Book Review: The Rivers of London graphic novel series by Ben Aaronovitch, Andrew Cartmel and Lee Sullivan

The Rivers of London graphic novel series (9 volumes to date)
by Ben Aaronovitch, Andrew Cartmel and artist Lee Sullivan (741.5 Aar + Hoopla Comics)

Having previously reviewed Body Work, the first Rivers of London graphic novel, a few months ago here in the libraries’ Staff Recommendations, I’ve subsequently managed to catch up on the first 7 of the 8 graphic novels in this series that the libraries own (there’s a 9th we don’t have yet).

 

The quality of these graphic novels remains consistently high. The same writing and art team have stayed with them for the entire multi-year run, so the look of the main characters, Detective Constable Peter Grant, Thomas Nightingale, Molly the Maid, PC Guleed and many other supporting figures, remains the same from volume to volume. Each volume compiles 4 to 5 issues of a serialized comic book, though most of these graphic novel compilations tidily cut out the unnecessary extra pages that began each new “comic book issue” and make it look like a single uninterrupted story.

 

The humor, British flavor, and deep dive into both British/World history, and the world of what the Rivers of London series calls “the demi-monde” (the world of a paranormal) make this series particularly appealing. What I particularly appreciate about these graphic novels is that the creators consider the stories told in graphical form to be just as legitimate to the overall continuity of the storytelling as the prose novels. so, these 9 graphic novels fit in between the events of the 9 novels and 5 novellas (and one short story collection), and anyone interested in this witty paranormal police procedural series should be reading them in all the formats!

 

The Rivers of London series is one of the absolute best contemporary mixes of detective fiction and paranormal. It’s like Law & Order meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with a heavy emphasis on British flavor. While individual graphic novel installments vary in how compelling they are, on the whole, overall, I’d rate the first 8 an average of “9” on our Staff Recommendations 1-10 rating scale. I particularly enjoyed Volumes 4 Detective Stories (a bunch of short tales interconnected as Peter Grant’s actual policing skills are being studied, outside of his wizarding skills), 5 Cry Fox (a very crafty and wily little story that introduces a potential new adversary, and 7 Action at a Distance, which is one of the first chances we’ve had to explore the background history of the mysterious Thomas Nightingale. Later graphic novels in this series have included detailed essays on some of the historical topics touched on by each issue’s plot — fascinating reading. Enjoy!

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try everything else in the Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch. Also the novels about The Vinyl Detective by graphic novels co-author Andrew Cartmel are also highly entertaining and capture much the same feel and tone as the Rivers of London stories, just with less emphasis on paranormal proceedings.)

 

( Wikipedia page about the Rivers of London series including the graphic novels ) | ( official Ben Aaronovitch web site )

 

Read Scott C.’s review of Midnight Riot, the first Rivers of London novel, in the February 2012 Staff Recommendations here on BookGuide!
Read Scott C.’s review of Body Work, the first Rivers of London graphic novel, in the May 2023 Staff Recommendations here on BookGuide!

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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DVD Review: The Inspector Lewis series

The Inspector Lewis series
(DVD Inspector)

As a longtime fan of the Inspector Morse series starring John Thaw, I was happy to see that the producers decided to continue the series after Thaw’s death by focusing on his partner, detective Robbie Lewis. One of the things that I loved most about the Morse series was the relationship between Endeavour Morse and his not-so-bright sergeant, Lewis. Lewis is not only mourning the loss of his partner, Morse, but also his wife, who was killed in a hit-and-run accident. With a new sergeant to train, things look rather bleak for Inspector Lewis in Oxford, England — a city which seems to have more than its share of murders. Sergeant Hathaway is played by Laurence Fox, son of another great British actor, James Fox. Hathaway’s cool demeanor and Oxford education help to complement the down-to-earth and easy-going nature of Lewis. So far I have watched the first three seasons of Inspector Lewis but still have many more to go. The chemistry between actors Kevin Whately (Lewis), Laurence Fox (Hathaway) and Clare Holman (Dr. Laura Hobson) makes this an enjoyable mystery series to watch. I highly recommend it, especially for fans of Colin Dexter’s detective Morse.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the original Inspector Morse series, and the prequel series Endeavour.)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this TV series )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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Book Review: The Night Fire by Michael Connelly (as an audiobook)

The Night Fire
by Michael Connelly (Compact Disc Connelly)

This is the third Renee Ballard novel by Michael Connelly, and the second to cross over with the Harry Bosch series (after Dark Sacred Night). Knowing that Connelly had aged Bosch out of the police force, and the author was looking for fresh LAPD ground to trod, I was very impressed by the first novel to feature his female detective Renee Ballard (The Late Show). It was obvious that that new series was set in the same storytelling universe as his Bosch novels, not to mention the Mickey Haller legal thrillers (Mickey is Bosch’s cousin). So at the end of The Late Show, I knew a cross-over with Bosch was going to be coming eventually. I was disappointed that Connelly didn’t let Ballard stand on her one for more than a single novel before his more senior sleuth showed up, and Dark Sacred Night felt a bit forced.

