1. Rachel Savernake series by Martin Edwards—Set in 1930s London, this series stars the intrepid daughter of a well-known hanging judge who has an uncanny knack for solving the murders that stump Scotland Yard. Convinced Rachel is more than she seems, journalist Jacob Flint follows the amateur sleuth hoping to discover the secrets behind her sleuthing success.

2. Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourn—When the titular heroine and private inquiry agent Nicholas Brisbane are brought together by the murder of Julia's husband, it becomes apparent that they make a good investigating team. Mysteries ensue. I believe this series is set in Victorian England.

3. Maggie Hope series by Susan Ella MacNeal—When Winston Churchill becomes prime minister in 1940, Maggie Hope is hired to be his secretary. Brilliant but overlooked because of her gender, Maggie's new position opens her up to an exciting array of unimaginable opportunities, including tantalizing mysteries begging to be solved.

4. Baskerville Hall series by Ali Standish—The first installment of this brand-new middle-grade series won't be available for a few more weeks, but I've got an ARC I'm excited to read. It imagines what might have happened if a young Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was recognized for his deductive brilliance and invited to attend a special school for gifted children. Spoiler alert: he and his schoolmates (including a boy named Jimmie Moriarty) find all kinds of mysteries to explore. 

5. Louise Falk series by Liz Freeland—It's 1913 and 20-year-old Louise Falk has traded her Pennsylvania upbringing for the bright lights of New York City. Solving a murder that happened in her Greenwich Village apartment proves she has an aptitude for investigation. Soon, she's moving all over the city to sniff out criminals. 

6. Verity Kent series by Anna Lee Huber—In post-World War I England, grieving widow Verity Kent is pulled into a mystery surrounding the death of her husband. Solving that one leads her to reluctantly take on more cases to help family and friends.

7. The Brontë Sisters series by Bella Ellis—Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë are smart, creative, and plucky women who are eager to use their talents for endeavors beyond keeping house. When a neighbor's disappearance leads them to launch their own amateur investigation, they realize that they make a fine team of detectors—even society frowns on them doing something so unladlylike.

8. Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens—This middle-grade series is set in an English boarding school in the 1930s. It stars Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong, who set up a secret detective agency to investigate crimes among their friends and classmates.

9. Mrs. Jefferies series by Emily Brightwell—Another series set in Victorian England (I just can't resist!), this one just sounds delightful. Mrs. Jefferies is the eagle-eyed housekeeper of a prominent Scotland Yard inspector. Her insights are the real key to his success as an investigator. 

10. Victorian Book Club series by Callie Hutton—Set in Bath, England, in the 1890s, this series stars a female mystery author who solves real-life mysteries along with the members of her book club.

Phew! There you go, ten historical mystery series I already adore and ten I want to read (and adore). Which others would you recommend? What did you do for your genre freebie list today? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. I also reply to the comments you leave here.

Happy TTT! 

2. The Eight by Katherine Neville (1988)—A computer expert (in 1988??) is setting out on a work-related trip to Algeria. At the behest of an antiques dealer, she will be searching for a set of priceless chess pieces. What she doesn't know is that the game pieces are a whole lot more powerful than anyone could ever imagine... 

3. Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell (1990)—Another series debut, this one introduces Cornwell's beloved medical examiner Kay Scarpetta. The forensics expert is tasked with solving the case of a brutal serial killer. Can she find the murderer before she becomes the next victim?

4. Sleeping With the Enemy by Nancy Price (1991)—I've seen the Julia Roberts movie based on this book, but I've never read it. The story concerns a woman who changes her identity to hide from her abusive husband, who will do anything to find her.

5. Booked to Die by John Dunning (1992)—In yet another series opener, Cliff Janeway—a homicide detective in Denver who was forced to turn in his badge after enacting vigilante justice on a local murderer—has opened a bookstore. When valuable volumes start to disappear and bodies start to stack up, he finds himself with a new case to work, shield or no shield.

6. The Alienist by Caleb Carr (1996)—This historical mystery takes place in 1896 New York City, where psychologist (or "alienist") Dr. Laszlo Kreizler is tasked with helping the police investigate the murder of a young man. They seek to create a criminal profile, a revolutionary idea, which takes them into the disturbing mind of a brutal killer.

7. An Unsuitable Job for a Woman by P.D. James (2001)—This first-in-a-series introduces Cordelia Gray, a rookie private investigator, who is hired by a wealthy man who is desperate to find the truth behind his son's suspicious suicide. 

8. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear (2003)—Technically, I've read this historical mystery, but it's been a long time and I need to re-visit it before I continue on with the series. The story revolves around the titular character who, in 1929, has just opened her own detective agency. 

9. A Simple Plan by Scott Smith (2006)—When three men happen upon a wrecked plane harboring a dead pilot and four million dollars in cash, they devise a simple plan to hide their discovery and keep the money. Their plans, naturally, go awry. 

10. Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn (2006)—I adore Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell series, so I definitely need to get going with this one. It stars Lady Julia Grey, whose husband dies suddenly in the middle of a dinner party at their home. Assuming his death is the result of natural causes, she's outraged when his private inquiry agent suggests a murder may have taken place. When he convinces her that something nefarious has gone on, Lady Julia starts looking into the murder herself.

There you are, ten older mysteries that are still sitting on my TBR list. Have you read any of them? What did you think? What are your favorite older books? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. 

Happy TTT!