Tobias Winter works in Meckenheim, Germany, under the Director at the Abteilung KDA, the Department for Complex and Unspecific Matters. In other words, he is Germany's answer to Peter Grant, and Peter Grant has a lot to answer for. Tobias has been called to Trier because the death of an unidentified male ticked the right boxes to alert the KDA that they might have a possible supernatural infraction. Kriminalkommissarin Vanessa Sommer, AKA the local fuzz, is on hand to take him to the crime scene. The body was found in a ditch abutting the vineyard of Frau Stracker. It has since been sent off to the KDA's pathologist of choice, Professor Doktor Carmela Weissbachmann, which means that Tobias is to assess the crime scene for vestigia before meeting up with her. Very faintly there's something like wriggling roots but it's not enough to be sure that this case is his. That is until he sees the body. It's covered in fur. But the "fur" is actually fungus. Fungus that Carmela delightfully informs him is unique to grapes. Noble rot is a fungus used to make a sweet wine. And the Stracker winery used to be renowned for it, so says resident wine expert Vanessa Sommer. That can't be a coincidence. Nor can the fact that Tobias gets that same sense of wriggling roots from the corpse, this time with hints of turned soil and half-discordant musical notes. The only lead that Winter and Sommer have is a recent tattoo the man had gotten, which leads them to All Art is Transitory, a tattoo studio where they learn the identity of their victim, one Jörg Koch, and that he came in with a group of friends to have Dionysus tattooed on his arm because of a dare. These friends could be suspects, witnesses, or even potential victims. Soon another body turns up, this time the victim choked on his own vomit, but that was due to an astronomical blood alcohol content. Which means it's imperative they find Koch's friends. The murderer is changing their modus operandi, or are they? Here's hoping they can stop the killer before they escalate again. Because if there's one thing that Tobias Winter has learned in his short time in Trier it's that the town is about wine and Romans, and those two things are inextricably linked so therefore they have to be at the heart of these crimes.

I don't know what the purpose of this book is because so much of it is wading through shit we've heard a million times before but in a better voice until finally we are able to concentrate on the crime. We have to hear Tobias talk down to us like we've never heard what vestigia is. Peter Grant has a way of imparting knowledge in a way that makes you eager to learn, Tobias is no Peter. Tobias is pedantic and just an asshole. I never want to have to read anything in his voice ever again. What I found mildly interesting is the differences that have arisen in how Germany and England categorize and label their magical systems, but these are too few and far between and again, the way it's imparted to us through Tobias is just annoying. I had some hope for the crime, this bizarrely furry situation, but it fell apart because it ended up repeating so many of the tropes of the main series, from baby river goddesses to sequestration, it's just the same thing told in a slightly different way. And not for the better. Plus it went really dark with attempted rape and stalking and Nazis. Oh and don't get me started on the wine. I'm not a drinker. I never want to go to a vineyard or on a winery tour. I want nothing at all to do with the pretension of being a vintner. So to have that be the core of the crime with all this "previously on" swirling around it, it's like I didn't care to get to the center of the Tootsie Pop. I DO NOT CARE ABOUT WINE. I NEVER WILL! Nothing will make me change my stance. Not even one of my favorite authors. Which brings me back to the why of it all. Why does Tobias Winter exist? The only way I can justify his existence in my mind is that he's going to be the next Big Bad. Now on the surface he looks like a normal police officer. He solves the crimes, he gets things done, but in the process we learn some startling things about Germany. Does Nightingale know that the forbidden knowledge that wasn't meant to be kept was kept anyway? That the Nazis research of the Ahnernerbe and the Black Library which was the reason for Ettersberg where almost all was lost still lives? There's a reason it's kept behind a door in the Folly and yet Winter has access to this knowledge. Maybe that's why I hate Tobias Winter so very very much, because I know Nightingale would and I will always side with Nightingale.

Another great book in this series. Keeps you guessing, characters are well developed and likable (when you want them to be likable). Keeps you wondering what you missed.

I love Aaronovich's Peter Grant series, so I was expecting much the same type of British humor, and wild adventure. I didn't get that here. Its not a bad story, and I enjoyed learning about magical practices, and investigation in other cities, but this book lacks some of the charm of the Rivers of London series, and the characters weren't as interesting as the ones from the other series. I do have to admit my bias however in considering London a much more interesting city than anywhere in Germany, so the fact that iwas not enamored of this novella is not the writer's fault.

This story, too, is about a police officer who gets involved in a Federal investigation, with magical rites, gentleman's clubs, and bodies covered in a strange fungus. So yeah, I was also put off by the plot, because I'm not particularly interested in those elements.

