Martin Chorley and his co-conspirator Lesley May will be run to ground and made to pay for all their crimes. Which are numerous. Operations Tinker, Wentworth, Carthorse, Cartwheel, and Marigold were all separate investigations into their crimes, now combined under the aegis of the Folly and Operation Jennifer. The Folly is groaning under the influx of police officers, but Molly seems happy to feed them all, even opening up the dining room. Their only hope of finding Martin Chorley is through his connections to other Little Crocodiles, that Oxford dining club that was more about magic and less about running riot. Which is why Richard Williams is under surveillance. He ticks all the boxes. And soon his heart will tick no more because Chorley is tying up loose ends and as soon as the police approach Richard Williams all hell breaks loose. He doesn't die immediately. But he does die. But they find a clue in his papers. A screenplay for movie set in Roman London called Against the Dark written by Richard Williams and Gabriel Tate from a story by John Chapman. This is right up Chorley's alley. His romantic view of the Dark Ages might just have something to do with his plans, why else would he silence Williams? And Chapman and Tate as it turns out once they hear back from Australia and America. All three people associated with the screenplay being deceased is a dead giveaway that it's integral to Chorley's plans. But the first real lead they get is Richard Williams's interest in bells. He made several visits to the Whitechapel Bell Foundry where they forged a bell for him. He provided them with the materials, some of it nicked from archaeological sites throughout London. The bell draws Peter in and he knows it's magic. This bell is important and could very well be the lure they need. They use the large police presence for Michelle Obama's visit to Whitechapel to make the foundry look unguarded. But Lesley fails to make off with the bell and they all think that despite it's beauty, destroying the bell is a plus because it hobbles Chorley's plans. It won't stop them, he'll just make another bell, but bells take time. And in that time they start to put the pieces together; Roman London, the Temple of Mithras, St. Paul's, The Silmarillion, and last but not least, Mr. Punch. Will this knowledge be enough or will Martin Chorley make myth reality?

Lies Sleeping is the big culmination of, well, basically everything that has come before. The book hits the ground running with all the various MET operations that are folded into one unwieldy operation, Jennifer, that is to deal with all of Martin Chorley's crimes under the remit of the Folly. That means Nightingale is in charge. From the first few pages it feels as if this book is struggling to do too much. I've been reading this series over the last three months so there hasn't been the passage of time that usually occurs between volumes, so, logically, I should know every single little detail, and yet I found myself spending an inordinate about of time on Follypedia. Every police officer that has ever appeared is pulled into this operation. And yeah, apparently I should have remembered who David Carey was but by the time I got to Follypedia I'd forgotten his name. This happened repeatedly. He's very forgettable. So while Aaronovitch does successfully tie together all the loose ends, from Martin Chorley to Lesley May to Mr. Punch to all that stuff I'd rather forget from the comics, I really don't like the comics, it doesn't create a satisfying story. It's just one thing happening after another with what feels like a cast of thousands. The Rivers of London series has always perfectly balanced the character of Peter Grant with the character of London itself. With little moments and asides that feel like lovely character studies. Quiet moments. Here there's no time for those quiet moments. There's no working along with Peter to solve a crime it's just them, and a lot of them, trying to run Chorley to ground. All the characters have become stock figures and the one who suffers the most is Lesley May. I no longer get where she's coming from. Yes, revenge and a return to her life before Mr. Punch has always seemed her motivator, but here, here she has a chance at that and she blows it all up. Yes, Aaronovitch is probably setting her up to be the next Big Bad, but her change seems too out of character. She monologues about her hatred of magical creatures at one point and I couldn't help thinking she's turning into a bit of a bigot but without any reason why. I need the why. But I'll give Aaronovitch the benefit of the doubt, because the ending with Mr. Punch in the very first book felt convoluted and dreamlike, and here Aaronovitch is, seven books later, and he knows he messed up and is trying to set it to right. And as someone who has recently watched all of I, Claudius, I gotta admit he got Roman Britain and the Roman mindset down perfectly, when in doubt kill someone and make them a god.

