Here are 100 books that Wobble to Death fans have personally recommended if you like Wobble to Death. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of A Study in Scarlet

Margaret Walsh Author Of Sherlock Holmes and The Molly Boy Murders

From my list on set in or about the Victoria Era.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have loved the world of Sherlock Holmes and the Victorian era ever since I first read A Study in Scarlet at age nine. Despite life getting in the way, I never lost my love for the character and the period. I continue to read both to this day. The five books I mention below are five that have stayed with me over the years. I hope you enjoy the books as much as I do.

Margaret's book list on set in or about the Victoria Era

Margaret Walsh Why Margaret loves this book

This was the book that started my fascination with the Victorian era. From the first time the character of Sherlock Holmes was introduced, I was hooked. I first read it when I was nine. I remember sitting down with it and practically devouring it. I did not put it down until I had finished. I was enchanted by Sherlock Holmes and his mind. I still am.

By Arthur Conan Doyle ,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked A Study in Scarlet as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's A Study in Scarlet is the literary debut of the world's most famous fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, introduced by Iain Sinclair with notes by Ed Glinert in Penguin Classics.

Convalescing in London after a disastrous experience of war in Afghanistan, Dr John Watson finds himself sharing rooms with his enigmatic new acquaintance, Sherlock Holmes. But their quiet bachelor life at 221B Baker Street is soon interrupted by the grisly discovery of a dead man in a grimy 'ill-omened' house in south-east London, his face contorted by an expression of horror and hatred such as Watson has…


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Book cover of Bitter Night

Bitter Night by Jo A. Hiestand,

When former police detective Michael McLaren is given an old photograph and newspaper article, an inquiry begins that seems straight forward enough: a deadly accident fifteen years ago in a millpond. But when it’s apparent that other deaths in the area are not only similar in their method but also…

Book cover of Victorian London: The Life of a City 1840-1870

Margaret Walsh Author Of Sherlock Holmes and The Molly Boy Murders

From my list on set in or about the Victoria Era.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have loved the world of Sherlock Holmes and the Victorian era ever since I first read A Study in Scarlet at age nine. Despite life getting in the way, I never lost my love for the character and the period. I continue to read both to this day. The five books I mention below are five that have stayed with me over the years. I hope you enjoy the books as much as I do.

Margaret's book list on set in or about the Victoria Era

Margaret Walsh Why Margaret loves this book

I really loved the way this book told the story of London across the Victorian era. I often call London my spiritual home, and books about the city always capture my attention. Each chapter covers a separate topic, such as the Middle Class, Buildings, Amusements, etc., with interesting stories for each one.

I love the book as it is the sort I can pick up if I only have a few minutes to read.

By Liza Picard ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Victorian London as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Like her previous books, this book is the product of the author's passionate interest in the realities of everyday life - and the conditions in which most people lived - so often left out of history books. This period of mid Victorian London covers a huge span: Victoria's wedding and the place of the royals in popular esteem; how the very poor lived, the underworld, prostitution, crime, prisons and transportation; the public utilities - Bazalgette on sewers and road design, Chadwick on pollution and sanitation; private charities - Peabody, Burdett Coutts - and workhouses; new terraced housing and transport, trains,…


Book cover of How to Be a Victorian

Margaret Walsh Author Of Sherlock Holmes and The Molly Boy Murders

From my list on set in or about the Victoria Era.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have loved the world of Sherlock Holmes and the Victorian era ever since I first read A Study in Scarlet at age nine. Despite life getting in the way, I never lost my love for the character and the period. I continue to read both to this day. The five books I mention below are five that have stayed with me over the years. I hope you enjoy the books as much as I do.

Margaret's book list on set in or about the Victoria Era

Margaret Walsh Why Margaret loves this book

One of the first nonfiction books I ever read about the Victorian period when I started writing, it is still my go-to reference book. I love its simplicity and the personal point of view comments from the author who is an historian who has recreated aspects of Victorian life for herself. I find the book both enchanting and interesting. It is one of my all-time favorite factual books.

