Rivers of London Books in Order
Police constable Peter Grant is about to be assigned to a desk job when he takes a witness statement from a ghost. That brings him to the Folly, the Metropolitan Police’s tiny unit for magical crime, where Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale makes him the first apprentice wizard in England for decades. The books mix a police procedural with river gods, vampires and London history.
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Series facts
- Books
- 10
- Published
- 2011 to 2025
- First book
- Rivers of London
- Latest
- Stone and Sky (2025)
- Setting
- Set in London
The reading order
Every Rivers of London book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
- 1Rivers of London2011With Peter GrantA headless body in Covent Garden, a ghost as the only witness, and a young constable who can see him.Buy on Amazon
- 2Moon Over Soho2011With Peter GrantJazz musicians in Soho are dying of apparently natural causes, and Peter Grant notices the faint echo of a classic tune around their bodies.Buy on Amazon
- 3Whispers Under Ground2012With Peter GrantAn American art student is found stabbed on the tracks at Baker Street station, and the murder weapon is a shard of enchanted pottery.Buy on Amazon
- 4Broken Homes2013With Peter GrantA mutilated body in Crawley, a missing town planner and a stolen magical book lead Peter Grant and Lesley May to a south London housing estate built to a very odd design.Buy on Amazon
- 5Foxglove Summer2014With Peter GrantTwo girls go missing in a Herefordshire village, and Peter Grant is sent out of London to check that nothing supernatural is involved.Buy on Amazon
- 6The Hanging Tree2016With Peter GrantA teenage girl dies at a party in a luxury Mayfair flat, and one of the guests is the daughter of Lady Ty, goddess of the River Tyburn, who calls in a favour from Peter Grant.Buy on Amazon
- 7Lies Sleeping2018With Peter GrantPeter Grant and the Folly lead a large police operation to bring the Faceless Man to justice, while their quarry prepares something big, tied to London’s deepest history.Buy on Amazon
- 8False Value2020With Peter GrantPeter Grant leaves the police and takes a job as a security guard at the Serious Cybernetics Corporation, a London tech start-up whose founder is chasing an unusual piece of Victorian technology.Buy on Amazon
- 9Amongst Our Weapons2022With Peter GrantA man is murdered in the London Silver Vaults with a beam of light, and the case links to a ring that was stolen long ago.Buy on Amazon
- 10Stone and Sky2025With Peter GrantPeter Grant takes a family holiday in Aberdeen, with Beverley, their twins and his parents, while Nightingale trains Peter’s cousin Abigail.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read the Rivers of London novels in publication order. Each has its own case, but the Faceless Man storyline, Lesley May’s fate and Peter’s relationships build from book to book.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Peter Grant | Thomas Nightingale | Molly | Beverley Brook | Alexander Seawoll | Sahra Guleed | Lesley May | The Faceless Man |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Rivers of London | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ||
| 2 Moon Over Soho | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 3 Whispers Under Ground | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ||
| 4 Broken Homes | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | MMajor |
| 5 Foxglove Summer | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 6 The Hanging Tree | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 7 Lies Sleeping | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | MMajor |
| 8 False Value | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 9 Amongst Our Weapons | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 10 Stone and Sky | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Rivers of London books
8 characters from Ben Aaronovitch’s chart, with the number of Rivers of London books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Peter GrantPolice constable and apprentice wizard | 10 | Rivers of London 2011 |
| Thomas NightingaleDetective chief inspector and Peter's master | 10 | Rivers of London 2011 |
| MollyThe Folly's silent housekeeper | 10 | Rivers of London 2011 |
| Beverley BrookGoddess of a south London river | 9 | Rivers of London 2011 |
| Alexander SeawollDetective chief inspector of the Murder Team | 9 | Rivers of London 2011 |
| Sahra GuleedDetective sergeant | 8 | Whispers Under Ground 2012 |
| Lesley MayPeter's colleague, disfigured in the first book | 6 | Rivers of London 2011 |
| The Faceless ManRogue magician | 4 | Moon Over Soho 2011 |