283 ratings | 225 reviews | avg rating:4.75

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Russell’s Year In Books

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Russell James

Goodreads Author

Born

The United Kingdom

Website

http://russelljamesbooks.wordpress.com/

Twitter

getRussellJames

Genre

Crime, Historical Fiction, Nonfiction

Influences

Lots more can be found on http://russelljamesbooks.wordpress.com/ ...more

Member Since

August 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/getrusselljames

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A British author of some 2 dozen books, half of which are crime novels, Russell is an ex-chairman of the Crime Writers Association. He has written several non-fiction works and half a dozen historical novels. He is currently working on the third book in his Croome Victorian saga, the first of which is AFTER SHE DROWNED, telling of forbidden love in the Victorian Church, and the second THE CAPTAIN'S WARD, telling of a young girl's coming of age in Victorian Britain. ...more

2 posts
Russell James's Blog

Mrs Palfrey

Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm surprised anyone gives this less than 5 out of 5. It's beautifully told and, of course, redolent of a lost mid-twentieth century period when it wasn't unusual for older people on average or slightly above average means to retire to live in very ordinary hotels. (Few can afford that now - or would want to.) The widowed Read more of this blog post »

2 likes · Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on February 06, 2019 07:13

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Combine Editions
Russell James’s books

Average rating: 4.04 · 135 ratings · 12 reviews · 41 distinct works

	Payback 3.76 avg rating — 25 ratings — published 1993 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Maud Allan Affair 3.82 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 2008 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Painting in the Dark 4.10 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2001 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Underground 4.44 avg rating — 9 ratings — published 1989 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Count Me Out really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 1996 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Great British Fictional Detectives 3.71 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2008 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Exhibitionists 4.33 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2011 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Oh No, Not My Baby 3.57 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 1999	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Pocket Guide to Victorian Artists and Their Models 4.40 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2011 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	No One Gets Hurt liked it 3.00 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2003 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Russell’s Recent Updates

Russell James rated a book it was amazing Victorian Street Charity: Why help Guttersnipes, Vagabonds or Distressed Governesses? by Russell James (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 16, 2026 09:13AM · like
Russell James rated a book it was amazing A Popular Encyclopaedia of Victorian Women Writers: The famous, the forgotten, the forlorn by Russell James	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 16, 2026 08:43AM · like
Russell James rated a book it was amazing Crotchet Castle by Thomas Love Peacock	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Time to rediscover Thomas Love Peacock, a genuinely funny writer from the early 19th century - and this rivals 'Nightmare Abbey' for being his most popular. Peacock was a satirist and, for any of his books, it's best to choose one with a decent Intro ...more
Jul 16, 2026 08:35AM · like · see review
Russell James rated a book really liked it Gryll Grange by Thomas Love Peacock	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Time to rediscover Thomas Love Peacock, a genuinely funny writer from the early 19th century. This is a late work, somewhat underrated, but full of charm and wit.
Jul 16, 2026 08:33AM · like · see review
Russell James rated a book it was amazing Nightmare Abbey by Thomas Love Peacock	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Time to rediscover Thomas Love Peacock, a genuinely funny writer from the early 19th century. In this, the amorous Scythrop (based on the impossibly unreliable Shelley) can't choose between Marionetta and 'Stella' and wins neither. The tale sags in t ...more
Jul 16, 2026 08:26AM · like · see review
Russell James rated a book it was amazing The Proof of My Innocence by Jonathan Coe (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A clever multi-genre crime novel meets political satire - with several narrators. An extreme right-wing political faction that some will remember from Coe's tales of earlier decades wakes up to try again in the brief days of the Liz Truss premiership ...more
Jul 16, 2026 08:20AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Proof of My Innocence by Jonathan Coe. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Proof of My Innocence by Jonathan Coe <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Russell James rated a book it was amazing Sarah Crewe or What Happened at Miss Minchin's by Frances Hodgson Burnett	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The original of the tale later expanded to become 'A Little Princess'. Simply written, sentimental but wonderfully successful children's romance. Which version is best? The jury is out. I shouldn't admit this, but both versions brought tears to my ey ...more
Jul 16, 2026 08:16AM · like · see review
Russell James rated a book it was amazing The Battle of the Villa Fiorita by Rumer Godden	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Gloriously of its time. 14-year-old Hugh and 11-year-old Caddie (so much more mature than today's kids!) nip abroad to Italy to try to bring their absconding mother back from her lover to her husband. The fluttering timescale may ruffle your feathers ...more
Jul 16, 2026 08:16AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Battle of the Villa Fiorita by Rumer Godden. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Battle of the Villa Fiorita by Rumer Godden <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Russell James rated a book it was amazing The Battle of the Villa Fiorita by Rumer Godden	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Gloriously of its time. 14-year-old Hugh and 11-year-old Caddie (so much more mature than today's kids!) nip abroad to Italy to try to bring their absconding mother back from her lover to her husband. The fluttering timescale may ruffle your feathers ...more
Jul 16, 2026 08:11AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Battle of the Villa Fiorita by Rumer Godden. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Battle of the Villa Fiorita by Rumer Godden <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Russell James rated a book it was amazing The Grand Babylon Hotel by Arnold Bennett	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Bennett is now quite out of favour, but those who miss him out don't know what they're missing. This is one his more extraordinary tales, written literally as a bet - that he could turn out a 'cheap thriller serial' in double-quick time. It's wonderf ...more
Jul 16, 2026 08:04AM · like · see review