the cover with its lime green background and the red of the title bleeding down onto the map of Herefordshire, particularly the area where past "events", including the missing girls, are located. The icons are too cute as a collage of important elements in the story. The UFO, phones, bees, traction machines, dead sheep, and more.

The title is a summer that Peter spends up in Herefordshire, exploring the local wild life, a Foxglove Summer of unexpected discoveries.

Ben Aaronovitch is sadistic in the way that he crafts his cliffhangers for the end of his books. The most shocking of which occurred in the previous book in the series, Broken Homes. In this cliffhanger, the faceless man was forcibly released from Peter's capture by none other than Peter's partner, Leslie.
So it comes with no surprise that I, like other fans of the series, have been eagerly awaiting the next book in the series, Foxglove Summer. Foxglove Summer takes place after the dust has settled on the affair. Peter has been questioned thoroughly, Leslie is still missing, and moral is at an all time low. The books self contained mystery focuses on the kidnapping of two little girls out in the country. Peter is sent out to investigate and supernatural mayhem ensues.

While Foxglove Summer does little in the way of answering readers questions of why Leslie betrayed the Folly (even though Peter does make some guesses), nor tying up any of that storyline, or even facing off against the faceless man again, it does act as a sort of cathartic release for Peter. Aaronovitch does a fantastic job delving into the suffering, frustration, and betrayal that Peter feels without over doing it. The raw emotions are fantastic, feel very realistic, and once again show the talent that Aaronovitch has at his disposal.

In summary, I thought Foxglove Summer was one of the better books in the series. There was action, fun dialog, and the story moves at a clipping pace. All in all Aaronovitch appears to improve with every book he writes and it makes it so there is little else fans of the series can do but further recommend this superb series.

http://whatchamacallitreviews.blogspot.com/2015/02/foxglove-summer-by-ben-aaronovitch.html

Foxglove Summer
Ben Aaronovitch
Daw, Jan 6 2015, $7.99
ISBN: 9780756409661

In the rural village of Rushpool, North Hertfordshire, two BFF eleven years old girls (Nicole Lacey and Hannah Marstowe) from different families vanish. As the national media picks up the news about the missing tweeners, the local police conduct a search that leads to finding the children’s phones in a local war memorial.

London constable Peter Grant becomes involved when his wizard mentor Nightingale sends him to check on whether retired Hugh Oswald is involved with the snatch. After reporting to Nightingale that apparently no “Falcon” wizardry is involved; Peter offers to help DCI David Windrow on the Operation Manticore missing girls’ investigation. David assigns him as the second Family Liaison Officer to Hannah’s kin. However, as he wishes he was back in his big city environs Peter soon believes something very dark engulfs the area.

The fifth Rivers of London police procedural fantasy (see Broken Homes, Midnight Riot, Moon Over Soho and Whispers Under Ground) is a thrilling entry as the hero feels out of place rusticating in a small village surrounded by menacing woods. The intelligent investigation anchors the exhilarating storyline (especially the interwoven fantasy elements), but fails to move the overarching Faceless Man theme. Still this is an electrifying Peter Grant wizardry mystery.

Harriet Klausner

This being the fifth PC Grant book and the first after the shock ending of book four you would expect some development in the overall storyline and some elements including the faceless man. However, he and many other characters, including Nightingale and Lesley are notably absent from the latest book. Instead Peter Grant goes to the country to help out with the disappearance of two girls. Nothing magical is expected, its just a case of ensuring that all bases are covered. Of course that's far from what's happening here.

This book is likely to split fans of the series. Many will love the fact that another book is out and the usual wit and fast paced storytelling is here again. Others will bemoan the lack of the notable characters and London setting. This is up to the usual standard of writing and the in jokes about the country make up for the setting being changed. However, nothing can distract from the lack of story development in the overall arc of the books. That being said there are some revelations about Nightingale and Beverley is there to keep Peter in check which is always welcome.

The fifth book is a welcome addition to the series. Its just a shame it hasn't developed the series much. Maybe some things in here will resurface later on. But it feels like a bit of a filler, well written and fun though it is

Writing a review for Foxglove Summer is difficult, because the sheer volume of spoilers is mind boggling. The Rivers of London books are not standalones. Although Aaronovitch does do some background, I would be very lost, especially if I started with this book. Peter Grant is a constable, an apprentice wizard, and a nice guy who had a difficult childhood, but he is British and male and his upper lip is quite stiff (no, I am not going there). So, he is dealing with the events that occurred in Broken Homes by ignoring them until he takes a trip to the country to help with a search for two missing girls. At that point, everything starts to go to hell in a handbasket. The Peter Grant books are British police procedural urban fantasies. Although the slang and 'British English' is confusing at times, I am usually able to puzzle out meanings from the surrounding text. In Foxglove Summer, several very important facts about Nightingale, Molly, the Folly, the Rivers, and Magic are revealed. Aaronovitch's characters make me laugh out loud while I worry for their safety. Even though Peter is in the country, there were plenty of wonderful characters to keep me engrossed in the story. Dominic is particularly entertaining. I look forward to the next book

I love this series. The audiobooks are superb and have really brought the series to life. I think this book is my favourite so far and I am looking forward to listening to the next one.