In The Night Fire, Ballard and Bosch’s unofficial working relationship — she’s still a cop on the Hollywood “late shift”, and he’s still a retired investigator who’s taking a shot at some cold cases — seems to have gelled a little more. As in most Connelly novels, there are multiple cases and plot threads running simultaneously, and in the end, most of those converge and end up having something to do with each other. This time, Renee feels compelled to keep an eye on the arson death of someone living on the street, and Bosch has a personal connection when his mentor dies and the murder book for one of his old cases is found among his belongings — apparently not worked on for 20 years. The arson murder is too “planned out” for it to have been spur-of-the-moment, and Bosch’s mentor appears to have been hiding things, even from his own wife.

Titus Welliver, who is playing Bosch in the Amazon Prime TV series of that title, narrates the chapters told from Bosch’s point-of-view, and Christine Lakin narrates the chapters seen through Ballard’s eyes. In the chapters where they interact, both actors narrate together. The audio version of this story was very compelling — taut storytelling, excellent police procedural plotting, and dark humor. There’s dramatic action and suspense, especially in the final 70 pages. I should also point out that Mickey Haller crosses over into this volume, as he and Harry scratch each others backs to get some mutual assistance, much to Ballard’s confusion/distrust.

I loved this one. After a brief stumble with the second Ballard, Connelly’s back on track with a winner in The Night Fire.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Connelly’s earlier Ballard novels, The Late Show, and Dark Sacred Night, or any of his Harry Bosch novels.]

[ official The Night Fire page on the official Michael Connelly web site ]

See Scott C.’s earlier reviews of both The Late Show and Dark Sacred Night as Books-on-CD here on BookGuide!

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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DVD Review: Vera

Vera
based on the novels of Ann Cleeves [DVD Vera]

Vera is a British crime drama series featuring Brenda Blethyn as Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope and David Leon as her trusted sidekick Sgt. Joe Ashworth. The series is set in the fictional Northumberland and City Police department along the coast of England. In actuality the series is filmed in beautiful Newcastle upon Tyne in Northeast England, a perfect setting for these marvelous stories based on the crime series by author Ann Cleeves. There are currently nine seasons that have been filmed with season ten forthcoming. I just finished viewing Set 2 and especially enjoyed “Silent Voices” which was based on the novel of the same name. Vera is not your typical Chief Inspector. She is cranky yet kind-hearted, with a soft spot for the people in her department. In one scene, an employee turns in her request to be transferred from the department after Vera gives her a hard time about not working hard enough. Vera nearly bursts into tears at the sight of the request, something you don’t see other chief inspectors do. Once again we learn that underneath that get-to-work exterior is someone who is really human after all. The stories are well-written and keep you guessing who the killers are right up until the end.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Inspector Morse, Inspector Lewis, or Prime Suspect on DVD.]

[Also available in traditional print format.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this television series ] | [ official Vera page on British television network ITV’s website ]

Recommended by Kim J.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Mystery Fans: Don't miss the first new meeting of the Just Desserts mystery fiction group for 2020, tomorrow night (Thursday 1/30/2020) from 6:30  to 8:00 at the downtown library. The theme is "Anthologies & Short Story Collections" -- participants can talk about any mystery anthology or short story collection they've read since our last meeting in October, plus there'll be a "round robin" in which you can share any other mysteries you've recently read! Bring a dessert to share with fellow attendees!

 

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Review: The Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly (in audiobook format)

The Dark Sacred Night
by Michael Connelly [Compact Disc Connelly]

Though I’ve never been a hard-core fan of the Harry Bosch series of crime novels by Michael Connelly, I have read a couple of them and recognize that they are extremely well-written. When Connelly started a new series, focused on a young female police investigator, Renee Ballard, in 2017, I immediately became hooked, and knew I would be looking forward to the next Ballard novel. The big question on the minds of most Michael Connelly fans was — how soon would he cross over Bosch and Ballard? After all, Bosch clearly crosses over with another of Connelly’s on-going L.A. series, those focused on seedy lawyer Mickey Haller.

