False Value, by Ben Aaronovitch

Peter Grant has left the Met and is working in security for tech company. Or is he actually working undercover? The answer is not long withheld as our intrepid magical detective finds himself battling on several fronts. Fortunately he also has extra allies as the magical world keeps expanding. The complicated storyline involves rogue libertarian librarian practitioners from the US, because why not? Peter’s partner, river goddess Beverly Brook, is six months pregnant with twins, which adds extra complications to his personal and professional life. Much amusement is to be found from the tech bros, particularly around their idiosyncratic behaviours and naming protocols. With the unmasking and death of the Faceless Man there was a need for a new big bad enemy. Is it the Australian/American tech billionaire Terence Skinner or are there darker forces at work behind him? Although she does not rear her formerly ugly head in this book, it seems likely that Lesley May is involved somehow. Future volumes will no doubt reveal all.

Matilda the Musical (2022), directed by Matthew Warchus

Translation from stage to screen can be tricky, but this has been done very well. The matching of Roald Dahl with Tim Minchin is sublime, with such clever songs that naturally flow with the narrative. The casting is spot on: Emma Thompson brilliantly awful as Miss Trunchbull; Lashana Lynch sweetly brave as Miss Honey; and Alisha Weir fiercely determined as the fabulous heroine. Who knew action star Lynch could sing so beautifully? All Dahl’s children’s tales have dark elements and Matilda is one of the darkest, with its themes of child neglect and abuse. But this film does a great job with the message of solidarity and standing up to bullies. And its celebration of smart girls who love books is refreshing. A thoroughly enjoyable movie.

BBB top five lists of 2022

It's awards season, soo Books Booze Blather has joined the crowd to name the top five films and book reviewed in 2022. They were not necessarily 'the best' of the year, but they were the most enjoyable, memorable, moving or thought-provoking. Films Good Luck to You Leo Grande, directed by Sophie Hyde Everything Everywhere All at Once, directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert Petite Maman, directed by Cecile Sciamma She Said,directed by Maria Schrader Dog, directed by Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin Books Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmuss A Solitary Walk on the Moon, by Hilde Hinton A History of Dreams, by Jane Rawson Rivers of London, by Ben Aaronovitch Crowbones, by Anne Bishop

Fire and Blood, By George RR Martin

Written as a historical record of the rise and fall of the Targaryen dynasty in Westeros, this mammoth tome served as the blueprint for the recent HBO Game of Thrones prequel series. Starting 300 years before the events of the original books, it covers the takeover of the disparate kingdoms by Aegon the Conqueror and how following generations first built on his legacy, then destroyed it. This sweeping epic covers more than 700 pages and the scale is such that less than 100 of them in the middle of the book encompass the events of series one of House of the Dragon. So there is ample material for further seasons. The beauty of writing it as a historical record is that Martin doesn’t need to worry about character development and has a built-in excuse for inconsistency and repetition, which he makes the most of. The book drags in places, the names are confusing and many chapters are ludicrously long, leaving the reader desperate for a break. The text is broken up by illustrations from Doug Wheatley, but the extreme violence and bloodthirsty politics just get tiresome. Where The Song of Ice and Fire saga contained heroes to barrack for, as well as villains to hate and those in between to keep the Game of Thrones interesting, in this pseudo-history good people are few and far between and don’t last long. Most of the main characters are evil, stupid, brutal, or all of the above and the narrative format creates a distance that makes it harder to invest in them.

Knives Out: The Glass Onion (2022), directed by Rian Johnson

Politician Claire, scientist Lionel, fading socialite Birdie and MRA Youtuber Duke are summoned to the private Greek island of billionaire genius Miles Bron, who they all knew before he made it. Also present are famous detective Benoit Blanc, apparently invited by accident, and the billionaire’s shafted former partner, Andi. There follows a murder mystery within a murder mystery, in a Christie-esque series of twists and turns that can only be unravelled by the formidable Blanc. Edward Norton portrays Miles Bron in a thinly veiled takedown or tech bros such as Zuckerberg and Musk. Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr, Kate Hudson and Dave Bautista are the friends who have benefitted from Bron’s largesse and find they owe him, perhaps more than they can pay. The performances are hit and miss, with Janelle Monae the standout as Andi. Numerous celebrity cameos, including Hugh Grant, Angela Lansbury, Natasha Lyonne, Stephen Sondheim, Ethan Hawke and Serena Williams add fun.

Slow Horses, by Mick Herron

Slough House is where British Intelligence agents who have messed up or transgressed are sent to pasture. Burning with resentment at being set up to fail, River Cartwright wants to get his teeth into some real work and prove that he belongs in the inner sanctum in London’s Regent’s Park. But he has only been retained by the service at all because of his legendary grandfather’s influence. When a young man is kidnapped by terrorists threatening to behead him on a livestream, River and his fellow ‘slow horses’ are inadvertently drawn into the intelligence operation. Can they overcome their dodgy pasts to make an impact on the case? That will depend on whether their horrible old-school chief, Jackson Lamb, can outwit the ruthless Regent’s Park suit, Diana Taverner. Herron paints a chillingly grim and believable picture of the modern intelligence services, leavened with wry humour. The books have recently been made into an acclaimed TV series starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Gary Oldfield.

The October Man, by Ben Aaronovitch

Although it references to the Rivers of London characters, this novella and short story is actually more Rivers of Germany. It features Peter Grant’s German counterpart Tobias Winter, investigating a mysterious vineyard death in the Mosel valley. His local police liaison is Vanessa Summer, a pragmatic offsider who makes a useful ally and potential recruit. While the story is a bit of fun, its chief role is in providing a deeper and richer backdrop to the Rivers of London world, filling in some gaps on postwar relationships and developments in magical communities. It would be great to see Peter Grant and Tobias Winter meet up and even work together in a future tale, so hopefully that is where the series is heading as the ranks of the international magical police expand.