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Rivers of London #0.5,0.6,1.5,1.6,2.5,3.5,4.6,5.1,
Tales from the Folly: A Rivers of London Short Story Collection
Return to the world of Rivers of London in this first short story collection from #1 Sunday Times bestselling author, Ben Aaronovitch. Tales from the Folly is a carefully curated collection that gathers together previously published stories and brand new tales in the same place for the first time.
Each tale features a new introduction from the author, filled with insight and anecdote offering the reader a deeper exploration into this absorbing fictional world. This is a must read for any Rivers of London fan.
Join Peter, Nightingale, Abigail, Agent Reynolds and Tobias Winter for a series of perfectly portioned tales. Discover what’s haunting a lonely motorway service station, who still wanders the shelves of a popular London bookshop, and what exactly happened to the River Lugg…
With an introduction from internationally bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse series, Charlaine Harris.
This collection includes:
The Home Crowd Advantage
The Domestic
The Cockpit
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Granny
King of The Rats
A Rare Book of Cunning Device
A Dedicated Follower of Fashion
Favourite Uncle
Vanessa Sommer’s Other Christmas List
Three Rivers, Two Husbands and a Baby
Moments One-Three
Each tale features a new introduction from the author, filled with insight and anecdote offering the reader a deeper exploration into this absorbing fictional world. This is a must read for any Rivers of London fan.
Join Peter, Nightingale, Abigail, Agent Reynolds and Tobias Winter for a series of perfectly portioned tales. Discover what’s haunting a lonely motorway service station, who still wanders the shelves of a popular London bookshop, and what exactly happened to the River Lugg…
With an introduction from internationally bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse series, Charlaine Harris.
This collection includes:
The Home Crowd Advantage
The Domestic
The Cockpit
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Granny
King of The Rats
A Rare Book of Cunning Device
A Dedicated Follower of Fashion
Favourite Uncle
Vanessa Sommer’s Other Christmas List
Three Rivers, Two Husbands and a Baby
Moments One-Three
225 pages, Paperback
First published July 31, 2020
1062 people are currently reading
3899 people want to read
About the author
Ben Aaronovitch
159 books13.5k followersBen 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.
Born and raised in London he says that he'll leave his home when they prise his city out of his cold dead fingers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 868 reviews
November 12, 2020
Mostly as advertised, a short story collection set in the Peter Grant universe, although it's worth clarifying that Peter does not appear in perhaps half the stories. I do appreciate that these were made available to fans at large, as the majority of the pieces were 'bonuses' inside the Waterstones hardcover editions, and as such, not widely available. Only one piece is unique to this edition, 'Three Rivers.' Sadly, I think this is one I will be bypassing in hardcover, as I happen to have a few of the Waterstones editions, and while the short stories are certainly polished, they usually lack the Grant flair and magic. A Rare Book, which was available as an Audible freebie, is by far my favorite, as read--of course--by Kobna.
Ben does an intro to each piece, and mentions that 'Home Crowd' was one of his first tries at a short story. I'd say that squares with my reading of most of the pieces: he has trouble with the endings. This matches his writing style as a whole, however, with loads of exposition and detail, neither of which is suitable to the short story form.
The collection:
The Home Crowd Advantage--was available for free on the website.◆◆◆ Peter is called to a 'weird stuff' disturbance at a cafe during the 2012 Olympics. Nightingale is out of town, so it falls on him to deal with it. I enjoyed it, but the ending felt excessively short. I feel like this was changed from the website version.
The Domestic--bonus in Waterstones edition of Whispers Underground. ◆◆◆ A constable investigating what seems to be a domestic abuse is convinced that 'weird stuff' is going on, and Peter is called. He meets the woman living in the flat and her visitor. Has a bit of a horror-story feel that we got in Rivers Underground. Again, underdeveloped for a short.
The Cockpit--bonus in Waterstones edition of Broken Homes. ◆◆◆ 1/2 Ghost story in the Piccadilly Waterstones bookshop, investigated by Peter and Leslie.
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Granny--bonus in Waterstones edition of Foxglove Summer. ◆◆◆ Peter, Bev and not-Nicky stop at a petrol station and Peter offers to help two men whose car has broken down. I rather liked this one, although the ending felt overly pat and somewhat of a cheat. Has one of my favorite openings:
There’s something uniquely dangerous about a motorway services station in the dead hours of the night. You can feel it as you pull off the slip road and cruise through the sodium wastes of the empty car park to stop by the sad little strip of landscaping that separates the vehicles from the children’s play area.
King of The Rats--short story for Cityread London 2015, also done in audio. Was available online. ◆◆ 1/2 Trick ending which will make fans howl, and potentially questionable canon.
A Rare Book of Cunning Device--short story for Cityread London 2017, also an Audible freebie. ◆◆◆◆ Peter, Nightingale and Professor Postmarten solve a problem at the library. Great dynamics between the characters, with the interesting puzzle of the book. Four stars, five for the Kobna version.
A Dedicated Follower of Fashion--bonus in Waterstones edition of False Value. ◆◆◆ A very hip 70s kind of dude and his squad are holed up in a deserted mansion. Kind of fun, kind of weird due to the voice, and again, abrupt ending.
Favourite Uncle--bonus in Waterstones edition of Lies Sleeping. ◆◆◆◆. Christmas story where one of Abagail's friends asks her to investigate an uncle that visits once a year.
Vanessa Sommer’s Other Christmas List--bonus in Waterstones edition of October Man. ◆◆ 1/2. Very short story about Tobias Winter's partner after she learns about magic and rethinks some things she's seen at home.
Three Rivers, Two Husbands and a Baby--new to this collection. ◆◆◆ One of the detectives and his partner are planning nuptials when a baby is discovered down by the river. Good thing there are some ladies next door to provide advice. Feels more like a conversation that could have happened in the course of the novella and got cut out because it was a bit too long. Not really any driving plot. Still, lots of 'world of the Folly' flavor.
Moment One--blog published short-short, between Nightingale and Oswald. Lovely fragment, but this is truly just a fragment of writing. Unratable.
Moment Two-short-short of Reynolds on an investigation. A lot of 'mama says' and prayer talk. Sounds unbelievable in relation to the Reynolds we may love to hate.
Moment Three--blog published short story, Tobias reports back to his boss after he discovers that the Folly has taken on an apprentice.
Ben does an intro to each piece, and mentions that 'Home Crowd' was one of his first tries at a short story. I'd say that squares with my reading of most of the pieces: he has trouble with the endings. This matches his writing style as a whole, however, with loads of exposition and detail, neither of which is suitable to the short story form.
The collection:
The Home Crowd Advantage--was available for free on the website.◆◆◆ Peter is called to a 'weird stuff' disturbance at a cafe during the 2012 Olympics. Nightingale is out of town, so it falls on him to deal with it. I enjoyed it, but the ending felt excessively short. I feel like this was changed from the website version.
The Domestic--bonus in Waterstones edition of Whispers Underground. ◆◆◆ A constable investigating what seems to be a domestic abuse is convinced that 'weird stuff' is going on, and Peter is called. He meets the woman living in the flat and her visitor. Has a bit of a horror-story feel that we got in Rivers Underground. Again, underdeveloped for a short.
The Cockpit--bonus in Waterstones edition of Broken Homes. ◆◆◆ 1/2 Ghost story in the Piccadilly Waterstones bookshop, investigated by Peter and Leslie.
