Whispers Under Ground [Mass Market Paperback]

Ben Aaronovitch (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 31, 2012

A WHOLE NEW REASON TO MIND THE GAP
 
It begins with a dead body at the far end of Baker Street tube station, all that remains of American exchange student James Gallagher—and the victim’s wealthy, politically powerful family is understandably eager to get to the bottom of the gruesome murder. The trouble is, the bottom—if it exists at all—is deeper and more unnatural than anyone suspects . . . except, that is, for London constable and sorcerer’s apprentice Peter Grant. With Inspector Nightingale, the last registered wizard in England, tied up in the hunt for the rogue magician known as “the Faceless Man,” it’s up to Peter to plumb the haunted depths of the oldest, largest, and—as of now—deadliest subway system in the world.

At least he won’t be alone. No, the FBI has sent over a crack agent to help. She’s young, ambitious, beautiful . . . and a born-again Christian apt to view any magic as the work of the devil. Oh yeah—that’s going to go well.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The perfect blend of CSI and Harry Potter.”—io9

Praise for Midnight Riot, the first Peter Grant adventure
 
“Fresh, original, and a wonderful read. I loved it.”—Charlaine Harris
 
“A great start to what will hopefully be a long series of adventures.”—SFRevu

About the Author

Ben Aaronovitch was born in London in 1964 and had the kind of dull routine childhood that drives a man to drink or to science fiction. He is a screenwriter, with early notable success on BBC television’s legendary Doctor Who, for which he wrote some episodes now widely regarded as classics, and which even he is quite fond of. He has also penned several groundbreaking TV tie-in novels. After a decade of such work, he decided it was time to show the world what he could really do and embarked on his first serious original novel. The result is Midnight Riot, the debut adventure of Peter Grant, followed by Moon Over Soho.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (July 31, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345524616
• ISBN-13: 978-0345524614
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 0.9 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #68,025 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ben Aaronovitch was born in 1964. Discovering in his early twenties that he had precisely one talent, he took up screenwriting at which he was an overnight success. He wrote for Doctor Who, Casualty and the world's cheapest ever SF soap opera Jupiter Moon. He then wrote for Virgin's New Adventures until they pulped all his books.

Then Ben entered a dark time illuminated only by an episode of Dark Knight, a book for Big Finish and the highly acclaimed but not-very-well-paying Blake's 7 Audio dramas.

Trapped in a cycle of disappointment and despair Ben was eventually forced to support his expensive book habit by working for Waterstones as a bookseller. Ironically it was while shelving the works of others that Ben finally saw the light. He would write his own books, he would let prose into his heart and rejoice in the word. Henceforth, subsisting on nothing more than instant coffee and Japanese takeaway, Ben embarked on the epic personal journey that was to lead to Rivers of London (or Midnight Riot as it is known in the Americas).

Ben Aaronovitch currently resides in London and says that he will leave when they pry his city from his cold dead fingers.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#15 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Police Procedurals

#58 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#92 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Police Procedurals

#15 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Police Procedurals

#58 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#92 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Police Procedurals

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Book From Aaronovitch July 31, 2012

By Books31

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I really like Ben Aaronovitch. His books are fun, filled with an interesting style of magic, and are very mystery based.

So it wasn't a big surprise that I couldn't put the third book in his urban fantasy series, Whispers Under Ground, down and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Aaronovitch does a fantastic job creating interesting characters that readers will want to not only read about but meet and have a pint with. None of the characters are perfect, know everything, or are even all powerful in magic. In fact most of the time Peter, the protagonist, is figuring it out as he goes along and makes a muck of things before he figures it out.

Of course, besides Aaronvich's take on magic, I really enjoy his writing style and the way he gives a mini history lesson on a subject in each book as background for the overall mystery. This may sound boring to some, but he does it wonderfully weaving in interesting facts into the overall story in a way that builds a much deeper connection between the reader and the world.

So if you don't like well written books, filled with relatable/interesting characters, a fascinating take on magic, and a captivating mystery, then this book probably isn't for you. But if you so happen to like to read an engrossing book that wont let you put it down, then this definitely is the book for you. Another win from the up and coming author Ben Aaronovitch.

[...]

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A police procedural assisted by magic August 1, 2012

By TChris TOP 50 REVIEWER

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Quantum entanglement is just pixie dust with the word quantum thrown in. That, at least, is Constable Peter Grant's explanation of magic. Whether magic is caused by quantum entanglement or pixie dust, Grant is slowly learning to master it, a hobby that serves him well in his career with London's Metropolitan Police. He is assigned to the Folly, the hush-hush department (known more formally as the Specialist Assessment Unit) charged with investigating cases when "things get weird." Things get weird when an American named James Gallagher is stabbed to death with a sharp bit of pottery in London's Underground -- weird in part because it isn't clear how Gallagher got into the tunnel (his staggering exit at one of the platforms is captured on CCTV).

Something odd is taking place beneath the surface of London and it's up to Grant to connect the underground madness to Gallagher's death. The mystery takes Grant (together with boss Nightingale and apprentice Lesley) on a tour of the Underground's tunnels and London's sewers. A variety of magical types turn up to provide assistance or trouble (or both), including river goddesses, an Earthbender, and a half-fairy (on his father's side). And then there are the mysterious dwellers below London's surface....

Grant is sort of a neophyte magician so the novel is relatively light on magic -- a good thing, from my perspective. I'm more partial to detective work and/or humor than spell-casting and ghost-busting. The familiar elements of a police procedural give the novel its shape and keep it moving forward at a steady pace. Still, I recommend Whispers Under Ground not so much for its convoluted whodunit plot but for Ben Aaronovitch's humor. Aaronovitch's take on law enforcement officers is consistently amusing and his good-hearted American-bashing (like his French-bashing) is priceless.

Whispers Under Ground is written with enough attitude to keep the story interesting even when it lags, as it does from time to time. Unlike the London Underground, the plot doesn't consistently stay on track. Grant's burial by the Earthbender, for instance, leads to an extended scene of no clear relevance. It is one of a few passages that add nothing to the narrative. Still, Aaronovitch's snappy prose held my attention even when the story didn't.

Aaronovitch makes occasional references to events that occurred in earlier novels in the series. Having not read the earlier installments, those references baffled me. I don't think it's necessary to read the earlier novels to understand this one, but doing so would provide helpful context. Fortunately, although I sometimes felt like an outsider who didn't understand the novel's in-jokes, Aaronovitch coaxed a smile or a snicker on nearly every page, and that sufficed to earn my mild recommendation of this offbeat novel.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Some readers are impossible to please! August 18, 2012

By Hatter

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I fell in love with Ben Aaronovich's two previous novels and have been waiting eagerly for this release. I love his droll sense of humor and understated cynicism, and periodically find myself laughing out loud while reading his books. My only mild complaint regarding his first two books was that the climaxes were too spectacular and felt almost overblown. So of course my only complaint with this book is that the climax was basically anticlimactic.

I still love the characters, the setting, and the story telling, and this is one of those series that I will re-read several times just because it is so enjoyable. However, this particular installment felt more like half a story. The crime which begins and ends the book is handled satisfactorily, although the ending felt rushed, but this crime never felt as important as the on-going search for the faceless man, which received too much attention not to have some sort of resolution.

I am happy to have this book in my collection and it will be read again and enjoyed again (most of my books are read once), but it is not his best told story. However I am still eagerly awaiting his next book and would recommend this series to anyone.