Ben Aaronovitch Books In Order – Complete List of Novels

Last Updated on October 26, 2023

Ben Aaronovitch is the author of the popular paranormal mystery series Peter Grant, featuring police constable Peter Grant, who is also the first English apprentice wizard in several decades.  Reading the author’s books in order starts with Rivers of London, his debut novel and so far most popular book, which has also been published under the title Midnight Riot. While officially the series is called Peter Grant series (due to the main character’s name), many people call it Rivers of London books (based on the series’ first book).

Here are the Ben Aaronovitch books in order for his bestselling series and his novelizations of the Doctor Who series.

Latest Ben Aaronovitch Books

Rivers of London Book Series in Publication Order

1. Midnight Riot, 2011 (also titled Rivers Of London)
2. Moon Over Soho, 2011
3. Whispers Under Ground, 2011
4. Broken Homes, 2013
5. Foxglove Summer, 2014
6. The Hanging Tree, 2016
7. Lies Sleeping, 2018
8. False Value, 2020
9. Amongst Our Weapons, 2022

Peter Grant Series Short Stories in Publication Order

1. The Home Crowd Advantage, 2012
2. What Abigail Did That Summer, 2021
3. The Furthest Station, 2017
4. A Rare Book of Cunning Device, 2017
5. The October Man, 2019
6. Winter‘s Gifts, 2023

Peter Grant Series /Rivers of London Graphic Novels

• Vol. 1: Body Work, 2015
• Vol. 2: Night Witch, 2016
• Vol. 3: Black Mould, 2017
• Vol. 4: Detective Stories, 2017
• Vol. 5: Cry Fox, 2018
• Vol. 6: Water Weed, 2018
• Vol. 7: Action at a Distance, 2019
• Vol. 8: The Fey and the Furious, 2019
• Vol. 9: Monday, 2021
• Vol. 10: Deadly Every After, 2022

Peter Grant Anthology and Short Story Collection

• Tales from the Folly, 2020 -includes previously published stories and brand new tales released for the first time.

Other Ben Aaronovitch Works

• Remembrance of the Daleks (Doctor Who novelization), 1988
• Transit (Doctor Who novelization), 1992
• The Also People (Doctor Who novelization), 1995
• So Vile a Sin (with Kate Orman) (Doctor Who novelization), 1997
• Genius Loci (Genius Loci novelization), 2006

Rivers of London Series Overview

Meet Peter Grant, an aspiring officer in London’s Metropolitan Police, eager to become a detective. But fate veers him off-course into the Case Progression Unit, a quiet division.

A twist arrives with a mysterious murder, granting Grant insight from an unexpected source—a ghostly eyewitness. His unique ability catches the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, an expert in supernatural cases.

The narrative unfolds with gruesome murders enveloping the city. Grant is thrust into a world where ancient darkness rises, mingling with rekindled magic. Gods, humans, and forgotten malevolence entwine, blurring reality’s edge in an eerie dance.

Moon Over Soho – Apprentice wizard and London Police Constable Peter Grant’s focus is captured by an oddity: a song. While investigating the dead body oof jazz drummer/accountant Cyrus Wilkinson on-stage at Soho’s 606 Club, Peter and pathologist Dr. Abdul Haqq Walid detect the ghostly notes of an old jazz standard resonating from the body. This eerie sign hints at a hidden truth.

Guided by these clues, Peter embarks on a hazardous probe into similar deaths in Soho. Aided by his mentor Nightingale and jazz enthusiast Simone Fitzwilliam, he delves into a realm of lethal magic, pursuing answers beneath the city’s surface.

Whispers Under Ground – In North London’s Tufnell Park, train tracks connect to King’s Cross under a schoolyard, creating a mix of darkness and attraction.

