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    Foxglove Summer: A Rivers of London Novel
    Unavailable
    Foxglove Summer: A Rivers of London Novel
    Unavailable
    Foxglove Summer: A Rivers of London Novel
    Audiobook10 hours

    Foxglove Summer: A Rivers of London Novel

    Written by Ben Aaronovitch

    Narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJan 6, 2015
    ISBN9780756410308
    Unavailable
    Foxglove Summer: A Rivers of London Novel
    Author

    Ben Aaronovitch

    Born and raised in London, Ben Aaronovitch worked as a scriptwriter for Doctor Who and Casualty before the inspiration for his own series of books struck him whilst working as a bookseller in Waterstones Covent Garden. Ben Aaronovitch’s unique novels are the culmination of his experience of writing about the emergency services and the supernatural.

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    Reviews for Foxglove Summer

    4/5

    664 ratings53 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Two young girls go missing in rural Herefordshire and PC Peter Grant is sent from London to check that there is nothing supernatural going on. Also, his superior Thomas Nightingale wants to take Peter's mind off the Lesley's going over to the dark side. At first, it looks like a horrifying but not magical crime until the girls' cellphones are discovered trashed in a way that indicates magic was used around them.Between meeting one of Nightingale's old colleagues and having the chance to find out more about his mysterious boss's past and one of the missing girls' invisible friend, Peter has a lot to investigate. While Nightingale remains in London to make sure that Lesley isn't planning to plunder the Folly, he does send Beverly Brook to assist. She is a river goddess and Peter's new girlfriend and has an in with a group Peter doesn't. Throw in changelings and encounters with the Fair Folk and you have an action-packed supernatural adventure filled with Peter's usual snark. Fans of the series will enjoy this latest episode in an engaging urban fantasy/police procedural series.
    • 4/5
      This series keeps getting better and better. About the only thing that would make it a 5 star book for me would be more page time for Thomas. As much as Peter is the MC in this series, Nightingale is the more fascinating of the characters, to me at least. Cannot wait to read the next book when it's published, The Hanging Tree
    • 5/5
      Peter is sent to find out if there has been magical involvement in a case with missing children, and finds, not only signs of vestigia but a whole lot more. This is another great installment of the series, but this one is more straight-forward than most of the others, even if the denouement and its "creatures" (evil, invisible unicorns, anyone?) are anything but. Lesley makes a showing to drop some foreboding comments and we also get to meet some "people" who may cast light on what/who our dear Molly really is. I really like this series, but am trying not to mow through it too fast - I don't want it to end.
    • 5/5
      Another fantastic installment of one of my all time favorite series! Keep 'em coming!
    • 3/5
      I think these books cause amnesia. I read the first four books all in a row and managed to completely lose the thread of the story every single time. When I started this one I had to go back and read wikipedia summaries of the previous books just to remember who these people are. And it worked, sort of. Anyway, the first part of this book is pretty straightforward: Peter Grant ends up in the country, helping to search for two missing girls. And because this is Peter Grant, Weird Stuff happens. I was able to follow most of the immediate plot, but this whole series has a long game, dealing with Peter's friend Leslie, that I simply do not understand. I don't remember why they're looking for her or why she disappeared in the first place or what she did that was so bad. That's one problem with book series: they often do inadequate recapping, forgetting that the reader is often years past the previous installment. So like the other books in this series, the immediate story was decent and I liked the characters, but its place within the larger narrative was unclear at best.A note on the audio: The narrator was great, but I would have appreciated some variety in the snippet of music played between chapters.
    • 3/5
      A pleasant read - I'm always a sucker for stories with English folklore elements. The book is dedicated to Terry Pratchett and I was reading it the day he died, which was an interesting coincidence.

