Published towards the end of 2019, this is my review of book 4 in the Wyndham and Banerjee series. As I promised in my review, I’ve caught up the missed books and absolutely love this series!
I don't know why it took me so long to pick up this book! Now I've read it - the fourth in the series featuring Captain Sam Wyndham and his Sergeant, Surrender-Not Banerjee - I've fallen in love with the series and shall immediately be making up for lost time with the other books. Although it would have been good to read these in order, I didn't feel that I was disadvantaged by reading this one first - it works as a standalone, I think.
At the start of this book, Captain Sam Wyndham of the Calcutta Police is in a state - he is an opium addict who is taking himself off to an ashram in rural India in order to break his addiction through a frankly barbaric vomiting cure. It's 1922 and the story mostly covers Wyndham's experiences at the retreat and then afterwards in a neighbouring town where he gets embroiled in investigating a crime. However, the story is also partially set in 1905 in Whitechapel in the East End of London where a young Sam Wyndham, a new Metropolitan police officer, is involved in solving a crime that has echoes and repercussions for him later in India.
I really loved the Indian setting of this book - it seemed at once exotic and interesting, but there was also a sense of the simmering resentments around the British Raj which added a frisson of danger to the proceedings. It was interesting to see the white privilege in action in the way that Wyndham was treated very differently to Banerjee in the expat community, even though Banerjee was meant to be the main investigating officer at one point. The characters are well drawn and I cannot wait to get into the other books to find out more about Banerjee in particular as he does not feature heavily here. There's clever plotting, peril and vibrant description - what more could you want?! My only quibble was that I solved the murder and worked out the method well ahead of poor Captain Wyndham, but when the novel is so beautifully written as this then that really doesn't matter.
Overall, this is an excellent historical crime novel with real depth and interest. I would recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone who enjoys this genre or who wants more insight into the British Raj in India - it certainly is an eye-opener on this front!
I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Today’s post is all about my absolute favourite genre: historical crime fiction. I love the pace and puzzle of the investigations, but also the rich texture of the historical settings.
While a Victorian setting is usually my go-to, I’ve found and enjoyed a whole host of excellent series covering a much wider time period – although (spoiler alert) I really can’t get on with the Tudors so there are some very popular series missing from my list!
With that little proviso up front and in no particular order, off we go with the historical crime series that I would choose over all others…
Blood and Sugar by Laura Shepherd-Robinson
1. LAURA SHEPHERD-ROBINSON’S GEORGIAN LONDON SERIES.
Firstly, a plea for you to read Laura Shepherd Robinson’s absolutely amazing ‘Blood and Sugar’. Set in London in 1781, this is an atmospheric page-turner that, while taking in slavery and a horrific murder, is so beautifully written that you won’t want it to end. The publication of the sequel, ‘Daughters of Night’, has been pushed back to January 2021 because of Covid, but I cannot praise it highly enough – and you will want to have read the first one before it comes out.
2. C.S. HARRIS – THE SEBASTIAN ST CYR GEORGIAN MYSTERIES.
What Remains of Heaven by C.S. Harris
A bit lighter than Shepherd-Robinson’s series, C.S Harris’ series is also set in Georgian England towards the end of George III’s reign and through into the Regency. Sebastian St Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is the dashing but damaged hero and there is a romance sub-plot alongside the mysteries that make these books compelling. Start with ‘What Angels Fear’ and work through the series in order – there are 15 books to enjoy in total.
Stack of mystery novels set in Georgian England
3. IMOGEN ROBERTSON’S CROWTHER AND WESTERMAN SERIES – GEORGIAN ENGLAND.
Without wanting to sound obsessed with the Georgians, this is another great series set in that time period. It pairs an unlikely duo, the lively and spirited Harriet Westerman and a reclusive anatomist Gabriel Crowther, to solve a series of murders. The first book is ‘Instruments of Darkness’ and it’s a brilliant opener to an engaging series.
4. ALAN BRADLEY’S FLAVIA DE LUCE SERIES SET IN 195OS RURAL ENGLAND.
Coming slightly more up to date is the charming and witty crime series featuring 11 year-old sleuth and amateur chemist, Flavia de Luce. If you’re not sold on the idea of a child detective, then hear me out – nor was I, but Flavia is feisty and funny and these books are a lovely, cosy crime series. The setting is an idealised 1950s England full of eccentric characters and secrets for Flavia to uncover. The series begins with ‘The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie’ and establishes Flavia’s dysfunctional family beautifully.