I really liked the fact that we had more Beverley and less Lesley in this story because when that happens you know that there is also going to be more magic and there was.

This continues to be an incredibly creative and enjoyable series.

Foxglove Summer seems like an interlude in the ongoing trajectory of this series. While it includes many of the characteristics that readers will anticipate in a Peter Grant novel, there is also a good deal left out, so that Lesley and Nightingale for instance, are almost incidental to the novel. It is a good read with Aaronovitch's quirky style predominant and his extensive knowledge of policing, as well as geography and natural science, help create that sense of verisimilitude. The pace and intensity does not really pick up until the final third and until then the novel is enjoyable but not as frantic as previous installments.

Fairies and unicorns, but still not so much of a plot and the story went pretty slow, and I was also upset because Lesley is not involved at all and she is, in my opinion, real necessary in the economy of this series that it seems a bit lacking otherwise.

Fate ed unicorni, ma la storia non decolla poi tanto e prosegue lentamente, inoltre l'assenza di Lesley si fa sentire parecchio perché di solito riesce a rendere la storia molto piú viva, e in questo caso la differenza é stata piuttosto evidente.

The plot is not as intricate as the 3rd book, but it reads easier than that one, or the 4th book. I enjoy how Peter interacts with other characters in this one, and enjoy the new character of Dominic especially as his police assistant. Nightingale is barely in the book at all, which doesn't detract from it the way one might think it would. I very much feel like the 4th book needed more Nightingale, while this one was perfectly fine with almost none of him. if you have reached the point of this book in the series, I'm sure you will enjoy this addition.

Every reader has those series and/or authors which merit preorders and anxious waits. This is one of those for me. I was lucky enough to get a review copy of the first book and have since eagerly awaited and purchased each succeeding masterpiece. Some series get boring after a bit but that is so not the case with this one. This book was so well written with some new twists and turns that I just could not put it down and now can't wait for the next.

If you have never read this author, and you like a well written story then you must give him a try. But get the first (Midnight Riot )for the most enjoyment and then you will be so lucky not having to wait years to read them all. You will never look at a river or an alley in a city the same again. :)

Although this is primarily a review for this, Foxglove Summer, the fifth in Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London / Peter Grant series, I'll also like to add a few comments on the series thus far, which I may as well start with:

In my humble opinion, I think young Ben's a lucky lad to make it past two books. His first book in the series was woeful - here's why. The basic premise of a young copper assigned to an obscure (and in the main unwanted and mistrusted) Metropolitan Police department dealing with things supernatural sounds great on paper, but it transferred to that very same paper very badly indeed. The characters we were introduced to were just not believable, even when as a reader, I duly suspended my disbelief for the sake of a hopefully engaging read. Pseudo / near human manifestations of rivers (among other characters and situations) just read awkwardly. But the author's jaunty style and great humour transferred via a first person delivery into the central character of young bobby Peter Grant allowed the author to get away with this - just. The second book was not much better, but the third and fourth, perhaps with Benny boy chewing on his pencil and having a good long thunk before applying 'It came to pass' or whatever, were absolutely superb, even given the fact that some things still jar. I have to admit to being amused upon realising that the author has given folk singer / guitarist Ralph McTell, more accurately his song 'Streets of London', an affectionate nod - the amount of characters who look at other characters or just about them 'Over the rim of their teacup' (lyrics from the song) are too many to be coincidental. But I digress -I ploughed on and arrived here, the last of the series as at early 2015. Here's my thoughts on Foxglove Summer:

It's a good but not great police story. The magic, while not sitting so well still next to the real world, works better than the first two books, but, the book just has a flavour of non-urgency and certainly no real relevancy (in the main) to the ongoing tale, much of which is set in London and its immediate environs - here we are in Herefordshire for 99.9% of the tale, and minus - for the business end of the tale - some key characters. However, it's a fair to middling tale of kidnapped kids in rural England; and although Nightingale and Peter are not certain, they think magic may be involved somewhere down the line and Peter is duly sent down the M4 and up a bit.

One thing to be aware of if reading this / or thinking of starting the whole series, (or even jumping the first 4 and getting this; odd, but it does happen). Do be aware that, and I think it really is a mistake by the publishers, the covers of most editions, and even the general idea when taken in isolation, suggest a very safe family - friendly series of books; one where there'd be nothing to worry about if someone quite young in the family picked it up and read any or all - wrong. These are not kids books - there are frequently very strong expletives including the C word on occasions, and references to sex and even depictions of sex are also present frequently throughout the entire series. This is not a complaint re the content, the swearing and sex are all fine, all realistic, but - the covers do not tell that story. Just thought I'd mention that.

