Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $9.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Lies Sleeping
    Unavailable
    Lies Sleeping
    Unavailable
    Lies Sleeping
    Ebook405 pages6 hours

    Lies Sleeping

    By Ben Aaronovitch

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    The seventh book of the bestselling Rivers of London series returns to the adventures of Peter Grant, detective and apprentice wizard, as he solves magical crimes in the city of London.

    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 him to justice.

    But even as the unwieldy might of the Metropolitan Police bears down on its foe, Peter uncovers clues that the Faceless Man, far from being finished, is executing the final stages of a long term plan. A plan that has its roots in London's two thousand 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....
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDAW
    Release dateNov 20, 2018
    ISBN9780756415143
    Unavailable
    Lies Sleeping
    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.

    Related to Lies Sleeping

    Related ebooks

    Fantasy For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related categories

    Reviews for Lies Sleeping

    4/5

    486 ratings24 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5

      Jan 13, 2025

      For about two-thirds of this book, the story seems fragmentary, there are a lot of different things going on but they’re not especially interesting or engaging. Towards the end, it becomes more focused and exciting, but it also piles on the supernatural special effects, which tend to weaken the suspension of disbelief.

      The success of the series is based on bringing together the Metropolitan Police and the weird-but-plausible world of magic and more-or-less magical beings. As readers, we’re willing to believe all this stuff for the length of a novel. But, when the author tries to take us to some other plane of existence outside the universe as we know it, the story begins to seem fanciful and less plausible. Fortunately, it doesn’t happen often, but I’d prefer to do without it altogether. Terry Pratchett used to do something similar occasionally, which I didn’t like either.

      At least a couple of good things happen: we finally get rid of the Faceless Man, and Molly becomes happier, gaining a companion of her own kind.

      Mr Punch created mayhem in Rivers of London, and I don’t think it’s much of a spoiler to say that he’s still hanging around in the background. I don’t want him back for a repeat performance; but Lesley still has a major unresolved grudge against him. In this story, we learn more about him.
    • 4/5

      Feb 8, 2024

      The continuing story of the Folly's search for the Faceless Man. This one brings in more elements of the previous books including Leslie May and Mr Punch.

      read 2/8/2024
    • 4/5

      Jun 3, 2023

      Another ripping tale about paranormal policing in London. Martin Chorley is still trying to kill Punch. Peter just has this knack for being a disruptive influence… Fun read, love the River characters.
    • 4/5

      Apr 25, 2023

      I've let this series fall by the wayside for far too long. This outing was as delicious as the previous ones.

      The London Police have decided that Martin Chorley, aka The Faceless Man, is such a danger that an operation, called Operation Jennifer, must amalgamate a number of other operations into one headed up by the Special Assessment Unit. In other words, Peter Grant and Inspector Nightingale and others who can do magic are tasked with finding Chorley and bringing him to justice. They know that Chorley has been recruiting members of an Oxford dining club called the Little Crocodiles. So they've been going around to former members and "poking" them to see if there is any reaction from Chorley. When they go to "poke" Richard Williams they get rather more of a reaction than they had expected. The Williams' nanny tried to kill Richard by biting his neck and then she jumped from the roof of the house to the pavement where Grant and his partner Guleed tried to restrain her. Despite their best efforts she evaded capture and disappeared. Williams survived the attack but is comatose and he is being closely guarded because it is expected Chorley will try to kill him again. In the meantime the group is trying to figure another way to track down Chorley including Peter reaching out to his former partner, Lesley May, who is now working with Chorley. It's not all slogging police work though; Peter still manages to spend time with his girlfriend (and goddess) Bev. There is a resolution, of sorts, to the Chorley problem but that doesn't mean villainy is at an end.

      I have a couple more books from this series in the TBR pile. I'm going to try to get to them sooner rather than later.
    • 4/5

      Apr 14, 2022

      I'm still chewing on this latest installment in the Peter Grant series. I'm not sure how I feel about it quite yet -- like it's missing bits here and there, like the build up to the series at this point has maybe not quite been satisfyingly addressed? And yet, it's good to be back with them, it's good to see the clever sideways thinking; it has action and adventure and some surprises. I think that perhaps Aaronovitch's storytelling style is starting to be influenced by the graphic novel in-between adventures, which are more spare, more terse. I also think that one of the things I have loved about this series until now is that it has a murder mystery at the center of each book's plot line. This one does not -- it's only and all the consummation of the larger story arc, and as such it is quite different from previous books. I'm not sure where the series goes from here. I hope it continues and flourishes, because it remains a fascinating world with a deeply compelling set of characters at its heart.
    • 4/5

