Rivers of London: Stray Cat Blues

Rivers of London Graphic Novels #12

by Ben Aaronovitch, Andrew Cartmel, José María Beroy (illustrator)

A cat-woman, a notorious London gangster, and a brothel specialising in chimeras. Or just another Wednesday as it’s known in the world of Rivers of London. Stray Cat Blues is the latest adventure in the critically acclaimed series.

CSI meets Harry Potter in this supernatural police procedural crime series based on characters and the books written by Ben Aaronovitch. This new series is scripted by regular co-writer Andrew Cartmel author of The Vinyl Detective.

Old frenemies become allies in the latest Rivers of London adventure when a mysterious cat-woman comes to The Folly looking for help to free her sisters from a notorious chimera brothel run by London gangster Monty and his sinister magically endowed mother, Mrs. Napier.

Now, Romeo, along with Abigail, Kitty Butchart aka Hoodette, Reynard Fossman, and Gina Penlaw must rescue the three imprisoned women before the Faceless Man can get his hands on them…

Collects Rivers of Stray Cat Blues #1-4

With exclusive bonus material, included a script to art comparison, covers gallery and a collection of the backup articles from the four comics.

Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Urban Fantasy, Comics, Mystery, Crime, Supernatural

112 pages, Paperback

First published December 3, 2024

About the author

Ben Aaronovitch's career started with a bang writing for Doctor Who, subsided in the middle and then, as is traditional, a third act resurgence with the bestselling Rivers of London series.

Born and raised in London he says that he'll leave his home when they prise his city out of his cold dead fingers.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

So here is the latest installment in the graphic novel entries to The Rivers of London series - and it seems to be following a trend set by recent books in that the character focus now is on character aside from Grant and Nightingale - in part I suspect to increase the cast list and open up to new and different stories as I guess you can have too much of a character and burn them out.

Either way this opens up some interesting ideas and certainly expands the Folly's "family" I just wonder where and when we see them pop up again. I have always enjoy this series (I think its a lot to do with the irreverent dialogue as much as anything) but there definitely feels like there is a drive to turn this in to a much bigger story with characters to spare to draw upon.

Just hope the books can keep up pace as it feels like they are coming out at a slowing rate but I guess like many popular series the author has more than one project on the go - I just hope there are not too many distractions.

[Rojda · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is my favorite rivers of london graphic novel so far 🐈 maybe it's because of the cats... who knows 👀

[Alyson Walton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am an ALL IN Rivers of London fan, novella, novel, or graphic novel; just give it to me.
This didnt disappoint.

A nice return to the Hoodette with some cat girls, too.

[Stephen Richter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I am caught up with the comic side of the river of London as of April 2025. Funny how one can lose track of all that goes on in one of the best Urban Fantasy series ever. In this particular story, it all starts with a Fox getting tossed in the river by a Cat person. Avery wet and embarrassed fox complains to Abigial, a young relative of Detective Peter Grant, and the comic takes off from there. Really liked the plot twists in the tale. The great thing about the comics of the Rivers of London is that they are not just a comic version of an existing novel, but whole new story set in the world of Peter Grant.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very satisfying retribution for some despicable baddies! I do love Abigail and the foxes, and the art was fabulous as always. I was a little startled at the nudity. I'm not used to that from this series, so it kind of threw me. Otherwise, I had a lot of fun with this one, cheering on all the ladies, human and otherwise!

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rivers of London Vol. 12: Stray Cat Blues

When a cat-woman seeks help to free her sisters from a magical chimera brothel, old enemies must work together to ensure the safety of the magical community of London.

An interesting story, which ties in well to the 'Rivers of London' collection. The art works well and the book flows easily from frame to frame. Aaronovitch and Cartmel have found a good balance between creepy and comedy.

[Cade · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun read

Story held together well. Light on Peter & Nightingale, but strengthened the Abigail character. Lots of foxes and the Faceless Man is still affecting things.

The bonus views of how the graphics are paneled, drawn, coloured, and captioned was cool and educational.

[Jamie Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The remnants of the Faceless Man are uncovered when a turf war breaks out between foxes and a cat-hybrid. Abigail gets recruited by the foxes to help.