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Granny--bonus in Waterstones edition of Foxglove Summer. ◆◆◆ Peter, Bev and not-Nicky stop at a petrol station and Peter offers to help two men whose car has broken down. I rather liked this one, although the ending felt overly pat and somewhat of a cheat. Has one of my favorite openings:
There’s something uniquely dangerous about a motorway services station in the dead hours of the night. You can feel it as you pull off the slip road and cruise through the sodium wastes of the empty car park to stop by the sad little strip of landscaping that separates the vehicles from the children’s play area.
King of The Rats--short story for Cityread London 2015, also done in audio. Was available online. ◆◆ 1/2 Trick ending which will make fans howl, and potentially questionable canon.
A Rare Book of Cunning Device--short story for Cityread London 2017, also an Audible freebie. ◆◆◆◆ Peter, Nightingale and Professor Postmarten solve a problem at the library. Great dynamics between the characters, with the interesting puzzle of the book. Four stars, five for the Kobna version.
A Dedicated Follower of Fashion--bonus in Waterstones edition of False Value. ◆◆◆ A very hip 70s kind of dude and his squad are holed up in a deserted mansion. Kind of fun, kind of weird due to the voice, and again, abrupt ending.
Favourite Uncle--bonus in Waterstones edition of Lies Sleeping. ◆◆◆◆. Christmas story where one of Abagail's friends asks her to investigate an uncle that visits once a year.
Vanessa Sommer’s Other Christmas List--bonus in Waterstones edition of October Man. ◆◆ 1/2. Very short story about Tobias Winter's partner after she learns about magic and rethinks some things she's seen at home.
Three Rivers, Two Husbands and a Baby--new to this collection. ◆◆◆ One of the detectives and his partner are planning nuptials when a baby is discovered down by the river. Good thing there are some ladies next door to provide advice. Feels more like a conversation that could have happened in the course of the novella and got cut out because it was a bit too long. Not really any driving plot. Still, lots of 'world of the Folly' flavor.
Moment One--blog published short-short, between Nightingale and Oswald. Lovely fragment, but this is truly just a fragment of writing. Unratable.
Moment Two-short-short of Reynolds on an investigation. A lot of 'mama says' and prayer talk. Sounds unbelievable in relation to the Reynolds we may love to hate.
Moment Three--blog published short story, Tobias reports back to his boss after he discovers that the Folly has taken on an apprentice.
May 8, 2021
My brain was toast this week, so this collection of bite-sized visits to the world of the Rivers of London was just the ticket. I thoroughly enjoyed them, but, as ever, the place to start with this series is the first Peter Grant novel Rivers of London, retitled in the US edition Midnight Riot.
Pretty delightful.
I have one of the lovely Subterranean Press signed editions -- Ben's signature, I note with amusement, is more of a sigil. I'm supposed to get about a thousand sig pages of mine own from SubPress to sign later this month for my next Penric & Desdemona novella with them, during which I expect to be regretting, as I usually do at that phase, choosing that long three-part name for myself back in 1984 when I made my first short story sale.
N.B., the e-edition of Tales from the Folly is much more modestly priced, and widely available.
Ta, L.
January 3, 2021
I was captivated by the Rivers of London series and have enjoyed Aaronovitch’s slighty skewed sense of humor and imagination. However, if you paid retail for Tales from the Folly you have paid too much.
This book of short stories should have started its life in the remainder bin. It is so inconsistent, often incomplete and Aaronovitch tells us how he was persuaded to crank out a story for pecuniary or other opportunities.
There are several delights among the dross but it wasn’t worth the time slogging through the collection.
Very disappointed.
This book of short stories should have started its life in the remainder bin. It is so inconsistent, often incomplete and Aaronovitch tells us how he was persuaded to crank out a story for pecuniary or other opportunities.
There are several delights among the dross but it wasn’t worth the time slogging through the collection.
Very disappointed.
February 15, 2021
So, I asked my son if he remembered reading this at the first of the year. He said, "Barely." I asked him what he thought of it. He said, "I liked the stories, but there wasn't any point to the book."
Yeah, some repeats, some cutting room floor snippets, they're some perfectly lovely bits that didn't make it into a previous book. But, I'm glad that I didn't buy it.
Yeah, some repeats, some cutting room floor snippets, they're some perfectly lovely bits that didn't make it into a previous book. But, I'm glad that I didn't buy it.
December 30, 2020
I liked the Peter Grant stories, but most of the other stories were mediocre at best. However, it’s always good to hear the narrator Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. 3.5 stars
May 30, 2023
More fun than I expected.
July 31, 2020
NOT ENOUGH NIGHTINGALE. ONE STAR.
Obviously I'm kidding (about the rating, not the lack of Nightingale)(one short? I'm dying here)
I've actually read a bunch of these before but the ones I hadn't were just as enjoyable as the ones I still loved.
Obviously I'm kidding (about the rating, not the lack of Nightingale)(one short? I'm dying here)
I've actually read a bunch of these before but the ones I hadn't were just as enjoyable as the ones I still loved.
November 24, 2020
3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2020/11/19/...
I have been waiting a long time for an anthology like Tales from the Folly to come along. As much as I adore the Rivers of London series, many of the author’s short stories set in that world have slipped through the cracks. After all, it’s kind of hard to keep track when there are so many of them floating around, not to mention I’m not exactly a short fiction kind of person, so I lack the motivation to track each one down, especially when many of them could only be found in special Waterstones editions.
This is why collections like this are so handy; every previously published Rivers of London short story that is worth reading, plus a couple brand-new ones besides, are all gathered here in one convenient volume. As you will soon see from my in-depth analyses of each one below, I still vastly prefer the full-length novels, but I would nonetheless recommend Tales from the Folly to fans of the series who will no doubt find plenty of enjoyment and satisfaction in these bite-sized adventures. Each tale is also prefaced by a nifty introduction from Ben Aaronovitch providing plenty of fascinating background and context, so if nothing else, you should read this for a chance to revisit the world between the novels, catch up with the characters we know and love, and round out your Rivers of London experience.
The Home Crowd Advantage (3 stars)
Set in London during the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, this tale follows Peter Grant as he is called out to investigate a strange disturbance at a nearby café. This was a short and fun read, but ultimately lacking much interest or memorability. This story takes place early in Peter’s apprenticeship with Nightingale and references a few minor plot developments happening around the same time. Utilizing the Olympics as the backdrop was probably the main selling point, though.
The Domestic (3 stars)
This story opens with Peter being dispatched to the home of an elderly lady to look in on a case of suspected domestic abuse—except things are not as they seem. The premise to this one was great, and there was even a slight bit of underlying humor, but sadly it was over way too soon. The abrupt ending also gave this one an incomplete feel, which was a real shame.
The Cockpit (3.5 stars)
Peter and Lesley show up at a Waterstones after a number of strange occurrences were reported at the bookshop. This one was a charming little yarn, and I think book lovers will especially appreciate it. Again, I felt that it was way too short, but on the bright side, at least it felt complete, featuring a beginning, middle, and conclusion with a satisfying resolution.
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Granny (3 stars)
During a brief stop at a service station, Peter comes across two men having a little bit of car trouble and offers to help. All Rivers of London stories work best when there are spooky things going on, and this one was no exception. Again, it’s not as memorable due to its short length, but I’m beginning to expect that at this point.
