The Raven in the Foregate (1986) Ellis Peters (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #12) Set in Shrewsbury in 1141 “Domine, ne in furore—O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy displeasure … Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak.” The vast inverted bowl of sky, dark blue almost […]
An Excellent Mystery (1985) Ellis Peters (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #11) Set in Shrewsbury in 1141 As a brother of the Order I would wish to keep my hands from violence against any, but for all that, I hope I would not turn my back if I saw innocence or helplessness being abused. He looked […]
The Pilgrim of Hate (1984) Ellis Peters (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #10) Set in Shrewsbury in 1141. “Then your only resort is confession and penance,” said Hugh lightly. “Not until Brother Mark is full-fledged a priest!” Young Mark was gone from his mother-house and from his flock at Saint Giles, gone to the household of […]
Murder on a Mystery Tour (1987) Marian Babson I had a lot of trouble getting into this story, because I could not figure out when it was set. Part of the setting is an old English manor turned into a hotel that hosts weekend murder mysteries set in the 1930s. That part I got. But […]
Turning Darkness Into Light (2019) Marie Brennan narrated by Barrie Kreinik and Raphael Corkhill Not my family, of course; if I decided I wanted to retire to a country cottage and spend my life growing roses—not even award-winning roses; mediocre, aphid-chewed ones—they would hug me and wish me well. I don’t mean that he’s ugly. […]
The Last Note of Warning (2024) Katharine Schellman (Nightingale Mysteries #3) Set in New York in 1925 Vivian is in trouble. When she discovers the body of a man, the police decide she must be the killer, and Leo Green’s connection can only get them so far. I had a very hard time getting into […]
Murder on Hunter’s Eve (2024) Morgan Stang (The Lamplight Murder Mysteries #3) There is a werewolf in Lamplight. But Isabeau isn’t going after it. Instead, she’s assisting Evie in a murder investigation. One tied to an important secret social club. “A social club,” said Evie. “What are a minister, a magician and a police chief […]
Dead Man’s Ransom (1984) Ellis Peters (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #9) Set in Shropshire, England and Wales in 1141 “If none of us ever fell short, or put a foot astray,” said Cadfael sadly, “everything would be good in this great world, but we stumble and fall, every one. We must deal with what we […]
A Scandal in Mayfair (2024) Katharine Schellman (Lily Adler #5) Set in London in 1817 After receiving a letter begging “A Lady of Quality” to help her discover if her uncle is stealing her inheritance, Lily is blackmailed by the girl’s beau to seek out the will that supposedly left the inheritance to the uncle […]
The Devil’s Novice (1983) Ellis Peters (The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #8) Set in Shropshire England in 1140 The other two, infant oblates given to God by their parents, are already twelve and ten years old, and are settled and happy among us, it would be ill-done to disturb their tranquillity. But I am not […]
Who Cries for the Lost, Audiobook (2023) C.S. Harris narrated by Jenny Sterlin (Sebastian St. Cyr #18) Set in London in 1815. Returned from France, but not yet fully recovered from injuries his received there, Sebastian balks at having to remain safe in England while those with whom he fought before are fighting Napoleon. But […]
When Blood Lies, Audiobook (2022) C.S. Harris narrated by Jenny Sterlin (Sebastian St. Cyr #17) Set in Paris in 1815 Sebastian and Hero have traveled to Paris in the hopes of finally finding Sebastian’s mother. Unfortunately, she is murdered before Sebastian can ask her her about his father, and so Sebastian and Hero search for […]
What the Devil Knows, Audiobook (2021) C.S. Harris narrated by Davina Porter (Sebastian St. Cyr 16) Set in London in 1814. In 1811 two families were savagely murdered in what came to be known as the Ratcliffe Highway murders. When the corrupt magistrate who was in charge of that case is found dead in an […]