      Nov 11, 2021

      A bitchin' blend of history, magic, and police work with dashes of time travel, sex, fae, and Arthurian legend. Plus, maps. Gorgeous maps. Honestly, I haven't had this much fun since the Iron Druid Chronicles.
    • 4/5

      Feb 6, 2021

      I badly wanted to give this 5 stars, but the ending is quite rushed.
    • 4/5

      Jan 23, 2021

      Grabbed the book from the library the day the library shut for the Covid-19 lockdown. Has been a perfect distraction from the real world. Well written as usual. Always delighted when he visits places I know - for example St Pauls YHA. Love the juxtaposition of a river goddess running out of underwear.
    • 4/5

      Apr 6, 2020

      The Faceless Man has been unmasked. Wanted for a list of crimes that seems to get longer and longer, the Metropolitan Police have finally got him on the run. Detective Constable Peter Grant and his partner DC Sahra Guleed are uncovering clues that show that Martin Chorley is far from finished.

      Tracing him though is proving difficult, so they are chipping away at his contacts and associates. They visit a guy called Richard Williams to ask some questions. Before they can question him to much, Chorley ensures that Williams will remain silent.  What they find doesn't really answer anything, rather it poses yet more questions. As they follow things up, Grant realises that he has discovered something that has been years in the making, something magical and dark that has its roots 2000 years ago from the pagan past and is something that could bring chaos to the capital city.

      When the bell sings, who knows what will survive after.

      This is another cracker of a book from Aaronovitch with all the regular characters as you'd expect. I thought that the plot was really strong, full of subtle moments and comic touches along with the threads going all the way back through to the first books. It finished in a fast-paced and dramatic way. Again I would like a little more of Nightingale as I think he is such a strong character with a lot to offer. Liked the threads that are solved in this book, and those link onto the next ones that he is still writing.
    • 4/5

      Mar 19, 2020

      My favorite of the series so far. (I'd rate a 4.5 if I could). There is a hard to describe feeling of increased smoothness of the story. Both in the prose and the plot. Not perfect but pretty good. Well worth the read.
    • 3/5

      Mar 15, 2020

      I have always liked this series even when I didn’t totally understand where the storyline was going. It seems that sometimes a great idea just runs out of steam, and it appears to have been the case with this one. I found that it just rambled on and on with twists that had no logic whatsoever. I was very surprised that this one was like this and actually looked to see if someone else had written it. I guess all authors have off days but I hope Mr. Aaronovitch gets it together for the next one.
    • 5/5

      Feb 21, 2020

      Closing in on the FacelessMan (2) because after a succession of incidents there's finally be a determination to put enough police resource behind the problem and He's finally starting to run out of shell companies and operatives. Peter discovers that the Man's current alias is planning to cast a special bell and ring it from central London. They're not quite sure where and what he might be summoning but are sure it's not a good idea to let it happen.

      Every time Peter starts to get close however he's distracted by Lesley. Try as he might he doesn't manage to learn enough significant details and eventually ends up captured in an oubliette with no-one but one of the un-mentioned Fairy/Fey for company. Peter has to try and learn some humility and compassion, which doesn't come easily.

      It all wraps up as chaotically as expected, but feels substantially more final than previous entries in the series. Lesley has to make a choice, and Peter face some consequences.
    • 4/5

      Jan 13, 2020

      Peter Grant is still protecting the Rivers, or is it the other way around? This book gives a bit more depth to the nature of Punch, more evil shenanigans of Lesley and the Faceless Man 2. Peter is growing and learning about his nature as well.
      Sorry for the brief review/run-down. I find it difficult to review books like this in a series because I don't read them so much for their individual plots as to be in the world with the characters I like spending time with. Happily, there are other proper reviews available.
    • 5/5

      Jan 7, 2020

      This book is the showdown on the Faceless Man. The Met has geared up and given the Folly all it needs to bring him in. If you haven’t read any of the comics that go along with the series, there are several nods to the various stories but nothing that will completely leave you scratching your head. Everything that has gone on before in the series gets mentioned almost in passing as if to remind the reader what has happened before. There will be more books in the series, but I think this one shuts down the first story arc in this setting. I don’t want to really give anything away with the plot but everything is moving as fast as it can in the book and yet there are times of a bit of quiet that almost lets everyone catch their breath as they wait to see what the Faceless Man will do next.

      Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley
    • 4/5

      Dec 23, 2019

      book #7 in the Rivers of London series with Peter Grant. this one seems to finally settle up with a long-running case file, while adding some new characters and even briefly visiting Londinium when it was pretty much still just a bridge. lots of popculture references and the usual breezy freewheeling style keeps the momentum going, but the territory does feel a teensy bit too comfy for the writer (is that a bug or a feature? too soon to tell).
    • 4/5

      Nov 3, 2019

      Another fun magic packed police procedural with Peter Grant's classic nerdy interjections.
    • 5/5

      Jun 24, 2019

      This is the conclusion of the Faceless Man (ver. 2.0) arc that has carried through all the previous Rivers of London books and graphic novels. Narrator Peter Grant has had a lot of adventures through the series, but this arc has always hung over him. Finally it comes to a close.

