This one wasn't going to get reviewed. As soon as I'd finished it I started in on the next one. And by the time I'd got to the end of that I couldn't even remember the plot. Well, a week later I still couldn't, so I looked.

And that's when it hit me: although there is plot that isn't why I read them. They're cozies. The mystery itself isn't the point. I read them because I like Peter's snarky voice, and his relationship with his immediate and extended family; his alternate family at the Folly: both the unusual denizens of the house, but also his magical and nonmagical police associates; plus, too, there's the snug domesticity with his girlfriend and then her whole extended family. I like all the scientific questions that Peter asks about magic, and the experiments he comes up with as well as the tools, the sheer geekiness of him. I like how we're reminded that policework is all about evidence and grinding routine, even as there's always an opportunity for Peter to jump in with something brave and disastrously dangerous. And like everyone else, I appreciate seeing some of the millions of non-white and non-wealthy residents of London. And then too, there's rather a lot about food.

Really the only way it doesn't fit the archetype of Cozy in my head is that the lead isn't a woman, which isn't an assumption I was aware of before now.

Library copy

In the sixth installment of Peter Grant / Rivers of London series, we find Peter a busy guy.  First, he's looking into an overdose that is connected to one of the River's of London's family, Lady Tyburn, next he's looking for a stolen book penned by Sir Isaac Newton himself, and then his hunt for The Faceless Man.  I really enjoy his new partner, Sahra Guhleed.  She brings a non-magical presence to the series, even tho this is not the first book she's been in, she does play a bigger part.  One thing we've found out about Peter is that wherever he goes, destruction is sure to follow, even if it's Harrod's.

Aaronovitch is giving Peter more and more, with less Thomas NIghtingale's supervision, which makes for more action, mistakes, and destruction.  Okay, maybe not mistakes but lots of damage.  All the key players are back and the search for all the baddies is growing.

I'm rating this 3-1/2 stars, but it's still a great read.

The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch,

Book 6 in the Peter Grant / Rivers of London Series.

One of the things I really worry to much about when it comes to books is their height. I want my series to fit together and have on occasions taken a ruler into the bookstore to make sure I bought the right one. It completely beats me why there are so many different heights available or why this sometimes differs between UK and US editions. Usually, I'm most pleased by the standard 197mm edition, but these are for some reason often not brought onto the market for a full six to nine months after publication (sometimes even the MMP are released before!). I'm sorry for the rambling - what I wanted to say was that if you've been waiting for such a long time after publication, when the book finally arrives, it doesn't always scream as loudly as it did in the beginning, and in the case of The Hanging Tree, so many great book were passing by, I -shamefully- admit to forgetting about it until I saw the newest book in the series, Lies Sleeping, in stores recently. On the other hand, the series looks superbly in my book case.

The sixth novel in the Peter Grant series brings back a lot of old and new characters, ultimately centering once more on Peter and his, at this time grown into, arch nemesis. Since it was a while since I read the fifth book I was worried I would not get into the story easily, but I needn't worry. It was not hard to recognize why I like these books so much. The story is okay, but it is Peter's way of describing police procedural, diplomacy (with the Rivers) and life in general (which I can only describe as British) that really makes this series so wonderful. I mean, he uses the phrase 'hoi polloi'. Period.

Just an interesting side note to end this review with: The paperback edition of Lies Sleeping is currently planned for May 24th, and Book Depository describes the height as 198mm *inner scream*.

One of my New Year's resolutions is to get my shelves updated. I'm going to make an effort to do a better job than I have been doing the past 6-8 months.

So... I did listen to about 4-5 audiobooks in both November and December, and all but one of those titles will fit the book tasks for this year's 24 Tasks of the Festive Season. I'll try to put up brief reviews this coming week - I was out of commission with the flu and then back issues for over two weeks in December - but for now I'm just going to match up my books/reads with the various holidays.

Melbourne Cup Day: Book About Horses - Reflex by Dick Francis

Advent: Fourth Book in a Series - Persons of Interest by Peter Grainger

St Andrew's Day: Book Set In Scotland - A Grave Matter by Anna Lee Huber

Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Book with a Strong Woman Character - 

     Lane by Peter Grainger

Christmas: Book About Christmas - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Yule and Solstice: Book Set In December - The Man With the Sack by Margery

     Allingham

Dia De Los Muertos: Reread an Old Favorite by a Deceased Author - Trojan Gold by

     Elizabeth Peters

 Russian Mother's Day: Book Where a Key Character is a Mother - Charringham 4-6

    by Neil Richards and Matthew Costello

Guy Fawkes Night: Book Set in the UK: The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE HERE ON BL!

This one is more a story about the magical world of London and England and allows for later expansion of the world, it turns out that there are a few schools of magic in the world. The adventure all starts with Lady Tyburn asking Peter for a favour and to keep the favour quiet, however Peter knows better than to try to hide things and tells everyone above him so that they can be prepared for it. An overdose. At a secure building with one of Lady Ty's daughters involved. One of the others involved is a magic user too and through this teen Peter finds out that there's another magic tradition and has to face up to the fact that there was a lot of sexism in his order.

It features some lesbian characters and a muslim fellow police person who wears a hijab and is slowly creeping towards being a member of the Folly. Peter is determined to bring the Folly into the 20th Century and seems to be determined to write up everything to help others. He believes in information and less secrecy but understands that some things people don't want to know and occasionally some information can kill or do more harm than ignorance.

I love this series and when I read I often have to share paragraphs with my husband, Peter has such a wry tone and cynical view, he feels like someone who has worked as a copper for long enough for some of his inocence worn off. He knows the system and knows how to use it. Other innocences are being worn away too.