Five Happy Things
Mysteries for Time Travelers
A couple of weeks ago I shared five of my favorite big, chunky books of historical fiction. In that post I promised I was saving mysteries for another time (though I cheated a bit and included The Name of the Rose).
That time is now!
Here are five of my favorite mystery series set in the past. 🙂
(For the record - I LOVE historical mysteries and paring it down to just five was very hard, which means this will be the subject of some future Five Happy Things as well, maybe with some of your suggestions!)
For fun, I’m arranging these in chronological order. 🙂
Brother Cadfael mysteries by Ellis Peters - I love this series! It’s set at a Benedictine monastery in the 12th century, during a civil war in England between King Stephen and Empress Maud. The detective is Brother Cadfael, a very cool Welsh soldier turned monk and herbalist. Start with A Morbid Taste for Bones. (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
Benjamin January mysteries by Barbara Hambly - I have to tell you right off the bat that physical books in this series can be hard to find - but eBooks and audio editions are available. And if you really love print books (I do!) they are 100% worth the search! The series is set in New Orleans in the 1830s and 1840s - primarily in the free Black community that existed there at the time. January is a Paris-trained physician working as a piano player and teacher. The mysteries and the characters are terrific, but it’s the setting (a little-known (to me) chapter of American history) that keeps me coming back again and again. Start with A Free Man of Color. (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
The Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mysteries by Ann Perry - Set in Victorian London, this series follows policeman Thomas Pitt and his upper-class wife, Charlotte. I love that these books always have some social commentary in them that really brings the time period alive - it’s not just carriages and ball gowns. (Though the clothing descriptions are always wonderful.) Start with The Cater Street Hangman. (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
The Mary Russell mysteries by Laurie R. King - Set in the early 1900s in England. Sherlock Holmes has retired, and he’s living in the country (studying bees, as one does) when he meets the brilliant 15-year old Mary Russell, who becomes his apprentice. Holmes is, of course, an important character - but Mary Russell is the star of this series. Start with The Beekeeper’s Apprentice. (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
The Flavia DeLuce mysteries by Alan Bradley - These books are set in 1950’s England, and they star the absolutely delightful Flavia DeLuce. She’s eleven years old, an aspiring chemist with a “passion for poison.” She lives in a crumbling mansion on the edge of a small town where a lot of murders happen. Start with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
What are your favorite historical mysteries? Tell us in the comments!
You can find past newsletters with book recommendations here.
Enjoy!
Best,
Wendi
❤️
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I absolutely love your book lists! Thank you so much for sharing.
Once again these look good!