Has "Rivers of London" Come to an End? Reviewing "Lies Sleeping" by Ben Aaronovitch

"Lies Sleeping" is the 7th book of the "Rivers of London" series. In this one, Peter Grant and the Folly continue to hunt down the Faceless Man. Even with the full force of the Metropolitan Police behind them, he is hard to catch and continues to cause disaster wherever he goes.Even worse is that the Folly soon learn of his plan. This time it is much more than causing a bit of mayhem: changing London as we know it forever.

Despite the serious sounding plot, the writing continues to carry Aaronovitch's signature style: Peter sees the world with a certain wit and fun. He continues to describe the world with his dry humour during appropriate and sometimes inappropriate times. This continues to make his books so enjoyable. It is also a feature that does not translate well, so it is best to enjoy the "Rivers of London" books in their original language.

The plot in "Lies Sleeping" moves in a steady flow. The further we get towards the deep end the faster the story goes. Despite this, tense moments are balanced out with slower scenes that add details to the side characters, plot, and world building.

I particularly enjoyed the side plot regarding Foxglove and Molly. This also enabled the reader to see a softer side of the normally stoic Nightingale. In terms of Nightingale "Lies Sleeping" gives you more badasser-y from him. Since he is one of my favourites, I highly approve of this fact.

However, the ending of "Lies Sleeping" has left me somewhat longing. The story of the Faceless Man has come to an end, and Peter is about to enter a new chapter in his life. I am a bit conflicted about this "new chapter" that lies ahead of him. It's a bit of a boring and mundane choice, and the trope has been used to often before in literature. Furthermore, it gives the feeling that the series has come to an end, even though Lesley is still roaming London.

So I am going to keep my eyes on the prize for now ...