The best mysteries for evoking a sense of place

List by Anne Louise Bannon

Why am I passionate about this?

Not a lot of guys would appreciate having their wives dump a stiff into the middle of a perfectly lovely lecture. My husband, the archivist, was a little nonplussed. But that’s what happens when you’re married to a mystery writer. And since I write historical mysteries, and the lecture was about the history of Los Angeles, that’s how The Old Los Angeles series happened. I also have the Freddie and Kathy series, set in the 1920s, and the Operation Quickline series, set in the 1980s. And being married to an archivist is not only a blast, it’s a big help.

The books I picked & why

Gaudy Night

By Dorothy L. Sayers , #12 of The Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries series

Why I love this book

Seriously? This is only my all-time favorite mystery book ever, and a major part of it is seeing Oxford through Dorothy L.’s eyes. The university and the surrounding city are just as much characters as Harriet Vane and Lord Peter Wimsey.

Whether it’s hanging after dinner in the faculty lounge or the final, gorgeous scene overlooking the university, to the wonderful antique shop, to the carelessness of undergrads, it’s got it all for atmosphere.

Gaudy Night

By Dorothy L. Sayers ,

Why should I read it?

14 authors picked Gaudy Night as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The twelfth book in Dorothy L Sayers' classic Lord Peter Wimsey series, introduced by actress Dame Harriet Mary Walter, DBE - a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie's Poirot and Margery Allingham's Campion Mysteries.

'D. L. Sayers is one of the best detective story writers' Daily Telegraph

Harriet Vane has never dared to return to her old Oxford college. Now, despite her scandalous life, she has been summoned back . . .

At first she thinks her worst fears have been fulfilled, as she encounters obscene graffiti, poison pen letters and a disgusting effigy when she arrives at sedate Shrewsbury…

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Lark! The Herald Angels Sing

By Donna Andrews , #24 of Meg Langslow Mysteries series

Why I love this book

Caerphilly, VA, is utterly fictional, but you would never know it. I love visiting Andrews’ little town not only for the crazy characters, but the sense of heart and what a community could be if decent people were willing to work at it.

Even in the midst of some pretty nefarious behavior one is more likely to associate with small Southern towns, in this one, Andrews came up with an absolutely fabulous resolution that really speaks to how goodness and kindness can overcome even the worst of behavior.

Lark! The Herald Angels Sing

By Donna Andrews ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lark! The Herald Angels Sing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A note, attached to the baby girl's clothes, names the baby Lark and implicates Meg's brother, Rob, as the father. While a DNA test can reveal whether there's any truth to the accusation, Rob's afraid the mere suspicion could derail his plan to propose to the woman he loves. Meg soon discovers that the baby may be connected to something much bigger.

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Crocodile on the Sandbank

By Elizabeth Peters , #1 of Amelia Peabody series

Why I love this book

The story may evoke the rip-roaring thrillers of yore in terms of probability, but dang, from the first lines, I was hooked. There is nothing like seeing 19th-century Egypt through the eyes of Amelia Peabody.

I could practically hear the calls of the crowded streets of Cairo, feel the warmth of the desert sand and the spookiness of a night in a canyon. It was not intentional, I promise, but Miss Peabody’s voice may have had the tiniest bit of influence on a certain Victorian lady that I write about–and this book is why.

Crocodile on the Sandbank

By Elizabeth Peters ,

Why should I read it?

16 authors picked Crocodile on the Sandbank as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Amelia Peabody is Elizabeth Peters' most brilliant and best-loved creation, a thoroughly Victorian feminist who takes the stuffy world of archaeology by storm with her shocking men's pants and no-nonsense attitude!

In this first adventure, our headstrong heroine decides to use her substantial inheritance to see the world. On her travels, she rescues a gentlewoman in distress - Evelyn Barton-Forbes - and the two become friends. The two companions continue to Egypt where they face mysteries, mummies and the redoubtable Radcliffe Emerson, an outspoken archaeologist, who doesn't need women to help him solve mysteries -- at least that's what he…

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Thus Was Adonis Murdered

By Sarah Caudwell , #1 of Hilary Tamar series

Why I love this book

It’s erudite as all hell, but for my money, half the fun of this book is hanging with the denizens of 62 New Square, a bunch of young barristers, in their favorite coffee place or bar or even, sometimes, in their offices. I also got a lovely feel for Venice, as well.

In fact, prior to a recent trip to Italy, I made a point of rereading this one. The story is told in multiple voices via a series of letters with slyly funny commentary by a fusty old professor of legal history, which creates the sense of place in a most unique manner.

Thus Was Adonis Murdered

By Sarah Caudwell ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Thus Was Adonis Murdered as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When her personal copy of the current Finance Act is found a few metres away from a body, young barrister Julia Larwood finds herself caught up in a complex fight against the Inland Revenue.

Set to have a vacation away from her home life and the tax man, Julia takes a trip with her art-loving boyfriend. However, all is not what it seems. Could he in fact be an employee of the establishment she has been trying to escape from? And how did her romantic luxurious holiday end in murder?

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One Corpse Too Many

By Ellis Peters , #2 of The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series

Why I love this book

I’ve been a sucker for the entire Brother Cadfael series since long before Derek Jacoby got a hold of the character (and knocked it out of the park, too). Ellis Peters did such a great job of recreating 12th-century England; I really felt like I was there.

In fact, this book got me hooked on the whole historical mystery genre. I could practically smell the drying herbs in Cadfael’s herbarium.

One Corpse Too Many

By Ellis Peters ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked One Corpse Too Many as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Brother Cadfael discovers a murder amid the wreckage of Shrewsbury Castle in this mystery series featuring “a colorful and authentic medieval background” (Publishers Weekly).

In the summer of 1138, war between King Stephen and the Empress Maud takes Brother Cadfael from the quiet world of his garden into a battlefield of passions, deceptions, and death. Not far from the safety of the abbey walls, Shrewsbury Castle falls, leaving its ninety-four defenders loyal to the empress to hang as traitors. With a heavy heart, Brother Cadfael agrees to bury the dead, only to make a grisly discovery: one extra victim that…

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