Historical Mystery Lovers discussion

A new thread for the new year. Tell us about your latest read - did you love, like or hate it?

I just won a copy of Riot Most Uncouth: A Lord Byron Mystery so I will be giving that a read in the next few weeks. My first Giveaway win in ages!

Won a copy of Brooklyn on Fire on LibraryThing. I hope it comes soon.

I just finished The Documents in the Case, a mystery set in 1928 by Dorothy Sayers. It's not a Peter Wimsey mystery and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It was one of the few by Sayers that I had never read before.

I just finished , which is set in London 1932. The mystery aspect wasn't the strongest but I enjoy the main characters.

I'm just finishing License to Quill which is an historical fiction combined with a James Bond pastiche with Shakespeare as a secret agent of the crown trying to foil the Gunpowder Plot. While more a thriller than a mystery, the history and period detail seems well researched and the Bond touches are well worked in so as to almost seem plausible.

Amazon is offering Mycroft Holmes on kindle for $1.99 today, in the US. Seems to have good reviews.

Downloaded! Thanks!

I'm currently reading . It's set in 1861 London with a female undertaker as the main protagonist. I'm about 30% into the ebook but I'm finding it a bit on the boring side. I'm not feeling invested in any of the characters yet. This may be a slow slog to the end.

Veronica wrote: "I'm currently reading . It's set in 1861 London with a female undertaker as the main protagonist. I'm about 30% into the ebook but I'm finding it a bit on the bori..."

I found it boring as well. Too many plotlines and characters that are difficult to sympathize with.

Yes, exactly. I'm at the 75% mark now and I just want it to be over.

I finished . It was only 288 pages so it was a really quick read and I started it when I was nearing the end of Lady of Ashes. I liked this book considerably more than that one

Also, I wasn't sure where to put this since I didn't see a thread for ebook deals, but the first book in the Lady Darby mystery series, , is on sale for $3.99 at Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Anatomists-Wife...

Veronica wrote: "Yes, exactly. I'm at the 75% mark now and I just want it to be over."

I didn't make it past 50 ages :0(

Here is link to the Deals and Freebies thread.

Currently reading Steven Saylor's latest Gordianus the Finder prequel

Wrath of the Furies

Lauren wrote: "Here is link to the Deals and Freebies thread."

Thanks! Posted it there.

I'm about to begin The Humbug Murders by L.J. Oliver. I'm hoping it will be a fun read since it features many of Dickens's characters.

Paisley wrote: "I'm about to begin The Humbug Murders by L.J. Oliver. I'm hoping it will be a fun read since it features many of Dickens's c..."

Sounds good. Looking forward to your thoughts on it.

Paisley wrote: "I'm about to begin The Humbug Murders by L.J. Oliver. I'm hoping it will be a fun read since it features many of Dickens's c..."

Ooh, interesting!

I am currently The Blood of Caesar: A Second Case from the Notebooks of Pliny the Younger the second novel featuring Pliny the younger. I've actually finished quite a few mysteries this month already. I just haven't been mentioning them. Mysteries are good books to stuff in my purse on the mornings my twins have appointments.

Veronica wrote: "Paisley wrote: "I'm about to begin The Humbug Murders by L.J. Oliver. I'm hoping it will be a fun read since it features man..."

Haven't heard of "The Humbug Murders"! I'm a huge fan of Dickens, though! Let me know what it's like.

Veronica wrote: "I just finished , which is set in London 1932. The mystery aspect wasn't the strongest but I enjoy the main characters."


Have you read more of this series? Sounds intriguing!

Michelle, there are only the two books out right now. Death Wears a Mask was just released in October 2015 so I anticipate the third book will be released around the same time this year. The first book is . The cover was what drew me to it initially but I found it quite charming. I believe it was a first book for the author so the mysteries aren't the strongest but I expect things will improve. The characters are fun and I like the time period. Plus, now I want to see if my theories about the main male lead are correct.

And speaking of the early 1930s, I just started , which is set in 1935 New York. We'll see how it goes.

I just finished reading , spanning 1917 to 1934 and 2004. Loved it!

Phair wrote: "I just won a copy of Riot Most Uncouth: A Lord Byron Mystery so I will be giving that a read in the next few weeks. My f..."

Just finished this. Can't say I was blown away by any means. The Byron character came across as thoroughly unlikeable and a bit stupid as a sleuth. Most of the book was Byron waxing philosophical about his happily dissolute lifestyle and bumbling into bodies as he "investigated". I was impressed at the way the author was able to use pieces of Byron's own writings as chapter heads that seemed to fit or be inspired by the action in that chapter.
And then there was Byron's conviction that the deaths were caused by vampires. Well..........!?!

Veronica wrote: "And speaking of the early 1930s, I just started , which is set in 1935 New York. We'll see how it goes."

Saw this somewhere else, too! Looks good!

Gail wrote: "I just finished reading , spanning 1917 to 1934 and 2004. Loved it!"

I love Kate Morton. On my TBR list!