King of the Rats (2 stars)
A self-styled King of the Rats crashes a party hosted by Lady Tyburn and Fleet, and Peter is called in to investigate, naturally. I felt like this could have been the premise to a much longer book, one that would have been a lot better if fully fleshed out. As it was, I thought this was a pretty strange one, and not too engaging. Nothing was developed enough to really stick, sadly.
A Rare Book of Cunning Device (3.5 of 5 stars)
Peter is called out to the British Library to look into reports of a possible poltergeist, and along for the ride are Professor Harold Postmarten and our favorite ghost-hunting dog Toby. This is another one that book lovers will appreciate, especially if you enjoy a good mystery. Postmarten has always been a favorite side character of mine, and obviously I also love Toby. Again, a shame that this was over way too soon, and left me wanting more.
A Dedicated Follower of Fashion (2 stars)
This one is set in Earlsfield in 1967, following a drug dealer/luxury cloth smuggler who runs afoul of the river Wandle. It’s important to note that not all the stories in this collection feature Peter, and it is perhaps no surprise that I felt really disconnected from this one. Perfect example of a take-it-or-leave-it kind of tale.
Favourite Uncle (3.5 stars)
A sweet Christmas story about Abigail, Peter’s cousin and budding practitioner, who does a little bit of private detective work for a friend who asks her to investigate an uncle who only comes around once a year. Abigail has been getting a lot more attention in the main series lately, and I do want to see more of her, so a story centered around her character was most certainly welcome. Aaronovitch did a great job revealing more of her personality, and I also loved the dialogue.
Vanessa Sommer’s Other Christmas List (3 stars)
Related to The October Man novella, this story stars Vanessa Sommer, a police officer in Trier, Germany. Shortly after her transfer to the KDA, she spends Christmas at her parents and reexamines her childhood with a new perspective now that her eyes have been open to the world of magic. Readers get to learn a great deal about Vanessa’s background in this one, making it a must-read after The October Man if you want to find out more about her character.
Three Rivers, Two Husbands and a Baby (3 stars)
This was definitely more of a “world-building story”, examining the idea of genius loci with the birth of a new river in the form of a baby found and adopted by Victor and Dominic. It’s a decent enough story, even if entirely forgettable. Despite its throwaway nature though, I liked its heartwarming themes of family and friendship.
Moments One, Two, Three
At the end of this collection are three short pieces labeled “Moments” which were originally published on Aaronovitch’s website. These are certainly just moments, nothing more than snippets, really. Not much plot to speak of here, and personally I questioned the point of even including them in this collection, but I suppose it does give readers some insight into the mind of the author and his process for mood-setting and atmosphere building.
Audiobook Comments: Since several of the short stories here were originally released as audiobooks to begin with, I was thrilled to discover Tales from the Folly was also going to have an audio edition. Narrated by a diverse group of talented voice actors and actresses, along with commentary from Ben Aaronovitch himself, this audiobook was a great way to experience the collection. A special shoutout also to Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, who gave an awesome performance as Peter Grant. While I mostly read the print versions of the books in the Rivers of London series, the few times I was fortunate to listen to the audiobooks, I always enjoyed his work. There’s no doubt about it, he is the voice of this series.
I have been waiting a long time for an anthology like Tales from the Folly to come along. As much as I adore the Rivers of London series, many of the author’s short stories set in that world have slipped through the cracks. After all, it’s kind of hard to keep track when there are so many of them floating around, not to mention I’m not exactly a short fiction kind of person, so I lack the motivation to track each one down, especially when many of them could only be found in special Waterstones editions.
This is why collections like this are so handy; every previously published Rivers of London short story that is worth reading, plus a couple brand-new ones besides, are all gathered here in one convenient volume. As you will soon see from my in-depth analyses of each one below, I still vastly prefer the full-length novels, but I would nonetheless recommend Tales from the Folly to fans of the series who will no doubt find plenty of enjoyment and satisfaction in these bite-sized adventures. Each tale is also prefaced by a nifty introduction from Ben Aaronovitch providing plenty of fascinating background and context, so if nothing else, you should read this for a chance to revisit the world between the novels, catch up with the characters we know and love, and round out your Rivers of London experience.
The Home Crowd Advantage (3 stars)
Set in London during the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, this tale follows Peter Grant as he is called out to investigate a strange disturbance at a nearby café. This was a short and fun read, but ultimately lacking much interest or memorability. This story takes place early in Peter’s apprenticeship with Nightingale and references a few minor plot developments happening around the same time. Utilizing the Olympics as the backdrop was probably the main selling point, though.
The Domestic (3 stars)
This story opens with Peter being dispatched to the home of an elderly lady to look in on a case of suspected domestic abuse—except things are not as they seem. The premise to this one was great, and there was even a slight bit of underlying humor, but sadly it was over way too soon. The abrupt ending also gave this one an incomplete feel, which was a real shame.
The Cockpit (3.5 stars)
Peter and Lesley show up at a Waterstones after a number of strange occurrences were reported at the bookshop. This one was a charming little yarn, and I think book lovers will especially appreciate it. Again, I felt that it was way too short, but on the bright side, at least it felt complete, featuring a beginning, middle, and conclusion with a satisfying resolution.
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Granny (3 stars)
During a brief stop at a service station, Peter comes across two men having a little bit of car trouble and offers to help. All Rivers of London stories work best when there are spooky things going on, and this one was no exception. Again, it’s not as memorable due to its short length, but I’m beginning to expect that at this point.
King of the Rats (2 stars)
A self-styled King of the Rats crashes a party hosted by Lady Tyburn and Fleet, and Peter is called in to investigate, naturally. I felt like this could have been the premise to a much longer book, one that would have been a lot better if fully fleshed out. As it was, I thought this was a pretty strange one, and not too engaging. Nothing was developed enough to really stick, sadly.
A Rare Book of Cunning Device (3.5 of 5 stars)
Peter is called out to the British Library to look into reports of a possible poltergeist, and along for the ride are Professor Harold Postmarten and our favorite ghost-hunting dog Toby. This is another one that book lovers will appreciate, especially if you enjoy a good mystery. Postmarten has always been a favorite side character of mine, and obviously I also love Toby. Again, a shame that this was over way too soon, and left me wanting more.
A Dedicated Follower of Fashion (2 stars)
This one is set in Earlsfield in 1967, following a drug dealer/luxury cloth smuggler who runs afoul of the river Wandle. It’s important to note that not all the stories in this collection feature Peter, and it is perhaps no surprise that I felt really disconnected from this one. Perfect example of a take-it-or-leave-it kind of tale.
Favourite Uncle (3.5 stars)
A sweet Christmas story about Abigail, Peter’s cousin and budding practitioner, who does a little bit of private detective work for a friend who asks her to investigate an uncle who only comes around once a year. Abigail has been getting a lot more attention in the main series lately, and I do want to see more of her, so a story centered around her character was most certainly welcome. Aaronovitch did a great job revealing more of her personality, and I also loved the dialogue.
Vanessa Sommer’s Other Christmas List (3 stars)
Related to The October Man novella, this story stars Vanessa Sommer, a police officer in Trier, Germany. Shortly after her transfer to the KDA, she spends Christmas at her parents and reexamines her childhood with a new perspective now that her eyes have been open to the world of magic. Readers get to learn a great deal about Vanessa’s background in this one, making it a must-read after The October Man if you want to find out more about her character.