There is at least one more (I suspect there will be loads more really) to come in the series, due November 2015. Yes, I will be getting it, it is not the best series in the genre, but still a good enough distraction (at times - just) to get through rainy days and even whole winters.

Probably the weakest of the PC Peter Grant series. The audio book's levels are all just off, making it a frustrating listen in the car. The performance, while good, is not the usual high quality I expect from the reader.

I've had to listen to this book several times to try to understand it; I've decided that while I like it, I wish it ended differently. If you're a fan of Peter Grant, read it sometime --don't listen to it--and further, don't be in a hurry to knock it out. It's a slower book despite the danger of kids going missing. On my second listen through, I was able to savor those details that make Peter Grant books wonderful for me.

This is the least successful and enjoyable book in Aaronovitch's series. Peter is still wry and self aware, charming, and smart. But I'm starting to wonder why Nightingale is, in each book, becoming less and less part of the story? He is a fascinating character and we certainly learned more about him in Foxglove Summer, but it would be great to have him be in the action. And I got the impression that throwing in a few texts from the mysteriously-disappeared Leslie was just a sop and a hook for the next book.

That said, I still enjoyed the book and I'm really hoping the next book is better.

Some fans may be disappointed that author Aaronovich hasn't resolved the unexpected ending of the third novel in this series, but I had no problem with this diversion to the countryside. It was a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively.

Peter leaves London to investigate the disappearance of two girls. He's out of his usual territory. He's left behind his boss and mentor and has to forge new relationships to solve the case. We get a broader look at how the deities work, and a peek into a whole alternate universe.

The wry wit continues. I laughed again and again as Peter navigates this new world. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

The story was good, and I enjoyed it. However, it's a break from the overarching story that has run through the first 4 books of the series. The cliffhanger that Book 4 ended on is only occasionally referred to, and when it is, it has nothing to do with the actual plot of this book. Rather than continue and advance the main story arc of the series, this book serves to provide some world-building background. It also develops out the main character a little more and some side characters quite a bit.

As a world building book to get you more immersed in the world of PC Grant, it's a really good book. However, if you picked it up to get any kind of resolution or continuation from Book 4's cliffhanger ending, this book has nearly nothing to offer you. 5 stars for the world building, 1 star for the story continuation. 3 stars average.

Edited for typos.

I liked this book better than the previous ones because of the rural setting. It was a nice change from London. I miss Lesley, but was glad to see Beverly back in the picture.
The ending was a hoot, or should I say a “toot”! As always, I’m looking forward to the next installment in the series.

Whereas the previous book took a long time to get anywhere, this one took an awful long time to get absolutely nowhere. I do understand that sometimes you don't get everything wrapped up with a neat little bow, but a bit more information, a bit more closure if you will, would have been nice. *spoiler alert* Why were these children abducted? Why was the sister abducted? Why the change in the colour of her eyes? Why unicorns? Why, why, why? And yes, I missed Nightingale. As much as I liked the first three books, and even the fourth, I'm not sure if I'll bother to read on.

This is the least successful and enjoyable book in Aaronovitch's series. Peter is still wry and self aware, charming, and smart. But I'm starting to wonder why Nightingale is, in each book, becoming less and less part of the story? He is a fascinating character and we certainly learned more about him in Foxglove Summer, but it would be great to have him be in the action. And I got the impression that throwing in a few texts from the mysteriously-disappeared Leslie was just a sop and a hook for the next book.

That said, I still enjoyed the book and I'm really hoping the next book is better.

Some fans may be disappointed that author Aaronovich hasn't resolved the unexpected ending of the third novel in this series, but I had no problem with this diversion to the countryside. It was a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively.

Peter leaves London to investigate the disappearance of two girls. He's out of his usual territory. He's left behind his boss and mentor and has to forge new relationships to solve the case. We get a broader look at how the deities work, and a peek into a whole alternate universe.

The wry wit continues. I laughed again and again as Peter navigates this new world. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

The story was good, and I enjoyed it. However, it's a break from the overarching story that has run through the first 4 books of the series. The cliffhanger that Book 4 ended on is only occasionally referred to, and when it is, it has nothing to do with the actual plot of this book. Rather than continue and advance the main story arc of the series, this book serves to provide some world-building background. It also develops out the main character a little more and some side characters quite a bit.

As a world building book to get you more immersed in the world of PC Grant, it's a really good book. However, if you picked it up to get any kind of resolution or continuation from Book 4's cliffhanger ending, this book has nearly nothing to offer you. 5 stars for the world building, 1 star for the story continuation. 3 stars average.

