The October Man by Ben Aaronovitch

The October Man by Ben Aaronovitch

During the last few days of my quarantine I realised I didn't have the energy for anything unfamiliar, be it TV, movies, games or books. Since I'd grabbed this October Man novella while in France, it seemed like the perfect choice to while away a few short hours. While the story is set in Aaronovitch's Rivers of London universe, it's not set in London, and neither does it feature any of the beloved characters of the original series. Instead, we follow the German counterpart of Peter Grant, a young magical investigator by the name of Tobias Winter investigating a particularly disturbing magical death in Trier's wine country. The novel is pleasant, and as often with these secondary stories, the investigative process and the tidbits of worldbuilding added to the lore are more interesting than the mystery itself. I enjoyed the couple of hours it took me to read it, but to be fair, Aaronovitch is not pushing the boundaries or bringing something new to life with The October Man. The German "set-up" is very much a parallel of the London one. I wish he'd gone for something a bit more original.