Clues of the supernatural clung to the murder weapon. Surprisingly, the victim had ties to a US senator, drawing FBI agent Kimberley Reynolds and her strong beliefs into the case. Amid London’s hidden tunnels and remnants of the past, strange sounds emerged…

Broken Homes – A gruesome murder in Crawley. A dangerous killer is on the loose. The main suspect is Robert Weil, who might be connected to the twisted magician called the Faceless Man. Or is he just a regular serial killer?

PC Peter Grant is assigned to the case, but more complications arise. A town planner’s death and a stolen magical book are added to his workload. All of this is quite normal for London.

Could there be a link between these cases? And if there is, why did it happen in the less desirable part of town, South of the River Thames?

Foxglove Summer – In a departure from urban familiarity, Peter Grant’s path leads him beyond London’s limits, transporting him to a quaint Herefordshire village. Here, a disconcerting vanishing act concerning local children unravels, shrouded in police denial of supernatural involvement. The urban mettle that defines Grant remains steadfast, even in rural areas.

In the company of Beverley Brook, his journey unfolds westward, immersing him in a labyrinthine enigma. Local law enforcement and ancient deities converge, testing his resolve. As if these challenges weren’t enough, the quaint village harbors the eccentricity of early shop closures.

The Hanging Tree – The Hanging Tree, once Tyburn’s gallows, stands where Marble Arch now rises. History repeats—Oxford Street, the route of the condemned. The eerie legacy persists, as blood taints Mayfair’s vacant mansions, owned by the ultra-wealthy. Blood intertwined with magic calls for Peter Grant.

Peter returns, alongside Nightingale and others at the Folly, including river spirits and ghosts that link to England’s last wizard and the Met’s supernatural investigator.

Amid his pursuits, Peter refines his spellcraft and partners with formidable DC Sahra Guleed. The case transcends expectations, revealing a labyrinthine complexity.

Lies Sleeping – The notorious Faceless Man, Martin Chorley, sought for heinous crimes, is unmasked and fleeing. Peter Grant, Detective Constable and budding wizard plays a pivotal role in a unique collaboration to capture Chorley.

As the vast might of the the Met targets their adversary, Peter discovers hints that Chorley’s scheme isn’t over—it’s evolving. A scheme rooted in London’s bloody two-thousand-year history, threatening to bring the city to its knees.

To rescue his cherished city, Peter must seek aid from his former friend and colleague, Lesley May, who once betrayed him and her beliefs. Furthermore, he might face the sinister supernatural menace known as Mr Punch…

False Value – Facing fatherhood and an uncertain future, Peter’s emotions oscillate between anxiety and excitement. Rejecting passivity, he joins the nascent London venture of Terrence Skinner, a tech genius from Silicon Valley, known as the Serious Cybernetics Company.

Thrown into the vibrant world of Old Street’s “silicon roundabout,” Peter navigates interactions with civilians and tech enthusiasts, aiming to blend in. Compared to his previous roles, he expects this one to be straightforward. However, Mama Grant’s son remains entangled in the realm of magic.

Beneath the façade of the SCC, Terrence Skinner holds a hidden treasure—a technology bridging Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage’s era to the future of artificial intelligence. This secret isn’t just technological but also holds a magical essence fraught with peril.

Amongst Our Weapons – Beneath this vast city lies a hidden world. The London Silver Vaults—holding the world’s largest collection of silver for over a century. More secure than the Bank of England, more watched than a celebrity clash. Yet, a murder unfolds there, shrouded in a blinding flash and memory gaps among witnesses.

Detective Constable Peter Grant and the Special Assessment Unit, led by DCI Thomas Nightingale, dive in this perplexity. The enigma spans London’s history, foreign realms, and the fearsome North. Amidst it, Peter races, as his partner Beverley awaits twins. Little does he know, an unforeseen encounter is imminent…

Peter Grant Graphic Novels Overview

The Peter Grant graphic novels are  set in the same universe as the Rivers of London book series. They follow the adventures of our main police constable in London who discovers he has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts, as well as other supernatural entities.