Veronica wrote: "Michelle, there are only the two books out right now. Death Wears a Mask was just released in October 2015 so I anticipate the third book will be released around the same time this year. The first ..."

Thanks, Veronica!

I just finished the Edge of Dreams by Rhys Bowen with her character Molly Murphy Sullivan. I always enjoy her books.

I'm about halfway through , the first Veronica Speedwell book. I'm still on the fence about it.

I am getting ready to read Murder on St Nicholas Avenue.

I'm currently reading A Morbid Taste for Bones.
I'm also reading Requiem in Vienna. I'm so glad this author was a featured author. I don't imagine I would have ever found these books on my own. I love that the characters always seem to be eating. I get done with the book and suddenly I want red wine and some kind of meat or a pastry.

Gretchen wrote: "I'm currently reading A Morbid Taste for Bones.
I'm also reading Requiem in Vienna. I'm so glad this author was a featured author. I don't imagine I would have ever fou..."

Yay! Another J. Sydney Jones fan! :)

That's great, Gretchen!

Just reread a Maisie Dobbs, Among the Mad.

I'm getting ready to start . This will be my first read by this author.

Britney wrote: "I'm getting ready to start . This will be my first read by this author."

This is an excellent book. Hope you enjoy it, Britney!

Meghan wrote: "Gretchen wrote: "I'm currently reading A Morbid Taste for Bones.
I'm also reading Requiem in Vienna. I'm so glad this author was a featured author. I don't imagine I wo..."

I was really bummed to read the next book to be released will be the final book in the series. I guess they aren't big sellers.

Britney wrote: "I'm getting ready to start . This will be my first read by this author."

Oh, that's a good one.

Gretchen wrote: "Meghan wrote: "Gretchen wrote: "I'm currently reading A Morbid Taste for Bones.
I'm also reading Requiem in Vienna. I'm so glad this author was a featured author. I don..."

What? That's terrible. :(

I just finished The Forgotten Garden - Kate Morton. It was a very interesting story.

I just finished my first Dorothy Sayers, Whose Body?. I gave it a Four, but it's a 4.5. I thought the plot was good. Its two seemingly unrelated murders, with Wimsey working on one and a Police working on the other until they combine forces. It's original and I liked how it ended. It's set in the 1920s in London,but the setting isn't really the strongest point. It is the plot and the characters. Lord Wimsey is an aristocrat with nothing better to do than solve crimes, but I really like his "man" Bunter who serves as a sort of early CSI guy. He uses his camera to help with fingerprints and handwriting analysis and he interviews other servants who would otherwise be closed-lipped to an upstairs man such as Wimsey! I am eager to move on to book two.

Rhonda wrote: "I just finished The Forgotten Garden - Kate Morton. It was a very interesting story."

I love Kate Morton's books!

Meghan wrote: "Gretchen wrote: "Meghan wrote: "Gretchen wrote: "I'm currently reading A Morbid Taste for Bones.
I'm also reading Requiem in Vienna. I'm so glad this author was a featu..."

I know. His publisher doesn't want to keep publishing them because they aren't big sellers. According to his blog he's shopping other publishers but it's rare that a series will get picked up by someone else when it's six books in. The Ursula Blanchard books changed publishers twice and it's currently at 12 book series. There's hope.

Gretchen wrote: "Meghan wrote: "Gretchen wrote: "Meghan wrote: "Gretchen wrote: "I'm currently reading A Morbid Taste for Bones.
I'm also reading Requiem in Vienna. I'm so glad this aut..."

Thanks for the heads-up. I hope someone picks it up, even if it's an independent publisher and is available only in ebook format. The stories are just too good!

Now, if we could get Frank Tallis to release another book in his series, I may be able to get by...

Lauren wrote: "Britney wrote: "I'm getting ready to start . This will be my first read by this author."

This is an excellent book. Hope you enjoy it, Britney!"

Yes, I've heard a lot of good things about this!

Rhonda wrote: "I just finished The Forgotten Garden - Kate Morton. It was a very interesting story."

I really enjoyed that one, but House at Riverton was probably my favorite

Rhonda wrote: "I just finished the Edge of Dreams by Rhys Bowen with her character Molly Murphy Sullivan. I always enjoy her books."
I also like her Royal Spyness series. I admire her ability to write two very different series. The language, the setting and the tone of both unique.

I finished The Humbug Murders. For those who asked, it was an okay book.

The inclusion of Dickens, sort of gives the reader the sense that his stories were biographies rather than fictions, as he's a journalist and in the thick of it all.

What I had difficulty with is that the language seemed to change at about the 200 page mark, with the chapter 19 (or maybe it was 20) reverting to the pre-200 page mark, then changing again after. I surmise it's the fact that two authors actively wrote it, (one now deceased).
Up to page 200 or so, the language was more in keeping with Dickens's, but after that it felt more modern and lost that dreariness.

The story itself requires some suspension of disbelief, but otherwise quite good.

Now I'm onto Turncoat by Don Gutteridge set during the Upper Canada Rebellion.