Some of us (ahem, me) do not particularly like scary things, but we do enjoy a good mystery. And while I will read really any mystery novel (that doesn’t have a lot of violence) from any time, as an historian I do love a good historical mystery. Thankfully we have more than a few to choose from for your less-spooky Halloween reading! Today I am sharing the 5 best historical mystery series for you to dive into.
Note: The shortest series listed here has six books, some are much longer. I wanted to focus on historical mystery series that are well developed so that you have more books to enjoy.
The 5 Best Historical Mystery Series
Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor, Stephanie Barron (Being a Jane Austen Mystery #1)
For everyone who loves Jane Austen…a marvelously entertaining new series that turns the incomparable author into an extraordinary sleuth! On a visit to the estate of her friend, the young and beautiful Isobel Payne, Countess of Scargrave, Jane bears witness to a tragedy. Isobel’s husband–a gentleman of mature years–is felled by a mysterious and agonizing ailment. The Earl’s death seems a cruel blow of fate for the newly married Isobel. Yet the bereaved widow soon finds that it’s only the beginning of her misfortune…as she receives a sinister missive accusing her and the Earl’s nephew of adultery–and murder. Desperately afraid that the letter will expose her to the worst sort of scandal, Isobel begs Jane for help. And Jane finds herself embroiled in a perilous investigation that will soon have her following a trail of clues that leads all the way to Newgate Prison and the House of Lords–a trail that may well place Jane’s own person in the gravest jeopardy.
Why You Should Read This…
As I just posted my review of the final Being a Jane Austen Mystery (Jane and the Final Mystery) I knew that I absolutely had to include this series. This fifteen book series sees Jane Austen solving mysteries throughout her adult life, and I’ve got to say, she makes a great detective. What I think makes this series so special, though, is the way that Barron is able to bring Austen’s voice to life. Because the stories are focused on the mystery at hand, Austen is able to have the space needed to be a realistic character that still resembles her historical self. All in all, I cannot recommend this series enough!
Ps. Kate Reading’s narration on the audiobooks is fantastic.
Her Royal Spyness, Rhys Bowen (Her Royal Spyness #1)
Georgie, aka Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, cousin of King George V of England, is penniless and trying to survive on her own as an ordinary person in London in 1932.
So far she has managed to light a fire and boil an egg… She’s gate-crashed a wedding… She’s making money by secretly cleaning houses… And she’s been asked to spy for Her Majesty the Queen.
Everything seems to be going swimmingly until she finds a body in her bathtub… and someone is definitely trying to kill her.
Why You Should Read This…
I will be shocked if readers of this blog have not come across the Her Royal Spyness series but I knew that I wanted to include it anyways. God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen remains one of my favourite books of all times, and if I introduce even one new reader to this series, it will be worth it!
Georgie, aka Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, might be one of my favourite amateur detectives of all time. While she technically should be unemployed and married to a fellow aristocrat, she works for Queen Mary to help solve mysteries whenever needed. (The Royal Family tends to be in the background, so it doesn’t feel like The Crown or anything like that, but they are rather an anchor for the store.) Georgie is intelligent and resourceful, but never the least bit boring. And quite frankly, I like getting to travel across the UK and the Continent in the 1930s without having to leave my home.
Murder at Archly Manor, Sara Rosett (High Society Lady Detective #1)
A high society murder. A spirited lady detective. Can she out-class the killer before an innocent person takes the fall?
London, 1923. Olive Belgrave needs a job. Despite her aristocratic upbringing, she’s penniless. Determined to support herself, she jumps at an unconventional job—looking into the background of her cousin’s fiancé, Alfred.
Alfred burst into the upper crust world of London’s high society, but his answers to questions about his past are decidedly vague. Before Olive can gather more than the basics, a murder occurs at a posh party. Suddenly, every Bright Young Person in attendance is a suspect, and Olive must race to find the culprit because a sly murderer is determined to make sure Olive’s first case is her last.
Why You Should Read This…
This series is somewhat similar to Her Royal Spyness but also takes on quite a different feeling being set in the 1920s. The 1920s was such an exciting and explosive decade and the Bright Young Things dominated society- it makes for a highly entertaining series. Olive moves throughout the different layers of society easily, and I enjoyed getting to explore all over.
And never fear- the series does take us all over England! It’s an interesting time to move throughout the country, as so much was changing in this period. (Think the later seasons of Downton Abbey!) Throughout the series we get to “visit” several different stately homes, and that is something I will never say no to.
Interested in more book previews, period dramas, royal news, and more? You can subscribe to my biweekly substack newsletter here: https://substack.com/profile/34734695-anhistorian-abouttown!
The Silver Pigs, Lindsey Davis (Marcus Didius Falco #1)
It is A.D. 70, when Roman P.I. Marcus Didius Falco runs into comely Sosia Camillina on the steps of the Forum. It seems she’s being chased by a few unsavories for a stockpile of silver pigs–silver ingots–but Falco wants more information. What he gets is a whiff of treason and a one-way ticket to his own funeral pyre….
Why You Should Read This…
This is an older series- the final, twentieth novel was published in 2009- but it is still a go-to recommendation for me. It is set in Ancient Rome and we are following a Roman private investigator who always seems to find himself in the middle of criminals and the police. I discovered this series one summer as a teenager, and I was immediately hooked. If I’m being honest, I do not automatically gravitate towards ancient history but this series really drove home to me that the past is full of “regular” people like you and me, rather than solely generals and emperors and soldiers.
Also, if you enjoy this series, Davis also has a second series, the Flavia Albia series, that is based on Falco’s daughter also serving crimes! (There are over thirty books between the two series if you want to get stuck in.)
A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder, Dianne Freeman (Countess of Harleigh Mystery #1)
Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, enjoys more freedom as a widow than she did as a wife. After an obligatory year spent mourning her philandering husband, Reggie, she puts aside her drab black gowns, leaving the countryside and her money-grubbing in-laws behind. With her young daughter in tow, Frances rents a home in Belgravia and prepares to welcome her sister, Lily, arriving from New York—for her first London season.
No sooner has Frances begun her new life than the ghosts of her old one make an unwelcome appearance. The Metropolitan police receive an anonymous letter implicating Frances in her husband’s death. Frances assures Inspector Delaney of her innocence, but she’s also keen to keep him from learning the scandalous circumstances of Reggie’s demise. As fate would have it, her dashing new neighbor, George Hazelton, is one of only two other people aware of the full story.
While busy with social engagements on Lily’s behalf, and worrying if Reggie really was murdered, Frances learns of mysterious burglaries plaguing London’s elite. The investigation brings death to her doorstep, and Frances rallies her wits, a circle of gossips, and the ever-chivalrous Mr. Hazelton to uncover the truth. A killer is in their midst, perhaps even among her sister’s suitors. And Frances must unmask the villain before Lily’s season—and their lives—come to a most unseemly end . . .
Why You Should Read This…
This Gilded Age-era series has quietly become one of my favourites. The fact that our main character is a widow, and an American one at that, means that she has a lot more freedom than most women would have. And yes, that clearly means that she has a lot more freedom in solving murders!
I think that the main reason that I love this series is the supporting cast. There are so many hilarious side characters that just make the novels what they are. Obviously each book features a murder, but they remain light and highly entertaining in spite of the macabre topic.
♠
What are your favourite historical mystery series?
Cheers,
The Historian
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