Edited for typos.

I liked this book better than the previous ones because of the rural setting. It was a nice change from London. I miss Lesley, but was glad to see Beverly back in the picture.
The ending was a hoot, or should I say a “toot”! As always, I’m looking forward to the next installment in the series.

Whereas the previous book took a long time to get anywhere, this one took an awful long time to get absolutely nowhere. I do understand that sometimes you don't get everything wrapped up with a neat little bow, but a bit more information, a bit more closure if you will, would have been nice. *spoiler alert* Why were these children abducted? Why was the sister abducted? Why the change in the colour of her eyes? Why unicorns? Why, why, why? And yes, I missed Nightingale. As much as I liked the first three books, and even the fourth, I'm not sure if I'll bother to read on.

A fine addition to the series. Ben's TV background is showing as it reads somewhat like a mid season 1-off filler episode not on the main arc. A great read, but you are really itching to learn more. Expect the next few books to be back into the thick of it.

The first half of this book is a pretty good British mystery. The protagonist, a constable, writes in the first person, and is often quite funny. The description of the police trying to solve the seeming kidnapping of two young girls is compelling, and although there are some hints of what is to come, it was an unpleasant surprise to find the entire second half is nothing but the practice of verious types of magic.

It is downright silly, and were it not for all the bad language and frequent sex scenes, I would have assumed it was written for the sub-teen market. The trouble is that is is very well written, so I stayed with it to the end, which in itself was too abrupt.

I would not recommend this to any adult unless they are way into the occult.

For Peter Grant this book represents a bit of a break, as it's not as crazily busy as the previous books in the series. It's also funnier I'd say, cuter... *shrugs* It's out of the city, it's in the middle of countryside, and sometimes it felt like The Wickerman. I liked it quite well, but I can't say I enjoyed it as much as the previous one with its shocker ending.

I hardly ever review, but I just have to say that this guy cracks me up -- and by "this guy" I mean Ben Aaronovitch himself, the characters he creates, and Kobna, the narrator of the audiobook. This series (Peter Grant) is so great, so imaginative, and so believable that I want to go out and try to create my own ball of light to see in the forest. I have a long commute every day, so I love having a great audiobook to listen to. Don't generally like science fiction, but I do really like just a bit of magic or supernatural to my stories, and this series so entertains me. Kobna Holdbook-Smith is the perfect narrator for this series, and he's what really takes this story, for me, to the highest level. Bravo, Ben, and thanks!

I thought this book was by far the weakest of Ben Aaranovitch's Rivers of London series.

All of the characters and magical subplots that I enjoyed in Mr. Aaronovitch's earlier books were omitted in the latest book of the series. The main character becomes involved in a simple abducted child plot that was fairly boring. I kept waiting for new characters introduced in this book to "come to life" but they remained cardboard cut outs. Foxglove Summer was a very well written police procedural which is not the type book I enjoy reading. The author is great at making a community or scene come to life but the plot was not very interesting with a tacked on a magical ending that didn't fit any of the earlier world building. The entire book felt like a short story that was stretched out to create a full length book. I would not recommend this book to any fantasy reader, but I would suggest fellow urban fantasy fans read the earlier books in this series which I think are a lot of fun. To be honest I struggled to finish this book and realize in retrospect that I never liked the Peter Grant character in the earlier books, I liked those books in spite of him, rather than because of his politically correct role as an unreliable narrator. I don't know much about racism in the United Kingdom but the whole dark skinned outsider thing got very, very repetitive. I think you can safely skip this book and enjoy the other books in the series.

Ben Aaronovitch entertaining as ever, with PC Peter Grant being sent out to the sticks in the ever wonderful mixture of crime and fantasy. Don't want to give too much away but fans of the series will love it and my opinion of unicorns has somewhat changed.

Ray Smillie

The Rivers Of London series is original,witty, fun and scary. Not to mention beautifully written. The fantasy is real & convincing - the research that was necessary to convincingly create this alternate world is very impressive. The details are so perfect it takes at least one re-reading to take it all in. Can't wait for the next one.

This series has a great mixture of local history, sometimes hilariously detailed, police procedure-- at least the main character has a arcing relationship with it, and finally magic. It is a fun read.

Two young girls go missing in North Herefordshire. Our hero, Peter Grant is sent to ensure that some magical practitioner using 'unethical magical practices' isn't involved.

After the cataclysmic events at the end of the last book Nightingale can't leave London and so our Peter is flying as the sole representative of The Folly. Magic in the country is very different from the city and Peter is very much out of his element, although he is clearly maturing as a magical detective.

I really enjoyed this sortie into the English countryside., although I do miss the London setting. I found the plot easier to follow and I enjoyed the hot, hazy Summer feel to the novel.

This series just goes from strength to strength and I'm loving it.