A Stranger in Mayfair (2010) Charles Finch Set in England in ~1867. The story begins with Charles and Lady Jane ending their Honeymoon on the continent, and returning to London where Charles will begin his political career and the two adjust to married life. As with the previous book, my favorite parts were the historical […]
The Fleet Street Murders (2009) Charles Finch Set in England in 1867. Two prominent journalists are discovered murdered, and the link between the two is the trial and execution of a traitor. Meanwhile, Charles has decided to stand for Parliament–for an area he’d never previously even visited, because that was politics at that time. We […]
The September Society (2008) Charles Finch Set in England in 1866 This is the second Charles Lennox mystery; I’d picked up much of the series on sale as ebooks, so since I’d read the first (and second) books years ago, I felt okay picking up the series here. I also remembered that I wasn’t enamored […]
A Vigil of Spies (2008) Candace Robb Set in England in 1373 Archbishop Thoresby of York is dying. He has lived far longer than most people in his time and place, and now he finishing all the little things left undone in the time he has left. Perhaps he was a foolish old man, but […]
The Guilt of Innocents (2006) Candace Robb Set in England in 1372 A river pilot falls into a the Ouse during a skirmish with students (male) from the Minster School. When pulled from the river he is found to have cuts that start bleeding just as head of a competing and rival school comes into […]
The Cross-Legged Knight (2006) Candace Robb Set in England in 1371. Lucie has been recovering from a fall that caused her to lose the baby she was carrying, and as she recovers she struggles not only with a darkness that has fallen upon her, as well as Owen’s protectiveness, which makes her feel worse. Lucie […]
A Spy for the Redeemer (2002) Candace Robb Set in Wales and Yoak in 1371. Owen has not yet left Wales. He is finishing his mission for the Duke of Lancaster and making sure his father-in-laws tomb is finished, but he is also wondering what would change if he chose to stay and fight for […]
A Gift of Sanctuary (1998) Candace Robb Set in Wales in 1371. Owen Archer finds himself accompanying his father-in-law on a pilgrimage to Wales. ‘Age brings many blessings,’ Michaelo said. ‘And much humiliation,’ Sir Robert retorted. Owen and Geoffery Chaucer are on a secret mission to determine whether a Welsh upstart (Owain Lawgoch, or Owain […]
Rivers of London: Night Witch (2016) by Ben Aaronovitch, Andrew Cartmel, Lee Sullivan, Luis Guerrero You get an alternative cover, because this is WAY more awesome than any of the actual covers. If it isn’t obvious, this story focuses a good deal upon Varvara Sidorovna Tamonina, the Russian Night Witch captured by Peter and Thomas […]
The Riddle of St. Leonard’s (1997) Candace Robb Set in England in 1369 The plague has again come to England, although not as severe as the previous two outbreaks, it still strikes fear into everyone, as they attempt to find ways to protect themselves. Aromatic fires burned everywhere to ward off the pestilence, creating a […]
The King’s Bishop (1996) Candace Robb Set in England in 1367 Sir William of Wyndesore’s page is found in the icy moat of Windsor Castle, and although the death doesn’t look natural, the page is hurriedly buried, even though many blame Ned Townley, Lancaster’s spy, who fought with him the night before. Owen is sent […]
The Nun’s Tale (1995) Candace Robb Set in England in 1366. This is the first Owen Archer book I read, many years ago, and I have forgotten how very unlikable the nun of the title was. (T)here is yet something else— something that frightens her. She was given the last rites in Beverley. She fears […]
The Lady Chapel (1994) Candace Robb Set England in 1365. The second Owen Archer mystery finds Owen and Lucie married–her now the Apothecary and him her apprentice. When a mercer (a trader in textiles) is murdered and his had left in the room of his business partner, Archbishop Thoresby sends Owen to search out why […]
The Apothecary Rose (1993) Candace Robb Set in England 1363 I picked up random books from this series years ago, and then got frustrated because I couldn’t find more books in the series, and so forgot about it. Then I saw the series pop up on an eBook sale on Amazon, and grabbed the first […]
A Matter of Magic (2010): Mairelon the Magician (1991) and The Magician’s Ward (1997) Patricia C. Wrede Kim has been living on the streets, hiding the fact she’s a girl, and living by her wits as best she can. When she is offered a small fortune to check out the wagon of a traveling magician, […]
To Charm a Naughty Countess (2014) Theresa Romain Set in England in 1816 I wanted to love this story. Instead, I just liked it, despite often feeling irritated at times. Michael Layward, the Duke of Wyverne has learned that his estate is out of money, and no one is willing to extend him credit any […]
As Death Draws Near (2016) Anna Lee Huber Set in England and Ireland in 1831 Lady Kiera Darby and Sebastian Gage are honeymooning in Keswick when he receives orders from his father to go to Ireland to investigate the death of a nun, who happened to have been the niece of Wellington. They decided to […]