Well, we didn’t have to wait long — The Dark Sacred Night is the second Renee Ballard novel, and it is simultaneously the twenty-first Harry Bosch novel. Bosch’s position in the police heirarchy has changed dramatically over the years, but he’s still with the department. Ballard is still working the Hollywood Division late night shift. When their paths cross and Ballard figures out the old, cold, case that Bosch is working on, she insists that she wants to work it with him. Each of these detectives has primary cases that they’re working, but they team up to do the nitty-gritty research to identify a potential suspect in the murder of a young woman — the daughter of a trouble friend of Bosch’s.
This is another extremely well-written police procedural, and Bosch and Ballard play off of each other very well. I can see them being good investigative partners in years to come. However, I will admit to some disappointment. I really would have liked to have seen Ballard establish herself more on her own bonafides before teaming up with Bosch. It would have been nice to see at least two or three Ballard novels before Harry entered the picture. That quibble notwithstanding, I enjoyed this novel very much — especially the audiobook version that I listened to. It is narrated by two voices — Christine Lakin (who narrated the first Ballard audiobook) does the honors for the chapters focusing on Renee Ballard; actor Titus Welliver narrates the Bosch chapters — very appropriate since he has been portraying Harry Bosch in the television series which is exclusively available on Amazon Prime streaming. He really has become the “voice” of Bosch, and his narration here is tired and gritty, just like the character has become.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Late Show, the first Renee Ballard novel by Michael Connelly.]

[ official The Dark Sacred Night page on the official Michael Connelly web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

The Commish

The Commish
[DVD Commish]

Viewers familiar with Michael Chiklis' gritty portrayal of Vic Mackey on The Shield may be surprised to see his earlier starring role as Tony Scali, the police commisioner of fictional Eastbridge, NY. In this series from Stephen J. Cannell, the producer who brought us The Rockford Files, Wiseguy, The A-Team, The Greatest American Hero, Hunter and Silk Stalkings (just to name a few), the emphasis was placed equally on Tony Scali's work and home lives -- at work, there were police cases to be supervised and crimes to be solved, often featuring very quirky or comical characters; on the homefront, he had a wife and a son to take care of. There was a terrific supporting cast to The Commish, which changed over the seasons, as actors came and went. The Commish was more of a "gentle" show, emphasizing the character foibles with humor, but it didn't shy away from serious storylines and dramatic moments. And, most importantly, it gave Michael Chiklis a chance to really shine on screen. I recommend this to anyone who's a fan of classic "cop" shows from the 1970s and 1980s, but who's not really into the "gritty" ensemble shows like Hill Street Blues or NYPD Blue. -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [subscribe to Scott's monthly "It's All Geek to Me!" booklist newsletter or any of the 35+ other newsletters available through the libraries Books, Movies & More email newsletter service!]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ] | [ The Commish episode guide at epguides.com ]

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.

Da Vinci's Inquest

Da Vinci's Inquest

This is a superb police procedural series produced for Canadian television, which has aired in syndication here in the U.S. Nicholas Campbell headlines a fantastic ensemble cast as a coroner who frequently gets involved in ongoing police investigations and often goes up against the Machiavellian nuances of his city government's bureaucracy. This series is gritty, realistic, and features a fast and sometimes frenetic pace. At times, Da Vinci's Inquest feels like a fluid mixing of the styles of Hill St. Blues mixed with the forensics of CSI, with a little of Law & Order's courtroom drama thrown in for good measure. The writing, acting and production design are all top-notch, and the series only got better as it went along. Powerful storytelling here, for anyone who's a fan of police and/or coroner-themed mystery series. -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Internet Movie Database page for this film ] [ official Da Vinci's Inquest web site ]

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Ten (or more) new reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog over the course of the entire month.

Staff Recommendations - A Test of Wills

A Test of Wills

by Charles Todd

This is a classic British police procedural with several twists. The setting is Upper Streetham, a small village in Warwickshire, England. The time is 1919, the world still reeling from the Great War. The detective is Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge, recently returned to police duty from the bloody battlefields of World War I. The victim is Colonel Harris, a career soldier, also recently returned from the war to his estate outside Upper Streetham, where he lived with his ward, Lettice Wood. Miss Wood is recently engaged to Captain Wilton, a young soldier back from the war, also. As you might suspect, World War I and its aftermath feature prominently in this mystery. A woman in the village continues to be shunned because she fell in love with a German prisoner of war detained in the Upper Streetham during the war. Hickam, the town drunk, who suffers from shell shock, was the last person to see Colonel Harris alive. And our Inspector Rutledge, also suffering from shell shock, is dealing with his first murder case since his return to police duty, and his own very personal nightmares. As a captain in the army, Rutledge was forced to order the execution of a young soldier for refusing Rutledge's command to fight. This young soldier, Hamish MacLeod, haunts Rutledge, speaking to him in a voice that only Rutledge can hear. The central question of this mystery is who would want to kill Colonel Harris, a well-liked man for the short amount of time he actually spent in Upper Streetham in between his numerous military postings? Why has the romance between Lettice Woods and Captain Wilton suddenly cooled? Will Inspector Rutledge be able to find the killer or will he succumb to the inner torment and chaos always hovering at the edge of his next thought? With the voice of the dead, young soldier constantly questioning his judgment and character, the hunt for the killer of Colonel Harris will truly become "a test of wills." -- recommended by Evelyn D. -- Bennett Martin Public Library/Technical Processes

[Also available in unabridged book-on-cd format.][ A Test of Wills page on the official Charles Todd web site ]

Have you read this one? What did you think?

Ten new reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog over the course of the entire month.