A fun story in the Rivers of London series where Abigail takes the lead.

[DeAndre Theisen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, you get a side character focused one. This time with returning characters of Hoodette and finallly seeing what the catgirls look like.

[Mohan Vemulapalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Rivers of London: Stray Cat Blues" is an engaging and fast paced adventure in Ben Aaronovitch's magical version of London that side steps series headliners Thomas Nightingale and Peter Grant in favor of normally less used characters such as Abigail and the Hoodette. The book follows these characters as they ally with London's army of talking foxes to rescue some seriously imperiled paranormal women from a criminal organization that has enslaved them with magic. Although touching on dark themes that are all too well known in the real world the book manages to remain entertaining and relatively light without diminishing or belittling the experiences of real victims.

Expect some serious fox antics from both the two and four legged kind, a truly despicable mother-son London villain duo, one botched rescue attempt after another, cat women galore, Abigail to the rescue - sort of, far too many cheese puffs and a proper English Christmas dinner.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

As a graphic novel side story to a bigger universe, this satisfies fans by providing more backstory of tidbits from the novels (here, more about the cat women). As a stand alone story, however, it feels very slim and almost facile.

Story: There is a cat woman disrupting the talking foxes from their terrorizing of the neighborhood cats. Turns out, the cat woman needs help from Folly associates to free her sisters from forced servitude in a brothel. Together with Hoodette, Abigail and the Foxes will prove up to the challenge!

The pace of the story is great - told from many different perspectives and definitely never in a straight-forward fashion. One has to appreciate the storytelling chops here. That is contrasted, however, with boring bog-standard villains evilly twisting their metaphorical moustaches. Our 'Scooby Gang' will save the day in a very bland fashion with a few deus ex machina magic tricks and a hammer. Other than the adult subject matter, this did feel like it had the depth of a Scooby Doo mystery episode.

The art is fine though perhaps a big more oversexualized than needed (lots of straining bosoms against tight shirts, etc.). This is full color and the panels are fun, perhaps making the story feel even more lightweight.

In all, it feels like a piece for fans only. This collects the comics 1-4. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Meggies Fussnoten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eine ungewöhnliche Bitte wird abgesetzt. Eine Werkatze möchte, dass ihre Schwestern aus einem berüchtigten Chimären-Bordell gerettet werden. Doch die Bitte wird nicht an das Folly gerichtet, sondern an Abigail. So muss ein Plan geschmiedet werden, um die Rettung einzuleiten. Doch dann landet Abigail selbst in dem Bordell - als Gefangene.

Die Story ist diesmal etwas ungewöhnlicher. Denn nicht das Folly und Peter Grant stehen im Mittelpunkt, sondern das Bordell und die Werkatzen, die gerettet werden sollen. Erzählt wird die Geschichte aus der Sicht von Romeo, einem Fuchs, der gerade im Folly am Tisch zusammen mit Peter Grant und Nightingale sitzt. Nach und nach bringt er Licht in die Geschichte, immer darauf bedacht, ja genug zu essen vor sich stehen zu haben.

Es ist zwar spannend zu lesen, wie sich alles entwickelt, jedoch fand ich die Thematik diesmal etwas zu krass. Bordell, Menschenhandel bzw. Handel mit Werkatzen, Nötigung zu sexuellen Handlungen. Etwas zu tiefgründig für eine so tolle Reihe.

Ich habe jedoch trotzdem mitgefiebert, wie sich alles ergibt. Die Füchse haben eine größere Rolle und ich musste mehrmals über sie schmunzeln. Ebenso fand ich den Mut der Protagonistinnen beispielhaft. So sollten sich viele Frauen und Mädchen zur Wehr setzen können.

Die Panels sind allesamt schön gestaltet. Die Bordell-Szenen sind freizügig.

Das Cover hat mir diesmal auch nicht so gut gefallen.

Aber es muss ja nicht immer als Friede, Freude, Eierkuchen sein.

Die Story an sich war spannend zu lesen und die "Einschübe", in denen Romeo Peter und Nightingale alles erzählt, waren witzig und haben alles etwas aufgelockert.

Meggies Fussnote:
Wehrhafte Katzen.