DC Peter Grant, police detective and apprentice wizard, is hot on the trail of the Faceless Man. Things are coming to a head as the Faceless Man’s long term, really long term, plans are coming closer to fruition. Former PC Lesley May is still on the run but seems to vacillate between helping Peter and helping the Faceless Man who restored her face. His plan may, or may not, involve King Arthur, Merlin, Exaclibur and the very real, if sort of dead, Mr Punch. As Nightingale and Peter come closer to both the Faceless Man and an understanding of his ultimate goal the future of London hangs in the balance.
Again we have a quick plot, the action is almost non-stop. Characters evolve and grow. The only issue I had was the offhand references to events that have apparently happened either in novellas or short stories that I will now track down. Overall this is an incredibly enjoyable series. Highly recommended.

Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch had some resolutions happen in the series! I shall not spoil which ones. The plot raised some new questions in Peter Grant’s quest to understand how magic works, because it’s always much more complicated than it appears. As usual, I loved the neep about how to facilitate the use of magic in police work (creating procedures for training, etc.). Peter’s parents only have a brief appearance, but Abigail appears in several scenes, and there was a fair amount of Guleed as well.

#7 in the inimitable RIVERS OF LONDON Series, LIES SLEEPING focuses on more of the depredations of "master" criminal of the paranormal Martin Chorley and his quest to "change the world," beginning with London. Plenty of rough-and-ready action, danger, historical overlays, and magical realism, as Detective Peter Grant, magic practitioner, is put to the test over and over again.

Lies Sleeping is the 7th book in Ben Aaronovitch's brilliant urban fantasy/mystery Rivers of London series. Released 20th Nov 2018 by Penguin on their Berkley imprint, it's 406 pages and available in all formats.

This series is a strong favourite. The books are very very well written, taut, engaging, brilliantly plotted, and satisfying. If this entry isn't quite up to the level of most of the other books, it's still wonderfully entertaining. The hunt for the faceless man continues, more demi-gods are interviewed, Peter and Bev's relationship moves along; in short, it's a fun visit with old friends and enemies.

Aaronovitch is a gifted author with a razor wit and a prodigious talent for descriptive narrative. The dialogue is never clunky, the world building and magic systems are virtuoso, and the book swallowed me whole.

Since there are so many interwoven multi-book plot threads in this series, it wouldn't work very well as a standalone. I strongly recommend reading the series start to finish, they're wonderful.

Five stars for the series as a whole, four stars for this installment.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

Release Date: 20 Nov 2018
Author: Ben Aaronovitch
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers , Sci Fi & Fantasy
Rating: 4.0/5.0
One sentence review: Another fantastic instalment of the popular Peter Grant series.

Summary: Peter Grant continues his pursuit of the Faceless Man. (I really don’t want to spoil anything, so I am going to leave it at that. Sorry!)

Review: I am not a huge urban fantasy or mystery/crime novel fan. Other than my not so secret love of the In Death series, I read very few mystery novels. Yet, Aaronovitch’s Peter Grant series and the associated graphic novels have become one of my favourite series. The writing is compelling and entertaining, making these enjoyable books that are easily devoured.

While the cast of characters is immense, Aaronovitch manages to keep them interesting and three-dimensional. In Lies Sleeping, we get to spend a bit more time with the supporting cast than in the books before and the result is this book doesn’t feel like “just another instalment” of a lengthy series. It is refreshing, exciting, and engaging.

Parts of this novel make it feel like the end of the series, but I hope it is merely the end of a fairly lengthy (seven novel) arc. While we wait to see what Aaronovitch does after this one, I highly recommend picking up this series and settling in for a thrilling read-a-thon.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the ebook for this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The seventh Rivers of London novel continues London's Finest's search for Martin Chorley, the second Faceless Man, wanted for multiple counts of murder, fraud and magical crimes against humanity, along with good cop-turned-bad, Lesley May. Peter Grant, Detective Constable and apprentice wizard, works for The Folly, the police department the Met doesn't admit to. They police all the magical bollox and try and keep it out of sight of the general public.

Chorley is reaching the final stages of a long term plan and only the Folly's small force, led by registered Wizard, Nightingale, stands between magical mayhem and the city.

There are a lot of favourite characters in this and, indeed, it seem like too many characters at times unless you got to know them gradually through the previous books (though you need not necessarily have read the graphic novels). There are humans, magical and mundane, as well as the fae and, of course, not forgetting the river gods and goddesses (one of which is Peter's girlfriend.) This is most definitely not a gateway book into the series. You really need to start reading from the beginning. Peter Grant's 'voice' is what lifts the whole series above the mundane—slightly snarky and self-deprecating at the same time. Peter is someone worth spending time with.