I would not recommend reading The Rivers of London series before this book because it will set you up for certain expectations that will probably not be met.

The October Man by Ben Aaronovitch is a novella in the Rivers of London series, but it takes place in Germany, and has a different first-person narrator. Tobias Winter sounds like Peter Grant, though he’s less ambitious and is into cooking rather than architecture and the science of magic. He and local cop Vanessa Sommer poke around a mysterious death that revolves around a vineyard and river goddesses, and we learn a bit about how the magic police work in Germany, and some of the longterm effects in Germany of the Ettersberg disaster that is referenced in the rest of the series. I liked seeing the worldbuilding extended, and would read more like this.

I didn't like this as much as the Peter Grant ones, but after I figured out it wasn't even set in England I ended up enjoying. (That I hadn't figured out it was set in Germany is my own fault for not reading about the book before reading it). I liked the mystery and the characters. I just missed the ones I had already gotten to know.

I am a big fan of the universe Ben Aaronovitch has created in his Rivers of London series, and I really enjoyed this jaunt into Germany and wine making. Tobi is as interesting a character as Peter is and this novella made me hope that he and Peter spend some time working together on-page in a future Rivers novel.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2020 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2020/01/2020-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

For those who enjoy the Peter Grant books, but would like a slightly different setting in the same world. I liked it but didn't love it.

This takes place in Ben Aaronovitch's "Rivers of London" universe, which I've been a fan of since the first book RIVERS OF LONDON (MIDNIGHT RIOT in the U.S.). However, rather than concentrating on Aaronovitch's usual protagonist, Peter Grant, we are shown another aspect of the magical universe portrayed in the "Rivers" books.

In Germany, Tobias Winter is also a young magic practictioner and part of the German police force. He is called to the Moselle Valley area when a corpse is found completely covered by a fungus that is also used in winemaking, and detects traces of magic ("vestigia") at the murder site and from the corpse. Now all he has to do is find out why the man died in such an unusual way.

Tobi is a pleasant character, although I didn't think his background and experience were as interesting as Peter Grant's. However, I enjoyed learning more about the German magic discipline, and Tobi's investigation with his partner (Vanessa Sommer, assigned to him by someone with a puckish sense of humor) not only turns up river spirits of a type Peter Grant would be familiar with, but another esoteric member of the community as well as a vengeful spirit. The winemaking lore was interesting as well, although I was a bit grossed out to learn that there are wines made using mold! The usual touches of Aaronovitch humor enliven the story, and I loved Vanessa's encounter with a young child who's more than she appears.

THE OCTOBER MAN is an utterly delightful installment in the RIVERS OF LONDON Series. This is #7.5 in the series, set not in London with Peter Grant, but in Trier, Germany. The protagonist here is Tobias Winter of the Abteilung KDA, the branch of the German Federal Criminal Police tasked with investigation of the Supernatural. Like Peter Grant with London's Metropolitan Police, Tobias is a relatively fledgling magical practitioner/investigator. The case involves change and transformation, irritable river goddesses, ancient history, and fungi in very unexpected and deadly places.


If you enjoy Christopher Fowler's Peculiar Crimes Unit, Paul Cornell's Shadow Police, or Charles Stross' Laundry Files, try this out!

While I missed Peter, Nightingale, and the shenanigans of the London crew, it was fun to experience a new character who is in a similar position as Peter, but in Germany, but a little behind the curve, as well. I liked the peak at how the other countries are dealing with the whole situation in London. Tobias isn't as fun as Peter, but he's earnest, and seems to be a little nervy about being in Peter's shadow. I liked Vanessa a lot more than him. The mystery was entertaining and went in some unexpected directions, and I liked the compact nature of the story being a novella. The setting being Germany didn't feel as authentic, maybe because it was conveniently in the random countryside for a lot of the story, so it just didn't have the level of detail to the setting that Aaronovitch brings to London. If it weren't for the occasional term being in German, I might have forgot, but even still I'm not sure the German words were well-integrated. Overall, a fun diversion to one of my much-loved series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Subterranean Press, for providing me an ARC of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

This is a fun, urban fantasy story in the world of Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London stories, but does *not* follow detective Peter Grant, which I think readers should know going in. I was surprised (that's what I get for not fully reading things about authors on my "I've liked everything I've read so far" list) and while it didn't ruin the story for me, it did surprise me some at first (it's pretty easy to figure out this isn't set in the same place as the Rivers of London novels, as it's clearly German from the start).