[Raj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stray Cat Blues feels like a return to form for these stories, after a spell of not being hugely engaged by them. Abigail takes the lead here, along with the foxes, and the return of Hoodette (aka Kitty) from Rivers of London: Water Weed as they try to rescue a number of cat chimeras from a brothel run by a gangster and his practitioner mother.

Like the Rivers of London graphic novels, it's a pretty slim volume, and an easy and quick read. I enjoyed this quite a lot, and it sees Andrew Cartmel return as writer, something which, I think, helps it, as he seems to have a feel for not just the characters, but the tone of the books.

The only major complaint is that this should really have been a job for the Folly. It's clearly under their remit, and it would have resulted in several hundred percent fewer captives being taken. The gangsters here seemed to be operating with no concern for the authorities, and were happy to just kidnap people in the middle of London, which leads me to wonder just how effective that the Folly are at policing the demi-monde.

Anyway, that gripe aside, this was a fun story and sets me up nicely for the next novel, which is just out and is already sitting on my shelf.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once upon a time there was a very bad girl called the Hoodette. She made a lot of money dealing weed, using the river as a distribution route. Until a grumpy policeman called Peter Grant ruined everything.

River of London is ever growing with this being the 12th graphic novel which sits alongside the main books, novellas and audio dramas. In the timeline this comes after Winter's Gifts and Rivers of London Vol. 11: Here Be Dragons, making it the newest to date.

The story revolves around Abigail, the youngest magical apprentice at the Folly. It also features Hoodette, aka Kitty Butchart, who we first met in Rivers of London: Water Weed, Abigail's trusty foxes, and some hybrid cat-humans who are another fun callback to previous stories.

A little chaotic and feeling rushed, I didn't enjoy this as much as previous volumes. 4 stars.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stray Cat Blues combines the skills of several of the regulars in the Rivers of London universe: Abigail, the Foxes, Hoodette, and Reynard Fossman and introduces newcomer Cat-Woman. Together they are determined to rescue three of Cat-Woman's sisters who are being held prisoner in a brothel run by London gangster Monty Napier and his mother, a powerful magical being. Security is tight but, using their special skills, they overpower the Napiers and their goons and rescue the captives. The Foxes keep Nightingail and Peter apprised of everything planned (after the fact!). It's a pretty straightforward episode. The graphics are colorful and perfectly enhance the text, making it easy to follow along with everything that's happening. Another fun adventure in the Rivers of London series.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection concentrates on Abigail and her extra-curricular activities and further fallout from Martin Chorley, the Faceless Man and his nefarious activities; namely the entrapment of cat women, human-animal chimeras, into prostitution by a gangster whose old blind mother has magical powers.
Also featured are Reynard Fossman, as tricksy as always, and Kitty Butchart aka the Hoodette, not quite reformed, but ready to help those in need.
Considering the dark subject matter the artwork and colouring is little bit too 'clean' (with too many topless shots of the chimeras if I'm being honest), but otherwise this is an entertaining romp and we get to see Abigail's further advancement in the magical arts.

[Alex Sarll]

Oh, it's good to have Cartmel back on script duties. No major developments here, and a pretty marginal role for Grant and Nightingale, with protagonist duties shared between Abigail, the foxes, and characters from earlier comics outings. Plus, for me Beroy's art leans too cartoony for a story which, notwithstanding all the catgirls, goes into some pretty dark territory. But with Cartmel at the helm, there's never any trace of the suspicion, which would nag while he'd stepped back, that this is anything but proper Rivers Of London material. And that despite containing a series timeline on which the volume itself is 'coming soon', and so potentially being a paradoxical non-object.

[Ellen Schoener · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another story featuring Abigail and her gang of foxes (although Peter and Nightingale also appear).
Great entertaining story with some interesting characters and villains.
I had some fun with it.
The plot also features more background on the magical cat ladies that already appeared earlier in the series, it fleshes them out further and presents their tragic fate as slaves to a crime syndicate.
Of course, the comics won't be as "in depth" as the books, but this is great in bridging the gaps in between books.

