This audiobook contains all the signature humour and every-man bluntness we have come to love from Peter Grant, and much more information about the international magical community. In her arms was an overwrought toddler in a green romper suit, whose tantrum paused briefly while he eyed me up, suspiciously. Drawn into the orbit of Old Street’s famous ‘silicon roundabout’, Peter must learn how to blend in with people who are both civilians and geekier than he is. It's just like old times again, but this time, Peter isn't a bumbling rookie and Nightingale is beginning to treat him more like a colleague and less like a student, possibly easing him into the role as head of the Folly one of these days.

In False Value we see how Beverley Brook, a minor goddess and Peter’s girlfriend, can wield her power. Chin is Chinese-American, Sahra Guleed is Muslim, and Victor, one of Peter’s co-workers at SCC, is trans. I can see again why the book was such a struggle: even in the ending chapters, there are long passages of description about computer rooms, or warehouse districts, and I find myself wondering, where's the dialogue?I would recommend False Value to anyone who enjoyed the earlier books in the series, but would suggest that fans of urban fantasy who have yet to try Rivers of London go back to the beginning, as it is not really a standalone tale. When they mention the NY Public Library and The Librarians I had a flashback to that awesome show The Librarians (anyone? Sometimes when I put my ear against the Bulge [Bev's stomach] and closed my eyes I’d swear I could hear the twins singing.

But they'd rather confiscate it for safe keeping, not unlike Professor Postmartin, the great confiscator himself. Examples include novels by Ilona Andrews, Mary Balogh, Aster Glenn Gray, Helen Hoang, Piper Huguley, Lisa Kleypas, Jeannie Lin, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Naomi Novik, Nalini Singh, and Megan Whalen Turner. The bonus interview at the end is fab and I really appreciate the insight, not to mention it’s a fun listen. I did like the comment from his dad that the only time he doesn’t think about playing is when he’s playing.Peter’s job begins as “to find the rat among the mice,” meaning the SCC suspects corporate espionage but couldn’t suss out the infiltrator, and the job ends with him breaking and entering in the middle of the night with two librarians in tow, and then getting fired when his cover is blown. We are treated to more information about the Practitioners of the USA and how the various states regulate the use of magic, and the ways this differs from their European counterparts.

With his girlfriend Beverley’s pregnancy and the death of Martin Chorley, once known as the Faceless Man, Peter is entering a new chapter of life. There are lots of new players – Peter’s new boss, Tyrel Johnson (and his family), the company’s owner, Terrence Skinner, and a bunch of tech guys that work at Serious Cybernetics with Peter. There were three or four lines that really stood out; otherwise I’d say it felt rather humorless, and much more like The October Man, with Tobias of the German police.Eating properly by Mum’s definition meant Beverley consuming her own weight in rice every day so I lied and said she was. While the beginning can be a tad bit confusing (it jumps back and forth between months), the opening really sucks you into the story. He can work on whatever he wants from now on and I won’t make snide comments as long as he keeps on producing this level of quality. The Peter / Beverley / pregnancy stuff was terrific, and there was a conversation between Guleed and Peter about their respective relationships that I liked a lot. Because pheromones, because beauty, because laughter and joy when she was near and loss and emptiness when she was gone.