Three Rivers, Two Husbands and a Baby (3 stars)
This was definitely more of a “world-building story”, examining the idea of genius loci with the birth of a new river in the form of a baby found and adopted by Victor and Dominic. It’s a decent enough story, even if entirely forgettable. Despite its throwaway nature though, I liked its heartwarming themes of family and friendship.
Moments One, Two, Three
At the end of this collection are three short pieces labeled “Moments” which were originally published on Aaronovitch’s website. These are certainly just moments, nothing more than snippets, really. Not much plot to speak of here, and personally I questioned the point of even including them in this collection, but I suppose it does give readers some insight into the mind of the author and his process for mood-setting and atmosphere building.
Audiobook Comments: Since several of the short stories here were originally released as audiobooks to begin with, I was thrilled to discover Tales from the Folly was also going to have an audio edition. Narrated by a diverse group of talented voice actors and actresses, along with commentary from Ben Aaronovitch himself, this audiobook was a great way to experience the collection. A special shoutout also to Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, who gave an awesome performance as Peter Grant. While I mostly read the print versions of the books in the Rivers of London series, the few times I was fortunate to listen to the audiobooks, I always enjoyed his work. There’s no doubt about it, he is the voice of this series.
June 20, 2021
This collection of short stories is not a patch on the full length ones of the "Rivers of London" series, which are marvelous in my opinion. Some of the stories left me scratching my head and asking, "What was that all about?" Overall, they felt like filler and left me without impression.
Quotes that caught my ears:
"members of the public are so used to us waddling around like Batman's fat younger brother"
"She had grey eyes and a good line in belligerent defiance"
"the washing machine rumble of passing traffic"
Quotes that caught my ears:
"members of the public are so used to us waddling around like Batman's fat younger brother"
"She had grey eyes and a good line in belligerent defiance"
"the washing machine rumble of passing traffic"
September 20, 2023
English version below
**************
Kurzgeschichten sind für mich meistens nicht so erfüllend.
Hier haben mir aber die Peter Grant Geschichten alle wirklich gut gefallen und von den Geschichten der anderen mochte die Story vom fröhlichen Onkel und der Hochzeit und dem Baby sehr.
Kurz gesagt: Wer Peter Grant mag, wird auch mit diesem Buch seine Freude haben.
---------------------------------
Short stories are usually not that fulfilling for me.
Here, however, I really liked all the Peter Grant stories and of the stories of the others, I liked the story of the happy uncle and the wedding and the baby very much.
In short: If you like Peter Grant, you will also enjoy this book.
**************
Kurzgeschichten sind für mich meistens nicht so erfüllend.
Hier haben mir aber die Peter Grant Geschichten alle wirklich gut gefallen und von den Geschichten der anderen mochte die Story vom fröhlichen Onkel und der Hochzeit und dem Baby sehr.
Kurz gesagt: Wer Peter Grant mag, wird auch mit diesem Buch seine Freude haben.
---------------------------------
Short stories are usually not that fulfilling for me.
Here, however, I really liked all the Peter Grant stories and of the stories of the others, I liked the story of the happy uncle and the wedding and the baby very much.
In short: If you like Peter Grant, you will also enjoy this book.
September 7, 2020
I sometimes wonder if giving an author continually high praise can create a blind spot - the fact that you could never accept that a piece of work is not up to their previous standards means that you might miss something - well in the case of this collection of short stories I don't think so. I raced through the ebook (I hope that it comes out in paper format to so it can join the other editions) devouring the stories of the ever growing cast of characters.
What I found fascinating were the short introduction by the author himself where he openly admitted that some of the characters were really only planned on being there for a story - little more than ancillary characters to help the plot along. However somewhere through their story they grew a life of their own and become something deeper and more lasting (rather echoes certain aspects of the world of the Folly and Peter Grant)
One thing I have to admit and in fact love about this series is that after every story I have read that world gets larger and more exciting. I know this could be said about any long running series but if you stop and think about it often those worlds return to a few (if not singular) character. This series has proven that you can go to a number of places and still find incredible stories - the Oktober Man proved that to me. With that in mind the question is where are we of to next.
What I found fascinating were the short introduction by the author himself where he openly admitted that some of the characters were really only planned on being there for a story - little more than ancillary characters to help the plot along. However somewhere through their story they grew a life of their own and become something deeper and more lasting (rather echoes certain aspects of the world of the Folly and Peter Grant)
One thing I have to admit and in fact love about this series is that after every story I have read that world gets larger and more exciting. I know this could be said about any long running series but if you stop and think about it often those worlds return to a few (if not singular) character. This series has proven that you can go to a number of places and still find incredible stories - the Oktober Man proved that to me. With that in mind the question is where are we of to next.
April 30, 2021
This is a great collection of Rivers of London short stories that's sure to keep any Aaronovitch fan (Aaronovitchiates?) ticking over until the next full-length novel. Actually, it's really put me in the mood for more Rivers... so I'm very glad I've already got What Abigail Did That Summer sitting on my Kindle waiting to go.
I'd read a few of these stories before elsewhere but it was still fun revisiting them, particularly A Rare Book of Cunning Device, which I'd only experienced in its original audiobook format before now. The highlight of the book for me was A Dedicated Follower of Fashion, which was easily the funniest story included here and a real treat for Kinks fans like myself.
My next book: Once & Future vol. 3: The Parliament of Magpies
I'd read a few of these stories before elsewhere but it was still fun revisiting them, particularly A Rare Book of Cunning Device, which I'd only experienced in its original audiobook format before now. The highlight of the book for me was A Dedicated Follower of Fashion, which was easily the funniest story included here and a real treat for Kinks fans like myself.
My next book: Once & Future vol. 3: The Parliament of Magpies
September 21, 2023
For me some of these really work - The Cockpit, The Domestic, The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Granny, Favourite Uncle and Three Rivers, Two Husbands and A Baby were by far, my favourites. This probably has a lot to do with the first three being Peter Grant Stories; Favourite Uncle being all about Abigail and Two Husbands including the talking foxes.
The only thing missing was Foxglove and not enough Molly. But Mr Aaronovitch assures me there'll be more short stories so I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Short stories are an art form in their own right. It takes a lot of work and discipline to really get them right. I think Mr Aaronovitch was spot on with some but was just off target buy I guess that what publishers want, publishers get.
I still love Rivers of London. I'm looking forward to the next full episode.
The only thing missing was Foxglove and not enough Molly. But Mr Aaronovitch assures me there'll be more short stories so I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Short stories are an art form in their own right. It takes a lot of work and discipline to really get them right. I think Mr Aaronovitch was spot on with some but was just off target buy I guess that what publishers want, publishers get.
I still love Rivers of London. I'm looking forward to the next full episode.
November 7, 2020
Underwhelmed. I had read the two best stories already and the rest were mediocre at best. A couple had such abrupt endings, I thought I had missing pages. Short stories should still have a bit of an endimg.
January 25, 2021
Enjoyed this collection of short stories of the peter grant series plus other stuff and always look forward to new peter grant stories
March 9, 2025
Several of these stories are clever and charming. Some of them just don’t quite work for me. None of them, strictly speaking, are necessary for keeping up with the novels’ ongoing plot lines. They are apéritifs to the meal of the series. Overall 3.5 stars, rounded down, because, since only half the stories feature Peter Grant, only half the audiobook is performed by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.