5. (NOT PICTURED) E.S. THOMSON’S JEM FLOCKHART SERIES SET IN VICTORIAN LONDON.
Jem Flockhart, apothecary and focus of E.S. Thomson’s series, is a fascinating character – a woman living as a man in Victorian London in order to be able to practise her trade and live in relative freedom. The mysteries, starting with ‘Beloved Poison’, are quite dark and a bit gruesome, but also fascinating and tense.
6. CLAUDE IZNER’S VICTOR LEGRIS SERIES SET IN LATE VICTORIAN-ERA PARIS.
Starting with ‘Murder on the Eiffel Tower’ and translated from the French, this is a series following Victor Legris, a Parisian bookseller, as he solves crimes in an evocatively-presented 19th century setting.
7. (NOT PICTURED) AMBROSE PARRY’S WILL RAVEN SERIES SET IN VICTORIAN EDINBURGH.
Ambrose Parry is a pseudonym – these books are written by a husband and wife, crime writer Chris Brookmyre and consultant anaesthetist Dr Marisa Haetzman. The main character, Will Raven, is a medical student in Victorian Edinburgh where the atmosphere is dark and sinister. Be warned that the writing is forensic and graphic so this isn’t for the faint hearted. ‘The Way of all Flesh’ is the first book and there is a recently published sequel, also excellent.
Two historical crime novels
8. ABIR MUKHERJEE’S WYNDHAM AND BANERJEE SERIES STARTING IN 1919 INDIA.
This series, starting with ‘A Rising Man’, is an eye-opening and always immersive trip through a period of British rule in India. Primarily focused on Calcutta, the detectives are British policeman Captain Sam Wyndham and his Indian sergeant, Banerjee. The historical setting is beautifully drawn and the political events of the period make a fascinating backdrop for the murder investigations while also providing a light-touch education on the history of empire. The fourth book in the series has just been published.
9. DEANNA RAYBOURN’S VERONICA SPEEDWELL SERIES SET IN VICTORIAN ENGLAND.
Veronica Speedwell is a highly unconventional heroine living an unlikely existence as adventurer and butterfly collector. She gets herself into scrapes, has scandalous love affairs and solves crimes too with her partner/fellow scientist/potential love interest, Stoker. These mysteries are pacy and a lot of fun but lighter on the history than some of my other choices. The series starts, appropriately, with ‘A Curious Beginning’.
Deadly Communion by Frank Tallis
10. FRANK TALLIS’ MAX LIEBERMANN SERIES SET IN 1900S VIENNA.
Max Liebermann is a doctor and early practitioner of psychoanalysis as a follower of Freud. The mysteries in this series are intelligent and accompanied by descriptions of the delicious Austrian pastries that Max enjoys during his forays into Viennese cafe society. The series begins with ‘Mortal Mischief’.
11. NICOLA UPSON’S JOSEPHINE TEY SERIES STARTING IN THE UNITED KINGDOM OF THE 1930S .
Nicola Upson’s series is a fictional imagining of the life of Josephine Tey, a real-life Golden Age novelist and playwright. The first in the series, ‘An Expert in Murder’, establishes the delicate balance of fact and fiction typical of the series. The books don’t have the pace and peril of some of my other choices, but are always thought-provoking and clever.
12. ANDREW TAYLOR’S JAMES MARWOOD SERIES SET IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE 1666 GREAT FIRE OF LONDON.
This series opens with a body found in the ruins of St. Paul’s cathedral after the Great Fire of London has ravaged the city. James Marwood is a government informer with a tendency to – against his better judgement – get caught up in the political matters of the day. The first book, ‘The Ashes of London’, sets up the complex political situation and establishes Marwood’s partnership with Cat Lovett, another figure caught up in politics because of her family history.
13. BORIS AKUNIN’S ERAST FANDORIN SERIES SET IN VICTORIAN-ERA RUSSIA.
Beginning with ‘The Winter Queen’, this is a lively and engaging series starting in 1870s Russia. The main character is Erast Fandorin, an investigator from St. Petersburg (at the start of the series). The mysteries themselves are suitable twisty and compelling with a dash of wit and plenty of charm.
14. TASHA ALEXANDER’S LADY EMILY SERIES SET IN VICTORIAN ENGLAND.
Lady Emily is widowed at the start of the series (‘And Only to Deceive’) and it is this that gives her the freedom to investigate mysteries surrounding her dead husband. Although the series starts in Victorian London, later books in the series visit other places such as Venice and St. Petersburg where Lady Emily always finds herself embroiled in mystery. This series is quite light and fun for those who don’t want anything gruesome!