Is this the final Peter Grant book? Well, certainly one aspect of the story is tied up, but another is potentially a loose thread. There's a rivers of London novella due out in April, but it's set in Germany and seems to have a new lead in Tobias Winter, so we need to wait and see,

Thank you Netgalley/Publisher for an early copy

Another great addition to the series. It was well-written and kept me reading until the end. I will be checking more out from this author. I recommend it to fans of well-done adult Fantasy.

Peter Grant is back chasing Martin Chorley aka The Faceless Man. Following one lead the Folly team runs into a murderous nanny with sharp teeth. A clue then leads to a foundry and a magical bell. And then another one. Plenty of action, plenty of intrigue. Molly gets a "new" friend after Peter is kidnapped by Lesley May and Martin Chorley. And the book ends with a final confrontation and some personal news for Peter. A very satisfying read.

Ben Aaronovitch's urban fantasy series, Rivers of London, just keeps getting better, although newcomers might want to sample the earlier books before diving into Lies Sleeping (DAW, digital galley). Police officer and apprentice wizard Peter Grant goes up against an old enemy, the Faceless Man II, who is conspiring with Peter's former colleague Lesley May to wreak havoc on London by digging up magical artifacts. Anybody seen Excalibur? The plot is complicated, the writing is witty and the history fascinating. A ripping good yarn.

from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've been missing the series, and this installment was worth the wait! This has been one of my favorites so far; it's full of action and a very nerdy Peter (well, nerdy author) but also has a lot of character development. I really enjoyed it, and will be catching up on the novellas and graphic novels now.

I was so excited to get my hands on the latest installment in this series! I absolutely love these books. Ben Aaronovitch does a wonderful job researching interesting, often not commonly known elements of the history of London and weaving this into his plot lines as well as mythical allusions and snipets of Latin. All of which warm my nerd heart. There is always a good balance in the books, each story being mostly a police procedural with a bit of fantasy.

However, one of the things I love most about this series is the characters. Ben Aaronovitch creates a crew I honestly miss each time I finish the latest book.

Detective Inspector Peter Grant's dry humor makes for great narration, but I honestly enjoy all the characters (even some of the villains). While I was excited this book offersr a conclusion of sorts to a main story line, other avenues were left open for the next book, and I will be counting down the days until it comes out.

My B+ review of this book appeared on Dear Author on November 28th.

https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/overall-b-reviews/b-plus-reviews/review-lies-sleeping-by-ben-aaronovitch/

Ben Aaronovitch writes great stories, and they always have some new twist of magic. I liked the characters and the urgency of the story, and I felt Aaronovitch built up the world a lot in this book. I think I'd recommend to teens who like action and adventure stories.

Aaronovitch is a fantastic author whose ability to blend history and fantasy into fast-moving adventure is second to none. The latest installment is absolutely fascinating, with plenty of real historical tidbits scattered into plenty of magical action.

I received a free ARC of this book via NetGalley.

Thank you, Net Galley, I love this series. I can't wait until the audio book is out because all the characters are voiced by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith even when I'm reading the ARC. Action, magic, creepiness, and police procedural all wrapped up into one, and I'm only in the middle of the first chapter. I have still pre-ordered the audio book, though, because the writing really comes alive when Kobna Holdbrook-Smith reads it.

Update: Lots more history in this one, and I love it. And that last page, Ben Aaronovitch!

Lies Sleeping, the seventh novel in the Peter Grant/Rivers of London series completes a longstanding series story arc, that of the Faceless Man, but leaves plenty of room open for further adventures of our young Detective Constable, his delightful colleague Sahra Guleed, his goddess girlfriend Beverly Brook, his wizard prodigy cousin Abigail, his mentor and boss Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, and of course, his renegade former friend, Lesley May. One of the delights of the book included finally getting to see what DCI Nightingale can do when his gloves are off. The power of his magic versus that of the Faceless Man was exciting to read. Peter has continued to make progress but is still no match for Chorley, and is still quite vulnerable to Lesley's influence. In a surprise move, Peter communicates with more ancient figures in this novel, harking back to Roman times, looking for answers about Mr. Punch, Arthur, Merlin and Excaliber, and he tries to save a river goddess, who isolated herself from Mama Thames' family, from a terrible fate. We also formally meet a new and interesting high fae character, Foxglove. (Let's just say that it's a very good thing that Peter has spent a lot of time listening to and winning over Molly. His kindness pays off well here because he understands the hissing language of the fae.)

