by Noel O’Reilly — Gripping and exciting gothic novel. A wayward young woman is locked up in a Victorian asylum. Why? What happened? And how can she get out?
Tag: historical
Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone
by Benjamin Stevenson — A very clever and funny contemporary novel based on the 10 Commandments of crime fiction, as written in 1929.
The Whalebone Theatre
by Joanna Quinn — One of the best novels of 2022. An engrossing, moving saga following the lives of an eccentric British family from 1919 to 1945.
Free Love
by Tessa Hadley — An incisive novel about a 1960s housewife who throws up her life to become a hippy, and the family she leaves behind.
The Language of Food
by Annabel Abbs — Vivid, beautifully written novel about a wonderful 19th century cook, Eliza Acton, with characters and scenes that leap off the page.
The Wrecking Storm
by Michael Ward — Politics religion, murder and mayhem are back in this pacey historical mystery set in London in 1641. Book 2 in the series.
Triflers Need Not Apply
by Camilla Bruce — There’s no excuse for being a serial killer… Or is there? Superbly written, captivating and vivid historical novel based on a true story.
Murder at Madame Tussauds
by Jim Eldridge — Well written, skillfully constructed detective novel set in London in 1896. A good ol’ pageturner with dead bodies galore – and bank heists.
Skelton’s Guide to Suitcase Murders
by David Stafford — Funny, quirky, clever, entertaining and well written historical crime fiction. Book 2 in the Skelton’s Guide series
Murder in the Cloister
by Tania Bayard — Atmospheric mystery set in 1399 in a French convent. Featuring feminist writer Christine de Pizan, who really worked under King Charles VI.
Rags of Time
by Michael Ward — Politics, religion, commerce and science collide in this intriguing, fast-paced historical mystery set in London in 1640. First of a trilogy.
The Strange Adventures of H
by Sarah Burton — A wonderfully written, bawdy, vivid, thrilling romp set to a backdrop of plague, fire, brothels and playhouses.
Murder at the Ritz
by Jim Eldridge — Murder at the Ritz is a well-written, well-paced police procedural set in London in 1940, to the backdrop of blackouts and German bombings.
Legacy of Death
by Judith Cutler — Legacy of Death has all the ingredients of a 19th century sensational mystery novel, with a 21st century ethos and style. Book 2 in a series.
Journal of the Plague Year
by Daniel Defoe — An intimate, readable, day-to-day account of life in London during the plague of 1665, remarkably similar to life during a pandemic today.
Life Sentences
by Billy O’Callaghan — A long and unrelenting story of miserable poverty, hard work and bare survival. It’s miserable to read, too, despite often lyrical prose.
Snow
by John Banville — There’s a body in the library of the Big House, but nothing is quite as it appears in Snow, an atmospheric whodunnit set in post-war Ireland.
The Exiles
by Christina Baker Kline — A well-written, well-researched and gripping story about female convicts shipped to Australia in the mid 19th century
Skeltons’s Guide to Domestic Poisons
by David Stafford — A delightful book, an absolute treat. Detective novel in the cosy/classic style set in the 1920s, but with a modern pace. Quirky and funny.
The Thorn Birds
by Colleen McCullough — Life on a big Australian farm in the early 20th century and an engaging love story. Readable and enjoyable.