      The editing of the ebook edition I was reading wasn't terribly good, I thought - there were a few missing words here and there and one mis-attributed speech tag.
    • 4/5
      No apologies for making reference to the previous books in the series.With the events of "Broken Homes" hanging heavy on our protagonist Peter Grant, he finds himself sent out to check a potential lead (with magical import) in a missing child emergency and finds himself drawn into the increasingly frantic search for the two young girls. Unless you're new to this rodeo it'll be pretty damn obvious between missing children, a chunk of enchanted wood and references to the fae people a big chunk of what's going on; but only a chunk. Aaronovitch also continues to hand out scraps of just what happened in regards to the faithful events of 1945 that annihilated the cream of official British wizardry and one is given hints regarding what is really at stake in the conflict with the Faceless Man.As for Peter himself, he finds himself increasingly involved with Beverley Brooks and is also less and less adopting the ironic pose of a dodgy fellow involved in a dodgy business; by this point in the series Grant is pretty well part of the police establishment and his rural opposite numbers are damn glad to get his assistance as the resident expert on uncanny doings.One spoiler; no large buildings were harmed in the writing of this book.
    • 4/5
      This series just gets better as it goes on. I am a fan of the writing and the plotting and the characters, especially the main character, Peter Grant. The cover art is by a different illustrator, Patrick Knowles, than for the previous books but it is still worth spending some time looking at it.Peter actually spends the whole book outside of London and he is only in occasional telephone contact with his mentor, Nightingale. So it seems he has really matured as an investigator. The location is part of the county of Herefordshire which actually sounds like a delightful place if it wasn't for the disappearance of two young girls. Livingstone sends Peter out to check on a retired magician in the vicinity to make sure he had nothing to do with the disappearance. Once Peter has checked him out (and decided that he could not have been involved) he decides to offer his assistance in the search for the missing girls. The Herefordshire constabulary are more than happy to have another body but they don't really know what use they can make of Peter's special talents. So they put him in as one of the Family Liason Officers but Peter doesn't stick around the family home very much. He partners up with Domenic Croft, who grew up in the village from which the girls disappeared and who knows everyone who lives there. The first indication that there may be magic afoot comes from one of Domenic's mates who calls to report her drug and poached meat stash has been raided. Beverley Brook, one of the London river goddesses who appeared in an earlier book, also comes to help out (and to get to know Peter better). Between the three they manage to find the girls and then figure out who kidnapped them. It would be giving too much away to say who that is but I will state that unicorns make an appearance. While all this is going on back in London Peter's former partner, Leslie, is being hunted by Nightingale et al. because she went over to the dark side in the last book. Leslie texts and then finally talks to Peter on the phone and hints that bad things are in store for him. She eludes capture so, no doubt, she will be turning up in the next book.Part of what I love about these books is just how much description of the surroundings Ben Aaronovitch gives. This part of Herefordshire has ancient forests and Roman roads and Druid hill forts and Aaronovitch manages to work that all in. I was so interested that I searched Google maps of the area and I found that a pub next to the River Lugg, The Riverside Inn in Ayemestry, really exists. This location plays a major part in the blossoming relationship between Peter and Beverley. It would be a hoot to visit it.
    • 4/5
      An in-between episode that stalls the subplots building from the previous books yet tells its own story with a lot of fun & great characterization.
    • 5/5
      the series progresses slowly in plot and character, though each book is it's own little happening. I quite liked this one.
    • 5/5
      Favorite since 1st book in series! Couldn't stop listening & glad that river goddess Beverly had a bigger role as she & Peter grow closer.
    • 5/5
      The series is really a fun amalgam of world weary cop procedural and urban fantasy.
    • 5/5
      This one is different from the usual which take place in and around London. After Peter's partner Leslie May betrays him in the hope of getting her face fixed Peter helps with an investigation in Herefordshire with the disappearance of two 11 year old girls. Of all of the books so far I liked this one the best.
    • 4/5
      Perfectly paced and oh-so-satisfying as a police procedural, mystery, Brit lit, and suburban fantasy. Peter Grant just keeps edging his way deeper into my cadre of favorite characters.
    • 4/5
      I do love this series

      This piece of PC Grant's story is in 2 parts. Clearly, the series will continue. But, this bit is, for the most part, wrapped up..
    • 5/5
      Bliss, next Rivers of London book. Like the other Aaronovitch books, it sucks you right in. Particularly good to read on a cold winter day—set in a hot summer in the English countryside. Peter Grant joins the hunt for two missing girls, just to make sure there’s no supernatural involvement.... Lots of likable characters, new and old, including Dominic, the local cop who is part of the police team, Beverley Brook, who comes out from London to help Peter, the retired wizard who lives in a tower with his granddaughter and a lot of bees; even the two sets of distraught parents are interesting people.
    • 5/5
      I really love this series. This story was great and the author dropped some big hints about events to come.
    • 5/5
      Easily the best book of the series so far. There is one sequence about midway in which is so well written it genuinely scared me. Nice ending as well. Also I managed to correctly guess a major twist well in advance which was extremely satisfying.
    • 4/5
      Suffers a bit from middle-book syndrome - the events of the last book and dire warnings about what's presumably coming in the next book overshadow the A-plot.
    • 4/5
      Loved it. Especially the Peter Grant view of rural, white Herefordshire,. And it has bees! Now I have a dilemma because I got the Hanging Tree from the library before I realised Foxglove Summer came first. Now I have to get the Hanging Tree back to the library without starting it because I can't afford to read it back to back. Need to save some for later.
    • 5/5
      So I love London, but I love the English countryside even more. Add in a more coherent plot than previous Peter Grant novels and this was fantastic.
    • 5/5
      My favorite one so far -- thank you, Ben Aaronovitch, for the happy pop culture references (I nearly hurt myself trying to giggle quietly on the bus at valor morgulis), for the continuing development of a complex and appealing character, and the excellent mystery. Two girls have gone missing from a country town and Peter goes out to make sure the local magical denizens aren't involved. He stays on and gets drawn into a very weird set of occurences. Brilliant!
    • 4/5
      As a fan ---- 55555. But rated next to "great" books, I guess a solid 4 will do.

      The soft humor is as always, very enjoyable. I think this series is categorized as "fantasy". I think of them as reality based, except for a few river gods, river goddesses, fairies, wizards, non-humans and in this tale, cameo appearances by a couple of unicorns.

