Ghost hunting using modern Police techniques.
A novella.
There have been ghosts on the London Underground, sad, harmless spectres whose presence does little more than give a frisson to travelling and boost tourism. But now there’s a rash of sightings on the Metropolitan Line and these ghosts are frightening, aggressive and seem to be looking for something.
Enter PC Peter Grant junior member of the Metropolitan Police’s Special Assessment unit a.k.a. The Folly a.k.a. the only police officers whose official duties include ghost hunting. Together with Jaget Kumar, his counterpart at the British Transport Police, he must brave the terrifying the crush of London’s rush hour to find the source of the ghosts.
Joined by Peter’s wannabe wizard cousin, a preschool river god and Toby the ghost hunting dog their investigation takes a darker tone as they realise that a real person’s life might just be on the line.
And time is running out to save them.
With this new novella, bestselling author Ben Aaronovitch has crafted yet another wickedly funny and surprisingly affecting chapter in his beloved Rivers of London series.
Amazon: View on Amazon
Rivers of London
Full series details →The series
At first glance, it’s a murder on a rainy London night. A rookie cop on patrol. A crime scene like any other. But then the witness turns out to be a ghost—and suddenly, everything ordinary fractures.
Read full series description
This is the entry point into Rivers of London, a genre-defying urban fantasy series where the fog-choked streets of London hum with hidden currents of magic, myth, and mystery. Beneath the scaffolding and CCTV, gods dwell in riverbanks, ancient spells linger in dusty basements, and the supernatural isn't just real—it’s part of the paperwork.
What begins with Peter Grant, a probationary constable with a knack for noticing things he shouldn’t, quickly unravels into something stranger and much deeper: a secret unit within the Metropolitan Police devoted to investigating crimes that don’t quite obey the laws of physics. As Peter is reluctantly inducted into the world of magic under the tutelage of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale—a man who remembers World War II a little too clearly—he finds himself juggling crime scenes with ley lines, rogue spirits, and arcane bureaucracy.
The brilliance of this series lies not in flashy spellcraft or epic battles, but in the fusion of crisp procedural logic with the eerie, often chaotic energy of urban folklore. The city isn’t just a setting—it’s a living, breathing entity, brimming with personality, grime, and ghosts. Every corner holds a secret; every case unearths a new layer of the strange architecture that holds London together.
With its dry humor, sharp dialogue, and a protagonist who’s equal parts sarcastic and sincere, the series strikes a tone that’s wry, grounded, and delightfully unpredictable. It’s a world where jazz music can animate the dead, a Victorian townhouse might eat your cat, and river spirits squabble like extended family at a pub.
Over the years, the Rivers of London books have earned a cult following, spawning novellas, graphic novels, and even a tabletop RPG—not just for their imaginative scope, but for their clever pacing, richly diverse cast, and the way they balance the magical with the maddeningly mundane.
This isn’t just another magical London. This is the London—bizarre, bureaucratic, and steeped in secrets you’ll wish you never uncovered.
#1 · 2011Rivers of London 
#2 · 2011Moon Over Soho 
#3 · 2012Whispers Under Ground 
#4 · 2013Broken Homes 
#5 · 2014Foxglove Summer 
#5.3 · 2021What Abigail Did That Summer 
#5.5 · 2017The Furthest Station 
#6 · 2016The Hanging Tree 
#7 · 2018Lies Sleeping 
#7.5 · 2019The October Man 
#8 · 2020False Value 
#9 · 2022Amongst Our Weapons 
#10 · 2025Stone and Sky 
#11 · TBARivers of London Book 11 
2020Tales from the Folly: A Rivers of London Short Story Collection Risingshadow
What did you think of this book?
Share your experience with other Risingshadow readers.
Risingshadow
Reader reviews
1 reviewWhat Risingshadow readers think about this book
Risingshadow