Who Speaks for the Damned, Audiobook (2020) C.S. Harris narrated by Davina Porter (Sebastian St. Cyr #15) Set in London in 1814 It’s a bad combination, in my experience—arrogance and wounded pride. It sours a man. You’d think at her age she’d be done with breeding, but she keeps popping them out. Claiborne says I’m […]
The Virgin in the Ice (1982) Ellis Peters (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #6) Set in Worcestershire, England in 1139 There had been other women, before her and after. He remembered them with gratitude, and with no guilt at all. He had given and received pleasure and kindness. None had ever complained of him. If that […]
Who Slays the Wicked, Audiobook (2019) C.S. Harris narrated by Davina Porter (Sebastian St. Cyr #14) Set in London in 1814 Content warnings: rape “Do you have any idea who might have killed him?” he asked Stephanie. “Someone who disliked him?” she suggested, her nostrils quivering with a pinched look. “That should narrow the list […]
Why Kill the Innocent, Audiobook (2018) C.S. Harris narrated by Davina Porter (Sebastian St. Cyr # 13) Set in London in 1814 Content warnings: rape “I was hoping I’d find you here,” said Devlin pleasantly. Jarvis kept walking. “I wish I could say I’m delighted not to have disappointed you, but I fear that would […]
Where the Dead Lie, Audiobook (2017) C.S. Harris narrated by Davina Porter (Sebastian St. Cyr # 12) Set in England in 1812 Content warnings: rape and torture of teenagers (off page) the brutalized body of a 15-year-old boy dumped into a makeshift grave on the grounds of an abandoned factory. One of London’s many homeless […]
An Art Lover’s Guide to Paris and Murder (2024) Dianne Freeman (Countess of Harleigh Mystery, #7) Set in Paris in 1900 Frances and her husband, George, have two points of interest in Paris. One is an impromptu holiday to visit the Paris Exposition. The other is personal. George’s Aunt Julia has requested her nephew’s help […]
The Leper of Saint Giles (1981) Ellis Peters (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #5) Set in Shropshire England in 1139 “I hope she may be beautiful,” said Mark. “Prior Robert would be interested to hear you say so,” said Cadfael drily. blessedness is what can be snatched out of the passing day, and put away to […]
When Falcons Fall, Audiobook (2016) C.S. Harris narrated by Davina Porter (Sebastian St. Cyr # 11) Set in England in 1813 Content warnings: rape (off page) Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, has come to this seemingly peaceful Shropshire village to honor a slain friend and on a quest to learn more about his own ancestry. […]
Who Buries the Dead, Audiobook (2015) C.S. Harris narrated by Davina Porter (Sebastian St. Cyr # 10) Set in England in 1813. Content warning: rape, slavery (off page) The vicious decapitation of Stanley Preston, a wealthy, socially ambitious plantation owner, at Bloody Bridge draws Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, into a macabre and increasingly perilous […]
Hen Fever: A Sapphic Victorian Romance (2022) Olivia Waite Set in England in 1856 The Bickerton Christmas Poultry Show is the event of the year, but one that has driven apart the citizens of the town. They’d been fast friends once, until they’d caught the fancy. Now rumor was Miss Inch had trained her Pinwheel […]
The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies (2023) Alison Goodman (The Ill-Mannered Ladies) Set in England in 1812 Content warnings: spousal abuse, homophobia, cancer, rape (off-page), child abuse & sexual assault (off-page), detailed description of medical procedure without anesthesia. Gus and Julia, middle-aged twins who have never married, become involved in nefarious activities by accident, in […]
Saint Peter’s Fair (1981) Ellis Peters (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael) Set in Shropshire England in 1139 St. Peter’s Fair is a grand, festive event, attracting merchants from across England and beyond. There is a pause in the civil war racking the country in the summer of 1139, and the fair promises to bring some much-needed […]