      This installment uses pretty much the entire cast of characters that have been introduced through the years, both police and river gods. The Faceless Man has pulled together his own army, too, in a very different way than the good guys have. The good and bad guys clash a number of times through the book before the final battle, and the energy stays high most of the time. Of course, all these people and events and of course the great descriptions of places and history gets confusing, at least for me, and I found myself looking back at pages before – and wishing I had the entire series to check things in. But I loved the book. Peter Grant is one of the world’s great characters; the attention to details that Aaronovitch gives him is wonderful, and his dry humor is great. And I have loved seeing him mature through the books; in his abilities, his character, and in his relationship with Beverly. The author has started a different series set in the same universe, and I do hope this doesn’t mean the last of Peter Grant and co.! There are still things that have not been tidied up, even some things just started in this book. Five stars!
    • 4/5

      Jun 11, 2019

      Book 7 of the Rivers of London series finally sees a resolution to a long running saga that has been ongoing since book 1. A huge police operation is put together so we get to meet all the regular characters and by the end of it even Molly gets a new friend. This series is still very much part police procedural as well as the magical elements being thrown around and that is even more highlighted with the Folly serving as a proper “nick” this go around and also with Peter now a Detective Constable. The reader also gets a bit more London/British history thrown in for good measure. My copy of the book also included a short story where Abigail takes centre stage as she investigates a school friend’s mysterious uncle who seems to have been around for over a hundred years.

      I always enjoy spending time with Peter and the rest of the ensemble and this one proved no different. Although it might provide a conclusion to a main story arc it didn’t feel like an ending to the series and I’m happy to see another book exists on the series page already. There are definitely enough elements ongoing in both Peter’s personal and professional life to keep things interesting in future instalments. Even with all the weird stuff going on, I still like how these books stay very much rooted in a recognisable world and all the problems this brings with it.
    • 4/5

      May 3, 2019

      Nice! All those threads from The Hanging Tree start connecting up - well, ok, many of them do. Not all. The major villain is The Faceless Man, again, but directly this time rather than through yet another patsy. Various and assorted plots are variously dealt with - and Lesley is important on many levels. Glad to see she's not entirely on the other side... Peter seems to grow up a bit, too, in terms of accepting that he needs to study his own field. And some interesting mentions of other fields - the Rivers, of course, but new and different angles as well. Not an ending, I don't think, but some major stuff dealt with - and some very interesting things started. Hope there's more coming!
    • 4/5

      Mar 7, 2019

      As others have noted, while this book does feature the final climactic battle with Martin ("The Faceless Man") Chorley it doesn't seem to be as important as one might have thought, considering how much the previous books in this series were invested in this long chase. Perhaps the death of Chorley's daughter previously was the real climax of this story arc (I'd still like a story from her perspective). That said those who have been following this series will be happy with this book and one can only speculate what Aaronovitch will do with Peter, now that he is basically a functioning adult. With the forthcoming side adventure set in Germany perhaps the goal with be to generally broaden this universe. Also, I was generally bemused that my old home town (Cleveland, Ohio) was invoked in the course of the story.
    • 4/5

      Feb 12, 2019

      At last, a big confrontation with the Faceless Man. I honestly didn’t have a huge reaction to this one—it was a perfectly consistent entry into the series, with attention to rigorous policework and realistic-for-the-setup dead ends. My reaction suggests that it was indeed the right time to close a chapter on the Faceless Man, though in doing so there’s a rather unusual alliance.
    • 4/5

      Jan 14, 2019

      Peter is now a Detective constable and they're still on the hunt for Martin Chorley, the Faceless Man, and they're getting closer to him. He has a plan that could change the future and Peter is going to need help from everywhere he can get it. What you get is what Peter sees mostly and sometimes he doesn't see anything. Bells feature and more of they mythos of London and it's all quite complicated.

      Interesting to see Peter progress through his career and how things change for him and also how his relationship with Beverly changes.

      I enjoyed this as always and look forward to the next instalment.
    • 4/5

      Dec 7, 2018

      For all the interesting bits of British history hand and foot holds on this climbing wall of a tale, the overall journey isn't as involving as some of the others. It is good to spend time with Peter Grand, is liquid associates, and magical co-workers, but the contrivances and co-incidences stuck out a bit to far.
    • 4/5

      Sep 20, 2018

      A perfect blend of an urban fantasy with a police procedural plus a dash of London history. How could I not love the latest entry in this long running series?