Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Bookish Wisdom earns from qualifying purchases. This doesn't change our picks or your price.
Quick answer: If you loved Ben Aaronovitch, read Ben Aaronovitch's Moon Over Soho, then Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere and American Gods, then Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's Good Omens, and Douglas Adams's Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul and Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair. All are funny police fantasy.
Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London follows a London constable who learns magic. These picks share its wit and magic.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moon Over Soho | Ben Aaronovitch | Adult | the sequel |
| Neverwhere | Neil Gaiman | Adult | readers who like urban fantasy |
| Good Omens | Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman | Adult | readers who want laughs |
| Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency | Douglas Adams | Adult | more Adams |
| The Eyre Affair | Jasper Fforde | Adult | readers who love books |
| The Invisible Library | Genevieve Cogman | Adult | readers who love books and magic |
| Storm Front | Jim Butcher | Adult | readers who like fantasy detectives |
| American Gods | Neil Gaiman | Adult | readers who like gods in the modern world |
| Magic Bites | Ilona Andrews | Adult | readers who like fantasy action |
| Magician | Raymond E. Feist | Adult | readers who want a classic |
| Written in Red | Anne Bishop | Adult | cozy but dangerous |
| Bitten | Kelley Armstrong | Adult | readers who like werewolves |
| Piranesi | Susanna Clarke | Adult | readers who like puzzles |
| The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul | Douglas Adams | Adult | Dirk Gently sequel |
| Wicked Lovely | Melissa Marr | 13+ | readers who like faerie romance |
1. Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch
Peter investigates deaths linked to jazz musicians in the second Rivers of London book. It deepens the world and has more of the same humour.
Best for: the sequel.
2. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Richard Mayhew helps a hurt girl and falls into London Below, a hidden city under the city. Funny and creepy.
Best for: readers who like urban fantasy.
3. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
An angel and a demon who have grown fond of Earth try to stop the Apocalypse after the Antichrist is mixed up at birth. A comic fantasy classic.
Best for: readers who want laughs.
4. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
A detective who believes everything is connected solves a murder. Funny and clever.
Best for: more Adams.
5. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Thursday Next, a literary detective, enters books to catch a villain. Clever and witty.
Best for: readers who love books.
6. The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
Irene, a spy for a library that exists between worlds, steals books from different realities. Fast and full of adventure.
Best for: readers who love books and magic.
7. Storm Front by Jim Butcher
Harry Dresden, a wizard and private eye in Chicago, takes on a double murder. Witty and fast.
Best for: readers who like fantasy detectives.
8. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Shadow Moon gets caught in a war between old gods brought by immigrants and new gods of media and technology. Strange, dark and big in scope.
Best for: readers who like gods in the modern world.
9. Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
Kate Daniels, a mercenary, investigates a murder in a magical Atlanta. Fast and spirited.
Best for: readers who like fantasy action.
10. Magician by Raymond E. Feist
Pug, a boy at a castle, becomes a powerful magician as two worlds fight. A classic of epic fantasy.
Best for: readers who want a classic.
11. Written in Red by Anne Bishop
Meg Corbyn finds shelter with the shape-shifters who run a trading post in a world ruled by predators. Atmospheric, cozy and tense.
Best for: cozy but dangerous.
12. Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
Elena, the world's only female werewolf, is pulled back into her pack. Fast and sharp.
Best for: readers who like werewolves.
13. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
A man lives in a vast house of statues and tides and slowly learns the truth about his world. Strange, quiet and brilliant.
Best for: readers who like puzzles.
14. The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams
Norse gods in modern London. Dark and witty.
Best for: Dirk Gently sequel.
15. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Aislinn can see faeries and is pursued by a faerie king. Dark and lush.
Best for: readers who like faerie romance.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Ben Aaronovitch: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Ben Aaronovitch. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For urban fantasy, read Neverwhere. For comic fantasy, try Good Omens. For detectives, pick Dirk Gently.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ben Aaronovitch?
A British author.
What is his best-known series?
Rivers of London.
Where do I start?
With Rivers of London.
Which book here is best for readers who like faerie romance?
Try Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr, which suits readers looking for readers who like faerie romance.
Which book here is best for Dirk Gently sequel?
Try The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams, which suits readers looking for Dirk Gently sequel.