An Impossible Impostor, Audio Edition (2022) Deanna Raybourn narrated by Angele Masters (Veronica Speedwell #7) Set in England in 1900. I did an awful lot of, waitwhat? and but… why? and that is just plain stupid on this listen. Characters: Veronica Speedwell, Stoker Templeton-Vane, Sir Hugo Montgomerie, Euphemia Hathaway, Jonathan Hathaway, JJ Butterworth, Julien D’Orlande, […]
A Deceptive Composition (2024) Anna Lee Huber (Lady Darby Mystery #12) Set in England in 1832 Lord Gage has received a letter from his aunt Amelia, informing him that his Uncle Branok Roscarrock, is dead, she believes it was murder, and asks Lord Gage to come investigate–even though Lord Gage hasn’t spoken to his relatives […]
Why Kings Confess, Audiobook (2014) C.S. Harris narrated by Davina Porter (Sebastian St. Cyr #9) Set in England in 1813 Content warning: discussion of historical child abuse and imprisonment A contingent from France is rumored to be in London for peace talks, when the young doctor with the group is found brutally murdered–with his heart […]
A Dangerous Madness (2014) Michelle Diener (Regency London #3) Set in London in 1812 “I can’t marry you, Pheebs. I know that’s going to make things difficult for you and I want to go through with it, of course I do, it would solve a number of problems, but I don’t have the time for […]
What Darkness Brings, Audiobook (2013) C.S. Harris narrated by Davina Porter (Sebastian St. Cyr #8) Set in London in 1812 Russell Yates, Kat Boleyn’s husband, has been accused of the murder of Benjamin Eisler. Hendon asks Sebastian to help–not for Yates’ sake but for Kat’s. It seems that Eisler had a giant blue diamond he […]
A Grave Robbery (2024) Deanna Raybourn (Veronica Speedwell #9) Set in London in 1889 Lord Rosemoran has purchased an amazing wax figure that may or may not be an Anatomical Venus, and has asked Stoker to see if he can add a clockwork mechanism to simulate breathing. He gestured towards her midsection. “Well, if she […]
When Maidens Mourn, Audiobook (2012) C.S. Harris narrated by Davina Porter (Sebastian St. Cyr #7) Set in England in 1812 Sebastian St. Cyr’s plans to escape the heat of London for a honeymoon with his new bride, Hero Jarvis, are shattered when the murdered body of Hero’s good friend Gabrielle Tennyson is discovered drifting in […]
Monk’s Hood (1980) Ellis Peters (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #3) Set in England in 1138 The tide of civil war between King Stephen and the partisans of the Empress Maud had receded into the southwestern borders, leaving Shrewsbury to recover cautiously from having backed the weaker side and paid a bloody price for it. Pope […]
Where Shadows Dance, Audiobook (2011) C.S. Harris narrated by Davina Porter (Sebastian St. Cyr #6) Set in London in 1812 When Paul Gibson purchases his latest cadaver for research, he discovers the young man, Alexander Ross, did not die of a weak heart, but was instead murdered. Unable to report the discovery that his stolen […]
What Remains of Heaven, Audio Book (2009/2016) C.S. Harris narrated by Davina Porter (Sebastian St. Cyr #5) Set in England in 1812. When the controversial, reform-minded Bishop of London is found bludgeoned to death in an ancient crypt beside the corpse of an unidentified man murdered decades before, Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is asked […]
Where Serpents Sleep, Audiobook (2008/2015) C.S. Harris narrated by Davina Porter (Sebastian St. Cyr) Set in England in 1812. Oddly, on the same day, the book I was listening to and the book I read both had passages about the murder of Prime Minister Spenser Percival. I prefer the “solution” presented in the other book […]
The Emperor’s Conspiracy (2012) Michelle Diener (Regency London) Set in England in 1811. Once you accept the premise of the relationship between Charlotte and Lady Howe, this is a fantastic mystery and romance. Lady Howe really is marvelous. “There is no man in this house,” Catherine said into the silence. “So I’ll ask you as […]
