Historical Mystery Lovers discussion

Tell us about the first historical mystery you read - title, author, time period, characters whether fictional or real-life, interesting themes.

What did you think about the mystery and why did you decide to continue with the genre?

Please make sure to put any spoilers in the spoiler tags

I can't remember which one, but it was one of Paul Doherty's Hugh Corbett series - set in the reign of Edward I.

I've always been fascinated by Medieval England and to me it brought it to life.

I quickly read all the library had of his and moved on to Susanna Gregory, Michael Jecks, Bernard Knight, Candace Robb, Sharan Newman and a few others

If you notice, all the authors except Ms. Newman write series set in medieval Britian :)

My first historical mystery was Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson. It's set in turn-of-the-century New York city and the two lead characters are a police detective and a midwife. I found the murder mystery interesting, if a little darker than I was expecting, but what really piqued my interest was the personal lives of the two main characters, Frank Malloy and Sarah Brandt. At the time, I believe there were 14 books that had been published and I promptly read them all.

That was my gateway into the genre and it's been a real joy finding new books/authors.

I think it was Roman Blood by Steven Saylor. It takes place in Rome in 81 BC and is based on an actual case of parricide argued by Cicero. All the books in Saylor's series are historically based and we get to meet many real characters like Catilina, Sulla, Crassus, Caesar and others.

My first historical mystery was the first book in the Brother Cadfael series. I love learning about a different time period and the mysteries are interesting. I have branched out over the years but still gravitate towards mysteries in the Middle Ages or earlier.

I honestly can't remember; it's been a genre I've always gravitated toward. I was a huge Agatha Christie fan as a kid (fell in love with A Caribbean Mystery and never looked back) and those books were historical to me, so I guess that was the beginning?

I went through a brief streak in 2010 where I read basically nothing but historical mystery. And Only to Deceive basically set that one off, so I guess I could also consider that the beginning.

Like Meghan I read Agatha Christie as a teen so my first historical mystery was .
I took a long break after those years and only got back into the genre in 2006 when I read by Matthew Pearl. The mystery is excellent if a little on the gruesome side but my favorite aspect of the book was the incorporation of characters from real life into the story.

I don't recall the title (I read it some 35-ish years ago), and it was French murder mystery, set during the Battle of Québec, specifically the night before The Battle for the Plains of Abraham.
I wish I could remember the name of the author or the title, and have wondered if there was ever a translation.

I came rather late to the historical mystery genre. I think among my first was probably Crocodile on the Sandbank which I read not all that long ago.

The question got me thinking about the origins of historical mystery as a genre. Here is an excerpt from an article on Wikipedia that I found interesting:

"Perhaps the first modern English work that can be classified as both historical fiction and a mystery however is the 1911 Melville Davisson Post story "The Angel of the Lord," which features amateur detective Uncle Abner in pre-American Civil War West Virginia. Barry Zeman of the Mystery Writers of America calls the Uncle Abner short stories "the starting point for true historical mysteries." In the 22 Uncle Abner tales Post wrote between 1911 and 1928, the character puzzles out local mysteries with his keen observation and knowledge of the Bible. It was not until 1943 that American mystery writer Lillian de la Torre did something similar in the story "The Great Seal of England", casting 18th century literary figures Samuel Johnson and James Boswell into Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson roles in what would become the first of her Dr. Sam: Johnson, Detector series of stories. In 1944 Agatha Christie published Death Comes as the End, a mystery novel set in ancient Egypt and the first full-length historical whodunit. In 1950, John Dickson Carr published the second full-length historical mystery novel called The Bride of Newgate, set at the close of the Napoleonic Wars."

The article goes on to mention that Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series, Ellis Peters' Caedfal chronicles and Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose as popularizing the genre in the 1970s.

Here's a link to the full article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historic...

Interesting excerpt Donna.
I noticed that it defines historical mysteries as books written in contemporary times (whenever that may be), but set in the past. Thus, neither Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories nor Agatha Christie's Marple and Poirot books would count as historical mysteries.

I still tend to include them in my own personal definition though.

I know,Lauren. I think of my first historical mystery as du Maurier's "Rebecca" - which doesn't fit the definition either and I guess is more of a psychological thriller than a mystery.

Yes, Rebecca would be classified as a psychological thriller and also has gothic overtones. On the other hand, many GR users have shelved it as mystery as well.

I think it was one of Ellis Peter's Brother Cadfael mysteries. (I don't count stuff written contemporaneously that is now historical, like Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie. Both of which I started on at about ten.)

Vicki wrote: "I think it was Roman Blood by Steven Saylor. It takes place in Rome in 81 BC and is based on an actual case of parricide argued by Cicero. All the books in Saylor's s..."

Great series!

I think my first historical mystery was Buckingham Palace Gardens by Anne Perry. I also love British History in general and so I had stumbled on this book. As soon as I realized it was a book in the middle of a series I went to the beginning and a new love was born. Perry's series is set in Victorian England. Thomas Pitt is the main character along with his wife Charlotte. Thomas is a detective from a humble background who marries Charlotte who is above him socially. I now am devoted to the historical mystery set in England!!!

I can't even remember my first historical mystery...I am going to have to look at my lists.

Probably Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie

Victoria Holt's On The Night Of The Seventh Moon. I was 11 and hooked for life.

wow this is a really tough question. Some of the first I read were
, and

Haven't stopped reading historical mysteries since.

I can’t remember whether it was Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters or A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters.

I read Sherlock Homes ages ago, beginning with the original anthology. then backtracking to A Study in Scarlet. I can't even remember when, but it was probably when I was in high school.

Alice wrote: "wow this is a really tough question. Some of the first I read were
, and

Haven't stopped reading hi..."

How was Blind Justice, Alice? I've had that one on my TBR shelf for awhile.

I can't remember exactly, but it was either: Death at Bishop's Keep or Death In Lacquer Red .

It's been such a long time since I read either (over 17 years, and closer to 20, based on original copyright dates), I don't really remember the mysteries as such. I know I enjoyed the characters so I kept with the both series and began to seek out more historical mysteries, in other eras. Hilda Johansson is still one of my favorite characters, and I am so sorry the series has ended.

Wait, no, thinking more the first may have been Death on the Cliff Walk , which I saw in the bookstore as I was preparing to go on my first cruise, which had a stop in Newport. I remember reading the book on the ship before the port stop. That was a really good series as well, and I am sorry it did not continue.

Veronica wrote: "Alice wrote: "wow this is a really tough question. Some of the first I read were
, and

Haven't stop..."

Blind just and the following books were excellent. Highly recommend

I agree with the recommendation on BIind Justice - good series

Yes, that's a good series.

Well, that's good enough for me. :-)