Ben Aaronovitch Books in Order

Getting Started: Where to Begin with Ben Aaronovitch

If you're new to the magical, mystery-filled streets of Ben Aaronovitch's urban fantasy, there is one clear and undisputed starting point: the first novel in his signature series, Rivers of London (published as Midnight Riot in the United States). Introduced in 2011, this book introduces Peter Grant, a young Metropolitan Police constable who encounters a ghost and is recruited into the Folly—the secret magical branch of the British police force. Gritty crime procedurals meet ancient river gods, wizardry, and British dry humor.

While the main series can be enjoyed by simply reading the major numbered novels in order, Aaronovitch has expanded his magical universe with standalone novellas, short story collections, and graphic novels. To get the complete experience, you can choose between two main paths: the direct Publication Order or the narrative-heavy Chronological Order.

The Rivers of London Reading Orders

Option 1: Publication Order (Recommended for First-Time Readers)

Reading in publication order is the easiest path and allows you to experience the world and its characters exactly as the author developed them. This order avoids potential spoilers from novellas that take place concurrently with or prior to earlier books.

• Rivers of London / Midnight Riot (2011) — Novel 1
• Moon Over Soho (2011) — Novel 2
• Whispers Under Ground (2012) — Novel 3
• Broken Homes (2013) — Novel 4
• The Home Crowd Advantage (2014) — Short Story (later collected)
• Foxglove Summer (2014) — Novel 5
• The Hanging Tree (2016) — Novel 6
• A Rare Book of Cunning Device (2017) — Short Story/Audiobook
• The Furthest Station (2017) — Novella
• Lies Sleeping (2018) — Novel 7
• The October Man (2019) — Novella (German spin-off)
• False Value (2019) — Novel 8
• Tales from the Folly: A Rivers of London Short Story Collection (2020) — Anthology
• What Abigail Did That Summer (2021) — Novella (Abigail spin-off)
• Amongst Our Weapons (2022) — Novel 9
• Winter's Gifts (2023) — Novella (Wisconsin spin-off)
• The Masquerades of Spring (2024) — Novella (1920s prequel)
• Stone and Sky (2025) — Novel 10

Option 2: Integrated Chronological Order

For re-readers or fans who want to follow the timeline of the universe step-by-step, the chronological order places prequels and concurrent novellas where they belong in history. Note that some works, like the prequel novella The Masquerades of Spring, are best appreciated after you already know the characters and the magic system.

1. The Masquerades of Spring (Novella) — Set in 1927, long before Peter Grant joins the force, focusing on a young Albert Nightingale.
2. Rivers of London / Midnight Riot (Novel 1) — Set in modern-day London.
3. The Home Crowd Advantage (Short Story) — Set during the 2012 London Olympics.
4. Moon Over Soho (Novel 2)
5. Whispers Under Ground (Novel 3)
6. Broken Homes (Novel 4)
7. Foxglove Summer (Novel 5) — Peter travels to Herefordshire.
8. What Abigail Did That Summer (Novella) — Set during the exact same summer as Foxglove Summer, but follows Peter's cousin Abigail in London.
9. The Furthest Station (Novella) — Set between Books 5 and 6, focusing on ghosts on the London Underground.
10. The Hanging Tree (Novel 6)
11. The October Man (Novella) — Set in Germany, introducing Tobias Winter. Best read after Book 6.
12. Lies Sleeping (Novel 7)
13. False Value (Novel 8)
14. Amongst Our Weapons (Novel 9)
15. Winter's Gifts (Novella) — Set in Wisconsin, following FBI Agent Kimberley Reynolds. Best read after Book 9.
16. Stone and Sky (Novel 10) — Set approximately two years after Book 9, taking Peter and his family to Scotland.

The Graphic Novels: Are They Canon?

Yes! Ben Aaronovitch co-writes the Rivers of London graphic novels with Andrew Cartmel (the former script editor of Doctor Who). They are fully canon and bridge the gaps between the main novels, introducing subplots and character moments that occasionally carry over into the books. If you are a completionist, here is their publication order:

• Volume 1: Body Work (2013)
• Volume 2: Night Witch (2014)
• Volume 3: Black Mould (2017)
• Volume 4: Detective Stories (2017)
• Volume 5: Cry Fox (2018)
• Volume 6: Water Weed (2018)
• Volume 7: Action at a Distance (2019)
• Volume 8: The Fey and the Furious (2019)
• Volume 9: Monday, Monday (2021)
• Volume 10: Deadly Ever After (2022)

Doctor Who and Sci-Fi Roots: Separating Fact from Database Errors

Before launching Peter Grant into the literary world, Ben Aaronovitch was a successful screenwriter, writing classic 1980s Doctor Who television serials such as Remembrance of the Daleks and Battlefield. When the show went off the air in 1989, he contributed to the famous Virgin New Adventures line of novels, which continued the Seventh Doctor's story.

However, many online book databases contain error-ridden lists that credit Aaronovitch with the entire history of Doctor Who novelizations (including books written in the 1960s and 1970s). To set the record straight, Aaronovitch only wrote the following novels in the sci-fi franchise:

• Remembrance of the Daleks (1990) — Novelization of his own classic TV serial.
• Transit (1992) — A cyberpunk-infused Seventh Doctor novel that introduced the character Kadiatu Lethbridge-Stewart.
• The Also People (1995) — A highly-praised sci-fi story featuring the Seventh Doctor visiting a peaceful Dyson Sphere.
• So Vile a Sin (1997) — Co-authored with Kate Orman. This was a critical turning point in the New Adventures line, featuring the death of companion Roz Forrester.

Additionally, Aaronovitch contributed to the spin-off character Bernice Summerfield, writing the standalone novella Genius Loci (2006) and short stories like "The Evacuation of Bernice Summerfield Considered as a Short Film by Terry Gilliam" and "Walking Backwards for Christmas". These are great reads for fans of classic 1990s British sci-fi.