Tag: historical mystery
Review: Vera Kelly is Not a Mystery by Rosalie Knecht
I loved the first book by Knecht, Who is Vera Kelly? so I was very happy to receive a review copy of its sequel. These books combine a couple of things I really love – a complicated main character, a mystery, and the history…
Review: A Dangerous Duet by Karen Odden
I really enjoyed this Victorian-era mystery/thriller by Karen Odden, although I did have some issues with the pacing at the end. Nell Hallam is a young woman who sneaks out of her brother’s home every night to play piano at the Octavian Music House. …
Review: The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
This was another read for Read Harder 2018, which checks two boxes: it’s a mystery by a woman of color and it’s set in India. It’s also a period mystery, which I love. It’s set in 1921, the first in a series about Perveen…
Review: Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey
I read this book for the Read Harder 2018 challenge, because it had a female protagonist over the age of 60 (thanks to those who recommended it). I was surprised by how few books have protagonists (male or female) over 60, and when they…
Review of Twenty-One Days by Anne Perry
Anne Perry is my favorite historical mystery writer, because she writes with a lot of detail, creates interesting characters, and her books raise difficult social and legal issues of their time. On the flip side, she tends to be a bit repetitive and can…
Something Sinister by Olivier Bosman
I really enjoy Victorian mysteries, so was pleased to accept a copy of this book from the author. I should note first off that this is the third book in the D.S. Billings Victorian Mystery series, and I much prefer to read a series…
Death at St. Vedast by Mary Lawrence
I don’t read a lot of books set in Tudor England (I find it a rather dismal period) but I love a good historical mystery, and I really enjoyed this book, which was sent to me by author Mary Lawrence. I violated one of…
Lady Cop Makes Trouble by Amy Stewart
I loved the first book about Constance Kopp, Girl Waits with Gun, and this one thankfully gave me more of the same. In this book, Constance really wrestles with the responsibilities of her job as a female deputy sheriff in 1915, when a dangerous…
A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn
If you’ve finished the Lady Julia Grey series, you’ll be excited about this new series by Deanna Raybourn. Raybourn seems to have started three other series in the last few years (A Blade of Summer Grass, City of Jasmine, and Night of a Thousand…
The Unquiet Dead by Ausma Zehanat Khan
Mysteries are a perfect genre for informing readers about difficult political or historical issues. The Unquiet Dead is a perfect example. It begins with a case about a Canadian man who falls off a cliff. But it delves into much more sensitive matter when…
An Impartial Witness by Charles Todd
I don’t usually review a Book 2 in a series, but I wanted to write about this one because I just didn’t enjoy it as much as the first. I love a good historical mystery, and Bess Crawford is a strong character as a…
Snow White Red-Handed by Maia Chance
This was a fun book that combines a 19th century mystery with fairy tale folklore and a good dose of modern-day snark. Ophelia and Prudence are friends traveling to Europe for an acting job. Along the way, they lose their jobs and lie their…