[Terra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t BAD (I feel strongly that the Rivers of London series is fundamentally incapable of being bad, and if that ever changes, I will go into mourning), but it was definitely my least favorite of these graphic novels thus far. The new characters were not all that interesting, the plot was pretty basic, and the actions of existing (baddie) characters were sort of puzzling. I’ll consider this a blip, since I’ve loved basically everything that came before it. And, as I say, not bad per se, just sub-par for this series.

[Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the previous two rather weak albums this one is winner. A credible story using many well-known characters from the books (Abigail, the talking foxes, Reynard Fossman) and the graphic novels, with much humor and good graphics it almost forces you to read it start to finish. It shows that Andrew Cartmel was responsible for the story-part.

That it is presented as an interrogation by Peter and Nightingale is a nice dramatic twist. What is quite apparent is the fact that the graphic novels are developing their own narrative parallel to the main story in the novels. I will not complain…

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a fan-boy of the "Rivers of London" books I am not tired exactly, however this story was more childishly comic-like than the previous graphic novel instillations of the series, in part forgivable by the plot development of certain aspects and concepts of the Peter Grant universe. These developments contribute to the whole mythos of that universe, and as such are embellishments rather than essentials to the general plot lines so far. The artwork is quite simplistic; however, the more visually stimulated reader will enjoy greater imagery to build upon the imaginings from the novels.

[Carolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the events of Amongst Our Weapons, it was gratifying to see a story exploring what had become of the chimeras after Martin Chorley was out of the way. Abigail is always a delightful character to follow, and it was rewarding to see her getting to use magic at last. I'm unconvinced that the Folly-verse really needed another outing from the Hoodette or Reynard Fossman, but at least the story was sufficiently entertaining to make their inclusion unobjectionable. In all a far better showing than the last graphic novel installment of the series.

[David Shepherd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as the collected volumes.
A fun story that fleshes out the cat women chimeras from the novels.
Essentially an Abigail and foxes story with Peter and Nightingale doing a debrief of one of the foxes.
Some characters from both previous graphic and novels brought into the story.
Obviously not as detailed as the novels but enjoyable. Great artwork, as always, in the graphic novels.
Worth reading to tie things together with other books in the series.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 bk 168. The newest complete collection of Aaronovitch's Graphic Novel stories in the world of Peter Grant. Grant and Nightingale do appear, but as report takers. This is truly the story of Abigail, the foxes, and one of our earlier villains. What happens with Hoodette and Abigail team up? What could possibly go wrong when Reynard interferes. This was such a fun story and I sat down and read it all over again as soon as I finished it. Lovely artwork.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty shallow comic. A little heist spread out over four issues, supported in part by constant, redundant recaps at the start of each issue.

But, it's cute because it's about Abigail and the foxes. Always a plus!

And, it's got some nice continuity with the Rivers of London novels, returning to an intriguing plot line from when the books were at their best (IMO), in their initial arc (back when they had an arc).

So, overall, a fun read anyway.

[Dr. des. Siobhán · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Abigail and her foxes but I just hate how these comic books are pure male gaze. In this installment it's sexy cat women, ffs. I wish the sexualisation of women exclusively would stop. Still liked the foxes and how one fox had to explain to Peter & Nightingale what he had done. That was funny. 3 stars max

[Andy Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rivers of London: Stray Cat Blues
A little too dark, too whimsical, too outrageous.
#1 - "There have been local reports of foxes attacking cats."
#2 - "Now.. what can I do for you?" "We've got a problem with foxes."
#3- "He was able to provide us with valuable intel. And operational assistance."
#4 - "You risked the lives of everyone involved."

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story but concerned about artistic choices

Why was Tā moko used on the security men's faces? I am wondering why this was done, it would be good to a an explanation and some history of this.

[Michael Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

These graphic novels add a bit more to the world created in magical England with the characters and creatures of night. Old experiments resurface as Abigail and her foxes go into danger without letting the Folly know.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recent Reads: Stray Cat Blues. Andrew Cartmel takes up writing duties on this latest Rivers Of London graphic novel, in which Abigail and the foxes rescue some of the victims of the Faceless Man's chimerical experiments, with the help of the Hoodette. Old foes become new allies in dangerous ground.