Historical mysteries are attractive because they combine the elements of a historical setting with a murder mystery, and the sleuth or detectives can only use the crime-solving means available to them at the time. Depending on the level of detail, these stories can be educational as well as entertaining. Here are some book recommendations from my recent reads:
Murder at Arleigh by Alyssa Maxwell (Coming Aug. 26, 2025)
Book #13 in the Gilded Newport Mysteries
Emma Andrews, a reporter and distant relative to the Vanderbilts, can’t resist when her friend Bessie Lehr, a member of Newport society’s elite Four Hundred, pleads for her help. Bessie believes her husband Harry is trying to kill her. She’s escaped several attempts on her life, thanks to her maid’s fortuitous assistance. Unable to refuse a friend, Emma gets on the case along with her husband, Derrick. A bit of digging reveals that Harry has some shady friends. And as Emma gets closer to solving the case, she risks making herself the next target. A puzzling plot, distinctive characters and a unique setting blend into a suspenseful tale that will keep you guessing until the end. I had no idea whodunit until the final reveal.
Bloody Lessons by M. Louisa Locke
Book #3 in the Victorian San Francisco Mysteries
Laura, a young schoolteacher and Nate’s sister, is staying at Annie’s boarding house. She is worried about her friend Hattie, who resigned her teaching position and moved to a shabby location after becoming engaged to Mr. Russell. But when Laura and Annie go to check up on her, they discover Hattie has fallen down the stairs and is seriously injured. Hattie’s death reveals a secret that not even her fiancé knew. Then Laura is attacked in the alley behind Annie’s boarding house. Could this be related to Hattie’s case? Laura, Annie and Nate (Annie’s lawyer boyfriend) launch an investigation that involves Hattie’s friends, school board members, and staff at the school where the women teach. Meanwhile, Annie has to decide what she wants for her future going forward. “Bloody Lessons” is a twisty tale of mystery and intrigue in early San Francisco.
The Washashore by Marshall Highet and Bird Jones
When Emily arrives on Martha’s Vineyard from the Midwest to live with her Aunt Isabel, the orphaned teen has no idea dark currents swim beneath the teas and fancy manners of East Coast high society. It’s 1929 and Prohibition is in effect, stirring business for the rumrunners off the coast. Nobody bats an eye when fishermen make a few extra bucks, but after the Mob moves in, things take a dangerous turn. Then Isabel’s friend Ann, a reporter, goes missing. With dawning horror, Emily realizes her aunt might be right about someone murdering Ann. Not knowing who to trust among her new acquaintances, Emily uses the wits and grit she’d learned growing up on a farm to defy the thugs moving into town, even if she puts herself in dire peril.
“The Washashore” is a heartwarming tale of a girl yearning to find a new home while she discovers her own courage and determination. Emily’s emotional journey, along with wonderfully described settings, will stick in your memory long after you turn the last page. A poignant tale of loss, renewal, and discovery, this suspenseful murder mystery will keep you reading into the night.
Murphy’s Law by Rhys Bowen
Book #1 in the Molly Murphy Mysteries
Molly committed a crime in her native Ireland, and now she must flee. Desperate to hide from the authorities, she encounters Kathleen, a woman with two children who has tickets on a ship to America. But Kathleen confides to Molly that she’s too ill to make the trip. Can Molly take her place and see the children safely abroad to their father? Molly accepts, surviving the passage and looking after the kids who go along with the ruse believing their mother will follow. But while being processed at Ellis Island with other immigrants, Molly becomes involved when a man is murdered. From Irish patriots to New York gangsters and politicians, she has no one to trust except for Captain Daniel Sullivan from the New York City Police… except he considers her a suspect. If she wants to clear her name, she must find the real killer before they realize she’s on their trail. Steeped in exquisite details of a bygone era, this story sweeps you into its embrace and doesn’t let go until the end. Murphy’s Law offers a fascinating glimpse into times long past and into the challenges facing our ancestors. If you like historical mysteries, pick this one up now but be prepared to get hooked on the series.
A Fiancée’s Guide to First Wives and Murder by Dianne Freeman
Book #4 in the Countess of Harleigh Mysteries
Frances, widow to the late Earl of Harleigh, is engaged to her neighbor, George Hazelton. When a French woman shows up at her door claiming to be George’s wife, Frances knows it can’t be true. She ends up hosting the woman at her estate until she’s found dead, strangled in the garden. Unfortunately, a few steps away is the entrance to George’s house, and the police immediately suspect him of murdering his alleged wife. Meanwhile, any hint of scandal will ruin Frances’s reputation. She must find the real killer to clear her fiancé’s name and prove he wasn’t married to the victim. Suspects abound from a local theatre troupe to members of the ton to visiting Russian royalty. A fun historical mystery with a royal twist!
The Proof of the Pudding by Rhys Bowen
Book #17 in the Royal Spyness Series
Lady Georgiana Rannoch, distant relative to the British monarch, is at home preparing for the birth of her baby when she and her husband, Darcy, receive a dinner invitation to Lord Mortimer Mordred’s manor house. Their eccentric neighbor is a writer who keeps a “poison” garden in his backyard. When several guests fall ill following the meal, it’s assumed some toxic berries may have made their way into the dessert. But then Georgie’s French chef is suspected by the police, and she sets out to prove him innocent. Another delightful addition to this charming series.
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