The Peter Grant Stories
The Home Town Advantage
Called to a coffee shop in a nondescript shopping center to deal with a minor case of magical terrorism, Peter Grant suits up in obvious police gear and goes in to negotiate with the old French fellow who had been carelessly flinging magic about. Over espresso (made by Peter) the old man tells him a story of his past as a collaborator during the war, and of a fateful visit to London during the 1948 Olympics, then challenges him to a magical duel. Peter listens, then demonstrates how mundane preparations and quick thinking can be as valuable as any spell.
4 ⭐️
The Domestic
The domestic disturbance is a common call for mundane coppers. But when one of the combatants is a ghost, it becomes a case for the Folly. Once again Peter Grant shows what a competent copper he is as he cleavers his way around a cantankerous granny while dealing with ghostly marital combat and uncovering an old crime.
4 ⭐️
The Cockpit
”It’s not the book that’s important. It’s the reading.”
In which Peter and Lesly spend an overnight investigating a haunted bookstore and make a surprising discovery of its cause.
3 ⭐️
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Granny
A car park at night, thoughts of mortality, and an unhappy granny spontaneously manifesting magic leave Peter with some sorting out to do.
3 ⭐️
King of the Rats
This story had many promising elements. A disturbed and dirty man convinced that he’s a rat, a couple of London’s river goddesses feuding with a baboon who may be the spirit of a London canal, and of course, Peter Grant’s competent and cheeky handling of the case — all this was subverted by an abrupt and inconclusive ending that made it feel a wasted effort.
2 1/2 ⭐️
A Rare Book of Cunning Devices
”There’s a long history of extraordinary things being hidden in books — alcohol, keys, letters, very small heirs to a throne…hand grenades, pistols, radios, why not a robot?”
This brief tale of a medieval book/magical construct loose and causing havoc in the basements of the British Library is full of clever description, broad humor, formidable librarians, Peter Grant at his cheeky best, and an appearance from Toby the wonder dog. It’s a short, slight thing, little more than an after dinner mint for your literary appetite, but it does hit the spot.
4 ⭐️
The Others Stories
A Dedicated Follower of Fashion
This period piece, set in 1960s London, tells the tale of a small time yet fabulously fashionable crook and the birth of a new river goddess. All style with little substance.
2 1/2 ⭐️
Favourite Uncle
”He could be a peripatetic avatar of good cheer.”
Young Abigail is a fantastic side character, but she doesn’t alway work for me when she’s the main focus of the story. But this tale is the exception. In this gentle (but not maudlin) holiday story, Peter’s formidable, tenacious young cousin takes on a case for a friend to investigate an old family relative who visits every Christmas, but may be other than he seems. This is peak Abigail with a perfect ending.
4 ⭐️
Vanessa Sommer’s Other Christmas List
Yawn. A side character who doesn’t engage me, in a home for the holidays tale that is more cute than clever with a goofy ending.
2 ⭐️
Three Rivers, Two Husbands, and a Baby
A big wedding attended by river gods and police, and a nice tying up of a loose end left in one of the novels.
3 1/2 ⭐️
Moment One: London September 1966
How Nightingale got his Jaguar.
4 ⭐️
Moment Two: Reynolds — Florence, Az 2014
There’s something about these motels that make me want to talk to Jesus.
American FBI Agent Reynolds ruminates on mass murders.
2 ⭐️
Moment Three: Tobias Winter — Meckenheim 2012
When we’re not transporting dangerous artifacts or chasing rumors of possessed BMWs (never Mercedes for some reason) we work office hours at the KDA.
How Tobias becomes a practitioner.
4 ⭐️
The Peter Grant Stories
The Home Town Advantage
Called to a coffee shop in a nondescript shopping center to deal with a minor case of magical terrorism, Peter Grant suits up in obvious police gear and goes in to negotiate with the old French fellow who had been carelessly flinging magic about. Over espresso (made by Peter) the old man tells him a story of his past as a collaborator during the war, and of a fateful visit to London during the 1948 Olympics, then challenges him to a magical duel. Peter listens, then demonstrates how mundane preparations and quick thinking can be as valuable as any spell.
4 ⭐️
The Domestic
The domestic disturbance is a common call for mundane coppers. But when one of the combatants is a ghost, it becomes a case for the Folly. Once again Peter Grant shows what a competent copper he is as he cleavers his way around a cantankerous granny while dealing with ghostly marital combat and uncovering an old crime.
4 ⭐️
The Cockpit
”It’s not the book that’s important. It’s the reading.”
In which Peter and Lesly spend an overnight investigating a haunted bookstore and make a surprising discovery of its cause.
3 ⭐️
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Granny
A car park at night, thoughts of mortality, and an unhappy granny spontaneously manifesting magic leave Peter with some sorting out to do.
3 ⭐️
King of the Rats
This story had many promising elements. A disturbed and dirty man convinced that he’s a rat, a couple of London’s river goddesses feuding with a baboon who may be the spirit of a London canal, and of course, Peter Grant’s competent and cheeky handling of the case — all this was subverted by an abrupt and inconclusive ending that made it feel a wasted effort.
2 1/2 ⭐️
A Rare Book of Cunning Devices
”There’s a long history of extraordinary things being hidden in books — alcohol, keys, letters, very small heirs to a throne…hand grenades, pistols, radios, why not a robot?”
This brief tale of a medieval book/magical construct loose and causing havoc in the basements of the British Library is full of clever description, broad humor, formidable librarians, Peter Grant at his cheeky best, and an appearance from Toby the wonder dog. It’s a short, slight thing, little more than an after dinner mint for your literary appetite, but it does hit the spot.
4 ⭐️
The Others Stories
A Dedicated Follower of Fashion
This period piece, set in 1960s London, tells the tale of a small time yet fabulously fashionable crook and the birth of a new river goddess. All style with little substance.
2 1/2 ⭐️
Favourite Uncle
”He could be a peripatetic avatar of good cheer.”
Young Abigail is a fantastic side character, but she doesn’t alway work for me when she’s the main focus of the story. But this tale is the exception. In this gentle (but not maudlin) holiday story, Peter’s formidable, tenacious young cousin takes on a case for a friend to investigate an old family relative who visits every Christmas, but may be other than he seems. This is peak Abigail with a perfect ending.
4 ⭐️
Vanessa Sommer’s Other Christmas List
Yawn. A side character who doesn’t engage me, in a home for the holidays tale that is more cute than clever with a goofy ending.
2 ⭐️
Three Rivers, Two Husbands, and a Baby
A big wedding attended by river gods and police, and a nice tying up of a loose end left in one of the novels.
3 1/2 ⭐️
Moment One: London September 1966
How Nightingale got his Jaguar.
4 ⭐️
Moment Two: Reynolds — Florence, Az 2014
There’s something about these motels that make me want to talk to Jesus.
American FBI Agent Reynolds ruminates on mass murders.
2 ⭐️
Moment Three: Tobias Winter — Meckenheim 2012
When we’re not transporting dangerous artifacts or chasing rumors of possessed BMWs (never Mercedes for some reason) we work office hours at the KDA.
How Tobias becomes a practitioner.
4 ⭐️
September 13, 2022
A collection of all the various Rivers of London short stories featuring Peter Grant, Nightingale and Co. All have a small introduction from Aaronovitch that outlines why he wrote each story, and what were his influences.