Pile of historical mystery novels
15. (NOT PICTURED) ANDREA PENROSE’S WREXFORD AND SLOANE SERIES SET IN REGENCY LONDON.
This is another series featuring an unlikely pairing of detectives – this time the Earl of Wrexford and widowed artist Emily Sloane. The mysteries, beginning with ‘Murder on Black Swan Lane’, are cleverly plotted and engaging, plus the Regency setting is convincing.
I hope this list helps you find your next historical crime series. I’m now feeling guilty about all the books I’ve loved that didn’t make the list!
Over the next few days I’ll publish some of my recent reviews of books in the series mentioned above. Please do follow me to read these!
Today’s post is about an absolutely brilliant police procedural by Liz Mistry. It’s an absolute edge-of-your-seat page-turner and I can’t recommend it enough!
I'd not read any books by Liz Mistry before this, but I'll certainly be looking for more! This is the second in a series featuring DS Nikki Parekh and, although there are references to the backstory, I don't think its essential that you have read the previous novel.
After a multi-agency conference, police officer Felicity Springer leaves the venue for her drive home. As she heads through the country lanes, she sees someone trying to get her attention from inside the van in front. Felicity Springer doesn't make it home and an investigation is launched into her disappearance. However, that proves just the tip of the iceburg and DS Nikki Parekh and her team are thrown into a complex and dangerous investigation in Bradford's criminal underworld.
I'll admit that this is a bit more gritty and grim than my usual reads, but it's also compelling and very pacy - I kept planning on reading one more chapter to see what happened until I realised it was 3am and I should just finish the book! I liked the portrayal of multicultural Bradford and the diversity within the police team and Nikki herself is an interesting protagonist. Often the personal lives of the police officers can overshadow the actual crime story in this kind of novel but this never happens here - the plot is tight and twisty throughout.
I'd recommend this to anyone who likes police procedurals, especially those with a feisty female police officer in charge. Just don't pick up this book unless you have a clear run of reading time in which to finish it because you absolutely won't want to put it down.
I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I chose to read this not realising it was the third in a series featuring DI Meg Dalton and her team. It does work as a stand alone novel, but there are possibly spoilers about what happened before in case you then wanted to go back and read the rest of the series.
In this book, a young woman called Violet Armstrong goes missing from an abattoir in the Peak District. She has become something of a social media star in her support of the meat industry, but it seems that there is more to the story. She has also angered the local animal rights groups who seem to know more than they should about her disappearance. DI Dalton and her team get involved and find that the story has links to the town's past and a ghost that foreshadows death for its inhabitants.
This is a solid police procedural; it is well plotted and the characters were credible, particularly the police team involved. In particular, DI Meg Dalton was an appealing character, being quirky and grappling with her own issues, and her potential romance with her colleague is something that would pull me into reading a sequel to this. I did find some of the events a little unbelievable, but still enjoyed the book. The setting, the Peak District and a reservoir with a submerged village, was engaging and well-presented.
Overall, I'd recommend this but suggest that you start at the beginning of the series to make most sense of it. It is quite dark though and has some unpleasant themes, so approach with some caution.
I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
My review of ‘Neon’ (published on 9th July 2020 by Orion).
This is a debut novel by GS Locke and is an edge-of-your-seat crime thriller. From the tense opening where a man is awaiting his own death, it doesn't let up and will keep you reading as you race to the finish.
A serial killer referred to as Neon is slaughtering women in Birmingham and using their bodies within his twisted art installations of neon lighting. He is audacious and uses public spaces for his 'art', but his last victim was a police officer's wife. That very police officer, Matt Johnson, is now on his trail with a very unconventional partner who has her own reasons to kill. As the net closes in on the killer, the need to operate outside the law becomes essential.
This is an extremely tense thriller. Although the killer is revealed early on, the tension comes from the continued action, close calls and revelations as Johnson's rather maverick approach to policing runs its course. The setting is also appealing - as someone who knows Birmingham reasonably well, it felt realistic and creepy. However, I didn't particularly like the bleakness of the story, especially around Iris - I absolutely know why this was done and it is effective, but I prefer a little less grit personally!
Overall, I'd recommend this to people looking for a distinctly unusual take on the police procedural. For me, it's a 4 star read because the ending felt a bit rushed, but there certainly is never a dull moment!
I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