I did learn that there's been at least one other novella following Tobias Winter, though, and I love the choice because he is such a fan of Peter's! It's like how people idolize their favorite actors or musicians or politicians (he says things to himself like Peter Grant would have put down a marker. He probably would have used a laser rangefinder to measure the rate of growth in millimeters per hour."). But having read all the books from Peter's point of view, we know that Peter always thinks he doesn't know enough, and always see him as the "man who isn't as good as Nightingale." (Perhaps by starting my review off with that I'm proving Tobi's point that Peter Grant is really the star, who knows, but it was my first thought while reading and is a sensible starting point).

Tobi's a fun character in his own right, and could probably hold up a full length novel (I'd love to see them in a head-to-head, or working together!) He's funny and snarky as a narrator, embarrassed to be having to explain magic to people, and comes across as definitely "German" while breaking the stereotype mold enough to be a believable character.

The mystery set up here's a good one, full of a lot of the twists and complications you'd expect: events from the past, temperamental river goddesses, lack of magical knowledge. It kept me guessing, and while it wasn't quite as developed as what you'd see in a novel twice the length, was satisfying and not obvious from the get-go.

I'd recommend this to fans of the series, and to people who are curious about Aaronovitch's Rivers of London world, since it can be read entirely independent of the series. A fun urban fantasy whodunit.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

The October Man by Ben Aaronovitch is the "#7.5" book in his Rivers of London series. I read the first book, Rivers of London for book club last year and has marked the 2nd book, Moon over Soho, to be read on Goodreads. When the opportunity arose to read this novella, I jumped at the chance. To give a fair review, I read books 2 - 7, not including the novellas, before reading this.

Peter Grant is mentioned in the novella but his German equivalent, Tobias Winter, leads this investigation set in Trier, Germany's oldest city.

While Aaronovitch's writing style and humor show through, I missed the characters I have been fortunate enough to meet in the books set in London. The backdrop of London has become as important as any of the characters.

Setting the novella in Germany was interesting because it allowed us to see the difference between how the German's investigate and the Folly. It brought the magical world into a different point of view as when FBI agent Kimberley Reynolds was around. I would have enjoyed this more if Peter Grant had helped with Tobias Winter's investigation.

I already marked book 8, False Value, to be read.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 7/15/19.

Thank you NetGalley for the free review copy of this book.

A man has been suffocated by a form of mold used in the process of fermenting grapes. Does this have anything to do with the historic family who owns the vineyard, or the wine club of which the man was a member? And is the goddess of a nearby river involved? It's Investigator Tobias Winter's job to find out.

October Man is a novella and spin-off from Aaronovitch’s River of London series. You do not need to have read all or even part of the Rivers of London series to read this. The original characters are referenced, but this has a different set of characters and takes place in Germany instead of England. I loved the mystery plot in this one, and the introduction of the German rivers. The short format was kind of fun because the novels in this series can be very detailed, so I had less trouble following the plot of this one. I do think that Peter Grant, the main protagonist of the series, has a little more personality than his German counterpart. But I liked the additional world-building that was gained from this other perspective. If you enjoy urban fantasy and magical detective work, then give Ben Aaronovitch a try!

This novella is set in the Peter Grant realistic fantasy world, but is instead focused on a magic practitioner policeman in Germany. It has the same detail to characters and storyline that make Aaronovitch's Grant series so interesting and memorable, with just slightly different characters and location. It feels a little rushed at the end, probably due to being a novella, but this is another great story.

The October Man by Ben Aaronovitch is a novella in the Rivers of London series. It is number 7.5 to be precise. The Rivers of London books are fun urban fantasy stories, mostly staring Peter Grant who is a member of the magic police.

While I’m completely in love with the Rivers of London books, the characters, and particularly the way they are narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith in the audio versions, The October Man failed to really grab me. For the most part I still enjoyed it but I would find whole sections where I was just bored and had to put it down and go do something else for a while.

Despite being disappointed by this novella I am eagerly awaiting the release of book number eight, False Value, on November 19 this year! AND in other exciting news, Stolen Picture has optioned the rights to the Rivers of London series for a TV series. How awesome is that?!

The October Man

By: Ben Aaronovitch

"Life is too short to drink bad wine."

Take the true rituals of any police detective (mundane research, interviewing, etc), mix it with some "learned" magical ability , include a smattering of new acronyms and you have the story of the October Man.

A collection of 5 men form a "Good Wine Drinking" club. One dies of a magically infected grape processing fungus and thus begins the investigation by a "magically" learned inspector and his "normal" but enthusiastic female partner.