The Home Crowd Advantage - Written specifically for the 2012 London Olympics, this follows Peter as he's called out to a bit of a ruckus in a coffee shop. I liked the hints of Nightingales past mixed with a bit of Peters cheekiness.
The Domestic - There's been a call about a domestic dispute, but somehow Peter has ended up on the call out due to some 'weird stuff'. This one had a lot of promise to be an atmospheric read, however the ending really fell flat and felt unfinished.
The Cockpit - Is there a ghost in the Covent Garden branch of Waterstones? leave it to Peter and Lesley to investigate... This one was chaotic, and not really in a good way. It feels like a story left rushed and unfinished, without any clear idea of where its going.
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Granny - Ever wondered what Peter and Beverly (and not-Nicole) got up to on the drive back to London? Well it involves a bit of magic, a motorway service station and one rather stubborn granny who is a true Londoner at heart. I really enjoyed this one, if only for not-Nicole's antics.
King of the Rats - A man turns up at one of the Rivers senky parties thinking he's a rat. Way too short, with hints of a spirit we never see and is never really explained. Sometimes I do think the River Goddesses get to do a lot more fun things than Peter does. Helps that they're deities not confined to following the law.
A Rare Book of Cunning - something's amiss in the British library, and it just might be a book. I liked the setting but the story was really missing any substance.
A Dedicated Follower of Fashion - A look at a different river, what shapes it's personality and the types of followers it draws to it. This was surprisingly really good, atmospheric and brimming with tension and interesting characters, not least our unnamed narrator.
Uncle Stan - Easily my favourite story so far, this follows Abigail over her Christmas break from school as she investigates a mysterious relative of a former school friend. I really like Abigail, she's tenacious without being obnoxious and full of potential. Her story oozes secrets and destiny calling.
Vanessa Sommer's Other Christmas List - forgettable story, probably doubly so because as of writing I haven't read False Value and don't know these characters. I already couldn't tell you what this was about other than a woman taking a hat off a neighbour.
Three Rivers, Two Husbands and a Baby - Loved this one, and it was great to be back with Victor and Dominic, and to finally see what happened to the river Lugg after Peter and Beverly essentially brought it back to life.
And finally, some various 'moments'. Little bursts of atmosphere from various side characters. All three were a bit of a muchness, nothing spectacular but I could see the essence of the river stories within. To be honest, these could have been excluded and it wouldn't have made any difference.
All together this was a mixed bag of stories, some I liked more than others but overall I enjoyed my time dipping my toe into the world of Peter Grant and Co.
The Home Crowd Advantage - Written specifically for the 2012 London Olympics, this follows Peter as he's called out to a bit of a ruckus in a coffee shop. I liked the hints of Nightingales past mixed with a bit of Peters cheekiness.
The Domestic - There's been a call about a domestic dispute, but somehow Peter has ended up on the call out due to some 'weird stuff'. This one had a lot of promise to be an atmospheric read, however the ending really fell flat and felt unfinished.
The Cockpit - Is there a ghost in the Covent Garden branch of Waterstones? leave it to Peter and Lesley to investigate... This one was chaotic, and not really in a good way. It feels like a story left rushed and unfinished, without any clear idea of where its going.
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Granny - Ever wondered what Peter and Beverly (and not-Nicole) got up to on the drive back to London? Well it involves a bit of magic, a motorway service station and one rather stubborn granny who is a true Londoner at heart. I really enjoyed this one, if only for not-Nicole's antics.
King of the Rats - A man turns up at one of the Rivers senky parties thinking he's a rat. Way too short, with hints of a spirit we never see and is never really explained. Sometimes I do think the River Goddesses get to do a lot more fun things than Peter does. Helps that they're deities not confined to following the law.
A Rare Book of Cunning - something's amiss in the British library, and it just might be a book. I liked the setting but the story was really missing any substance.
A Dedicated Follower of Fashion - A look at a different river, what shapes it's personality and the types of followers it draws to it. This was surprisingly really good, atmospheric and brimming with tension and interesting characters, not least our unnamed narrator.
Uncle Stan - Easily my favourite story so far, this follows Abigail over her Christmas break from school as she investigates a mysterious relative of a former school friend. I really like Abigail, she's tenacious without being obnoxious and full of potential. Her story oozes secrets and destiny calling.
Vanessa Sommer's Other Christmas List - forgettable story, probably doubly so because as of writing I haven't read False Value and don't know these characters. I already couldn't tell you what this was about other than a woman taking a hat off a neighbour.
Three Rivers, Two Husbands and a Baby - Loved this one, and it was great to be back with Victor and Dominic, and to finally see what happened to the river Lugg after Peter and Beverly essentially brought it back to life.
And finally, some various 'moments'. Little bursts of atmosphere from various side characters. All three were a bit of a muchness, nothing spectacular but I could see the essence of the river stories within. To be honest, these could have been excluded and it wouldn't have made any difference.
All together this was a mixed bag of stories, some I liked more than others but overall I enjoyed my time dipping my toe into the world of Peter Grant and Co.
June 10, 2021
Obwohl ich eigentlich kein Kurzgeschichtenfan bin, hat mir dieser Band sehr gut gefallen. Besonders schön fand ich, dass Ben Aaronovitch zu jeder Geschichte ein kurzes "Vorwort" geschrieben hat mit Informationen darüber, wo die Geschichte verortet ist und wie es dazu kam, dass er sie geschrieben hat. Auch und besonders die Geschichten, die nicht Peter Grant als Hauptperson haben, fand ich wirklich gut. Diese und die "Momente" machen Hoffnung und Lust auf mehr!
August 27, 2021
This is one of the better short stories, taking place in the '60s and really a nice set piece. Fascinating for what it is but, of course, one needs to know the rest of the series to really enjoy it. :)
August 27, 2021
Weirdly, this was included in the Waterstones' special edition of False Value which is book #8. But chronologically, it takes place before the first novel.
This is another great short story (though not one of the "moments") set in the Rivers of London world.
Naturally, we are once agian in London, this time in 1967. London, as I found out in this story's introduction has much more rivers than I thought (the title of the series is to be taken literally, which I hadn't expected). Anyway, the story is told from the POV of a drug dealer who has to hide in an old house next to the River Wandle after some clients stiffed him (which means he can't pay his suppliers). That river, naturally, has a god/goddess of its own and ... well ... things start to happen.
I very much enjoyed the POV as the story was therefore told in a quirky way. Not that I was in any way rooting for the drug dealer, but it made the whole shebang chuckle-worthy at least.
But I also enjoyed the magic presented here (my favourite image was ).
So yeah, another cool addition to the series and this time longer than the "moment" I just read. Sadly, no link to this story anywhere, sorry.
This is another great short story (though not one of the "moments") set in the Rivers of London world.
Naturally, we are once agian in London, this time in 1967. London, as I found out in this story's introduction has much more rivers than I thought (the title of the series is to be taken literally, which I hadn't expected). Anyway, the story is told from the POV of a drug dealer who has to hide in an old house next to the River Wandle after some clients stiffed him (which means he can't pay his suppliers). That river, naturally, has a god/goddess of its own and ... well ... things start to happen.
I very much enjoyed the POV as the story was therefore told in a quirky way. Not that I was in any way rooting for the drug dealer, but it made the whole shebang chuckle-worthy at least.
But I also enjoyed the magic presented here (my favourite image was ).
So yeah, another cool addition to the series and this time longer than the "moment" I just read. Sadly, no link to this story anywhere, sorry.
