Historical Mysteries and Thrillers

Historical mysteries and thrillers ranging from pre-history to the mid 1900s (plus or minus); includes Golden Age

Blotto, Twinks, and the Ex-Kings Daughter by Simon Brett – a review

LOL funny all the way through… I have been quite fond of Simon Brett’s earlier books, especially the Mrs. Pargeter series.  So I was intrigued by his Blotto & Twinks series, which looked to be a little different in style – and it was – a lot.    The first book in the series, Blotto, Twinks,

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The Morning After Death by Nicholas Blake – a review

A fun time-capsule of a mystery I remember reading and enjoying several of Nicholas Blake’s Nigel Strangeways mysteries many many years ago, in “real paper” editions.  But I had never read The Morning After Death, which is the last in the series, and features Strangeways as a visiting scholar at a fictional Ivy League school,

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Review of Murder at Madame Tussauds by Jim Eldridge – recently published

A real dead body amongst the wax ones… I am a huge fan of historical mysteries, but somehow had never heard of Jim Eldridge’s Museum Detectives series, set in the late 1800s, and featuring ex-Scotland Yard detective Daniel Wilson and his partner, archeologist Abigail Fenton.  So I was happy to receive a review copy of

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Review of Unravelled Knots by Baroness Orczy – Coming Soon

A fun collection of early mystery short stories… Besides being a genuine Hungarian baroness (!), Baroness Orczy is probably best known as the author of the Scarlet Pimpernel books and stories, the first of which was a hit on the London stage, and several of which were made into movies.   (And which I loved as

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Coming soon: Castle Shade by Laurie R. King – a review

I’ve very much enjoyed Laurie R King’s Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series over the years, so I was happy to receive an advance review copy of the latest title in the series, Castle Shade.  It’s set in Roumania (modern Romania) in the 1920s, while political and territorial currents are still swirling in the aftermath

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Series review: Daisy Gumm Majesty series by Alice Duncan

I am a huge fan of the Daisy Gumm Majesty series by Alice Duncan.  It’s a cozy series, featuring Daisy as a medium, who, even though she isn’t really connecting with the afterlife (or is she?), still somehow manages to give comfort to the rich Pasadena folks who pay her to hold séances.  And, of

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Review of Skelton’s Guide to Suitcase Murders – just published

A really nice historical mystery… I am a huge fan of historical mysteries, and so I was really happy to receive an advance review copy of Skelton’s Guide to Suitcase Murders, which is set in England in 1929-1930.  Suitcase Murders (as I’m going to call it, because the title is too long to type all

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