The October Man
A Rivers of London Novella
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4.2 • 235 Ratings
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
A Rivers of London novella, from Sunday Times Number One bestselling author Ben Aaronovitch.
Trier is famous for wine, Romans and for being Germany's oldest city. So when a man is found dead with, his body impossibly covered in a fungal rot, the local authorities know they are out of their depth.
Fortunately this is Germany, where there are procedures for everything.
Enter Investigator Tobias Winter, whose aim is to get in, deal with the problem, and get out with the minimum of fuss, personal danger and paperwork. With the help of frighteningly enthusiastic local cop, Vanessa Sommer, he's quick to link the first victim to a group of ordinary middle-aged men - and to realise they may have accidentally reawakened a bloody conflict from a previous century. But the rot is still spreading, literally and with the suspect list extending to people born before Frederick the Great solving the case may mean unearthing the city's secret magical history.
. . . so long as that history doesn't kill them first.
Praise for the Rivers of London novels:
'Ben Aaronovitch has created a wonderful world full of mystery, magic and fantastic characters. I love being there more than the real London'
NICK FROST
'As brilliant and funny as ever'
THE SUN
'Charming, witty, exciting'
THE INDEPENDENT
'An incredibly fast-moving magical joyride for grown-ups'
THE TIMES
Discover why this incredible series has sold over two million copies around the world. If you're a fan of Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams - don't panic - you will love Ben Aaronovitch's imaginative, irreverent and all-round irresistible novels.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this enjoyable spin-off from the Rivers of London urban fantasy series, Aaronovitch successfully transfers his blend of the supernatural and humor from England to the Continent as he introduces Tobias Winter, a German police officer who practices magic. Winter is teamed with Vanessa Sommer, an expert in wine-related crime, after his boss learns of a "suspicious death with unusual biological characteristics" in Trier. The body of an unidentified man had been found in a culvert, covered in what appeared to be gray fur but was actually a fungal infection that had suffocated him. Sommer is able to identify the fatal fungus as noble rot, used to intentionally infect wine grapes by some vintners, including Jacqueline Stracker, whose vineyard is located on a slope above where the corpse was discovered. Winter and Sommer's interview of Stracker leads to suspicions that Kelly, goddess of the River Kyll, is somehow involved. Supernatural mystery fans who enjoy more whimsical takes on the paranormal will hope for more of Winter and Sommer.
Customer Reviews
The October Man
Still a great foundation for crime fantasy. I feel less sure of the location than in London but that is understandable. I live in Waltham Forest.
It is good to get the opposite view of the historical background and I hope this will be expanded. What would it be like in Greece or Italy?
The story, the detail and the complexity of the whole format are still bloody good, but I need more to the book. I need something that will take more time to read. Still, can't wait for the next instalment.
Almost
This is an ok read but it doesn’t compare with the rest of the series. It feels like it was intended to be a full length book which was cut short when the plot ran out of steam. A couple of strong characters, quite a few weak ones. There were some tantalising background snippets that left the reader wanting a lot more but it didn’t materialise. Will just have to wait for the next (full length) Peter Grant edition.
Different country, same great writing
Being a fan I just had to get this. It’s not London and it’s not Peter Grant but it is most definitely Ben Aaronovitch.
If you like the London books you will like this one. I would recommend this heartily. It’s set in Germany but all the elements that make Ben’s books so good to read are here.
Go on, get it. You know you want to.