December 2, 2020
Exactly what the doctor ordered ;-) I had a crappy day for internal reasons, and this made it so much better. Every word a reminder of the bigger world, of past stories and things to come. Every narrator perfectly fitting the story. I wanted it to go on and on. It was lovely to have the author give background to each story and moment. I want, no I need, more Abigail. And everybody else even slightly Folly related is welcome to fill my head anytime, too. I hope to grow old listening to stories about Peter and Co.
July 5, 2024
Mehr oder weniger gut, vieles sehr durchschnittlich, einiges unnötig, manches langweilig
Kaufen würde ich es mir nicht. Der Pepp fehlt und sie haben alle das Gezwungene von Kurzgeschichten, wo das originelle Ende alles rausreißen soll.
Kaufen würde ich es mir nicht. Der Pepp fehlt und sie haben alle das Gezwungene von Kurzgeschichten, wo das originelle Ende alles rausreißen soll.
June 14, 2023
I am going to mark this as partially read and eventually come back to it and reread the 2 short stories and 2 flash fictions which seem to required having read book 8 (or even 9?) and which I have now skipped. I am in the middle of book 7, Lies Sleeping and I will make a stop on the series now.
Very helpfully, the foreword of each story tells where it is located (not so helpfully one of them has a spoiler for Foxglove Summer). There are a few stories with Peter, chronologically, then stories without Peter, then some short (shorter than short story) fics, and within each kind of story they are set chronologically. A few, I think are available for free on Ben Aaronovitch's site under the moments tab.
In all: a rather meh experience. I think these stories highlight perfectly the qualities of Aaaronovitch's writing, the flow, snappy humor, inventive worldbuilding and a knack for describing London (and say Hereford at least once). But it also highlights the weaknesses, which is a lack of structure, kind of missing the queue to write about big emotions , and dodgy continuity. Further, he is not good at short stories - short stories are a particular thing, they require a kind of timing, the ending must be just right, it is a special talent (and separate from writing novels talent. Really. Though just my opinion but I will be fierce at defending this opinion). He does not stick the landing of any of the stories, IMO. The best were the ones without Peter IMO, the dedicated follower of fashion and the one with Abigail (I will definitely read What Abigail Did That Summer). Might review after I read the other stories. But I will take a break now!
Very helpfully, the foreword of each story tells where it is located (not so helpfully one of them has a spoiler for Foxglove Summer). There are a few stories with Peter, chronologically, then stories without Peter, then some short (shorter than short story) fics, and within each kind of story they are set chronologically. A few, I think are available for free on Ben Aaronovitch's site under the moments tab.
In all: a rather meh experience. I think these stories highlight perfectly the qualities of Aaaronovitch's writing, the flow, snappy humor, inventive worldbuilding and a knack for describing London (and say Hereford at least once). But it also highlights the weaknesses, which is a lack of structure, kind of missing the queue to write about big emotions , and dodgy continuity. Further, he is not good at short stories - short stories are a particular thing, they require a kind of timing, the ending must be just right, it is a special talent (and separate from writing novels talent. Really. Though just my opinion but I will be fierce at defending this opinion). He does not stick the landing of any of the stories, IMO. The best were the ones without Peter IMO, the dedicated follower of fashion and the one with Abigail (I will definitely read What Abigail Did That Summer). Might review after I read the other stories. But I will take a break now!
November 22, 2020
This is a bit uneven but overall very enjoyable. Three and a half stars rounded up to four.
The Home Crowd Advantage is just ok. Three stars.
The Domestic also just ok. Two stars.
The Cockpit made me a bit uncomfortable. Two stars.
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Granny. Sweet, three stars.
King of the Rats. Another one that made me uncomfortable, two stars.
A Rare Book of Cunning Device is delightful. Set in a library. Really fun. Four stars.
I was really beginning to think short fiction is just not Ben Aaronovitch’s thing when I got to the second half of the book.
A Dedicated Follower of Fashion. Quite fun, a drug escort in the sixties finds a baby River in his basement, names her Wanda and opens a boutique. Three and a half stars.
Favourite Uncle. I loved this one, Abigail is one of my favourite characters and it was delightful reading a story from her point of view. Four stars.
Vanessa Sommer’s Other Christmas List. I haven’t met Vanessa yet in anything else, but I quite liked this. Three stars.
Three Rivers, Two Husbands and a Baby. Adored this. It was nice to see what happened to the River Lugg and also Dominic and Victor. Five stars.
The Moments: I’ve grouped these together, they are so brief it is hard to classify them. Having just listened to the first six novels on Audible I find they make more sense than when I read them a couple of weeks ago before I listened to them. I’d give them as a group three stars. I did like that they gave me a glimpse into the lives of Nightingale, Reynolds and Tobias Winter. Now onto Lies Sleeping.
The Home Crowd Advantage is just ok. Three stars.
The Domestic also just ok. Two stars.
The Cockpit made me a bit uncomfortable. Two stars.
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Granny. Sweet, three stars.
King of the Rats. Another one that made me uncomfortable, two stars.
A Rare Book of Cunning Device is delightful. Set in a library. Really fun. Four stars.
I was really beginning to think short fiction is just not Ben Aaronovitch’s thing when I got to the second half of the book.
A Dedicated Follower of Fashion. Quite fun, a drug escort in the sixties finds a baby River in his basement, names her Wanda and opens a boutique. Three and a half stars.
Favourite Uncle. I loved this one, Abigail is one of my favourite characters and it was delightful reading a story from her point of view. Four stars.
Vanessa Sommer’s Other Christmas List. I haven’t met Vanessa yet in anything else, but I quite liked this. Three stars.
Three Rivers, Two Husbands and a Baby. Adored this. It was nice to see what happened to the River Lugg and also Dominic and Victor. Five stars.
The Moments: I’ve grouped these together, they are so brief it is hard to classify them. Having just listened to the first six novels on Audible I find they make more sense than when I read them a couple of weeks ago before I listened to them. I’d give them as a group three stars. I did like that they gave me a glimpse into the lives of Nightingale, Reynolds and Tobias Winter. Now onto Lies Sleeping.
January 24, 2021
Just a cash grab. Only two or three stories are remotely interesting and the rest either have 1) non-endings, 2) uninteresting POV, 3) uninteresting plot or 4) all of the above. I don't think it's worth buying even if you're a Peter Grant fan since he was not in most of the stories anyway. I am however looking forward for more Abigail POV story. Other than that, I'll stick with the main series, thank you.
May 26, 2021
Fun but rather dissatisfying fragments.
Unfortunately, my overwhelming impression - however lovely to visit with familiar characters - is that Ben Aaronovitch doesn't write my kind of short story. He calls a handful at the end of the collection 'Moments'; I'd be tempted to call all of these Moments - or perhaps Shaggy Dog Stories, as the 'end' is often just a sly joke (with the cases in hand left unresolved, never actually the point except as set-up).
Expect humorous snapshots of a well-established world; one for the fans, not for people wondering about dipping their toe.
Unfortunately, my overwhelming impression - however lovely to visit with familiar characters - is that Ben Aaronovitch doesn't write my kind of short story. He calls a handful at the end of the collection 'Moments'; I'd be tempted to call all of these Moments - or perhaps Shaggy Dog Stories, as the 'end' is often just a sly joke (with the cases in hand left unresolved, never actually the point except as set-up).
