Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch – An Audio Book Review

Blurb:

Martin Chorley, aka the Faceless Man, wanted for multiple counts of murder, fraud and crimes against humanity, has been unmasked and is on the run.

Peter Grant, Detective Constable and apprentice wizard, now plays a key role in an unprecedented joint operation to bring Chorley to justice.

But even as the unwieldy might of the Metropolitan Police bears down on its foe, Peter uncovers clues that Chorley, far from being finished, is executing the final stages of a long-term plan.

A plan that has its roots in London’s 2,000 bloody years of history and could literally bring the city to its knees.

To save his beloved city, Peter’s going to need help from his former best friend and colleague – Lesley May – who brutally betrayed him and everything he thought she believed in. And, far worse, he might even have to come to terms with the malevolent supernatural killer and agent of chaos known as Mr Punch….

 

Author: Ben Aaronovitch

Narrator: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith

Series: Rivers of London (Book 7)

Publisher: Orion

Run Time: 10 hrs 25 mins

Audio Release Date: 15/11/2018

My Rating of ‘Lies Sleeping’: 3 out of 5

Purchase: Audible UK, Audible US

 

Review:

Lies Sleeping, for me, was a good continuation of Aaronovich’s Peter Grant series. I’m not saying it was a flawless masterpiece, but it was enjoyable. Although, I didn’t find myself thrashing through it like I had other books in the series, however.

I have never read a single one of these novels (I own the audio books of all of them so have listened to them instead) but I get the distinct feeling that there was perhaps more enjoyment for the listener in this book than perhaps the reader. I say this because, at points, Lies Sleeping felt a little slow and sluggish, even when things were starting/trying to happen. Yet it was easier to enjoy the duller moments due to how much life Kobna Holdbrook-Smith brought to the role as narrator.

I was wondering what more could be done with the series and was happy to see the return of some old characters (I do love a bit of Mr Punch, the creepy voice used for him is both terrible and terribly good all at once). There are a new characters and, even at this late stage in the series, some pretty good character development of existing ones. If anything, I am now perhaps more curious about Molly’s backstory than I ever have been.

Of the new characters, I really enjoyed ‘Foxglove’ as I have a bit of an interest as far as her particular people /race/species go. There is also a fair bit of backstory going into the various gods on offer within the Rivers of London universe. And, as ever, those wonderful scenes where Peter’s mum puts him in his place or just generally makes him do things for her. I love Peter’s mum (partly because I’m afraid she’d come and hit me with a tin of corn or something if I said otherwise).

There are a few nods to the graphic novels that any fans who have read those particular short additions to the universe will pick up on. The haunted car for instance.

I do, however, find myself wondering if the overall quality is slipping. It’s almost guaranteed to happen now with so many books and graphic novels floating around. I have seen a fair few comments saying the same and several others saying that they feel it is certainly dropping off. I do feel the quality of the first few was far higher but that could just be that I feel comfortable with the universe now and it takes more than I am being given to wow me.

I’ll certainly be purchasing future novels in this series, if there are any others due out (which, considering some of the plot/character developments … and the fact that Peter is still technically a wizard in training there has to be at some point).

In short; it was enjoyable but didn’t wow me as much as some of the other books in the Rivers of London series did. That being said, it is worth picking up as it is a fun universe to keep yourself locked into. I didn’t rush to get this as soon as it was released like I have in the past, but I don’t feel like I missed out by having waited.