B Reviews / Book Reviewsclass differences / family relationships / Historical / historical mystery / London / murder mystery / Regency8 Comments
Having resigned his position at Bow Street in disgrace (at least in his own mind) and failed in his attempt to establish himself as a private agent, John Pickett toils away at a tedious job as a clerk in the City. When he is approached by a man wishing to ... more >
Book Reviews / Reading ListsAnthology / classic literature / Domestic Suspense / Dystopian fiction / Essays / Historical fiction / History / murder mystery / Reading lists / Suspense10 Comments
Lorna Doone by R.D. Blackmore I went into this knowing nothing about it but the name. It ended up being a bit of a slog, for a few reasons: dialogue rendered in impenetrable dialect, a lot of blah blah blah musings, and the fact that I didn’t really like the ... more >
B+ Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended Reads1920s / 20th century / fish-out-of-water / Historical / historical mystery / Hollywood / Hollywood Golden Age / Los Angeles / murder mystery / silent movie8 Comments
“You shall never have a penny of my money. Leave me alone or I will shoot you dead!” 1924. After six months in Hollywood, young British widow Emma Blackstone has come to love her new employer, glamourous movie-star Kitty Flint – even if her late husband’s sister is one of ... more >
B+ Reviews / Book Reviewsancient-Rome / family relationships / female detectives / First-Person / Flavia Albia series / Historical / historical mystery / murder mystery / murder-investigation / organized crime / Private-investigator6 Comments
In Rome, 89 A.D., poisonings, murders, and a bloody gang war of retribution breaks out during the festival of Saturnalia, and when her husband, Tiberius, becomes a target, it’s time for Flavia Albia to take matters into her own hands — in Lindsey Davis’s next historical mystery, A Comedy of ... more >
B+ Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended ReadsEuropean-Historical / Historical / legal hearing / murder mystery / short stories / vampiresNo Comments
No vampire is ever innocent in Lavie Tidhar’s “Judge Dee and the Limits of the Law”, a Tor.com Original short story The wandering Judge Dee serves as judge, jury, and executioner for any vampire who breaks the laws designed to safeguard their kind’s survival. This new case in particular puts ... more >
B+ Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended Readsclass differences / Historical / Historical-China / Lotus Palace series / murder mystery / POC / POC author / strong heroine / Tang Dynasty3 Comments
A well-bred lady and lowly street hustler team up in a historical murder mystery set during China’s glittering Tang Dynasty. Part of the best-selling Lotus Palace series. Impetuous and well-educated, young Lady Bai has always been the forgotten daughter between two favored sons. However, when Wei-wei’s older brother is tasked ... more >