Expect humorous snapshots of a well-established world; one for the fans, not for people wondering about dipping their toe.
August 9, 2020
Great fun !
A great companion piece to the Peter Grant/ Rivers of London series, fleshing out the world he lives and works in. It was great to get some background on the ever expanding cast of characters. I particularly enjoyed the Christmas tale about Abigail and can't wait to hear more in her novella. An enjoyable read !
A great companion piece to the Peter Grant/ Rivers of London series, fleshing out the world he lives and works in. It was great to get some background on the ever expanding cast of characters. I particularly enjoyed the Christmas tale about Abigail and can't wait to hear more in her novella. An enjoyable read !
August 3, 2020
Nicely written
Some very good stories, and at the end some very interesting shorts.
Well worth reading, keeps us readers interested in this world.
Some very good stories, and at the end some very interesting shorts.
Well worth reading, keeps us readers interested in this world.
September 9, 2021
This is a short story and "moments" collection plus two stories GR hadn't listed here separately - all with their own introduction by the author.
The author of the Rivers of London series was asked to pen short stories to hold fans over or to tease them at the end of novels ... which ultimately ended with Aronovitch even penning novellas (that got their own hardcover versions). Some stories were written for the 2012 Olympics, some for charities - but all for fun.
I did review the the individual stories as I read them between the novels (in chronological order) so I shall just link to those reviews:
Nightingale: London 1966
A Dedicated Follower of Fashion
The Home Crowd Advantage
Tobias Winter – Meckenheim 2012
The Domestic
The Cockpit
Reynolds – Florence, Az. 2014
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Granny
King of the Rats
A Rare Book of Cunning Device
Favorite Uncle
The two stries in here that can't be found under their very own entries on GR (yet) are
Vanessa Sommer's Other Christmas List
- This story takes place simultaneously to the 8th novel. I rated it 5 stars if only for the humour that stemmed from the accurately portrayed quirkiness. It's about Tobias Winter's colleague, Vanessa, that we met in the novella about the German version of the Folly and details how she's handling knowing about real magic.
Three Rivers, Two Husbands, and a Baby
- This one takes place after novel 9 but I've read it anyway and rated it 4.5 stars - it's about the river Lugg ... you know ... THAT river where Peter and Bev ... *lol*
No, the stories aren't all groundbreaking - though the author DID get better with time - but they were brilliant for an even better immersion and often had a wonderful atmosphere so the book is a must-buy for all fans of the series.
On top of that, my edition turned out to be signed! I hadn't known that when I bought it (there was no indication) so that made it extra special, of course. :D
The author of the Rivers of London series was asked to pen short stories to hold fans over or to tease them at the end of novels ... which ultimately ended with Aronovitch even penning novellas (that got their own hardcover versions). Some stories were written for the 2012 Olympics, some for charities - but all for fun.
I did review the the individual stories as I read them between the novels (in chronological order) so I shall just link to those reviews:
Nightingale: London 1966
A Dedicated Follower of Fashion
The Home Crowd Advantage
Tobias Winter – Meckenheim 2012
The Domestic
The Cockpit
Reynolds – Florence, Az. 2014
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Granny
King of the Rats
A Rare Book of Cunning Device
Favorite Uncle
The two stries in here that can't be found under their very own entries on GR (yet) are
Vanessa Sommer's Other Christmas List
- This story takes place simultaneously to the 8th novel. I rated it 5 stars if only for the humour that stemmed from the accurately portrayed quirkiness. It's about Tobias Winter's colleague, Vanessa, that we met in the novella about the German version of the Folly and details how she's handling knowing about real magic.
Three Rivers, Two Husbands, and a Baby
- This one takes place after novel 9 but I've read it anyway and rated it 4.5 stars - it's about the river Lugg ... you know ... THAT river where Peter and Bev ... *lol*
No, the stories aren't all groundbreaking - though the author DID get better with time - but they were brilliant for an even better immersion and often had a wonderful atmosphere so the book is a must-buy for all fans of the series.
On top of that, my edition turned out to be signed! I hadn't known that when I bought it (there was no indication) so that made it extra special, of course. :D
January 9, 2022
PODCAST is here :)
(Set all the way back in the swinging sixties)
The trouble with London, from a writer’s point of view, is there is so much of it—extending in all directions including into the past. Every time I visit somewhere in the city I’m always asked when I’m going to include their local river in the books. My answer is always the same, the river goes in when I have a story that includes them and whether or not I have a story depends on whether I can find a satisfying personality that fits the river.
So it was only when I discovered that the Huguenot weavers established their cloth factories along the banks of the River Wandle that I had a sudden insight into what kind of Goddess would live in a river like that. So having established that she was the Goddess of Schmutter I wondered where she might have come from.
Ohh, what a lovely treat. This story happens before the whole Rivers of London saga and is taking place in 60-ties. However, there is no sight of Nightingale as in Moment one Nightingale: London 1966.
The main character is an unnamed avid follower of fashion, who thanks to budding trade makes his name by presenting fashion and selling the fabrics... and drugs to all flower kids around. Unfortunately, thanks to some problems, he needs to take a hide in an old squat with his girlfriend Lily, right-hand Merton and Nigel who is responsible for the squat. And guess what? this exact building is standing right next to a river Wandle... hmmm, hmmm, getting thoughts about it? You better be as the story starts to work its magic soon.
How it all ends is up to you to read, tho do not delay, this is a short story but honestly well developed and played out.
4 happy water kitties to be next fashion stars :)
First sentence: You know that song by The Kinks?
Last sentence: So if you want to know what the herd are going to be wearing next spring, and if you can find us and are prepared to pay the price, you too can join the ranks of the stylish, the à la mode, and truly become a dedicated follower of fashion.
Goodreads Challenge 2022: 4. book
(Set all the way back in the swinging sixties)
The trouble with London, from a writer’s point of view, is there is so much of it—extending in all directions including into the past. Every time I visit somewhere in the city I’m always asked when I’m going to include their local river in the books. My answer is always the same, the river goes in when I have a story that includes them and whether or not I have a story depends on whether I can find a satisfying personality that fits the river.
So it was only when I discovered that the Huguenot weavers established their cloth factories along the banks of the River Wandle that I had a sudden insight into what kind of Goddess would live in a river like that. So having established that she was the Goddess of Schmutter I wondered where she might have come from.
Ohh, what a lovely treat. This story happens before the whole Rivers of London saga and is taking place in 60-ties. However, there is no sight of Nightingale as in Moment one Nightingale: London 1966.
The main character is an unnamed avid follower of fashion, who thanks to budding trade makes his name by presenting fashion and selling the fabrics... and drugs to all flower kids around. Unfortunately, thanks to some problems, he needs to take a hide in an old squat with his girlfriend Lily, right-hand Merton and Nigel who is responsible for the squat. And guess what? this exact building is standing right next to a river Wandle... hmmm, hmmm, getting thoughts about it? You better be as the story starts to work its magic soon.
How it all ends is up to you to read, tho do not delay, this is a short story but honestly well developed and played out.
4 happy water kitties to be next fashion stars :)
First sentence: You know that song by The Kinks?
Last sentence: So if you want to know what the herd are going to be wearing next spring, and if you can find us and are prepared to pay the price, you too can join the ranks of the stylish, the à la mode, and truly become a dedicated follower of fashion.
Goodreads Challenge 2022: 4. book
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