Why Mermaids Sing, Audio Book (2007/2015) C.S. Harris narrated by Davina Porter (Sebastian St. Cyr) Set in England in 1811. Several young men have been found dead, their bodies mutilated. As several are from prominent families who refuse to speak to the police, Sir Henry Lovejoy begs Sebastian for help. If I’m lucky, I’ll be […]
Banquet of Lies (2013) Michelle Diener (Regency London) Set in London in 1812. Another favorite. “We’ve been fattening Mavis up,” Iris said, and something in the way she said it made Gigi go very still. If this was evidence of Mavis with more meat on her bones, she must have been a walking skeleton when […]
An Unexpected Gentleman (2011) Alissa Johnson (Haverston Family) Set in the early 1800s in Scotland All Adelaide Ward wants is to marry for the security of her family: her sister, her nephew, and (probably) her brother. And if doing that means marrying Baron Robert Maxwell, she is willing to do so. But Connor Brice wants […]
Nearly a Lady (2011) Alissa Johnson (Haverston Family) Set in England and Scotland during the regency, after the wars with Napoleon. Gideon Haverston has returned home from war with both physical scars and mental ones. Gideon shifted his weight to his good leg, pivoted, knocked the barrel of the rifle away with one hand, and […]
When Gods Die, Audio Book (2006/2015) C.S. Harris narrated by Davina Porter (Sebastian St. Cyr) Set in England in 1811. At the Prince Regents dinner party, the beautiful young wife of an elderly marquis is found dead–stabbed in the back, her clothing partially undone. Jarvis immediately starts to cover up the prince’s involvement, but he […]
A Morbid Taste for Bones (1977) Ellis Peters (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael) Set in England in 1137. The herbarium in particular was his kingdom, for he had built it up gradually through the fifteen years of labour, and added to it many exotic plants of his own careful raising, collected in a roving youth that […]
What Angels Fear, Audio Book (2005/2014) C.S. Harris narrated by Davina Porter (Sebastian St. Cyr) Set in England in 1811 A young actress has been found horribly murdered, in St Matthews of the Fields’ Lady Chapel, and a deuling pistol with Viscount Devlin’s device on the trigger guard. I am so far behind on this […]
Breeze Spells and Bridegrooms (2024) Sarah Wallace, S.O. Callahan (Fae & Human Relations: A Regency Fantasy Series) Roger Barnes failed his Hastings Exam–the magical test that determines which child can inherit. He believes the is inherently problematic, and goes up before the Council to propose a different testing scheme. Many humans, once they reached the […]
Blitz, Audio Book (2022) Daniel O’Malley narrated by Moira Quirk (The Rook Files) “What is this? You’re—what? You’re—you’re scrying my family? In a cup of coffee?” “Legally, scrying is seeing the future,” said the woman. “I’m showing the present. Of a location within a 36.876-kilometer radius. Through an aperture of up to 41.34 inches.” “Is […]
Where There’s a Kilt, There’s a Way (2021) Ella Stainton (Kilty Pleasures) Set in Scotland and Sweden in 1930 (I)t gave Joachim a place where he could pay rent instead of sponging off his lover and not have to ask to borrow Ainsley’s motorcar. Not that Ainsley minded—he never seemed put out to share at […]
Best Laid Plaids (2020) Ella Stainton (Kilty Pleasures) Set in Scotland in 1928 said scholar had annihilated his reputation as one of the Empire’s most learned folklorists by publicly insisting that he chatted with ghosts. The steel tip of his walking stick twanged, punctuating each step in the way he’d grown accustomed in the ten […]
An Unexpected Peril, Audio Edition (2021) Deanna Raybourn narrated by Angele Masters (Veronica Speedwell) Set in London in 1889 “He said it was the oddest little place he had ever been. One mountain, one small city, one castle, and seventy varieties of beer. He remembered it with great difficulty,” Stoker was never happier than when […]
Lady Ambition’s Dilemma (2024) Jane Steen (Lady Helena Investigates) Set in England in 1883. Lady Helena is approaching the end of her mourning period, following the death of her husband in 1881. Although she still misses Justin, she is ready to return to the world–and her growing feelings for Armand Fortier also need to be […]