The writing is exemplary. No unnecessary wording, story flows well and with little drag. I have a mixed bag of feelings about this story. I loved the writing but found the story a little mundane for my taste. I felt the character development a little scant and found myself wanting more information about some of the secondary players. I didn't necessarily need it but thought it might bring a little more depth. I was not "hooked" from the beginning but the easy format kept me percerviering and I am happy I did.

I loved the characters! I can definitely see sequels to this book and think they would be well received if a little more action and meat were added. I predict this just might be an introductory story to some great follow up episodes!

Getting 3.75 "don't be deterred by the rating" stars

Jeanie G

I have fallen behind on the series, but this novella reminded me why I became a fan of Aaronovitch after reading the first book in this series. The October Man is a police procedural written in a matter-of-fact, dry style despite the case revolving around barely understood magic and centuries-old river goddesses. The style matches my memories of the London-based stories enough for the narration to be familiar, but the use of German terminology and circumstances protected me from confusing the main characters.

The neighborhood feel draws you in while the dry reporting is supported by beautiful characterization and nice humorous elements to put the reader in an accepting mood. That’s a good thing, because there’s much in this story beyond the boundaries of our known world.

I’ll admit to being a little lost in the beginning because we’re tossed into the story with an unnamed first-person narrator and a situation new to me. Re-reading the book blurb before starting would have prevented this, but it wasn’t included in the Advanced Reader Copy. Still, it didn’t take long before someone called him by name and things clicked into place.

An easy example of the humor is when the main character, Tobias Winter, acquires his sidekick in the form of local police liaison Vanessa Sommer. She has more than her name to offer, though, as her eager exploration of the magic she previously doubted runs a good counterpoint to Tobi’s frustration with how little they know and well-founded fears about what he will face. She brings the wonder; he gives the cautious side. I am particular satisfied with how Vanessa’s arc progresses and resolves whatever Tobi might think.

There’s a sizable catch-up in the beginning to ground the reader in the international rules restricting human and magical interaction along with how these rules are falling to pieces before Tobi’s eyes. It would be an info dump, and technically is, but it provides necessary background in a humorous and quirky account that held my interest. We also learn a lot about Tobi’s feelings toward his job, both the magical aspects and the risk of obsession.

One reason I like the narrative style so much is because it reflects a refreshing attitude toward magic rather than being all about craving power whether for good or evil purposes. This is just a world where magic exists and is hidden from most humans. Someone has to investigate and clean up the mess when magic is abused.

Ultimately, the novella offers a fun read with a nice pair of main personalities who are very distinct, especially in their reactions to magic. There are interesting minor characters who are sometimes amusing in their eagerness to perform, whether the enthusiastic medical examiner or the magical cleaner crew getting to burn something down. The take on magic and the world adds to my enjoyment, making this a fitting addition to the series and an intriguing expansion beyond the Rivers of London.

P.S. I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest read.

The world of magical policing is not limited to London. In The October Man, Ben Aaronovitch extends this magical universe to Germany while also providing his reading audience with further information on the international and historical scope of this world. Tobias Winter is the young officer in training who responds to an unusual death in Germany’s wine country, in Trier, an old, even ancient city, known to the Romans. And, in keeping with its setting, the victim has died due to a rot peculiar to grapes.

Obviously this is not a “normal” death so Tobias, accompanied by his local liaison officer, Vanessa Sommer, begins an investigation of the unusual aspects. During the course of the story, he also includes teaching Vanessa (and the readers) of the status of magical policing in Germany (Tobias and the Director), aspects of the history of magic in Germany, and how to get out of the way if magic is being used.

I have read several of the Peter Grant/London Rivers novels and enjoyed them a lot. They are almost all witty and engaging, with interesting characters and stories. Here in this new setting with new characters of very different personalities the formula works differently. The attempts at humor are so dry as to blow away. I do miss the witty reparteeof Peter Grant etc always. But I did actually like the educational bits. Because of their German, continental focus, it contained new information and a different slant. Perhaps this German group will develop into a more interesting group with time.

I definitely would be inclined to read about Tobias Winter again if Aaronovitch returns to this German setting. Maybe someday he could have magical police of all Europe work together against a major evil. After all, many of these mighty rivers flow through the entire continent.

Probably 3.5*

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

The premise of this title (part of a series) attracted my attention. The combination of mythology, police procedural, mystery and magic seemed a lock. But I wasn't riveted by the action, the characters seemed lackluster, the amount of untranslated German was admittedly annoying. Perhaps others in the series would be different.