I have been trying to get back into reading recently. I have shelves of books unread but finding the time to read is challenging because, whilst it is very productive, it feels like I’m procrastinating whilst reading. So, to help fix that, I decided to take a few books out the library to put myself on a bit more of a time limit and where better to start than with a novella.

The Furthest Station by Ben Aaronovitch was the one that I picked up. And dang I am so pleased I did. Although, simultaneously, I am a bit sad because I’ve had access to these books before and never even considered picking them up.

It is exactly my kind of book. A bit of crime and mystery with some personal development all in a surrounding that feels unusual but fantastically familiar to me as an ex-London dweller. The Furthest Station is part of the Peter Grant Series (which are generally full-size novels not like this novella) and whilst I am sure there are some small references that could link to the rest of the series I didn’t feel like I was confused or lacking context on anything by this being my first choice.

The plot centres on them, as part of the special investigations unit based at The Folly, trying to figure out what is causing an increase in ghosts along the metropolitan line. And after some discussions with them and watching them all crumble away they go on a wild ghost chase of trying to save a princess in a glass castle.

We find out a little about the background of The Folly and those that have come and gone over the years as well as how it operated on a local and national level and all of this is woven fantastically to be part of the journey in the story.

Ghosts in jars, a silly little dog, camaraderie and London all combined into about 100 pages of exquisite writing and story enhancement. This book was truly an absolute delight and now I’m trying to see how long I can hold off from buying the full collection of them for my shelves (hint: by the time you read this, I’ve caved).