Winter's Gifts: The Brand New Rivers Of London Novella

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Accents aside, the narration was fine, but... it could have been better. (I just read a review saying that all the male characters sounded like Barney Rubble for some reason. Ha.) I guess Kimberly is supposed to be from the midwest (wait, or Oklahoma? Does Aaronovitch think that Oklahoma is the Midwest? And wouldn't someone from the state with such a large Native population maybe, you know, know more about the stories of Native Peoples in this country? It kind of helps with the use of "momma" though.) And the British narrator apparently grew up in the US? It's funny how much these details matter, and yes I think there SHOULD have been a beta reader.

Beyond being cringe AF, Karen has zero personality; my toaster is more personable. She can’t even think for herself, it would seem, as she constantly asks herself what Peter Grant would do in her place (and then answers herself in a bad English accent if you have the audiobook). Something terrible is awakening. As the clues lead to the coldest of cold cases - a cursed expedition into the frozen wilderness - Reynolds follows a trail from the start of the American nightmare, to the horror that still lives on today...Something terrible is awakening. As the clues lead to the coldest of cold cases - a cursed expedition into the frozen wilderness - Reynolds follows a trail from the start of the American nightmare, to the horror that still lives on today… That depends on their tastes and interests – but here are some gift ideas with a winter twist to them: That person is FBI Special Agent Kimberley Reynolds. Leaving Quantico for snowbound Northern Wisconsin, she finds that a tornado has flattened half the town – and there’s no sign of Henderson.

So, in summary, it's a fine story. There's nothing wrong with it, really. But nothing in it makes me really jump with joy. I was looking forward to this 'Spin Off' story but I was disappointed at how thin the story felt. The book had that Series 1 Episode 1 feel to it, where you can see the potential but you can also see that the series hasn't hit its stride yet. I have been spoiled by the likes of Kobna Holdbrook Smith and Nigel Planer. They virtually disappear behind their voices, so I didn't expect much out of this reader. I have yet to hear a woman doing a decent male voice. But I can enjoy the books anyway. I'm just totally in love with Nigel and Kobna. But I have one word for this reader. "Parker." She slipped up once and said "parka." Maybe I listen to too much BBC and American accents have started to sound weird to me. But "parker"? In a book where it's cold and snowy, everyone is going to be putting one of these on and off all the time. It was jarring. All the men sounding like adolescents was a bit weird too. But the "parkers" were grating on me. This is supposed to be an Oklahoma accent? I know of only one place where the "r" is added where it doesn't belong and that's Massachusetts. We had a neighbor from "Maather's Vinyaad." But she also removed Rs. She called me "Maather" all my young life. Being a novella it was mercifully short. Aaronovitch was also treading a chancy line with his portrayal of Native American (Ojibwe) spiritual life. He did a decent job (William takes Kimberly to task for asking about "legends" and he's like, "It's a religion. Is the bible about "legends" to you?") but there are so many ways it could have gone badly.Something terrible is awakening. As the clues lead to the coldest of cold cases – a cursed expedition into the frozen wilderness – Reynolds follows a trail from the start of the American nightmare, to the horror that still lives on today…

I have to say, though, that compared to the Peter Grant books, this one feels muted to me, as if while writing Aaronovitch constantly had the worry, "Can I write this without bringing hordes of rabid Americans down on my head?" I grew up in the USA, und zwar, in the northern USA near the Great Lakes, so I too had a thought like that in mind as I read. And I am here to say that Aaronovitch gets it mostly right -- nothing really feels off. (But remember, I'm reading a German translation.) Now, this caution is very different from the feel of the books set in London. London is Aaronovitch's patch, and he knows when he can and should transgress. I surmise that he doesn't dare transgress in an American story. For example, she constantly starts preachy sentences with “My mama says” and complains about blasphemy (her word) when people around her swear. It’s grating, especially since nobody over the age of 9 and under the age of 75 talks like that. Make that 95. Seriously, if I met this person on a first date, I’d make an excuse and escape through the bathroom window - what adult talks that much about their mother outside of therapy? Damit ist sie in ihrem Büro in New Orleans nun eine der anerkannten Spezialist*innen und als ein Ex-Agent einen Fall mit möglichen magischen Komponenten meldet, begibt sie sich zur Sondierung nach Eloise, wo sie mitten in den Nachwehen eines unerwarteten Tornados landet, der unter anderem die Polizeistation vernichtet hat. Und der fragliche Ex-Kollege scheint von seltsam verkleideten Unbekannten entführt worden zu sein.Another entertaining novella from the Rivers of London series, this time following FBI agent Kimberley Reynolds (who has been a side character in previous books). It wasn't quite as good as the normal Peter Grant-heavy full-length novels and is missing much of the humor that makes the Rivers of London books such amazing reads, but it was still an enjoyable story in its own right.