A number of different artists, including Lee Sullivan, Andrew Cartmel, and Luis Guerrero illustrates them. They adapt and expand upon the storylines of the novels, adding new characters, events, and details.

The first graphic novel, Body Work, was published in 2015, and since then, several more have been released, including Night Witch, Black Mould, and Water Weed. The latest installment, Deadly Every After, was released in 2022.

Body Work – He investigates a series of car-related magical crimes, including a possessed car and a mysterious accident that killed a wealthy collector. It is set between Broken Homes and Foxglove Summer.

Night Witch – Peter works a string of brutal murders linked to a Russian witch who is seeking revenge for past crimes. It is between Foxglove Summer and The Hanging Tree.

Black Mould – Peter investigates a haunted housing development, which leads him to discover a conspiracy involving a wealthy developer and a dangerous spirit. It is Set between Night Witch and The Hanging Tree.

Detective Stories – This short story collection features Peter investigating various magical crimes, including a missing person case, a haunted library, and a series of robberies. It is set between The Hanging Tree and Cry Fox.

Cry Fox – Peter and his colleagues investigate a series of burglaries that seem to be linked to a group of foxes who can shape-shift into humans. It is set between Detective Stories and Water Weed.

Water Weed – Peter checks out a mysterious drowning in the Thames, which leads him to discover a dangerous cult and a powerful water spirit.

Action at a Distance – Peter travels to America to help his friend and fellow wizard, Beverly Brook, investigate a series of magical disturbances in New York City.

The Fey and the Furious – Peter investigates a string of magical car-related crimes, which leads him to a deadly race involving faeries, and a confrontation with an old enemy. It is set after what happened in Lies Sleeping.

Monday – The story follows our favorite a police officer and apprentice wizard Peter Grant, as he investigates some muggings with a touch of magic to them. It’s day-to-day police work as Peter adjusts to fatherhood. Follows on from The Fey and the Furious and is set after the events in Lies Sleeping.

Deadly Every After –  It is a companion to the popular book series. The story is filled with dark creatures, family secrets, and a bit of the fae to make things difficult. It is set after Lies Sleeping.

Rivers of London Novel Series Main Characters

Peter Grant – The protagonist of the series, Peter is a young police constable who discovers he has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts and other supernatural entities. He becomes a wizard apprentice to Tom Nightingale and is tasked with investigating supernatural crimes in London and finding vicious killers. Peter is witty, and intelligent, and often finds himself in dangerous situations.

Peter is from North London with an accent that easily betrays him. Readers of the Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher will love our hero. Author Ben Aaronovitch has loosely created the series based on Inspector Rebus, Morse or the 87th Precinct book, writing each book as case files for their procedural aspects.

Thomas Nightingale – The head of the Folly, the magical branch of the Metropolitan Police, and Peter’s mentor. Nightingale is an old and powerful wizard with a deep knowledge of London’s magical history. He is reserved, calm, and serious, often countering Peter’s more impulsive nature.

Lesley May – Peter’s friend and former colleague who also becomes a wizard apprentice. Lesley is intelligent, resourceful, and ambitious. She is also a victim of a supernatural attack, which leaves her disfigured and struggling to adapt to her new life.

Beverley Brook – A river goddess who is a friend and ally to Peter. Beverley is powerful and enigmatic, deeply understanding London’s rivers and waterways.

Molly – Nightingale’s mysterious and powerful housekeeper is revealed to be a vampire. Molly is reserved and deadly, with a fierce loyalty to Nightingale.

Sahra Guleed – A Muslim police officer who becomes a friend and ally to Peter. Sahra is brave, determined, and compassionate, providing a different perspective on magic and policing.

Abigail Kamara – Abigail is the teenage daughter of a Sierra Leonean immigrant and a single mother. She becomes involved with Peter after he helps her with a ghost problem and he becomes something of a mentor to her, teaching her about magic and the supernatural. Abigail is smart, resourceful, and adventurous, and she often helps Peter and his colleagues with their cases.

