The Folly Irregulars discussion

Rivers of London Chronology

The following is the official chronology as of 24th September 2021.
Queries, comments, corrections etc. are welcome.

Key
SS = Short stories and Moments.
GN = Graphic Novel.
NV = Novella.


SS - Moment 6 - "Thomas and David - Casterbrook, Easter 1916", late April 1916.

GN - “Monday Monday”, 1916 (Nightingale at Casterbrook scenes), and March 1939 (WWII scenes).

GN – "Action at a Distance", 1943 (WWII scenes), early October 1957 (main story).

SS – Moment 1 - "Nightingale - London, September 1966".

SS – "A Dedicated Follower of Fashion", late 1966.

SS - Moment 4 - “The Folly, 24th December 2011”.

“Rivers of London”, late January - midsummer day (June 23rd) 2012.

SS – Moment 3 – "Tobias Winter - Meckenheim 2012", late June 2012.

[SS – "The Home Crowd Advantage", Friday 27th July, 2012.]

“Moon Over Soho”, late August/early September - early October 2012.

SS – "The Domestic", between October and December 2012.

“Whispers Under Ground”, 23rd December to 27th December 2012.

SS – “The Cockpit”, between January and February 2013.

“Broken Homes”, March and April 2013.

GN - “Bodywork”, between May and July 2013.

“Foxglove Summer”, August 2013.

NV - “What Abigail Did That Summer”, August 2013.

SS – “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Granny”, August 2013.

GN – “Night Witch”, August 2013.

SS – “Favourite Uncle”, late December 2013.

GN – “Black Mould”, early 2014.

SS – “King of the Rats”, early 2014.

SS - Moment 5, “Bailey - Camden, February 2014”.

NV - “The Furthest Station”, late July 2014.

GN – “Detective Stories”, August 2014.

SS – Moment 2 - “Reynolds - Florence, AZ, 2014”.

“The Hanging Tree”, late 2014.

GN – “Cry Fox”, late 2014.

GN – “Water Weed”, late 2014.

SS – “A Rare Book of Cunning Device”, late 2014.

NV - “The October Man”, late September- early October 2014.

“Lies Sleeping”, mid November 2014.

SS – “Three Rivers, Two Husbands and a Baby”, summer 2015.

GN – “The Fey and the Furious”, some time in 2015.

SS – “Vanessa Sommers Other Christmas List”, December 2015.

“False Value”, January 2016.

SS - “Cock of the Wall”, early 2016.

SS - Moment 7, “Tobi and Vani - Mayday 2016”, May 1st, 2016.

GN - "Action at a Distance", summer 2016 (Present day scenes).

GN - “Monday, Monday”, summer 2016.

Hello guys!

I just read a short story that is a part of the canon and which was published in this anthology: https://argo.cz/foreign-rights/153158-2/

Since the good folks who add books to the "Rivers" series add even short stories and moments, I wanted to add this one as well but was informed by the librarians of Goodreads that since it wasn't published anywhere else independently, it doesn't qualify. Still, wanted to let you know about it . ]

The name of the story "Miroslav's Fabulous Hand" or "Miroslavova úžasná ruka" as it was only published translated to Czech, it's 25 pages and would probably qualify as "Rivers of London #0.4" or something like that (it's set between 1923 and 1939). Here's the first page of the story: https://www.facebook.com/fantastikava...

Odd... I've not heard of it before. I've sent a Tweet to Ben asking for clarification.

Well 🤷‍♂️ I found it thanks to my library’s search system x ) And was glad for this random discovery.

Let us know what you find out! To be honest it was a bit strange, reading it not in English, wasn’t even sure what they were talking about when Nightingale first said “Folly” but in a Czech translation : )

I'll be sure and let you know what happens.

This list is fantastic, Ronnie. Thanks so much for posting it.

Lata wrote: "This list is fantastic, Ronnie. Thanks so much for posting it."

No problem. Happy to help.

Hi, just found this group because I'd been searching for a chronology, having tried to work it out myself for the novels. Fantastic resource, thank you!

I'm rereading the later novels, and had picked up the (unimportant for the plot, but good for dating) mentions of Michelle Obama's London visit in Lies Sleeping and the death of Bowie in False Value. Although Lies Sleeping starts with a memo dated November 2014 there's a reference (view spoiler)[ to Guleed having started to see Michael 8 months ago October, (hide spoiler)] so I think the main action is around May/June 2015? The Obamas came a few times, but that fits in with Michelle Obama visiting a school.

Which confirmed another thought I've had for a while about where this is all heading. (view spoiler)[ Peter, as the lesser of two evils, unpinned Punch from London Bridge June 2015. False Value, set in January (and February?) 2016 doesn't have Lesley or Punch in it (it's an interlude rather like Foxglove Summer), so presumably the next novel is going to be back on the main story line with Lesley and Punch and will be set in the spring of 2016. What, I wonder, happened in June 2016 that Ben might want to attribute to Mr Punch...? (hide spoiler)]

Interesting thoughts, Astolat!

Indeed! Interesting analysis.

Just made a quick update to the series chronology to include the events of "Monday Monday" issue 3.

EEK! I just realised I've not updated the chronology in over two years.
Ladies and gentlemen, you have my most sincere apologies.

I'll split it into three for ease of reading.

The following is the unofficial chronology as of December 2023.

Key
SS = Short stories and Moments.
GN = Graphic Novel.
NV = Novella.

