“There’s so much going on that I was sucked in from the first page and read though the book very quickly.”

Review by Rayleigh Gray

Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.

I loved Inspector Nightingale and Constable Peter. And I would argue that I only stayed around only because of Nightingale and Peter. Rivers of London is a thrilling twist of magic, classic murder mysteries, British humor, and British history. There’s so much going on that I was sucked in from the first page and read though the book very quickly.

However, the plot descends into chaos in the last half of the book and I’ll admit that I felt sort of lost. I still might read the next book because of how much I enjoyed Peter’s dry, unbothered comments about everything and Nightingale’s mysterious eccentricities. But I do hope the plot in the next one is easier to follow than this one.

Content warnings should be heeded for sensitive readers. The action/gore dips its toes into the horror genre in a few scenes and can become fairly detailed. Cursing is fairly high, though not overwhelming, and while there is no on-page spice, there are plenty of lewd comments and innuendos sprinkled throughout the book, as well as a few brief descriptions of nudity.

Content Ratings:

8. Intense gore (action scenes take a bit of a morbid turn here with abnormal deaths that are detailed and prolonged).

3. There is no on-page romance or spice (not even a kiss), HOWEVER, I have adjusted the rating due to the sexual thoughts, comments, and nudity mentioned. Nothing is ever followed through on page, however, I wouldn't feel right not mentioning this because it is frequent enough to make some readers uncomfortable.

7. All curse words used frequently. 

Other Trigger/Content Notices:

Some specific triggers to mention are child death (shocking and somewhat graphic) and descriptive mentions of body horror.

Our Reviews of Other Books by these authors:

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