More historical crime please: not too gory or cosy...

[IsThisACrazyThoughtDec25]

Currently reading Fliss Chester- A Dangerous Goodbye and really enjoying it. Set in 1940s post war France.

Recently finished The Tin Face Parade and sequel The Porcelain Poet by Joly Braime and thought they were great. Very Edwardian and elegant, if a little more violent.

What should I try next?

How far back do you want to go? I enjoyed the Brother Cadfael books by Ellis Peters, which are set in the 12th century.

Shardlake - late Henry VIII crime.

The Giordano Bruno series by SJ Parris is good, set in late Elizabethan era. Will appeal if you like the Shardlake novels.

Yes, I add my vote for this.

Also, try Robert Graves. He didn’t just write I Claudius (the TV adaptation, btw, is so good it’s even better than the novel). He also wrote lots of other historical fiction, though I’m not sure any of it involved crime.

I know it’s kind of obvious, but why not read Sherlock Holmes?

Some excellent ideas! Have read all the Holmes stories and some of the novels but not all.... will look into the others. Thank you!

The Emerald Shawl by Louise Douglas

Jane Thynne books are very good.

The HM QE2 series by SJ Bennett is mainly set around 2016 but the last one is set in the 1950s. A little bit cosy though.
(And yes I did originally write it was very cosy but rethought it. Doesn't gloss over WW2 but isn't too gory)

Falco series by Lindsey Davis

Mistress of the Art of Death series by Ariana Franklin (pen name of Diana Norman, was married to Barry of Film Night fame)

Another vote for Brother Cadfael.

I love books about art crime. Never any gore!

That sounds fun - any suggestions?

The Goldfinch could loosely fall into art crime genre I think - Donna Tartt is a fabulous writer although it’s contemporary not historical. The other one which springs to mind is His bloody project by Graeme Macrae Burnet set in 17th century Scotland

Hmm I looked up that one and it says "brutal triple murder".

I'd second @SheilaFentiman with the Shardlake suggestion and add Sara Sheridan's Mirabelle Bevan's series. Sara Sheridan has also done some great stand alone novels, eg The Secrets of Blythswood Square.

Or Abir Mukherjee's Wynham and Bannerjee series, Vaseem Khan's Malabar House series, both set in India, first one is 1920s Calcutta and the second is post partition Bombay.

So happy to see Falco being recommended. I love this series.

Also the Maisie Dobbs series is very good

You might want to try
The Bells of Westminster by Leanora Nattrass late 18th century
Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd 1950s
Beattie Cavendish and the White Pearl Club by Mary-Jane Riley post war
A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith early 20C
Miss Burnham and the Loose Thread by Lynne Knight 1920's (this is fraud not a murder.)
The Dandy Gilver series by Catriona McPherson. The first is After the Armistice Ball. It covers post WW1 through the 1930s
OP thanks for the Fliss Chester recommendation. She's new to me and I think I'd enjoy her books.

Andrew Taylor, Ashes of London series

Falco and Helena Justina forever ❤️

Cosy crime, particularly set in the first half of the 20th century, is my favourite!

I'm currently reading Ovidia Yu's Crown Colony series which is set in 1930s/1940s Singapore, starting under British rule and then under Japanese occupation.

I've also enjoyed the Daisy Dalrymple books by Carola Dunn and Margery Allingham's Mr Campion books.

British Library crime classics are great too for discovering less well known books/authors from 1900-1950-ish.

Lexie Conyngham's books are excellent, set in early 19th century Scotland. The first is Death In A Scarlet Gown.

The Maisie Dobbs (Jaqueline Winspear) series is excellent as is the Euphemia Martins series(Caroline Dunford). Both comfort reads for me.

I second this, great books.

I’ve just had a splurge on John Pilkington. Worth a shot if you like Shardlake.

I've liked every art crime I've ever read (about a half-dozen), but I'll particularly mention:

The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel
An odd situation of a compulsive thief with no interest in profiting.

Provenance, by Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo
My favorite of them all! Reads like a thriller.

https://www.michaelfinkel.com/books/the-art-thief/

www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/296860/provenance-by-laney-salisbury-and-aly-sujo/

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay. Unusual as heft rather than murder, but ingenious!