In The American Agent, the fifteenth novel in the Maisie Dobbs series, we find our titular heroine working as a volunteer ambulance driver during the 1940 London Blitz. A tale of triumph over tragedy, it is sure to please the author’s many fans. While the mystery portion might work fine as a standalone, the book…
Like many a fan of Deanna Raybourn’s series of Victorian-set historical mysteries starring the intrepid lady lepidopterist, Veronica Speedwell, I’m as much drawn to the complicated relationship established between Veronica and her delicious partner-in-crime, Revelstoke Templeton-Vane (Stoker), as I am to the mysteries the pair is called upon to solve in each book. We’ve watched…
Note: This review contains slight spoilers for earlier books in the series. If you’ve not been reading Tracy Grant, you really have been missing out. Her Rannoch/Fraser series of romantic suspense features a compelling relationship, fascinating characters and worldbuilding that I just love. If you’re not familiar with the series, it may require a touch…
I don’t usually gravitate toward historical mysteries, not because that I dislike them exactly, but the few I’ve read have left me feeling vaguely unsatisfied. Still, when I first heard about Victoria Thompson’s Counterfeit Lady series with its con artist heroine, I decided to give it a try. Fortunately, book one (City of Lies) lived…
Set primarily in the English Countryside in the summer of 1924, Nobody’s Sweetheart Now is the first in Maggie Robinson’s new series of Lady Adelaide Mysteries. A forward-thinking woman in the 1920s, a proper but swoon-worthy police inspector, a hint of the paranormal, and the little dog too, makes for the perfect cozy mystery. Lady…
In her latest historical mystery, A Dangerous Duet, author Karen Odden takes us into the passionate heart of music and introduces a young woman so determined to play it that she puts herself at great risk. To earn enough money to attend the Royal Academy of Music, the quite talented Elinor – Nell – Hallam…
Uneasy Lies the Crown is the thirteenth book in Tasha Alexander’s series of historical mysteries featuring Lady Emily Hargreaves and her husband, the dashing Lord Colin, agent of the crown. I knew this before going in and decided to give it a go anyway, so it’s entirely possible that fans who have read each preceding…
The popular teaming of cool minded inspector General Edgar Stephens and his best friend, the old-school magician Max “Mephisto” Miller continues with this fourth volume, The Vanishing Box, set in 1953 during the Christmas season. Max and his daughter (who is also his assistant) Ruby are currently headlining an exciting holiday show at the Brighton…
Laura Purcell first came to my attention as the author of a couple of very fine pieces of historical fiction, and earlier this year, I awarded her fabulous, spooky supernatural/gothic mystery The Silent Companions DIK status and gushed about it to everyone who crossed my path! I’ve been waiting eagerly to read her next novel…
Treacherous is the Night is the second book in Anna Lee Huber’s latest series of post-WW1 historical mysteries featuring former secret service agent Verity Kent. The events of this story unfold just a few weeks after those of the previous book, This Side of Murder, and if you’ve not read that, look away now, because…