      I think this one is the best yet and particularly well written.

      If you want to read the "River" series, you must start at the beginning.
    • 4/5
      Peter Grant is a city boy through and through. But after the betrayal of a close colleague and friend, his boss Nightingale thinks that a spell in the country will do him the world of good. And while he is there perhaps he can give a hand to the police in Herefordshire that are searching for two missing girls as there is the possibility that magic is involved.

      First stop though is to a retired wizard to see if he is aware of any disturbances in the area. He isn’t but his granddaughter who is a bee keeper says that her little charges are disturbed and unsettled by events recently. Grant hooks up with the local police, who are grateful for any help they can get as they haven’t been able to find a single clue so far, and the media circus is getting fraught. He is assigned a liaison officer, who has to suspend belief when he is told why he is here. Grant begins his own parallel investigation, explaining to the families that coming from the Met, he has the potential see other things that the local police may miss. As he slowly draws out details from the missing girl’s sisters, he starts to realise that not every imaginary friends is quite as innocent as they seem. He is joined by Beverly, as Nightingale thinks that he may be uncovering something much bigger than originally anticipated, and the usually boundaries between the real world and the fae might not be as clearly defined as he first thought.

      The fifth book in he series takes us way beyond the boundaries of London, something that I thought wouldn’t work as that city is as much a character of the books as the Grant, Nightingale, Molly and so on. But is actually does, Grant has a lot more confidence in his abilities now, even though they are not fully advanced, he uses his police training to move the investigation on every step. As usual Aaronovitch uses his humour to keep the pace of the plot moving nicely along and the interaction of the sceptical Dominic is quite funny at times. I really enjoyed this generally, and the minor diversion of a country jaunt was worth the trip. I hope for the next in the series that we are back in London, as that is where the true genius has been in the past.
    • 4/5
      Another pretty good volume in the series. At this point, you either like the series or not--nothing in this book would change your mind. Worth the read
    • 4/5
      This book take Peter out into the countryside and out of London for almost all of the book. Two girls are missing and there is a former wizard living in the area so Peter is sent out to check on the wizard to make sure he had nothing to do with the disappearances. The wizard is cleared but Peter wants to help with the missing children case. The locals agree since he cleared the case of any taint of magic and they are short staffed. Beverly decides to come and see Peter and gets into a bit of trouble with a river on her way to the area. Turns out there is no river spirit in the town he is staying out so there is no problem for Beverly to hang around. As he is helping something turns up that makes this a magical case. The book also covers some of what happened in the previous book but with it being set outside London it isn’t a bad book to start the series with, granted you will be spoiled on the previous ones but since Mr. Punch isn’t involved with this one it is an ok starting point for someone if they grab it blindly off the shelf. I read the hardcover version that comes with an extra short story. The story has to do with an event that happens as Peter is traveling back to London from the countryside. I really like these books and can’t wait for the next one.
    • 4/5
      Peter takes a trip to the English countryside. There he encounters the fae, river goddesses, and country folk. Amusing, full of bits of architectural tidbits and wit. I felt as if I was in the countryside as well.This story felt like an interlude, and the ending was a bit abrupt, but the action was good, the plot interesting and the characters likeable (except those who weren't meant to be). A terrific summer read.
    • 4/5
      I called her name and she rose out of the nodding purple flowers, the hot sunlight making amber highlights on the strong curve of her upper arms and her neck. I felt a mad rush of desire, not just sex but something wilder and stronger and almost like worship. I wanted to carve statues of her and paint her image on the walls of my cave, where the firelight would make them flicker and jump. I wanted to wrap myself in an animal skin and dance around the campfire wearing a necklace of bear teeth. Had she just asked, I’d gladly have gone mammoth hunting in her honour – although I’d only do that armed with a suitably high-powered rifle. There are limits, you know.After the surprise twist at the end of the previous book, this one takes a diversion, away from London, as Peter heads to the Worcestershire countryside to check whether a retired wizard has anything to do with the disappearance of two children from a nearby village, and stays on to help the local police. Beverley Brook turns up to help him as his colleagues need to stay in London in case the Faceless Man makes another move.I would have given it 4.5 stars if not for the abrupt ending.
    • 4/5
      Two girls go missing and Peter Grant volunteers to help in the search. He's not really expecting anything of a mystical or magical nature, but he keeps finding strange stuff associated with the case. The invisible unicorns are the clincher. It's a fun story with likeable characters.

      I've enjoyed each and every one of the five Peter Grant stories. This one, I noted happily, is dedicated to Terry Pratchett. If you like Pratchett, there's a good chance you'll like Aaronovitch. I do, anyway.

      One note on the Daw U.S. edition paperback I read: The copy editing could have been better. I noted about half a dozen errors while reading.
    • 5/5
      I really like this series. It stretches the imagination without leaving the realm of reality. Strong characters, a plot that gently leads you down the path without suspending belief and a very likeable reader.