Historical Mystery Lovers discussion
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Introductions Re-Boot!
Aimee wrote: "I just wanted to say hello. Historical mystery is a fairly new obsession of mine -- a byproduct of my genealogical research obsession! I have several series on my to-read list. The only series I've..."
Welcome to the group, Aimee!
I'm looking forward to reading Raybourn's new series as well. I loved Julia Grey.
Welcome to the group, Aimee!
I'm looking forward to reading Raybourn's new series as well. I loved Julia Grey.

Welcome Karen!
Glad you found the genre and our group and I am sure you will find some excellent recommendations from the members.
While we don't specifically have a group read or read along, we do have a featured author every month and several members often read the same book and comment while reading.
Hope you have a good time with us!
Glad you found the genre and our group and I am sure you will find some excellent recommendations from the members.
While we don't specifically have a group read or read along, we do have a featured author every month and several members often read the same book and comment while reading.
Hope you have a good time with us!

I'm Piyumi, 33 years old, settled in Sri Lanka after years of traveling the world, gathering knowledge and compiling it to a PhD thesis on Media and Cultural Studies from Glasgow University.
I'm an avid reader of Historical Mysteries ever since I read the Hound Of Baskervilles by the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the entire Sherlockian canon. I've just finished watching the BBC tv series Sherlock season 4 (as I'm sure has everyone else by yesterday) and cannot get enough of it.
From there I have gravitated to more Victorian mysteries on both sides of the pond, so to speak, with Victoria Thompson's Gaslight mysteries and Mathew Pearl's novels been a recent addition to my collection. But I love to read all Historical mysteries.
Agatha Christie, Ellis Peters, Anne Perry, Rory Clements, Anna Lee Huber, CJ Sansom, Tasha Alexander, Edward Marston, Frank Tallis, Ariana Franklin and Phil Rickman are some of the authors I've read so far.
I hope to find more new authors and mystery series from everyone here.
Piyumi

Looking forward to discussing with you too. Have you read

Hi Laurenn and Dorie, I've read this series and liked it a lot, a lot more than Deanna Raybourn's. How did you two find reading it?
Piyumi wrote: "Hi Laurenn and Dorie, I've read this series and liked it a lot, a lot more than Deanna Raybourn's. How did you two find reading it? ."
I've opened up a discussion thread for people to comment on the two series
Lady Julia vs. Lady Darby
I've opened up a discussion thread for people to comment on the two series
Lady Julia vs. Lady Darby

I like the books you mentioned. I read a lot, but don't post a lot, but maybe you'd like to try the series I write, it's a woman in Chicago in the 1890's, Death at the Fair is the Columbian Exposition, Death at Hull House is the famous settlement house, Death at Pullman is during a famous strike. There are more. Hope you will try them.
Frances McNamra

I like the books you mentioned. I read a lot, but don't post a lot, but maybe you'd like to try the series I write, it's a woman in Chicago in the 1890's, Death at the Fair is the Columbian..."
Thanks Frances :D I'll give yours a try...very excited for I am always on the look out for good Victorian series!!

I fell in love with historical fiction the first time I read Anya Seton's KATHERINE. (I'm on my third copy, having read the first two so many times I had to use rubber bands to hold them together.) Then I discovered historical mysteries via Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael series and I was hooked!
I'm looking forward to sharing books and ideas with the group.
Rosemary

I was attracted here by the challenges which look great, and I'd love to join in (if I'm not too late).
Welcome to the group, Pamela!
Yes, of course, you are welcome to join the challenge anytime. Hope you have a good time with us.
Yes, of course, you are welcome to join the challenge anytime. Hope you have a good time with us.

Welcome to the group, Leonard. Hope you have a good time participating in the discussions with us.

I write historical mysteries--The Inspector Lefebvre Mystery in Fin de Siecle Paris series--so I'm pleased to discover a group that loves the genre!
My reading is eclectic; I'll read just about anything that's well-written and engaging. But I'm especially interested in fiction from, or about, the 19th century period that provides background for my writing. I've read and enjoyed Zola and Maupassant, and I've read the memoirs of Vidocq, the famous French criminal turned detective whose career inspired many great writers, including Poe. I also like Georges Simenon's Maigret mysteries as well as the 1930s-1940s American hard-boiled detectives, most notably Chandler's Marlowe and Hammett's Sam Spade.

The Cadfael series was my gateway drug, and now I like to read mysteries set in the Georgian and Regency periods especially. I love Kate Ross’s books and Darcie Wilde’s A Useful Woman, and am thrilled to see that you’re currently discussing another author I admire, S. J. Rizzolo! I’ll head over to that discussion next.
I do enjoy reading mysteries set in other periods, though, including those by Laurie King, Elizabeth Peters, and sometimes Anne Perry and Robin Paige. So it will be fun to discover new authors with you all!

