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And now for something completely similar...

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  • 19-02-2020 4:43pm
    #1
    the purple tin
    Registered Users Posts: 10,943 ✭✭✭✭


    I read The Name of the Rose by Eco Umberto recently and loved it.
    Could anyone recommend a similar type of book that I might like - murder mystery set in the ye olden days.


    Please follow suit if you want a similar recommendation for your favourite books or authors.
    Tagged:


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    #2
    odyssey06
    Registered Users Posts: 27,869 ✭✭✭✭odyssey06


    There's a whole genre of historical mysteries, often set in ancient Greece or Rome.

    Ancient Rome:
    Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries (also adapted for BBC Radio)

    In medieval times:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadfael (also adapted for TV)

    "To follow knowledge like a sinking star..." (Tennyson's Ulysses)



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    #3
    the purple tin
    Registered Users Posts: 10,943 ✭✭✭✭the purple tin


    odyssey06 wrote: »
    There's a whole genre of historical mysteries, often set in ancient Greece or Rome.

    Ancient Rome:
    Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries (also adapted for BBC Radio)

    In medieval times:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadfael (also adapted for TV)


    Thanks for that. I've seen Cadfael on telly and loved it but didn't know it was based on books.


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    #4
    Black Sheep
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 3,032 Mod ✭✭✭✭Black Sheep


    A slightly different recommendation, but also a tremendously well written period yarn and murder mystery...

    Caleb Carr's The Alientist, set in 19th century New York.

    A great page-turner long before it was adapted into a Netflix show.

    There is a sequel novel but the first one is the original and best.

    Obviously a different period to The Name of the Rose, but I think if you liked the one you might like the other.


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    #5
    miamee
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Regional East Moderators, Regional North West Moderators Posts: 11,995 Mod ✭✭✭✭miamee


    I've enjoyed all of the Matthew Shardlake books - he's a lawyer in Tudor London, often called upon to help solve a mystery or case and to give advise to the royals or their counterparts. Written by CJ Sansom - Shardlake Series.

    A much lighter historical series are the Detective Lavender books by Karen Charlton, set in 19th century London https://www.amazon.co.uk/Detective-Lavender-Mysteries-Book/dp/B07J513KJJ


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    #6
    Carry
    Registered Users Posts: 1,024 ✭✭✭Carry


    I loved Andrew Taylor's series about murder and intrigue in London shortly after the Great Fire in the 1600s:

    Ashes of London
    The Fire Court
    The King's Evil

    The next book in this series, The Last Protector, will be released in April. Can't wait....

    Another great book is The Last Hours, by Minette Walters, and the follow-up The Turn of Midnight.
    Both set in the 1300s when the plague reached England and anarchy ensued. Not a murder mystery as such, but utterly gripping, especially the first book.


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    #7
    The White Feather
    Registered Users Posts: 5,393 ✭✭✭The White Feather


    I really loved the 2 books of Jed Rubenfeld.

    They are

    1) The Interpretation of Murder

    This is set in the early 1900s and wealthy heiresses are being killed in America. War veteran Dr Stratham Younger and Detective Littlemore are trying to find out who is doing it and enlist the help of Sigmund Freud (who actually went to the USA at this time so the book is inspired by his trip) Littlemore finds a survivor but she cannot remember the attack so he gets Freuds help. Kind of profiling of serial killers in its infancy. I really liked it.

    2) The Death Instinct

    This is set around a real life incident. The Wall St bombing of 1920. 38 people died and hundreds injured. It was done using that eras car bomb.....a horse drawn carriage. Stratham and Littemore are back investigating it. It was like that eras 9/11 and this was really good too.


    Both books have a lot of twists and turns with real life people woven in from that era like Freud and Madam Curie. I really enjoyed them both and recommend them if you like historical thrillers


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    #8
    Day Lewin
    Registered Users Posts: 4,604 ✭✭✭Day Lewin


    Those Cadfael books by Ellis Peters are very readable. I recommend.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cadfael_Chronicles


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    #9
    the purple tin
    Registered Users Posts: 10,943 ✭✭✭✭the purple tin


    Thanks for the suggestions everybody. These sound promising.


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    #10
    twignme
    Registered Users Posts: 343 ✭✭twignme


    I highly recommend “Perfume, The story of a murderer” by Patrick Suskind. It’s one you will read again and again.


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    #11
    the purple tin
    Registered Users Posts: 10,943 ✭✭✭✭the purple tin


    twignme wrote: »
    I highly recommend “Perfume, The story of a murderer” by Patrick Suskind. It’s one you will read again and again.
    I think I saw the film, it was very good if a little bit dark.


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