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 […]
The Crane Pavilion (2014) I.J. Parker I skipped the book before this after reading the blurb for this book. After the loss of his wife and newborn son, Akitada returns home, ostensibly to care for his motherless children, but really to withdraw from the world into his grief. When his friends and family join in […]
The Emperor’s Woman (2012) I.J. Parker Set in 1028. She was intended to be the emperor’s concubine, but she died at the bottom of a cliff near Prince Atsuhira’s private villa. The palace covered up the scandal. Months later, Akitada is drawn into the case when his best friend is accused of plotting against the […]
Death on an Autumn River (2011) I. J. Parker Set in 1024. On a river journey to Naniwa to unmask officials selling information to pirates, Akitada witnesses the recovery of a body. The image of the drowned child prostitute follows him as his own problems and disasters multiply. My favorite character in this story was […]
The Fires of the Gods (2011) I.J. Parker The capital is plagued by unexplained fires, and panic threatens to break out, but Akitada has his own problems to worry about. His ailing wife expects a child and he loses his job to a political appointee. When he tries to confront the nobleman who is responsible […]
The Masuda Affair (2011) I.J. Parker Akitada is struggling to deal with the death of his son in a smallpox epidemic, when he comes upon a small abused boy alone in the rain. Rescuing the boy has far greater consequences than he could have imagined, when this draws Akitada into the death of a high-ranking […]
The Hell Screen (2003) I.J. Parker I was trying to figure out what I was in the mood to read, when I stumbled across The Hell Screen and remembered that I have the Lord Sugawara Akitada mysteries. Akitada is returning to the capital after receiving notice that his mother is dying. On his way he […]
Island of Exiles (2007) I.J. Parker The prince in exile has been murdered, and the son of the governor of the island of exile has been accused. Two men from the Imperial City have come to seek Akitada’s assistance in solving the murder. I didn’t care as much for this; parts of the story dragged […]
Black Arrow (2006) I.J. Parker Set in Echigo Province, JAPAN GODS-ABSENT MONTH (NOVEMBER), A.D. 1015 Akitada has been sent to Echigo as provisional governor, and discovers that there are many problems at his new post, from the decrepit compound to a possible revolution to outcasts possibly harboring fugitives. Plus the fact that the winters are […]
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 […]
Chaos Choreography (2016) Seanan McGuire This is the 5th InCryptid book, and shifts back to Verity and Dominic. Verity is offered the chance to return to Dance or Die–the reality show she was one before she retired her Valerie persona, and so she decides to take a chance, taking Dominic out to California to compete […]
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 Grendel Affair, Audible version (2013/2014) Lisa Shearin, narrated by Johanna Parker This is a really fun series. Mac Frasier has moved from her little town in the south to New York City, but instead of making it as a reporter, she’s now working for SPI (Supernatural Protection & Investigations) when they discovered she was […]
Dinner Most Deadly (2015) Sheri 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) Sheri 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.) […]
Montalbano’s First Case and Other Stories (2008 (except where noted) / 2016) Andrea Camilleri translated by Stephen Sartarelli Montalbano’s First Case Fifty Pairs of Hobnailed Boots Neck and Neck Fellow Traveler Dress Rehearsal Amore The Artist’s Touch (1998) Montalbano’s Rice Fritters As Alice Did The Pact Mortally Wounded Catarella Solves a Case (1999) Being Here […]
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) Sheri 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 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 […]
Three Tales of Love and Murder (2012) I.J. Parker Set in Heian-Kyo (Kyoto) in 11th century Japan. These are three Akitada short stories/novellas, all about love and murder (of course, from the title). Death and Cherry Blossoms Heian-Kyo (Kyoto), during the Flowery Month (May) This finds Akitada at the start of his career, a poor […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Waters of Eternal Youth (2016) Donna Leon This is the 25th book in the Guido Brunetti series, which shouldn’t surprise me, yet somehow does. Brunetti remains as astute as ever, with many sharp little comments on life. Contessa Lando-Continui had always been polite to him, at times even warm, but he had always wondered […]
A Study in Death (2015) Anna Lee Huber When Lady Drummond dies in front of Lady Darby, Kiera immediately believes the death not due to be apoplexy, but to poison. Unfortunately, Lord Drummond all but throws Lady Darby out, and so she cannot–even with the help of Gage–openly investigate the death. Additionally, Lady Darby and […]
A Grave Matter (2014) Anna Lee Huber Set in Scotland in 1831 Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve) finds Lady Darby staying with her brother, in their childhood home, still grieving her friend’s death. But the Hogmanay Ball is interrupted (at the worst possible moment (of course)) with news of the murder of caretaker at neighboring Dryburgh […]
Dangerous to Know (2010) Tasha Alexander Set in ~1892 Recovering from the events of the previous book, Emily and Colin go to Normandy, to his mother’s house. Which turns out to be far more problematic than either expected. I’m done with this series for now. The stories are intersting, the mysteries are good, and I […]
Tears of Pearl (2009) Tasha Alexander Set in Europe in 1892 There are many problematic things with this story. I liked the historical bits, but the way Lady Emily was let into the Harem etc just seemed a bit far fetched, and I also had difficulty believing Emily actions regarding the harem. Yes, she rebels […]
A Fatal Waltz (2008) Tasha Alexander Set in 1891 This finds Lady Emily, Ivy, and others at a political house party–a party where the host is making it quite clear he will do everything in his powers to break Emily’s engagement to Colin. That was my least favorite part of the story–the whole Emily isn’t […]
A Poisoned Season (2007) Tasha Alexander Set in London ~1890 The mystery here involves the supposed son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and a thief who seems to specialize in articles once owned by the former queen. I do enjoy the dialog in this series. “And, Emily”—he grew serious—“if you ever…if Hargreaves doesn’t…if you […]
And Only to Deceive (2005) Tasha Alexander Set in England (and Paris) ~1889 The first time I read this book (soon after its publication) I didn’t like it. I felt it was more romance than mystery, and I wasn’t interested in reading a kissing book. Upon later reading, knowing what I was going to be […]