Broken Homes

A Rivers of London Novel

By: Ben Aaronovitch

Narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith

Length: 10 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

My name is Peter Grant, and I am a keeper of the secret flame - whatever that is.

Truth be told, there's a lot I still don't know. My superior Nightingale, previously the last of England's wizardly governmental force, is trying to teach me proper schooling for a magician's apprentice. But even he doesn't have all the answers. Mostly I'm just a constable sworn to enforce the Queen’s Peace, with the occasional help from some unusual friends and a well-placed fire blast. With the new year, I have three main objectives: a) pass the detective exam so I can officially become a DC, b) work out what the hell my relationship with Lesley Mai, an old friend from the force and now fellow apprentice, is supposed to be, and, most importantly, c) get through the year without destroying a major landmark.

Two out of three isn’t bad, right?

A mutilated body in Crawley means another murderer is on the loose. The prime suspect is one Robert Weil, who may either be a common serial killer or an associate of the twisted magician known as the Faceless Man - a man whose previous encounters I've barely survived. I've also got a case about a town planner going under a tube train and another about a stolen grimoire.

But then I get word of something very odd happening in Elephant and Castle, on a housing estate designed by a nutter, built by charlatans, and inhabited by the truly desperate. If there's a connection to the Crawley case, I'll be entering some tricky waters of juristiction with the local river spirits. We have a prickly history, to say the least.

Just the typical day for a magician constable.

©2014 Ben Aaronovitch (P)2014 Penguin Audio

OMG How will I survive until the next book?

Would you consider the audio edition of Broken Homes to be better than the print version?

The Narrator keeps me grounded in the differing accents of the characters... adding a level of complexity I might have missed had I read the book in my own American accent in my head.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

YES, it was hard to stop.

Any additional comments?

Book three was not as great as the first two, leading me to wonder whether Mr Aaronovitch was having difficulty maintaining his commitments. This book brought me back as thoroughly as PC Grant escorting a suspect in for questioning. Do not miss this series.

Magical police procedural

The rivers of London series combines magical whimsy with London scenery and police mysteries. The narrator is one of the most engaging and imaginative I have ever heard. You will love it.

Holbrook-Smith continues to be superb

Holbrook-Smith continued to be a superb voice for Pete Grant and the whole divers cast of London inhabitants. while this book of the series gets a bit heavy on the technical details of architecture, the material isn't wasted, and I look forward to later use of the physics of magic demonstrated here. And who can get enough of Abigail, Zach, and Varvara Sidorovna.

Really enjoyable

I really like this one over the others so far. The architectural history of London is fascinating and using the backdrop of the paranormal makes it all more interesting. I also think this was more nicely detailed than the first and second books. There are a couple of loose ends, but I hope they get tied up in future stories.

love it!

The reader is fantastic! The stories are great. Each book gets better and better.

Amazing Series

I love these books and the narrator is absolutely incredible. This one has a gasp out loud cliffhanger!

Finally, it's out!

I had been really looking forward to this one for a long time. Just the facft that I read this one so soon after it came out should tell you something. This book goes a long way towards moving the over-arching story of the series forward. It is good, but is different than the oteher books. The story is less focused, more of a day in the life with a lot of what appear to unrelated instances tying together at the end. I didn't care for the style as much as the prior books. The thing is there is a twist at the end that makes this one totally worth it. The narrarator is top notch. If you like the others in this series you will like this one though it may take a little bit of getting used to.

Fantasy well done!

Would you consider the audio edition of Broken Homes to be better than the print version?

I have only listened to the audio edition but I very much enjoy having a story read to me as I drive or prepare to sleep.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Peter Grant, the hero of the story. Peter is a rookie constable with the London Police Force who in the first book of the series, discovered he could see ghosts. Because of this he has been recruited by Detective Thomas Nightingale who heads the department which investigates crimes done using supernatural means of some sort. Peter not only is a policeman, but Nightingale has begun teaching him magic which he is not very good at. What he excels in is getting involved with the Gods and Godesses of the many rivers of London and England and in this book, he, Nightingale and Leslie, his partner, all provide security for a meeting of the God & Godess of the upper and lower Thames. Leslie is his partner in police work, friendship and is also taking magic lessons from Nightingale. Peter has a good heart, good intentions but it is often Leslie or Nightingale who pulls him out of magical situations where Peter has gotten in over his head.

What does Kobna Holdbrook-Smith bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

This narrator brings a British ambience to this book that I would not experience reading it. He speaks with a British accent and brings the various characters to life. It would be very different to read the writings of Ben Aaronavitch after having listened to this narrator read them.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed this book very much. I usually do not listen to new books immediately, but I could hardly wait for this book to finish downloading. I can't wait until book 5.

Where is the TV series???

These books are entertaining, clever, and NOW. The only downside to watching a series based on them would be the possible loss of Kobna Holdbrook-Smith who voices Peter (and the rest of the cast) so masterfully. Keep working, Ben Aaronovitch, we need more books!

Never a dull moment, lots of interesting stuff

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a wonderful series read by a terrific reader. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith just IS Peter Grant. But then his voicing of the other characters is equally compelling.
In this book, they are after The Faceless Man again and Peter and Lesley move into a 'council house' type apartment together to gather information. Zach is back and we see a bit more of the Quiet People.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Broken Homes?

I can't say because it was at the end.

What about Kobna Holdbrook-Smith’s performance did you like?

His voice is so wide ranging. He seems to be able to do ANY accent or nationality as well as different dialects from various areas in UK.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Well yes, if they read fast enough; but no, it would be over too soon.