Comments on: I like books that make me want to hide a knife in my garter.

Question: I like books that make me want to hide a knife in my garter.

mostlymartha — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 15:46:13 -0800

I love all historical mysteries, but lately, I'm especially obsessed with jazzy, stylish ones set in the 1910s-30s. I spent the summer tearing through all of Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher Murder Mysteries. What should I read next?

In addition to Phryne, I'm also a big fan of Rhys Bowen's Royal Spyness mysteries and Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody series.

I'm cool with earlier and later time periods as well (1800-1950 maybe), but am particularly interested in rollicking, light, fun books at the moment. While I've enjoyed Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia Grey books and Charles Finch's Charles Lenox Mysteries (for example) in the past, lately I'm grumpy, so they're a little heavy for my mood. I like series better than one-offs, and adore well-researched historical detail, but all suggestions are welcome.

By: DarlingBri

DarlingBri — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 15:57:30 -0800

Dorothy L. Sayers Peter Whimsey books. The time period is bang on and the books are delightful.

By: mostlymartha

mostlymartha — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 16:01:16 -0800

DarlingBri:Ah, yes! Dearest Dorothy is what got me addicted to the genre.

By: bcwinters

bcwinters — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 16:22:08 -0800

How about Anna Katharine Green's Violet Strange mysteries?

"Violet Strange is no ordinary well-to-do young New York City debutante. Unbeknownst to her family and society friends, she leads a secret life as a professional sleuth for a private detective agency. On a mission to raise money for an undisclosed project, the determined and gutsy young debutante diligently snoops around sleepwalking widows, violent and sinister characters, whispering clocks, and concealed tombs, connecting clues to solve tales of murder, mystery, and intrigue."

They're a bit earlier than your main time frame; more Beaux Arts than flapper. You can get them for free online as they're no longer under copyright.

You've probably already read them, but if not...why not burn through Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence stories?

(And on a side note, some of my favorite light mysteries are Sarah Caudwell's Hilary Tamar series—the 4 books take place in the 1980s so the time period is utterly wrong, but the majority of the action is relayed via endless, improbable letters (or faxes/telexes*) and the characters are all terribly witty and almost always quite tipsy, which lends a kind of Thin Man quality. Plus, Edward Gorey cover art.)

By: wsquared

wsquared — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 16:22:17 -0800

If you're open to YA, perhaps The Diviners by Libba Bray? It's set in 1920s New York and is a supernatural mystery. Some parts were a little too creepy for my tastes, but I enjoyed the 1920s setting. It's the first in what will be a series, but it just came out, so it will be a while for the rest.

By: winna

winna — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 16:42:32 -0800

Have you read S. S. Van Dine's Philo Vance books?

By: Sidhedevil

Sidhedevil — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 16:58:02 -0800

Simon Brett has done some lovely Wodehouse-cum-early cozy pastiches with the title pattern "Blotto and Twinks and..."

Miles Franklin wrote a charmingly goofy (except for some unfortunate casual racism and anti-Semitism, so be warned) mystery called Bring the Monkey which is set in the 20s and was published then so is now in the public domain.

August Derleth's Solar Pons pastiches of Sherlock Holmes might amuse you.

By: Malla

Malla — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 17:06:23 -0800

The Albert Campion book series by Margery Allingham starts out as a kind of mean spirited satire of the Lord Peter Wimsey books. Then, surprisingly, the books drop the nasty tone and just get better and better, peaking at about the 11th or 12th books, which are super excellent. The series loses steam as Allingham and her detective age, but are still fun and have that light tone you mention.

By: Malla

Malla — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 17:07:42 -0800

Also, Michael Innes.

By: pymsical

pymsical — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 17:44:36 -0800

Maybe the Maisie Dobbs books?

By: clerestory

clerestory — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 19:09:42 -0800

The early Ngaio Marsh books with Roderick Alleyn take place in the 1930s.

By: bibbit

bibbit — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 19:37:31 -0800

Seconding Maisie Dobbs, but depending on how light you're looking for, there's a fair amount of darkness related to WWII in the two books I've read so far.

By: jrobin276

jrobin276 — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 20:01:47 -0800

Laurie Kings Mary Russell books... Very well researched, very smart and fun. LOVE them, great atmosphere. Start with The Beekeepers Apprentice. So far series spans 1914 to mid-20s, often England but several books set overseas.

By: selfmedicating

selfmedicating — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 21:33:35 -0800

Ooh, I like all of the same stuff you like, so I HIGHLY recommend Ngaio Marsh like clerestory says above. Try Death of a Peer. It has eccentric British people. Eccentric British people!!! What more could anybody need from fiction?

By: spunweb

spunweb — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 21:46:58 -0800

Alaya Dawn Johnson's Moonshine features a flapper vampire of color. :D

By: mumkin

mumkin — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 22:03:45 -0800

The latest Phryne (Unnatural Habits) comes out this Monday in Australia, so the next thing to read might just be that. Mind you, it won't be printed stateside until January, I believe, so it could be tricky to get your hands on it.

By: paduasoy

paduasoy — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 02:00:22 -0800

Carola Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple mysteries are this period and pretty light.

James Anderson's series starting with The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy.

Re Maisie Dobbs, I think the darkness is related to the First World War, not the second, which hasn't yet happened in the books.

By: mr. digits

mr. digits — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 07:38:32 -0800

You might enjoy Craig Nova's The Informer... it's sort of a literary thriller set in the Weimar milieu.

By: Kriesa

Kriesa — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 07:44:08 -0800

I favor turn of the (last) century mysteries, which would fit in your broader time range:
City of Light by Lauren Belfer (she also has a 1940s mystery out, which is good but I don't love it quite as much as City of Light)
The Alienist and Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr
Victoria Thompson's "Murder on... " series

Also, if you're willing to mix a little science fiction with your mystery, Connie Willis's To Say Nothing of the Dog is very good.

By: Kriesa

Kriesa — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 07:46:20 -0800

Oh, and I've recently started re-reading Agatha Christie, and rediscovering that she deserves her reputation. Her earlier books are in the '20s and 30s.

By: aryma

aryma — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 22:53:45 -0800

"Rollicking, light and fun" fits Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series perfectly. Soulless is the first one and I'll guarantee you'll like it. Amazon says it's "a blend of Victorian romance, screwball comedy and alternate history." Hope you try it.

By: DarlingBri

DarlingBri — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:29:24 -0800

Agatha Christie is very much of her time and place; if you have Netflix, I cannot recommend the Miss Marple series starring Joan Hickson highly enough. The production values are tremendous; if you want 1920s lawn parties, these are very authentic 1920s lawn parties.

Having said that, Miss Marple is not a gay young thing; she was 60-something at birth. Josephine Tey writes in a similar vein with younger characters. I am currently reading Brat Farrar and it's wonderful. It's set in 1946, so a bit late for you, but her earlier novels might suit.

By: paduasoy

paduasoy — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 14:36:13 -0800

Came across this today and it might fit your criteria: Ghastly Business by Louise Levene. I haven't read it but it's set in 1929 and is described as funny.

Also, as you're prepared to go up to 1950, consider the Flavia de Luce series. Haven't read these either but I have given them to people who have enjoyed them.

By: mumkin

mumkin — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 10:13:31 -0800

I work with Kerry Greenwood, and passed mostlymartha's question along. In addition to Sayers, Allingham and Christie as others have recommend, Kerry suggests John Dickson Carr. Unfortunately, most of Carr's novels are out of print, none are in the public domain, and few seem to be offered as ebooks. On the other hand, that's one more good excuse to poke around in used bookstores.