By Ruth Goodman ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked How to Be a Victorian as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Ruth Goodman believes in getting her hands dirty. Drawing on her own adventures living in re-created Victorian conditions, Goodman serves as our bustling and fanciful guide to nineteenth-century life. Proceeding from daybreak to bedtime, this charming, illustrative work celebrates the ordinary lives of the most perennially fascinating era of British history. From waking up to the rapping of a "knocker-upper man" on the window pane to lacing into a corset after a round of calisthenics, from slipping opium to the little ones to finally retiring to the bedroom for the ideal combination of "love, consideration, control and pleasure," the weird,…


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Book cover of Cookie Crumble and Murder

Cookie Crumble and Murder by K.E. O'Connor,

A corpse in an open grave. A café owner accused. A corgi determined to sniff out the truth.

Holly Holmes loves her life in the picturesque village of Audley St. Mary. She bakes delicious treats, runs a bustling café, and enjoys the company of her loyal corgi, Meatball. But when…

Book cover of Professor Moriarty: The Hound of the D'Urbervilles

Margaret Walsh Author Of Sherlock Holmes and The Molly Boy Murders

From my list on set in or about the Victoria Era.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have loved the world of Sherlock Holmes and the Victorian era ever since I first read A Study in Scarlet at age nine. Despite life getting in the way, I never lost my love for the character and the period. I continue to read both to this day. The five books I mention below are five that have stayed with me over the years. I hope you enjoy the books as much as I do.

Margaret's book list on set in or about the Victoria Era

Margaret Walsh Why Margaret loves this book

I don’t just love this book; I adore it. I have read it so many times that I have worn out two paperback copies and need to acquire a new copy. I found this such a fun book. It inverts the Sherlock Holmes world, with the “hero” being Professor Moriarty, and the narrator being his henchman Colonel Sebastian Moran.

I laugh every time I read it, especially because of its Sherlockian humor and the appearances of characters from other books of the period.  

By Kim Newman ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Professor Moriarty as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Imagine the twisted evil twins of Holmes and Watson and you have the dangerous duo of Prof. James Moriarty - wily, snake-like, fiercely intelligent, unpredictable - and Colonel Sebastian 'Basher' Moran - violent, politically incorrect, debauched. Together they run London crime, owning police and criminals alike. Unravelling mysteries - all for their own gain.


Book cover of The Mermaids Singing

Chelsea Cain Author Of Heartsick

From my list on read alone in the dark.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a taxidermy-loving vegan who had a pet cemetery as a kid. So, I guess you could say I’m a bit of a Wednesday Adams. My airplane reading? Forensic pathology textbooks. When my first thrillers were published, a lot of people were surprised. “You seem so nice!” they said. “You’re so funny and happy!” Here’s a secret: thriller writers are some of the most jolly people I know. We get it all out on the page. We get to murder people for a living. So, if you cut me off in traffic or don’t RSVP to my Evite, it's no big deal. I won’t get upset. I’ll just kill you later...in a book. 

Chelsea's book list on read alone in the dark

Chelsea Cain Why Chelsea loves this book

I have said this before, but if there had been a fourth book in this series in 2004, I would not have written Heartsick and would not have had a career. I love Val’s Tony Hill/Carol Jordan books. They are the blueprint for all thrillers. 

She doesn’t hold back on the violence but finds these incredibly intimate character moments that tremble my heart.

By Val McDermid ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Mermaids Singing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this special 20th anniversary edition, Lee Child introduces the Gold Dagger award-winning serial killer thriller that began the Number One bestselling crime series featuring clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill, hero of TV's much-loved Wire in the Blood.

You always remember the first time. Isn't that what they say about sex? How much more true it is of murder...

Up till now, the only serial killers Tony Hill had encountered were safely behind bars. This one's different - this one's on the loose.

Four men have been found mutilated and tortured. As fear grips the city, the police turn to…


Book cover of Along Came a Spider

J.J. McGraw Author Of Marked Targets

From my list on thrillers and mysteries that don’t let go.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love to write thriller/mystery books and the more twists I can come up with, the happier I am. I want the reader to be drawn in, and become a part of the stories. That’s why I picked these five books. I like the way they pull you into the stories, and keep you guessing, sometimes even to the end. I have always been fascinated by the workings of the criminal mind. I worked in Law Enforcement for over 25 years and received my Associate Degree in Criminal Justice Technology/Latent evidence, helping me to spin stories, keeping people guessing, and yearning to find out what’s happening next!