A Gift for Guile (2016) Alissa Johnson Set in London in 1872 This is the second book in the Thief-Takers series, and follows the second sister, Esther, and the private investigator, Samuel Brass. Esther has sneaked into London, and is caught at underground by the Samuel Brass, who ruins the meeting she was getting ready […]
Your Scandalous Ways (2008) Loretta Chase Set in Venice in 1820 Francesca Bonnard is probably the most successful whore in Venice, perhaps even Italy. After a scandalous divorce, she fled to the continent and remade herself in one of the most sought after courtesans in Italy. “Ah, yes,” he said. “Your position. A divorcée.” “Divorziata […]
Lady of the Ashes (2013) Christine Trent Set in London in 1861 Violet Morgan is the wife of an undertaker who has joined her husband in his job, because she discovered she is very good at it. However, over time her husband’s obsession with the United States beings to cause problems for their marriage, as […]
The Mystery Woman (2013) Amanda Quick Beatrice Lockwood fled the Academy of the Occult after the death of her mentor, Roland Fleming. She now is employed as an agent by Flint & Marsh. Joshua Gage had been an agent for the Crown, before his injury in the line of duty, and he doesn’t believe in […]
Dinner Most Deadly (2015) Sherri Cobb South Set in London in ~1808 OK. I’m done. Which is too bad, because I really liked the mysteries. But I despise cliff-hanger endings, and two in a row are my limit. Lady Fieldhurst has returned from Scotland blue-deviled, so her friend Emily Dunnington has a dinner party to […]
Family Plot (2014) Sherri Cobb South Set in Scotland ~1808 Lady Fieldhurst has once again embarrassed her in-laws, and so she is sent to the country with the sons of the new Lord Fieldhurst. (The boys who discovered they were now bastards, as their father was a bigamist, yet still allowed to inherit the viscountcy.) […]
The Dark Side of The Road (2015) Simon R. Green I have an off-and-on relationship with Simon Green’s stories. Some I love very much (Nightside) while others, I just can’t get into (The Secret Histories). But finding it on sale, I decided to give this new book a try. Ishmael Jones lives under the radar, […]
A Dead Bore (2008) Sherri Cobb South Set in Yorkshire in ~1808 Wanting to escape the family of her murdered husband (and the scandal attached to those events) Lady Fieldhurst accepts an invitation to Yorkshire. However, soon after her arrival, the local rector is killed in a fire during a terrible storm, and circumstances lead […]
In Milady’s Chamber (2006) Sheri Cobb South Set in London in ~1808 Lady Fieldhurst finally decides to take a lover, however, she receives the unpleasant surprise of her husband in her bedroom–murdered. John Pickett, a new Bow Street Runner, is assigned to the case, although Mr. Colquhoun, his Magistrate, has misgivings about giving a murder […]
Witches of Lychford (2015) Paul Cornell I thoroughly enjoyed London Falling, and so ordered both the sequel, and also this unrelated short story, when I saw them. However, London Falling was a very complicated story that required my attention to keep things straight, so I put off reading The Severed Streets and this short story, […]
London Gambit (2016) Tracy Grant Set in London June 1818 In the Malcolm & Suzanne Rannoch timeline, this book does not go back into the past, but continues to follow events after the short story Incident in Berkeley Square. Teddy Craven, David’s oldest nephew and ward, has fled Harrow, because he can no longer handle […]
A Pressing Engagement (2016) Anna Lee Huber Set in Edinburgh, Scotland in April 1831 This short story is Lady Darby’s wedding to Sebastian Gage. Except it isn’t really a short story, as much as it would truly be an excerpt from either the end of the previous book or the start of the upcoming book. […]
A Talent for Trickery (2015) Alissa Johnson Set in England in 1872 I somehow missed writing this one up last month, so here it is now. I am not sure about the accuracy of the term “Gentleman Thief Taker” since the thief-takers were replaced by Bow Street in the mid 1700s, and Bow Street was […]
A Body in Berkeley Square (2005/2011) Ashley Gardner Set in London in April 1817 The 5th Captain Lacey mystery finds Gabriel Lacey investigating the murder of a young man with whom his former colonel was seen arguing at a ball. Because Lacey has been at odds with Brandon ever since Brandon attempted to have Lacey […]
The Sudbury School Murders (2005/2011) Ashley Gardner Set in England in March 1817 The 4th Captain Lacey mystery finds Gabriel Lacey working as a secretary for Everard Rutledge at the Sudsbury School–a school for the sounds of the wealthy–but not titled. Lacey is somewhat distressed to discover he was hired because of his ability to […]
The Glass House (2004/2011) Ashley Gardner London, January 1817 The third Captain Lacey mystery finds him again embroiled in mystery, when a young blonde is found in the river, and the Bow Street runner called to the scene wants Lacey to see if she is his upstairs neighbor. Again, I cannot decide if I like […]
