Guest Virginia Dawn Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 (edited) This is for me. I like historical fiction that has a mystery or time travel. I've read Connie Willis (love), Jack Finney(love), some Michael Crichton (so-so). I also like fictional books about historical characters, or historical books about fictional characters, especially mysteries- loved Laurie King's Sherlock Holmes stories. I'm looking for other suggestions. I'm not interested in heavy romance. No R-rated books please. Thanks! Edited April 27, 2010 by Virginia Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 Have you read The Outlander series, by Diana Gabaldon? I couldn't get into it, but it's often recommended here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 Also, The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Virginia Dawn Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 I read The Name of the Rose, but not the Outlander series. I think I saw an excerpt from one Outlander book and it looked a little raunchy, but maybe I'm mistaken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kiddies Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 This may not be exactly what you are looking for but I loved Phillipa Gregory's historical fiction about the Tudors. Great stuff!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 Well, a YA title is "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing" by M.T. Anderson. There is also a sequel I haven't read yet. Perhaps "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova. Have you read Sarah Dunant's books? I loved "Dancer" by Colum McCann. "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God" by Robert Graves. "The Daughter of Time" by Josephine Tey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutor Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 You may enjoy: The Alienist: A Novel by Caleb Carr The Dante Club: A Novel by Matthew Pearl The Cask of Amontillado or Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allen Poe The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey Death of a Colonial by Bruce Alexander The Spy Who Came In From The Cold by John Le Carre I tend not to mind some gore in my mystery/ spy books (although I am not a huge fan of romance), and I read most of these a long time ago, so you may want to check reviews to make sure they aren't too descriptive for your tastes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 Have you read Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series? Ellis Peters Brother Cadfael series Anne Perry writes a couple different historical mysteries, all set in Victorian England. btw - I too love the Holmes/Russell books :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 Oh, and the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. (It starts w/ "The Eyre Affair".) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 My all time favorite is the Zion Covenant (set in pre-ww2 europe) by the Thoenes. As a matter of fact, all of their books are great. I cannot start one until all the cleaning is done. I will do nothing but read till I'm done. Cannot put them down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 Timeline by Michael Crichton (not his usual genre, but very good). I second all Thoene books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 The Alchemist's Daughter by K. McMahon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiCO Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 Have you read The Outlander series, by Diana Gabaldon? I couldn't get into it, but it's often recommended here. I would say this is pretty R- rated though. The OP requested no Rs. (I couldn't get into this book either. My book club read it, unfortunately.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 I would say this is pretty R- rated though. The OP requested no Rs. (I couldn't get into this book either. My book club read it, unfortunately.) Ah. I read less than half and tossed it aside. Guess I didn't read far enough. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 Historical Whodunits edited by Mike Ashley and published by Barnes and Noble is a collection of good short-story format mysteries from ancient Egypt and Rome through 1910. The Brother Cadfael Mystery (Middle Ages) is great, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Virginia Dawn Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 Well, a YA title is "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing" by M.T. Anderson. There is also a sequel I haven't read yet. Perhaps "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova. Have you read Sarah Dunant's books? I loved "Dancer" by Colum McCann. "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God" by Robert Graves. "The Daughter of Time" by Josephine Tey. I've read The Historian and The Daughter of Time, I'll check out the others. Thanks.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Virginia Dawn Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 Thanks, everybody, for the suggestions. I've already read about half of those listed, but I will look into the others. Keep 'em coming, if you have any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasharowan Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 Jennifer Roberson has a couple of retellings or Arthur and Robin Hood. Mercedes Lackey has some in Victorian England with psychic powers and also a retelling of Guinevere. I don't remember how much extraneous stuff there is in them though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 Orson Scott Card's Pastwatch is EXCELLENT. It may be a YA novel (I don't remember for sure), but it's about Christopher Columbus, and it's very interesting. If you like Finney, I bet you'd like this. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarawatsonim Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 I love historical mystery novels, they are my favorite genre. I recently read the C.J. Sansom's Mathew Shardlake Series (4 books) and they were great. I also really enjoyed Susanna Gregory's Mathew Bartholomew Series (15 books). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted April 27, 2010 Share Posted April 27, 2010 I was just about to recommend Willis' Doomsday Book, but then I re-read your post! lol Have you read Sarum? It's about the Salisbury Plain area of England, and details the building of the Salisbury Cathedral, with a little Stonehenge thrown in there. It's quite thick, quite fun, and quite engaging! I read parts of it before we went to England, and it made the area come alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted April 28, 2010 Share Posted April 28, 2010 I mentioned a recent time travel read here. Another suggestion: Flashforward by Robert J. Sawyer and this one is an old favorite of mine: Replay by Ken Grimwood Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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