J.J.'s book list on thrillers and mysteries that don’t let go

J.J. McGraw Why J.J. loves this book

I was hooked by James Patterson’s first book of the Alex Cross series by James Patterson. A predator that enjoys playing mind games with Detective Cross, and a kidnapping that sends one of those thoughts through your mind, “No, they didn’t do that, did they?” One of the things I enjoyed are the short chapters. It’s filled with psychological suspense, a real thriller that I didn’t want to put down. This is something that I crave in books. For it to grab my attention, hold it, and surprise me at the end. And Patterson delivers.

By James Patterson ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Along Came a Spider as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The legendary thriller that launched the Alex Cross phenomenon

Adapted into a major Hollywood movie starring Morgan Freeman
_________________________________

Two children have been kidnapped from an elite private school in Washington DC, and Detective Alex Cross is charged with finding them.

The kidnapper's identity is quickly determined as one of the children's teachers. But capturing him is the true challenge.

As Cross gets pulled deeper into the strange world of the kidnapper, it becomes clear he is far more dangerous than anyone could have anticipated.
_________________________________

'No one gets this big without amazing natural storytelling talent - which is what…


Book cover of The Jewel That Was Ours

Melanie M. Jeschke Author Of Inklings

From my list on novels set in Oxford, England.

Why am I passionate about this?

Whenever in Oxford, I feel I’ve come “home.” It’s a magical city steeped in beauty, history, literature, culture, and fascinating people. I’ve been blessed to have taken graduate courses at the University, participated in numerous conferences, brought tour groups, lived “in college,” and conducted walking tours of the town. My familiarity with the city enabled me to write the original chapter on Oxford for Rick Steves’ England guidebook, and it’s where I set my fictional series, The Oxford Chronicles. When I can’t be there in person, I love to visit vicariously through good books. I hope these novels will enable you to experience some of the magic of Oxford too.

Melanie's book list on novels set in Oxford, England

Melanie M. Jeschke Why Melanie loves this book

I love watching British mystery series and am a big fan of the entire Inspector Morse series, including Lewis and Endeavor.

However, before there were these brilliant films, there was Colin Dexter’s even more brilliant writing. Oxford is itself a character in all three series, and it’s particularly fun for me to recognize familiar locations in Oxford where the scenes are filmed, just as it’s fun for me to follow along in the novel with Dexter’s characters as they walk the streets of Oxford.

The Jewel That was Ours, renamed The Wolvercote Tongue in the Inspector Morse series, proves the old adage that the book is better than the film. The novel delves deeper into the psyches of its memorable characters with their complex stories and alibis, and the plot takes many more twists and turns before it reaches its satisfying denouement.

Dexter has no qualms about exploring…

By Colin Dexter ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Jewel That Was Ours as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Jewel That Was Ours is the ninth novel in the Oxford-set detective series from Colin Dexter, the winner of the CWA Silver Dagger Award.

He looked overweight around the midriff, though nowhere else, and she wondered whether perhaps he drank too much. He looked weary, as if he had been up most of the night conducting his investigations . . .

For Oxford, the arrival of twenty-seven American tourists is nothing out of the ordinary . . . until one of their number is found dead in Room 310 at the Randolph Hotel.

It looks like a sudden -…


Book cover of A Certain Justice

L.C. Blackwell Author Of Ready Aim MURDER: A Peter Dumas Mystery, Book 2

From my list on mysteries to take you places you’d like to visit.

Why am I passionate about this?

Puzzles intrigued me since I was a three-year-old. Puzzle pieces that fit into pre-sized spaces. Then, disassembling and reassembling small 3-D animal shapes. Crosswords were next. Finally, Nancy Drew entered my life. I was addicted. Sherlock and Agatha became my mentors. But I loved to paint as well, so art was my first major at Michigan State University. Changed it to advertising in my senior year. Shortly after, Leo Burnett hired me to write print and radio media for Buster Brown shoes. Television was next. I solved many advertising puzzles at Foote, Cone & Belding, but after retiring, mystery re-entered my life when I wrote my first book.

L.C.'s book list on mysteries to take you places you’d like to visit

L.C. Blackwell Why L.C. loves this book

A murder in the world of law courts in London’s legal community brings in P.D. James’ iconic detective Adam Dalgleish to investigate—a protagonist with razor focus and discernment, and a man famous for his poetry in the literary world.

