Foxglove Summer

A Rivers of London Novel

By: Ben Aaronovitch

Narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith

Peter Grant - cop, magical apprentice, and Londoner to the core - is being forced out of his comfort zone and into the English countryside. His latest case involves the disappearance of children in the small village of Herefordshire, and the local police are unwilling to admit there might be a supernatural element involved. Now Peter must deal with them, local river spirits, and the fact that all the shops close by 4 P.M.

©2014 Ben Aaronovitch (P)2014 Penguin Audio

Starts slow but ends strong

I have to say I really enjoy this series. The excellent urban fantasy/police procedural mix works quite well. This genre appears to be growing fast and while there are a lot of similar series coming out, this series feels like the most realistic of the group. The author also maintains a good balance between having a stand alone story and advancing the meta-plot.
This is good as a lot of my favorite authors have been focusing on their overarching story to the detriment of the one you are currently reading. Good to see Mr. Aaronovitch has gotten it right.

The narrarator does his usual excellent job. He is definitely top notch and enhances the story with his reading style. He has a pretty good range and you can definitely tell each character apart from the reading alone.

I really only have two complaints with this novel. First, it starts off really slow. The first quarter of the book is almost devoid of any supernatural elements and advances at a snails pace, hence 4 stars for the story instead of 5. Fortunately it picks up after that and moves the story along quite nicely. My second complaint is minor and most may not agree but I am really getting to hate the music between chapters. If anyone from the publishing company is reading this please either get rid of it or rotate in some different music.

Those small issues aside, this is a great novel once it gets moving. Stick with it and you'll be glad you did. I really look foreward to the next book in this series.

What am I going to listen to now!?!

Any additional comments?

Peter Grant, the magician constable, is back and brilliant. In this installment, Peter goes to a small town to help find two missing girls. The typical cast of characters is not present in this book. With the exception of a few phone calls and text messages, Nightingale, Molly, and, of course, Leslie are largely absent. But Peter is still stumping along and taking huge curveballs in stride, and Beverly shows up to save him when he gets into trouble. If you aren't familiar with this series, give it a try.

Delightful, right to the end!

First I must say that I LOVE listening to Kobna Holdbrook-Smith read to me as Peter Grant. He has a masterful command of timing and cadence and the slight changes and inflections make it feel more like he's TELLING you the story than reading it. (Delightful!)
Ben Aaronovitch has created a very interesting story with great characters. I am already looking forward to the next book BECAAAUUUSE (say it like Peter Grant), this one ended way too soon!! Gimme more, I must know what happens next!

I hope there are more books coming

Surely there are more books coming in the series, I'm ready for more of Peter Grant

Continued outstanding narration of great series

This book continues the very interesting development of one of the most grounded urban fantasy universes. Interesting hints of how historical magic overlays with our world. The great and gritty police procedural form continues to provide tension and realism. The narrator absolutely nails the series and gives huge depth and realism to both dialog and description. I would like to have a bit more Nightingale in the next one...

Wry, irreverent and utterly engaging

I’m a huge fan of the entire series, and this one is my personal favorite. Peter Grant is called out of London, and encounters a wild array of eccentric colleagues and villains. The narrator imbues each character with great force and charm. I always feel like I’m listening to a play, thanks to Kobna’s virtuosic skill and timing. A deft send-up of Britain’s class structure. Highly recommended!

More Vivid

This story is really coming to life, more vivid in my mind than the ones that came before.

Phenomenal

The evolution of Peter from the last book feels real and super relatable compared to what had just gone on. The theme sets itself beautifully while everything else carries on, you can feel how Kobna really puts the pain and uncertainty into Peter actions, thoughts, and mannerisms. 10/10 for both writing and performance. If you don’t own this book yet... what you doin’?

The plot thickens

Peter Grant gets out of the city and spends time in the country. His apprenticeship is coming along nicely as his boss stays behind. Lots of loose ends so I am sure we will see Peter and Beverly again. He wouldn't be the same character without Kobna Holbrook Smith reading. What an amazing job he does. I could listen to him read anything all day long.

Maybe the best of the Rivers of London Series.

Would you listen to Foxglove Summer again? Why?
Yes, I'd listen again. Instead of London, the setting was the English countryside so that was interesting.

Who was your favorite character and why?
It was good to see Beverly Brook again. I'm glad she and Peter finally hooked up.

What does Kobna Holdbrook-Smith bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
I love how he does the different voices. I especially like Inspector Nightingale and Beverly Brook.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Supernatural crime in the English countryside.

Any additional comments?
Get to writing Ben! Can't wait for the next installment.