Red Wing

Public Library

"Growing Lifelong Learners"

Historical mysteries

Historical mysteries allow readers to combine their interest in things long ago and far away with their enjoyment of solving mysteries.  More authors of historical mysteries are listed in the right hand column. Click on the author's name to see a listing of their novels owned by a library in the SELCO system (but note that some of the authors write other types of books besides mysteries or write mysteries set in the current day). Many of the books below are part of a series. In such a case, the first book in the series will be listed below. To see what other books in the series are owned by SELCO, click on the "Other books in the series" link. To read reviews or get suggestions for similar books, check out the NoveList database offered by the Red Wing Public Library, or go to our Reader's Advisory Center and browse the wonderfully helpful Historical Fiction: A Guide to the Genre.

	Bowen, Rhys Murphy's Law Set in early 20th century New York, this book tells the story of Molly Murphy who, "when she commits murder in self-defense, flees her cherished Ireland for the anonymous shores of America. When she arrives in new York and sees the welcoming promise of freedom in the Statue of Liberty, Molly begins to breathe easier. But when a man is murdered on Ellis Island, a man Molly was seen arguing with, she becomes a prime suspect in the crime. Using her Irish charm and sharp wit, Molly escapes Ellis Island and sets out to find the wily killer on her own."  [Other books in the series]	More authors of historical mysteries: Lindsey Davis (ancient Rome) Mary Reed (6th century Byzantium) Robert van Gulik (7th century China) Peter Tremayne (7th century Ireland) Edward Marston (11th century England) Ellis Peters (12th century England) Margaret Frazer (15th century England) Anne Perry (Victorian England) Miriam Monfredo (19th century America) Boris Akunin (19th century Russia)
	Cleverly, Barbara The Last Kashmiri Rose In a land of saffron sunsets and blazing summer heat, an Englishwoman has been found dead. The case falls to Scotland Yard inspector Joe Sandilands, who survived the horror of the Western Front and has endured six sultry months in English-ruled Calcutta. Sandilands is ordered to investigate, and soon discovers that there have been other mysterious deaths, hearkening sinister ties to the present case. Now, as the sovereignty of Britain is in decline and an insurgent India is on the rise, Sandilands must navigate the treacherous corridors of political decorum to bring a cunning killer to justice…knowing the next victim is already marked to die. [Other books in the series]
	Gordon, Alan Thirteenth Night In the 13th-century Europe, a secret organization -- The Fool's Guild -- existed to influence events behind the scene, and one such manipulation was recorded by Shakespeare, in altered form, in his play, Twelfth Night. But now, many years later, the Duke of Orsino is murdered. Feste, a jester with The Fool's Guild, must return to once again match wits with his adversary Malvolio -- agent of Saladin and sworn enemy of the Guild. [Other books in the series]
	Hambly, Barbara A Free Man of Color Benjamin January, a Creole physician and piano teacher who has known the glories of Paris as well as of his native New Orleans, is at the Blue Ribbon Ball during Mardi Gras. Near the ball, Angelique Crozat, an octoroon who travels in the city's finest company, is found murdered--and there is no shortage of suspects. [Other books in the series]
	Liss, David A Conspiracy of Paper From the publisher: "This remarkable debut novel is a beguiling depiction of the origins of today's financial markets. A Conspiracy of Paper is the story of Benjamin Weaver, an outsider in 18th-century London: a Jew among Christians, a ruffian among aristocrats, a retired pugilist now tracking down debtors and thieves. While investigating the mysterious death of his estranged father, Weaver uncovers the beginnings of a strange new economic order based on stock speculation.
	Newman, Sharan Death Comes as Epiphany A medievalist specialist weaves mystery and romance into a fascinating tapestry of everyday life in 12th-century France. Catherine, a novice-scholar turned detective, is asked to track down evil priests, a fortune in stolen jewels, an heretical manuscript, and solve the mystery of those ill-fated lovers, Abelard and Heloise. [Other books in the series]
	Peters, Elizabeth Crocodile on the Sandbank Thirty-one-year-old Victorian gentlewoman Amelia Peabody has not only inherited her father's fortune, but she is also blessed with his strong will as well. Now she's headed for Cairo, accompanied by a girl with a tarnished past, to indulge her passion for Egyptology. Little did she know that murder and a homicidal mummy lay in wait for her. [Other books in the series]
	Rowland, Laura Joh Shinju When beautiful, wealthy Yukiko and low-born artist Noriyoshi are found drowned together in a shinju, or ritual double suicide, everyone believes the culprit was forbidden love. Everyone but newly appointed yoriki Sano Ichiro. Despite the official verdict and warnings from his superiors, the shogun's Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations, and People suspects the deaths weren't just a tragedy -- they were murder. Risking his family's good name and his own life, Sano will search for a killer across every level of society -- determined to find answers to a mystery no one wants solved. No one but Sano...  [Other books in the series]
	Saylor, Steven Roman Blood In the unseasonable heat of a spring morning in 80 B.C., Gordianus the Finder is summoned to the house of Cicero, a young advocate ...[defending a man accused of murder]. The charge is patricide; the motive, a son's greed. Gordianus's investigation takes him through the city's raucous, pungent streets and deep into urban Umbria, unraveling layers of deceit, twisted passions, and murderous desperation. From pompous, rouged nobles to wily slaves to citizens of seemingly simple virtue, the case becomes a political nightmare. [Other books in the series]
	Waters, Sarah Fingersmith The plot revolves around an attempt to swindle an heiress out of her fortune. But no one and nothing is as it seems in this Dickensian novel of thrills and reversals. The New York Times Book Review has called Sarah Waters a writer of "startling power" and The Seattle Times has praised her work as "gripping, astute fiction that feeds the mind and the senses."

Except as noted, annotations are supplied from the SELCO catalog