Why Kill the Innocent (2018) C.S. Harris Set in London in 1814 Hero is researching the wives of men who were pressed into the royal navy, specifically, how those women are often left destitute when their husbands are kidnapped off the street. After visiting one such woman, Hero literally stumbles over the body of a […]
Death of a Hollow Man (1989) Caroline Graham The Causton Amateur Dramatic Society is putting on Amadaeus, and its a seething pit of dramas and resentment. He always tried to get home before his wife, not only because she hated finding the house empty but because he looked forward to hearing the continuing saga of […]
An Unsuitable Heir (2017) K.J. Charles (Sins of the City) Set in London in 1873 Mark is a private enquiry agent. He and his mother came to England, fleeing Poland after his mother got in trouble one too many times for her anarchism. Through the lawyer who often defended his mother, he came to know […]
An Unnatural Vice (2017) K.J. Charles Set in London in 1873 This book follows–and in some cases overlaps–An Unseen AttractionClem’s brother is dead, his heir has been made a bastard, and now Clem’s friends are trying to keep Clem’s cousin from throwing him out of his home by searching for another possible heir–the children on […]
An Unseen Attraction (2017) K.J. Charles (Sins of the City) Set in London in 1873 This is a MM boinking book. Clem Tallyfer is the keeper of his brother’s lodging house in London. It’s how he makes his living–surviving on the sufferance of his brother. He’s also different, and that makes things even more difficult. […]
Bewitching Benedict (2017) C.E. Murphy I really enjoyed CE Murphy’s Magic and Manners, so when I saw she had a straight-up historical romance, I put it on my wish list, and then got a surprise when Tania got it for me. Set in the late 1700s (Many of the male characters fought in the Napoleonic […]
A Pattern of Lies (2015) Charles Todd Set in Europe in Autumn 1918 It’s time to take a break from this series. Reading one after the other is making me notice the weaknesses rather than the strengths. It’s unfortunately, because I thought the bits about the mill were very interesting. (A) mill had to be […]
An Unwilling Accomplice (2014) Charles Todd Set in Europe in Autumn 1818. I may need to step away from this series for a little bit, or at least read something in between books, because I’m beginning to wonder just how much murder a nursing sister in the Great War can possibly witness/get involved in. That […]
A Question of Honor (2013) Charles Todd Set in Europe during the summer of 1918. I still really like this historical bits of these stories. The war is still ranging, influenza is still decimating the ranks on both sides, and the militaries are learning how to fight this “new” war. Since the institution of helmets […]
An Unmarked Grave (2012) Charles Todd Set in Europe in the spring of 1918. A new enemy has entered the war, one that indiscriminately cuts down both sides. The Spanish Influenza had already cut down three of our nursing sisters, and two doctors were not expected to live through the night. The rest of us […]
A Brush with Shadows (2018) Anna Lee Huber Set in 1831 in Dartmoor England Lady Darby and her husband Sebastian Gage have been summoned to Dartmoor by Sebastian’s grandfather, because his cousin has gone missing. But when they arrive, it seems that everyone believes Alfred has simply gone off for awhile–he has a deserved reputation […]
A Bitter Truth (2011) Charles Todd Set in Europe in 1917 Bess Crawford is back in London on leave from the war when she finds a young woman hiding in her doorway. Deciding to help her leads to a chain of events including the uncovering of murder. I do love the historical settings of WWI. […]
The Killings at Badger’s Drift (1987) Caroline Graham Miss Emily Simpson was found dead in her home. An elderly woman, her death didn’t seem suspicious, but her best friend, Miss Lucy Bellringer insists that something was wrong and the death should be investigated. I had very very vague memories of this book. First, that Inspector […]
A Conspiracy in Belgravia (2017) Sherry Thomas This is the second Lady Sherlock Holmes book, and as I’ve mentioned before, I generally hate Sherlock Holmes stories, but this one I don’t mind as such, since instead of taking the characters are Doyle wrote them, she has imagined that Sherlock Holmes was based upon a woman, […]
This Side of Murder (2017) Anna Lee Huber Set in England in 1919. Verity Kent is a war-widow. Her husband was killed during the Great War and she has spent the last 15 months trying to come to terms with his dead and adapt to her new status. The period during and immediately after the […]
An Impartial Witness (2010) Charles Todd Set in Europe in 1917. Nursing sister Bess Crawford has just escorted a group of wounded soldiers back to London, including a terribly burned pilot whose picture of his wife was what he turned to through his excruciating first days. When that woman’s murdered body is discovered, Bess realizes […]
A Duty to the Dead (2009) Charles Todd Set in Europe in 1916 Bess Crawford is a nursing sister on the HMHS Britannic when its sunk by the Germans. She’s sent him to recuperate, and also to deliver a message given to her by a dying soldier. The mystery here is good, but what I […]