Detective Chief Inspector Alexander Seawoll – Seawoll is a senior police officer, who is initially skeptical of Peter’s unconventional methods and magical abilities. He is portrayed as a gruff and no-nonsense character, who is highly experienced and respected within the force. However, as the series progresses, Seawoll develops a grudging respect for Peter and comes to appreciate the results he is able to achieve.

Detective Sergeant Miriam Stephanopoulos – She is a Greek Cypriot woman and a fellow detective. She is initially portrayed as a somewhat aloof and formal character, but over time, she becomes a close ally of Peter’s. Miriam is highly competent and efficient, and is often able to provide crucial insights into the cases that Peter and his team are working on.

Toby – Toby is Peter’s dog, who plays a small but essential role in the series. Toby is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, who is fiercely loyal to Peter and is often at his side during investigations. Toby is a highly intelligent and perceptive dog, and is able to sense danger and potential threats before Peter is even aware of them. Despite his tough exterior, Toby is also shown to be a loving and affectionate pet, who is deeply attached to Peter.

Ben Aaronovitch Biography – About the Author

Ben Aaronovitch was born in 1964 in Camden and was raised in London. His father is Sam Aaronovitch, a well-known economist/academic who was one of the senior members of the Communist Party of Great Britain, and his elder brothers, David Aaronovitch, a British journalist, and Owen Aaronovitch, a Coronation Street actor. His family also includes a couple of sisters and a dog.

Ben went to Holloway School. In his early 20s, he realized that he has a knack for writing and that he enjoys it. Also, he hated doing physical work of any kind and felt that writing was the only thing he was really good at.

The first books by Ben Aaronovitch were two Doctor Who serials for the BBC, followed by an episode of Casualty. He even wrote for SF soap opera Jupiter Moon.

Next, he wrote several Doctor Who novelizations and original novels. He was, in fact, the very first Doctor Who author who made Daleks levitate.At some point in his career, he also sold books for Waterstones, when his writing career seemed to be in a funk.

As he was shelving sci-fi books in the store, he decided that he would be best suited to write his own books rather than write for others. And so the Rivers of London series was born and, with it, the new popular series as well.

The books are part urban fantasy part magic-infused police procedural with a very British flair. The main character of the series, Peter Grant, is a Police Constable and a magician’s apprentice. He is also the biracial son of a jazz musician and an African immigrant. His humor is engaging and very personal to him. Some of the lines in the book make you really laugh out loud.

Before publishing Midnight Riot, the author gave it the work title Magic Cops. It would have been a TV story, however, after he watched the new (at the time) Dresden Files TV show by SciFi, he realized that the two characters are very similar, so he put the TV idea aside.

Next, he read the Dresden Files book and noted too many similarities between Harry and Peter’s storylines, so Ben had to rethink his strategy, lest he is called a literary thief. He even had to change the magic Peter was used to be different from Harry’s complex magic system.

Initially, he wrote Peter as a woman with parents from Jamaica. However, as the character grew, Ben realized that the main role best suited a man.

However, a lot of folklore is also included in the books. For example, The Goddess of the Thames is a Nigerian immigrant. Father Thames is an old guy who was around during the Romano-Celt times who has returned after being away since the 19th Century.

In addition to his novelizations, Aaronovitch also wrote several Doctor Who comic strips for the magazine Doctor Who Magazine in the late 1980s and early 1990s. These strips include The Mark of Mandragora, The Good Soldier, Prologue, The Fallen, and The Chameleon Factor.

Ben Aaronovitch’s contributions to the Doctor Who universe – Doctor Who and Doctor Who New Adventures series – have been well-received by fans and critics alike, and his work is considered an important part of the show’s legacy.

The author is currently living in Wimbledon and is full time working on his urban fantasy mystery series. He was alsoinvolved with Cityread in London, an event which is celebrated each April, where people read one book a month. Rivers of London was part of one such month where people would read only that book in London. Of course, the fact that the book title has “London” in it helped as well.