The Folly

and other short stories from Ben Aaronovitch’s newsletters.

This is where I’ll do little snapshot reviews for the short stories I’ve access to in the Rivers of London world by Ben Aaronovitch.

Thomas and David, Casterbrook, Easter 1914 – Moment Six

This was from one of Ben’s newsletters, a nice little introduction to Thomas and David and an exceptionally intelligent fox. There is quite a bit of foreshadowing here, and an easy start to reading the series.

Moment Fourteen: Aboard the RMS Aquitania, Autumn 1925

Here we see the meeting of Mabel and Augustus Berrycloth-Young onboard a transatlantic liner, a neat little setup for ‘The Masquerades of Spring’, brimming with humour and a little bit of cheek.

Foxes For Christmas – Violet Portchester The Chilterns, Christmas Eve 1946 – Moment Nine

A lovely little Christmassy tale with more about the Parliament of Foxes, and a weird golem-like huntsman and master.

Moment One: Nightingale – London September 1966 – Tales from the Folly

Where we find out who puts the idea of the Jag into Nightingale’s head, and another little sneak of Ettersburg.

Dedicated Follower of Fashion – Tales from the Folly

A nice litte tale of a dealer in chemical substances discovering a God of a River and changing a lot of things, including fashions.

Molly: London, 2011 – Moment Four

A lovely sad little tale from Molly’s persepctive, with all the past behind her, and then a sudden flash of what is to come.

West End Blues

Interesting little blog, sort of culturally relevant (everyone had a blog at the time) but that’s about it.

Moment Three: Tobias Winter – Meckenheim 2012

A nice little bit about the reception of Nightingale getting a new apprentice by the German equivalent of The Folly.

The Home Crowd Advantage

Peter is left alone in London while Thomas is in Aberdeen and is met with a person who wants to commit ‘death by policeman’ but in a magical duel, another little aside which build up Nightingale’s reputation as dangerous and Peter’s reputation as cunning.

The Domestic – Tales from the Folly

A play on the word ‘domestic’, another dark story, this time of spousal abuse with the usual Rivers twist.

The Cockpit – Tales from the Folly

A spooky little tale set in a Waterstones where a routine stock rearrangement angers a developing genius loci which has accumulated from past blood and regular book readings.

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Granny – Tales from the Folly

Another new practitioner and the compassionate side of Beverley.