A Regimental Murder (2004/2001) Ashley Gardner Set in London in 1816 Captain Gabriel Lacey is a half-pay captain from the calvalry, no longer fit for service after his right knee and leg were terribly injured in Spain, during the war. “India, and the Dutch campaign,” I replied. “Then the Peninsula. Not Waterloo, I am afraid.” […]
Keeper of the King’s Secrets (2012) Michelle Diener Set in England in 1525 Susanna Horenbout and John Parker believe that things have settled down, now that the king has agreed to allow them to marry, however, intrigue spawns in the court of Henry the VIII, and Susanna’s life is one again in danger. Parker knew […]
Dangerous Sanctuary (2012) Michelle Diener Set in England in 1525 This novella occurs after the book In a Treacherous Court. King Henry VIII is celebrating the defeat of Francis I of France and his English ally(ies), and Susanna Horenbout has been commissioned to paint the ceremony in St. Paul’s Cathedral, but not all those who […]
A Dangerous Madness (2014) Michelle Diener Set in London in 1812 Phoebe Hillier has been jilted. Consider that it was a match that was forced upon her by her father on his deathbed, she isn’t as distraught about this as she could have been, but for many she will be ruined–obviously something must be wrong […]
Banquet of Lies (2013) Michelle Diener Set in London in 1812 Giselle Barrington is the daughter of a folklorist with a fascination for cooking. “What do you do with the recipes?” The woman looked genuinely interested now. “I’m compiling a reference work of dishes from the cultures of Europe. But mainly I follow them.” “Follow […]
A Soupçon of Poison (2015) Ashley Gardener Set in London in 1880 Kat Holloway is a cook for Sir Lionel Leigh-Bradbury, and although the position isn’t ideal in pay, he agreed to her request for an unusual number of days out, so she stays, even when he begins to make unusual and ridiculous demands. But […]
Mrs. Drew Plays Her Hand (2012) Carla Kelly Set in England in the early 1800s (after the war) Mrs. Drew is a young widow, and after an improper proposition from her brother-in-law needs to find a home for herself and her two young daughters. She ends up in the dower house of one of Lord […]
Dark Angel (1994) Tracy Grant Set in Spain and England in 1813 Adam Durward was orphaned at a young age, and although his parentage has made things difficult in some ways, he has managed to create a good career for himself. Caroline Rawley was a childhood friend of Adam Duward, but her marriage to Jared […]
In a Treacherous Court (2011) Michelle Diener Set in England in 1525 London was a cesspit of mud and filth. Susanna Horenbout is a Flemish painter sent by her father to the court of King Henry VIII to be his illuminator. But when she is the witness to the death of a man with a […]
The Emperor’s Conspiracy (2012) Michelle Diener Set in England in 1811 Charlotte was saved from the Rookeries by Lady Howe, and has been debuted has her ward, but Charlotte has never forgotten her past, and maintains friendships and ties with those in the slums–although she does everything she can to pull others out of the […]
When Falcons Fall (2016) C.S. Harris Ayleswick-on-Teme, Shropshire in August 1813 I really do love this series. Sebastian and Hero have traveled to Shropshire to see if Sebastian and learn anything of the man who sired him–the man who gave him his yellow eyes and strange skills–because the man he believed to be his half-brother […]
Unlocked (2011) Courtney Milan Set in England in 1840. Evan Carlton, Earl of Westfeld behaved so badly during Lady Elaine Warren first season that he left the country and spent 10 years on the continent mountain climbing. Lady Elaine Warren was so badly bullied her first season that even ten years later she has not […]
Proof by Seduction (2010) Courtney Milan Set in London in April 1838 Jenny Keeble has set herself up as a fortuneteller, and has done well for herself, until Gareth Carhart, Marquess of Blakely shows up with his cousin Ned. Blakely believes in nothing that he cannot see and touch. And he really does not believe […]
Unraveled (2011) Courtney Milan Set in Bristol. October 1843 Smite Turner is a very difficult person. First off, he was named Smite by his mother (or rather, a long biblical verse for which Smite was how it was shortened). He is the most damaged of the brothers, Ash having escaped to go make his fortune, […]
Unclaimed (2011) Courtney Milan Set in London and Shepton Mallet, in 1841 Sir Mark Turner was knighted for his popular work on morality, however, neither he nor anyone else expected this popularity and what would come along with it–adoring crowds, jealous individuals, and random people trying to make money off his popularity. Why was it […]
Unveiled (2011) Courtney Milan Set in Somerset, August 1837 I started this and put it back down several times, because I was unsure about the premise. But I eventually got through the first chapter, and fell right into the story. Margaret Dalrymple lost everything to Ash Turner–her home, her title, her legitimacy. So when she […]
Talk Sweetly to Me (2014) Courtney Milan Set in Greenwich, November 1882 Miss Rose Sweetly is a shop-keepers daughter and a mathematical genius who is currently working as a computer at the Royal Observatory. She is also keeping her pregnant sister company while her husband is away on a tour of duty. (H)e picked up […]