I have been a mystery fan all my life and an avid reader of Regency fiction—from the mystery authors I’ve recommended to early Regency romance writers, including Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. When I visited England a few years ago, I dragged my travel companion to all the Regency landmarks left standing and nearly missed a tour bus because I just had to see a Regency assembly room where their dances were held! When I switched from writing fantasy (under the pen name Ally Shields) to writing historical mysteries in 2019, I spent hundreds of hours devouring non-fiction books on this fascinating period of Prince George’s regency (1811-1820).
This is my personal favorite of the Regency mystery series. The author is a thorough researcher weaving interesting details into her stories without large information dumps, and she is a master at creating relatable characters. Each plot has plenty of twists to keep you turning the pages.
In book one, Sebastian is accused of murdering a young woman and forced to evade the Bow Street Runners in order to prove his innocence. There is a fascinating group of minor characters who reoccur throughout the series. Don’t pass this one by.
'Harris' riveting debut delivers a powerful blend of political intrigue and suspense ...This fresh, fast-paced historical is sure to be a hit.' - Publishers WeeklyIt's 1811, and the threat of revolution haunts the upper classes of King George III's England. Then a beautiful young woman is found savagely murdered on the altar steps of an ancient church near Westminster Abbey. A duelling pistol discovered at the scene and the damning testimony of a witness both point to one man, Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, a brilliant young nobleman shattered by his experience in the Napoleonic Wars.Now a fugitive running for…
Gardner's Captain Gabriel Lacey is a darker protagonist than the other books on my list. He returned from the Napoleonic wars with emotional demons and a war injury that has left him with a limp and chronic pain. Despite these drawbacks, he is getting by when he witnesses a man shot during a riot and offers to help. He learns the man's daughter is missing and gets a renewed sense of purpose. Lacey sets out to discover what happened to her, leading him into both the glittering and the seedy parts of London and into the acquaintance of a variety of characters.
Gardner has a true talent with characterization. Many of her minor characters live lifestyles that are removed from most readers' experiences, yet they are so well-drawn they are thought-provoking and understandable.
London, 1816 Cavalry captain Gabriel Lacey returns to Regency London from the Napoleonic wars, burned out, fighting melancholia, his career ended. His interest is piqued when he learns of a missing girl, possibly kidnapped by a prominent member of Parliament. Lacey's search for the young woman leads to murder, corruption, and dealings with a leader of the underworld. At the same time, he struggles with his transition from a soldier's life to the civilian world, redefining his role with his former commanding officer, and making new friends--from the top of society to the street girls of Covent Garden.
Kate Ross's books are unique in her choice of protagonist—outwardly a self-obsessed dandy rather than a hero—and in her deftness at creating the classic whodunit.
Although Julian Kestrel's ancestry is a bit vague, he clearly moves among the upper class with ease. After rescuing a young lord from a gaming hell, he is invited to a country house party. Unfortunately, he wakes up next to the body of a beautiful but very dead woman.
The only thing disappointing about this series is its shortness. The author passed away prematurely after writing only four books.
England in the 1820s is the setting for this period mystery, which introduces the detective, Julian Kestrel. He finds the corpse of an attractive woman in his bed during an elegant country weekend at a friend's estate. He sets out to discover which of his hosts is a killer.
This series is more romance-oriented than the others on this list, yet putting two very different characters together made for some interesting dialogue and scenes. The series started a little slowly with a good story but little depth in the main characters (that improved in subsequent books).
The Earl of Wexford leads a rather reckless lifestyle which has led to a sharp exchange of words with the Rev. Holworthy. When the clergyman is murdered, Wexford comes under suspicion, a situation made worse by the cartoons of A.J. Quill depicting him as a demonic figure. Wexford tracks down the artist only to discover Quill is a widow, Charlotte Sloane. The two eventually agree to work together to discover the truth of what happened to Holworthy. A popular series.
In Regency London, an unconventional scientist and a fearless female artist form an unlikely alliance to expose a cold-hearted killer . . .
The Earl of Wrexford possesses a brilliant scientific mind, but boredom and pride lead him to reckless behavior. So when pompous, pious Reverend Josiah Holworthy publicly condemns him for debauchery, Wrexford unsheathes his rapier-sharp wit and strikes back. As their war of words escalates, London’s most popular satirical cartoonist, A.J. Quill, skewers them both. But then the clergyman is found slain in a church—his face burned by chemicals, his throat slashed ear to ear—and Wrexford finds himself…
Technically written just after the true Regency period in England (1811-1820), the Lady Darby series has so much in common with Regency novels that it is usually included with those of the earlier era. However, it does have distinct differences. The main protagonist is not only a woman—but a woman who takes up her dead husband's unusual occupation as a human anatomist. She is shunned by polite society and retreats to her sister's home to spend her time painting. When a house guest is murdered, she is asked to use her skills to assist inquiry agent Sebastian Gage in finding the killer.
While book one has a few errors in language and historical detail, the main character is intriguing, and the author's skill in creating atmosphere will keep you reading. The early errors disappear as the series continues, and it is definitely one you should give a try.
“A riveting debut…an original premise, an enigmatic heroine, and a compelling Highland setting…a book you won’t want to put down.”—New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn
Scotland, 1830. Following the death of her husband, Lady Darby has taken refuge at her sister’s estate, finding solace in her passion for painting. But when her hosts throw a house party for the cream of London society, Kiera is unable to hide from the ire of those who believe her to be as unnatural as her husband, an anatomist who used her artistic talents to suit his own…
England, 1811. Lucien, Viscount Ware, has recently returned from four years of spying for England on the Continent. Finding themselves restless in the world of the haut ton, he and his fellow agent Andrew Sherbourne agree to secret spy work for the Crown at home and are given the task of locating a stolen code, the key to unlocking Napoleon's war documents.
Lady Anne Ashburn comes to London to retrieve her cousin's love letters from a blackmailer. Lucien and Lady Anne come face-to-face over a dead body at the Christmastide Ball. What follows—the risks they take, the intrusion of a notorious crime lord, society gossip, and good intentions gone awry—sends them spiraling into danger and potential disaster for England’s war effort.
A fractured mind or a global conspiracy? Uncovering the truth can be hell when nobody believes you… and you can’t even trust yourself.
"A fantastic science fiction thriller with a sincere and important message.”—Kirkus Reviews.
“A breathtaking, deeply dark alternate-history Earth with complex characters, layered worldbuilding, and twist after twist after twist.”—Julianna Caro, Reedsy Discovery.
Broken Mirror is the first volume in a queer psychological science fiction saga that looks at the stigma of mental illness and the hellish distrust and alienation that goes with it.
Broken Mirror: the start of a smart, complex, and imaginative cyberpunk alternate history saga. Literary science fiction from a fresh, young voice.
In a skewed mirror universe, a mentally ill young man searches for his grandfather’s killer.
Someone killed Jefferson Eastmore. His grandson Victor is sure of it, but no one believes him.
Diagnosed with mirror resonance syndrome and shunned by Semiautonomous California society, Victor suffers from hyperempathy, blank outs, and sensory overload. Jefferson devoted his life to researching mental illness and curing Broken Mirrors like Victor through genetic engineering, but now that he’s gone, Victor must walk a narrow…