GN - “Deadly Ever After”, 1897 (Pages 1-2 of issue 1).
SS - Moment 6 - "Thomas and David - Casterbrook, Easter 1916", late April 1916.
GN - “Monday, Monday”, 1916 (Nightingale at Casterbrook scenes).
NV - [“The Masquerades of Spring”, New York, 1920s]
SS - “Miroslav’s Fabulous Hand”, Prague, 14th March 1939, and London, September 1923.
GN - “Monday, Monday”, March 1939 (WWII scenes).
GN – "Action at a Distance", 1943 (WWII scenes).
SS - Moment 9 - “Foxes for Christmas - Violet Portchester, The Chilterns, Christmas Eve 1946”, December 24th, 1946.
GN - “Action at a Distance”, early October 1957 (main story).
SS – Moment 1 - "Nightingale - London, September 1966".
SS – "A Dedicated Follower of Fashion", 1966.
SS - Moment 4 - “The Folly, 24th December 2011”.
“Rivers of London”, late January - midsummer day (June 23rd) 2012.
SS – Moment 3 – "Tobias Winter - Meckenheim 2012", late June 2012.

Note: "The Masquerades of Spring" is the new novella, due for publication on the 5th of September 2024.

Part Two.

[SS – "The Home Crowd Advantage", Friday 27th July, 2012.]
“Moon Over Soho”, late August/early September - early October 2012.
SS – "The Domestic", between October and December 2012.
“Whispers Under Ground”, 23rd December to 27th December 2012.
SS – “The Cockpit”, between January and February 2013.
“Broken Homes”, March and April 2013.
GN - “Bodywork”, between May and July 2013.
“Foxglove Summer”, August 2013.
NV - “What Abigail Did That Summer”, August 2013.
SS – “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Granny”, August 2013, .
GN – “Night Witch”, August 2013.
SS – “Favourite Uncle”, late December 2013.
GN – “Black Mould”, early 2014.
SS – “King of the Rats”, early 2014.
SS - Moment 5, “Bailey - Camden, February 2014”.
NV - “The Furthest Station”, late July 2014.
GN – “Detective Stories”, August 2014.
SS – Moment 2 - “Reynolds - Florence, AZ, 2014”.
“The Hanging Tree”, late 2014.
GN – “Cry Fox”, late 2014.
GN – “Water Weed”, late 2014.
SS – “A Rare Book of Cunning Device”, late 2014.
NV - “The October Man”, late September- early October 2014.
“Lies Sleeping”, mid November 2014.
NV - "Winter's Gifts", November 2014.

Part Three.

SS – “Three Rivers, Two Husbands and a Baby”, summer 2015.
GN – “The Fey and the Furious”, some time in 2015.
SS - Moment 14, “Reynolds: Allcroft, NH. November 2015”.
SS – “Vanessa Sommers Other Christmas List”, December 2015.
“False Value”, December 2015 and January 2016.
SS - “Cock of the Wall”, early 2016.
SS - Moment 10, “Under Kite Hill”, 16th February 2016.
SS - Moment 8, “Peter’s Signare”, March 2016.
“Amongst Our Weapons”, April 2016.
SS - Moment 7, “Tobi and Vani - Mayday 2016”, May 1st, 2016.
GN - "Action at a Distance", summer 2016 (Present day scenes).
GN - “Monday, Monday”, summer 2016.
GN - “Deadly Ever After”, 2017 (Present day scenes, “Some 120 years later”).
SS - Moment 13, “Peter and Zach, the Folly”, February 14th 2018.
GN - “Here Be Dragons”, late November 2018.
SS - Moment 11, “The Big Straw HamperThingy Job – London, Violet Night 2019”, December 25th, Christmas Day, 2019.

Awesome. Thanks, Ronnie!

You're very welcome. I'm always happy to help. :)

Oh wow! This is so great, Ronnie! I am going to try a reread sometime, using the chrono list as my guide.

I'm pretty sure a special Christmas Moment will be included with the next edition of the email newsletter.

But in the meantime on Twitter/X, Ben is asking lots of questions about Aberdeen.
So I assume that's research for the next novel.

Thanks for this. I hadn't realised that Winter's Gifts was so early in the chronology!

Anne wrote: "Thanks for this. I hadn't realised that Winter's Gifts was so early in the chronology!"

It's been discussed in the Lord Grant's Irregulars FB group (which you'd all be welcome to join), and the consensus is it takes place more or less simultaneously with "Lies Sleeping".

Issue #1 of the next graphic novel, "Stray Cat Blues", has just been published.

The infographic at the start of the comic says the story takes place after "Here Be Dragons" (November 2018).

That being the case, I'm tentatively placing "Stray Cat Blues" in spring/summer 2019.
Exterior scenes show leaves on the trees, and characters wearing summer type clothing.

I am so behind on the graphic novels.

Now that #4 of "Stray Cat Blues" is out, I'm revising the timeline a bit.

The main story seems to be taking place in the fall/autumn of 2018, more or less at the same time as "Here Be Dragons".

The framing sequence, Indigo the fox giving Peter and Nightingale an after action report, takes place in late December 2018.

I guess I need to catch up on the graphic novels :D

The new Moment (#14) from the email newsletter is set in the Autumn of 1925 and acts as a prologue to "The Masquerades of Spring".

Tantalizing!

The new moment (#15) from the email newsletter is set in Pitlochry, Scotland on the 5th of January 1978.