All in all, while a satisfying entry in the series, I felt the pacing of the story was a bit more uneven and that the narrative occasionally got bogged down in excessive historical detail. This is the first Aaronovitch book where I felt the story could have been more tightly edited. Much of the action occurs in the second half of the book, so be sure to hang in there, Reader! (Don't get me wrong here- this is still one of my all time favorite series.) I may adjust my rating after listening to the audio version. It took me several days to finish the print version, which is not something I recall from previous entries. The book felt longer than it should have, in part because of the pacing issues and the dense historical elements. Perhaps the added benefit of Kobna Holdbrook-Smith's marvelous narration will help liven the story.

I received a Digital Review Copy of this book from DAW via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lies Sleeping, the seventh novel in the Peter Grant/Rivers of London series completes a longstanding series story arc, that of the Faceless Man, but leaves plenty of room open for further adventures of our young Detective Constable, his delightful colleague Sahra Guleed, his goddess girlfriend Beverly Brook, his wizard prodigy cousin Abigail, his mentor and boss Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, and of course, his renegade former friend, Lesley May. One of the delights of the book included finally getting to see what DCI Nightingale can do when his gloves are off. The power of his magic versus that of the Faceless Man was exciting to read. Peter has continued to make progress but is still no match for Chorley, and is still quite vulnerable to Lesley's influence. In a surprise move, Peter communicates with more ancient figures in this novel, harking back to Roman times, looking for answers about Mr. Punch, Arthur, Merlin and Excaliber, and he tries to save a river goddess, who isolated herself from Mama Thames' family, from a terrible fate. We also formally meet a new and interesting high fae character, Foxglove. (Let's just say that it's a very good thing that Peter has spent a lot of time listening to and winning over Molly. His kindness pays off well here because he understands the hissing language of the fae.)

All in all, while a satisfying entry in the series, I felt the pacing of the story was a bit more uneven and that the narrative occasionally got bogged down in excessive historical detail. This is the first Aaronovitch book where I felt the story could have been more tightly edited. Much of the action occurs in the second half of the book, so be sure to hang in there, Reader! (Don't get me wrong here- this is still one of my all time favorite series.) I may adjust my rating after listening to the audio version. It took me several days to finish the print version, which is not something I recall from previous entries. The book felt longer than it should have, in part because of the pacing issues and the dense historical elements. Perhaps the added benefit of Kobna Holdbrook-Smith's marvelous narration will help liven the story.

I received a Digital Review Copy of this book from DAW via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was disappointed with the last book in the series, because it felt half finished, with nothing resolved at the end of the novel. Thankfully, this one provides the resolution that was missing and does it in pretty spectacular fashion!

Lies Sleeping details Operation Jennifer, the joint investigation between the magic users of the Folly and the Metropolitan Police that is designed to take down Martin Chorley, a.k.a. the Faceless Man, once and for all. As usual, Peter is up to his neck in trouble throughout the novel, but his persistence finally pays off, although not in the way he hoped.

Aaronvitch is back on form in this book. There’s everything that makes the series great: police investigation (with the requisite poking of fun at the Met), magical combat, and supernatural beings galore. Weaponized vampires! Battling ghosts! A friend for Molly! (That bit is sweet.) Also, readers finally learn Mr. Punch’s origins. I never thought I’d feel sympathy for Mr. Punch, but his story is actually quite sad.

As I was reading, I couldn’t help wondering why these books haven’t already been developed into a series for TV. Aaronvitch wrote for Doctor Who and other television programs, and it shows in his work. At one point, Peter uses a bicycle to chase after an escaping van, and that sequence would be AWESOME on TV. Seriously, the books have cops and magicians—both television gold—and they’re funny, too! Somebody get on this, please, because it’s past due.

The novel ends on an interesting note. Peter has been suspended from the police force, which puts his professional life on hold. He then gets some news that will affect his personal life in a major way. So, Peter’s life is in flux, which could make for big changes in future Rivers of London books.

If you’ve been waiting to see how the Faceless Man storyline finally turns out, well, this is it. Get reading!

A copy of this novel was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.