Shores of Desire (1997) Tracy Grant Set in Europe in 1815 Robert Lescaut is a French colonel and spy, who has come to Scotland to try and discover who killed his wife–a woman he believed was a Scottish Blair. Emma Blair is tired of the feuding between the Blairs and Lauders, so when Captain Robert […]
Dark Angel (1994) Tracy Grant Set in Spain and England in 1813 Adam Durward has used his ability with languages to move throughout Europe, gathering information. He also investigated issues in England, including the problem of exploding canon. Caroline Rawley has known Adam since they were children. Once they were best friends, then things changed […]
A Scot in the Dark (2016) Sarah MacLean Set in London in 1834. Alec Stuart has become the Duke of Warnick, even though he wants nothing to do with the Dukedom–or England. Seventeen dukes, if he were honest, Bernard supposed— all dead. All within the span of a fortnight. It was a turn of events— […]
Dukes Prefer Blondes (2016) Loretta Chase Set in London in 1822. Lady Clara Fairfax is this season’s popular beauty. But she’s turned down multiple marriage proposals, never quite sure of what she wants. Raven Radford is the grandson of a duke, but as his father became a barrister and married a divorcee, he is most […]
Forever Your Earl (2015) Eva Leigh Set in London in 1816. Eleanor Hawke runs one of London’s scandal sheets, and one of their favorite subjects is Lord A–d, a notorious rake. Daniel Balfour, Earl of Ashford, is searching for his best friend, Jonathan Lawson, who returned from the war a changed man. He is trying […]
At Bertram’s Hotel (1966) Agatha Christie Several years ago when I had the flu I started to re-read the Miss Marple mysteries (which I hadn’t done in a couple decades). I read through all my favorites, then stopped once I felt better. Since I’ve been reading books set in the time of her later mysteries, […]
Dead Man Walking: A country house murder mystery with a supernatural twist (2016) Simon R Green I tend to either love Simon R Green’s series, or … not. This is a series I like I think. Ishmael Jones works for a super secret agency that takes care of beings and events that would disturb the […]
The Black Hand (2008) Will Thomas The fifth Barker & Llewelyn book finds the inquiry agent and his apprentice asked to find a solution to mafia killings that have come to London. “Are many of them Sicilian?” “Sicilian?” Dunham asked, as if it were a new word to his vocabulary. “Dunno ’bout that. One I-talian’s […]
As Death Draws Near (2016) Anna Lee Huber Set in Ireland in 1831 Kiera and Sebastian are on their honeymoon when Gage receives a letter from his father, ordering him to Ireland. (A) nun at the Loretto Abbey there, has gotten herself murdered. The matter is of some importance to His Grace, the Duke of […]
A Pressing Engagement (2016) Anna Lee Huber Set in Scotland in 1831 This is a short story, but you should think of it as an outtake from the novels, rather than a stand-alone story you could pick up to read if you are unfamiliar with the characters or want to see if you like the […]
A Study in Death (2015) Anna Lee Huber Set in Scotland in 1831 Lady Darby is slowly returning to society, and has started taking commissions again. Her sister is planning Kiera’s upcoming wedding to Sebastian Gage as a way to deal with her confinement during her pregnancy and as a distraction from the danger she […]
A Grave Matter (2016) Anna Lee Huber Set in Scotland in 1831 After the death of her friend in the previous book, Kiera has fled to her brother’s home (her sister and brother-in-law are in Edinburgh during her sister’s pregnancy), but a New Year’s Eve murder pulls her into another investigation, and back into the […]
Mortal Arts (2013) Anna Lee Huber Set in Scotland in 1830. Alana and her sister and family are setting up in Edinburgh, because Alana is pregnant again, and the local doctor is a quack, and they want her to have access to better care. Their journey–slow as it is with Alana’s carriage sickness–is interrupted with […]
The Anatomist’s Wife (2012) Anna Lee Huber Set in Scotland in 1830. I must have read the first paragraph of about twenty books before I settled on a re-read of The The Anatomist’s Wife. Lady Darby has been hiding at her brother-in-law’s estate after her husband’s death and the ensuing scandal. At a house party, […]
The Custom of the Army (2010) Diana Gabaldon Set in London and Canada One of the things I loved about the story was the brief glimpse of Hal (much of the book is set in the Americas). his brother often did take his daughter out, with the feeble excuse that the child needed air. His […]
The Hellfire Conspiracy (2007) Will Thomas Set in London in 1885. Barker and Llewellyn are pulled into a case possibly involving the white slave trade–the sale of girls into prostitution. I’d seen women in the East End, pursuing their occupation boldly in the light of day, but it had never occurred to me that they […]
Lord John and the Hand of Devils (2007) Diana Gabaldon This is not a novel. This is three novellas: “Lord John and the Hellfire Club” is set in London in 1757. “Lord John and the Succubus” is set in Germany in 1758. “Lord John and the Haunted Soldier” is set mostly in London in 1759. […]
Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade (2007) Diana Gabaldon This is a boinking book, but it’s also a book about family and justice and doing what is right. Although I find Hal (John’s brother) sometimes rather difficult, I think in this book I truly begin to like him. Hal relaxed a bit at […]
Lord John and the Private Matter (2003) Diana Gabaldon Set in London in 1757. I’m have to different mysteries on hold to borrow from the library, and in the meantime, I started about twenty different books and none of them appealed to me, so it was time for a re-read. There were a couple things […]
Rivers of London: Vol. 4 Detective Stories (2017) Ben Aaronovitch, Andrew Cartmel, Luis Guerrero, Lee Sullivan The fourth Rivers of London comic finds Peter being interviewed to become a detective. The gentleman interviewing him is a bit unprepared for what he’s about to get. There is a lot to love about this comic. First off, […]
The Limehouse Text (2006) Will Thomas Set in London in 1885. Inspector Bainbridge has come to Barker with new evidence in the case of the murder of Barker’s former assistant, Quong: a pawn ticket. This reopens a year-old case, and leads to several new murders before Barker and Llewellyn discover the murderer. “What exactly is […]
To Kingdom Come (2005) Will Thomas Set in London in 1884. Unknown Irish bombers have blown up Scotland Yard and several others places in London, as part of their fight for freedom. Because they have threatened another bombing within a month, and because Scotland Yard has been unable to infiltrate the Irish factions, Barker decides […]
A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent (2013) Marie Brennan After publishing many scientific papers upon the natural history of dragons, Lady Trent has finally decided to write her memoirs. This is a fantasy set in a world somewhat like ours, only with dragons, and at a time and place comparable to […]
The Admiral’s Penniless Bride (2011) Carla Kelly Set in England in 1816. Sally Paul is a paid companion. Because she works for older women, she is frequently looking for work, and when she goes to take a job in Plymouth, she discovers the women has already died. This leaves her with nothing, and nowhere to […]
A Long Day in Lychford (2017) Paul Cornell This is not my favorite of the Witches of Lychford stories. It isn’t bad, but the three main characters are separated for part of the book, and their interactions are often the best parts of the book. Not to say that there isn’t plenty of amusement. A […]
You’re the Earl That I Want (2015) Kelly Bowen Set in England in 1818. Heath Hextall never expected to inherit the Earldom. His only goal had been to increase his family wealth. He needs a wife to take care of the things he doesn’t have time for, so he asks one of his best friends […]
The Cryptographer (2015) Alice Wallis-Eton Set in England in 1813. Irritating is, I believe, the best description for this story. There were parts of it I really liked (which is why I finished it) but greater parts were annoying and unnecessary. Aster Tanner is a young woman making her living in a world that makes […]
Delicious (2008) Sherry Thomas Set in England in 1892. This was a fun story–and one full of loving descriptions of food. It also has main characters who are middle aged (30s may not sound middle aged nowdays, but it would have been at a time when most people died in their 50s and 60s.) Verity […]
Nearly a Lady (2011) Alissa Johnson Set in England during the regency. Freddie Blythe and Lilly Ilestone have been barely surviving in Scotland after the death of Freddie’s father and the promise by Lord Haverston to care for his Freddie. Gideon and Lucien Haverston are trying to set their inherited estates to rights after discovering […]
A Rare Book of Cunning Device, Audio Short Story (2017) Ben Aaronovitch narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith This is a Peter Grant short story, available only as an audible short story (currently free). Oh My Dog I love this so much. Peter is summoned to the London British Library because the library (who knew his mother) […]
Who Killed Sherlock Holmes? Audio Edition (2016) Paul Cornell narrated by Damian Lynch Quill’s group is in trouble. After events in the last book, Ross is abrely acknowledging Costain’s existence, Quill is obsessed with the sign outside Hell, and Lofthouse is finally looking into resolving her own problems. The three other members of his team […]
Destined To Last (2010) Alissa Johnson Set in England in ~1814 Lady Kate Cole was, by most accounts, a young woman of exceptional beauty, extraordinary talent, and notable charm. She was also, by all accounts, a woman so remarkably prone to accidents that it was generally considered wise to back away if she happened to […]
McAlistair’s Fortune (2009) Alissa Johnson Set in England in 1814 Evie Cole has lived with her cousins since she was a young girl. After her father’s death in a carriage accident, her mother was unwilling to care for her, so the injured child moved to Haldon Hall and remained there with her cousins. McAlistair worked […]