James has incredible skill marrying the unexpected attributes of detection with the sensitivity and intimacy of a novel. She is a queen in my mystery reading world.

By P. D. James ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Certain Justice as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Now a major Channel 5 series

'The Queen of Crime.' New York Times

Venetia Aldridge QC is a distinguished barrister. When she agrees to defend Garry Ashe, accused of the brutal murder of his aunt, it is one more opportunity to triumph in her distinguished career as a criminal lawyer. But just four weeks later, Miss Aldridge is found dead at her desk.

Commander Adam Dalgliesh, called in to investigate, finds motives for murder among the clients Venetia has defended, her professional colleagues, her family - even her lover. As Dalgliesh narrows the field of suspects, a second brutal murder…


Book cover of Malice in Maggody

Kathleen Marple Kalb Author Of A Fatal Finale

From my list on brilliant women sleuths who catch killers.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been reading mysteries since I “borrowed” my Grandpa’s Miss Marple’s as an elementary schooler. (And yes, my maiden name really IS Marple) And I’ve always been drawn to smart, competent women characters–even better if they’re funny. Women who do their own fighting and their own detecting and then hand the killer off to the cops with a smile and a great line. These women inspired me–and now I get to write a lady who at least belongs in the room with them!

Kathleen's book list on brilliant women sleuths who catch killers

Kathleen Marple Kalb Why Kathleen loves this book

I love a quirky small-town mystery with screwball comedy, and this one absolutely delivers–with a wonderful twist: the detective is Sheriff Arly Hanks, a woman forced to go home and start over after a meltdown in the big city.

I love Arly’s intelligence and spirit…and the fact that while she has a gun (and even a bullet or two), she doesn’t need more than her wits and the help of the crazy locals–including her own mother–to catch the killer. She’s my favorite funny, badass woman sleuth. 

By Joan Hess ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Malice in Maggody as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

After a crossbow killing at a cheap roadside motel, Ozarks police chief Arly Hanks finds herself investigating her first murder case.

Her marriage over and career gone bust, Arly Hanks flees Manhattan for her hometown: Maggody, Arkansas. In a town this size, nothing much ever happens, so Arly figures she's safe as the town's first female chief of police-until the husband of one of the local barmaids escapes from state prison and heads for town. And that's not all. An EPA official with ties to polluting the local fishing hole has suddenly vanished off the face of the earth.

As…


Book cover of Murder on a Kibbutz: A Communal Case

David Leach Author Of Chasing Utopia: The Future of the Kibbutz in a Divided Israel

From my list on Israel’s utopian kibbutz movement.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I dropped out of college to live and work in a socialist commune in Israel, it was mostly to escape a broken heart back home. My memorable experiences as a volunteer on Kibbutz Shamir profoundly shaped how I think about the value of community and inspired me to become a writer. It took me another 20 years to unite these passions by returning to Israel to learn about the past, present, and future of the legendary kibbutz movement—and share my journey of discovery with readers in Chasing Utopia.

David's book list on Israel’s utopian kibbutz movement

David Leach Why David loves this book

Full confession: I only picked up this novel in my attempt to read every book with “kibbutz” in the title. Lucky me!

I became a fan of Michael Ohayon, the moody outsider who stars in Batya Gur’s series of Hebrew whodunnits, all set in various closed societies and institutions. Ohayon is like an Israeli Inspector Rebus, and no amount of duplicity by the members at an indebted kibbutz can keep him from cracking the case.

The novel doesn’t paint a pretty picture of communal life, but I recognized many of the fatal flaws of the real kibbutz movement magnified to deadly dimensions in this slow burn of a murder mystery.

By Batya Gur ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Murder on a Kibbutz as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From award-winning and internationally acclaimed author, Batya Gur, comes another twisty mystery featuring charming Israeli investigator Michael Ohayon.

Michael Ohayon must once again solve a murder that has taken place within a complex, closed society: the kibbutz. As he investigates, he uncovers more and more of the kibbutz’s secrets, exposing all the contradictions of this idealized way of life. 

Murder on a Kibbutz showcases once again Batya Gur’s storytelling talents in a thrilling mystery that readers will not soon forget.


Book cover of A Study in Scarlet
Book cover of Victorian London: The Life of a City 1840-1870
Book cover of How to Be a Victorian

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