97 Books Like Prisoner 4374

I defy any historical fiction reader or detective fiction reader not to love this book as much as I did. It is a classic of the genre: a book that has everything. From the class system to the family superstition, the role of the servants, the treatment of the convicts, and the spooky location, it cannot be faulted. 

I was in the fortunate position of having read the book before I saw any of the films, for I have not seen one that accurately captures the atmosphere. Conan Doyle dabbled with the dark side of superstition in his life, and that interest comes across strongly. 

I have always enjoyed Victorian mystery novels, and the Malvern Mystery ticks all my boxes: mystery, intrigue, a dash of humor, atmosphere, and some quirky historical facts. I liked the fact it was set in a specific area–Malvern in Herefordshire–and had stunning descriptions of the town and the area, and included aspects of the supernatural as well as contemporary events.

I l liked the fact the characters were well defined, with a strong female lead without diminishing the male characters. I especially liked the emphasis on the unusual angles of history and the interwoven superstition and Victorian modernity. 

I loved the fact that this book predated Sherlock Holmes and was written by a genuine 19th-century detective. I also liked the fact it is based in my home town of Edinburgh, arguably one of the most atmospheric cities in the world. The stories are meant to be true and were based on McLevy’s experiences as a detective, moving between the Old and New Towns in the city. 

Finally, I liked the fact that the stories are all bite-sized, easy to read in a single sitting, and laced with the author’s own brand of dry humour. 

I read this book in a single sitting, on a stormy Winter’s day and night, which is quite appropriate. I have read many of Porter’s books and loved Porter's take on the Jack the Ripper story, which was impressively different, with textual similarities to Conan Doyle and, perhaps more significantly, to RLS' approach to Jekyll and Hyde, another favorite book, although in a slightly different genre. I loved Porter’s method of conveying atmosphere–without which no murder or historical novel is worth reading. 

Central to the book is Jack the Ripper's journal, whose violent outbursts reach out on two levels—the images contained within the journal and the impact of the evil on the modern reader. I loved the connection between the 19th century and the reader, which was too powerful to deny.

I found the historical background fascinating, the embedded message intriguing, and the book itself compelling. A masterpiece.

A time travel book that is clever and fast paced. Spoiled Hollywood types.

A trip back to Victorian London and a fateful meeting with Jack The Ripper. What’s not to love? As a matter of fact, I loved the female lead, Madison Taylor, so much that I included her (with permission) as a cross-over character in my latest novel, Finding Jimmy Moran.

Enough said.  

This book seduced me from page one. I already liked Jennifer Ashley’s contemporary shifters, but this was my first historical romance of hers and I was captivated. 

Ian is a hero like no other. From collecting Ming pottery (but only after “tasting”/testing the glaze) to his personality quirks (he’s on the spectrum, but that certainly wasn’t something being discussed nor understood in the 1800s), he is fascinating. Match him with a strong-willed woman who has her own opinions and desires? And I found this to be the recipe for a thoroughly entertaining and memorable read.

I love comics, and here is the Master at the top of his game.

Ostensibly, it’s a reimagination of the Whitechapel Murders, how this narrative has been handed down to us, and a final dissection of and dismissal of its meaning. But like all his stuff, it’s brimful of ideas, notably an exploration of psychogeography, the effect of geography and architecture on behaviour.

Plenty of other London writers, like Iain Sinclair and Peter Ackroyd, also explore this, in greater depth, but Moore made me see it most clearly. Maybe because of the visual medium of the work? Perhaps. But the idea of a city that echoes and re-echoes with emotional triggers is really exciting. 

This book wrecked me; it’s such a deep dive into the lives of the woman brutally murdered by Jack the Ripper. Rubenhold reconstructs their lives with great empathy, bringing them to the forefront of the story. The five were real women who felt love, pain, and hope—not faceless victims of sensationalized murder.

These women are often portrayed as “five prostitutes” in pop culture, but Rubenhold shows that there is no evidence of sex work for most of the women. This book pulls back the curtain on the tension, violence, poverty, and heartbreak in Victorian London. This book brought me to absolute tears. 

I stumbled across this book while browsing through a charity shop – a murder/mystery set in Whitechapel when Jack the Ripper is still roaming free. I am by no means a follower of Ripper stories, legend or myth, despite recommending this book, but there is something about Victorian London in the 1880s that fascinates me.

The Yard is the first in a series that I have devoured over the last few years. I love Alex Grecian’s easy writing style and the main character, Detective Inspector Walter Day is one I wish I had created myself. He has a brilliant mind, a quick and quiet humour, and a soul that is truly good. Of course, he does have his faults, but they are all forgivable…at least for me!

This fascinating doorstopper of a book contains more than 500 photographs of buildings that have long since disappeared from London’s streets. It provides a tantalising glimpse of the city that our ancestors knew and carries me off on a time travelling adventure every time I look through it.