Thank you 🙂
Welcome Justin!
Have you tried the Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King
The first book is The Beekeeper's Apprentice
Have you tried the Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King
The first book is The Beekeeper's Apprentice


I'm an eclectic reader, so I enjoy reading several different genres, but my favorites are urban fantasy, and obviously mysteries (especially with a historical setting) - all in English because, let's face it, only a fraction of the amazing historical mysteries out there get published in Italian...
If you ask me how I discovered this genre, I'll tell you it was kind of an accident, because last year roaming Barnes & Noble during a trip to NY a copy of Instruments of darkness by Imogen Robertson fell off the shelf... and hit me straight in the head! Unnecessary to point out, said book came home with me...
I'm a big fan of C.S. Harris' Sebastian St Cyr mysteries and Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Mysteries series, but I also loved Deanna Raybourn, Tasha Alexander, P.B. Ryan, Elizabeth Peters, and Rhys Bowen.
I'm relatively new, so feel free to recommend more books! Thanks for having me!
Welcome Vittoria!
So glad you've introduced yourself and I love that story about how you discovered the genre. It was prophetic!
Hope you have a great time with us.
So glad you've introduced yourself and I love that story about how you discovered the genre. It was prophetic!
Hope you have a great time with us.


I was a sickly child. My uncle, a childless kindly drunk, sent me boxes of books. Mysteries and abridged classics. I confess I had nightmares after reading the Mysteries of Paris at the innocent age of ten but happily immersed myself in the worlds of Alexandre Dumas and Sir Doyle.
I dearly like a tale of mystery served up with delightful or deadly cooking; Try the The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin or Pierre Magnan's Death on the Mountain


Hope you have a good time reading and discussing with us!"
Thank you. I will do my best!

My favorite locales and time periods are England and France from about 1800-1930. ( I was a French major back in college.) I'm not a big fan of medieval or ancient eras or the American West. I guess I like more glamour. However, I did enjoy the Brother Cadfael series as performed on audiobook by Patrick Tull. And I like the Benjamin January series by Barbara Hambly, which takes place in Louisiana before the Civil War.
Welcome to the group, Robin!
You mention several of my favorite authors. I'm eagerly awaiting the next Sebastian St. Cyr book.
Hope you have a good time with us :)
You mention several of my favorite authors. I'm eagerly awaiting the next Sebastian St. Cyr book.
Hope you have a good time with us :)

I like historical mysteries. I like Anne Perry, Peter Tremayne, Charles Todd, Lindsey Davis, Steven Saylor, the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters, the Bryant and May series by Christopher Fowler, and many others. I used to subscribe to the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine for years. I used to belong to the Mystery Guild Book Club. (I got tired of them sending me books when I forgot to make my own selections so I dropped it even though it was a good source for discovering new authors.) My husband and I subscribe to the Strand Magazine, which is for mystery book readers (author interviews, book reviews, and one short story per magazine). The ads let me know about new books by authors I already read plus new authors who are coming out with their first books. My book shelves are all full (a lot of mysteries but also non-mystery books of all types) so I buy mostly ebooks nowadays. I became interested in historical fiction my first year in college. I also like golden age mysteries and international mysteries.
I am 63 years old. I have a bachelors degree in Mathematics. I worked for IBM for 31 years before retiring. I did all kinds of computer programing for IBM, including working on an internal only operating system. Unfortunately, aside from the fact that coding is similar to doing mathematical proofs (logical thinking work), I never really got to use my math degree at IBM. Arithmetic, yes. Math, no.


Thanks for maintaining the group and for all the great reading suggestions!
Welcome to the group, Kelly.
Looks like we have similar tastes. Have you tried the Lady Julia series by Deanna Raybourn? The Kurland St. Mary mysteries by Catherine Lloyd is also very good.
Looks like we have similar tastes. Have you tried the Lady Julia series by Deanna Raybourn? The Kurland St. Mary mysteries by Catherine Lloyd is also very good.

Looks like we have similar tastes. Have you tried the Lady Julia series by Deanna Raybourn? The Kurland St. Mary mysteries by Catherine Lloyd is also very good."
Yes! Loved the Lady Julia series as well as the new Veronica Speedwell series. Haven't tried the Kurland St. Mary mysteries, but it sounds like I should. Thanks!!



Welcome Jean!
You've come to the right place to find great historical mystery reads. Hope you have a great time with us.
You've come to the right place to find great historical mystery reads. Hope you have a great time with us.

Welcome to the group, Janina!
I also enjoy Victorian historical mysteries. Looking forward to discussing books with you.
Hope you enjoy the group.
I also enjoy Victorian historical mysteries. Looking forward to discussing books with you.
Hope you enjoy the group.
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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I read, and enjoyed, Raybourn's Lady Julia Grey series.