The Victorian Era marked the height of the British Empire. The Industrial Revolution was in full swing, social institutions began to change, art flourished, new inventions appeared and society was rigidly divided by class. The spectrum of wealth and privilege was considerable, ranging from grinding poverty to large wealthy households with servants. A code of strict morals and behaviors developed that would forever be associated with “Victorians.”
Mystery novels found their origin and gained popularity during this time. Modern day authors have been drawn to this time period as a setting for their novels also. Though generally speaking, the Victorian Era describes the time covering the reign of Queen Victoria in Britain (from 1837 to 1901), we’ve expanded our scope to include mysteries set in other countries during this same time period, and for a short time after.
Some of the following novels are “stand alones”, while many are entries in popular on-going series. In the cases of stand-alone novels, individual titles are in alphabetical order following the author’s name. In the case of series, the novels are arranged in “series order” following the name of the series. There may be titles in this list which are not currently owned by the Lincoln City Libraries. These appear here for the sake of providing complete series listings, or to identify classic Victorian Mysteries which are now out-of-print. All books owned by Lincoln City Libraries are hotlinked to their entries in our library catalog, so that you may check on their current availability. If you see a title on this list that is not hotlinked to our collection, please consider ordering it through our Interlibrary Loan department.
This is, by no means, an all-encompassing list of Victorian Mysteries — it is primarily a list of recommended titles available through our library system. You can find additional titles by doing a catalog “subject” search under Mysteries, Historical — Victorian. You may also wish to visit our booklist Elementary…, an exhaustive list of Sherlock Holmes follow-ups, parodies and pastiches, most of which are set in the Victorian period.
AUTHOR | SERIES and/or TITLE (DATE) | SETTING |
Ackroyd, Peter | Trial of Elizabeth Cree (1995) | 1800s England |
Aiken, Joan | Castle Barebane (1976) | 1800s Scotland |
Akunin, Boris | The Ernst Fandorin Series — Winter Queen (2003) — Turkish Gambit (2005) — Murder on the Leviathan (2004) — Death of Achilles (2005) — Special Assignments (2007) — The State Counsellor (2008) — The Coronation (2009) — She Lover of Death (2009) — He Lover of Death (2010) — The Diamond Chariot (2011) |
1876-1878 Various – Moscow, Russia, Turkey |
Atwood, Margaret | Alias Grace (1996) | 1800s Canada |
Barnes, Julian | Arthur and George (2006) | 1800s England |
Barron, Stephanie | A Flaw in the Blood (2008) | 1860s England |
Barton, Wayne | Lockhart’s Nightmare (1998) | 1880s USA |
Bayard, Louis | Mr. Timothy (2003) | 1860 Scotland |
The Pale Blue Eye (2006) | 1862 Scotland | |
Black, Michelle | Solomon Spring (2002) | 1878 USA – Kansas |
Black, Laura | Glendraco (1977) | |
Wild Cat (1979) | ||
Blaine, Michael | Midnight Band of Mercy (2004) | 1893 USA – New York |
Blake, Jennifer | Midnight Waltz (1984) | 1846 USA – New York |
Bloch, Robert | American Gothic (1974) | 1893 USA – Chicago |
Night of the Ripper (1984) | 1888 England – London | |
Bowen, Rhys | The Molly Murphy Series — Murphy’s Law (2001) — Death of Riley (2002) — For the Love of Mike (2003) — In Like Flynn (2004) — Oh Danny Boy (2006) — In Dublin’s Fair City (2007) — Tell Me, Pretty Maiden (2008) — In a Gilded Cage (2009) — The Last Illusion (2010) — Bless the Bride (2011) — Hush Now, Don’t You Cry (2012) — The Family Way (2013) — City of Darkness and Light (2014) — The Edge of Dreams (2015) — Away in a Manger (2015) — Time of Fog and Fire (2016) |
1860s Starts in Ireland/England, moves to New York |
Boylan, Clare | Emma Brown (2003) | |
Brightwell, Emily |
The Mrs. Jeffries Series |
1800s England – London |
Busch, Fred | Night Inspector (1999) | 1867 USA – New York |
Butler, Gwendoline | The John Coffin Series — Death Lives Next Door (1960) — Coffin Waiting (1964) — Coffin Underground (1988) — Coffin in Fashion (1990) — Coffin in the Museum of Crime (1989) — Coffin and the Paper Man (1991) — Coffin on Murder Street (1991) — Cracking Open a Coffin (1992) — A Coffin for Charley (1993) — The Coffin Tree (1994) — A Dark Coffin (1995) — Coffin’s Game (1997) — A Grave Coffin (1998) — Coffin’s Ghost (1999) — Coffin Knows the Answer (2003) |
1800s England |
Carey, Peter | Jack Maggs (1998) | 1837 England/Australia |
Carr, Caleb | The Alienist (1994) | late 1800s USA – New York |
Angel of Darkness (1997) | 1895 USA – New York | |
The Italian Secretary (2005) | 1800s USA – New York | |
Carr, John D. | Scandal at High Chimneys (1959) | 1863 England |
Hungry Goblin (1972) | 1865 England | |
Chance, Megan | An Inconvenient Wife (2004) | late 1800s USA – New York |
Clark, Clare | The Great Stink (2005) | 1850s England – London |
Clarke, Anne | Lady in Black (1977) | 1882 England |
Cohen, Paula | Grammercy Park (2002) | 1894 USA – New York |
Collins, Wilkie | — Armadale (1866) — Basil (1852) — Dead Street (1857) — Haunted Hotel (1878) — Hide and Seek (1854) — The Law and the Lady (1875) — The Moonstone (1868) — No Name (1862?) — Poor Miss Finch (1872) — The Queen of Hearts (1859) — A Rogue’s Life (1879) — The Woman in White (1860) |
|
Compton, Ralph | Death Rides a Chestnut Mare (1999) | 1800s USA -west |
Cooper, Lynna | Hour of the Harp (1975) | |
Cox, Michael | Meaning of Night (2006) | |
Crabbe, Richard | Empire of Shadows (2003) | 1889 USA – Adirondacks |
Crichton, Michael | Great Train Robbery (1994) | 1855 England |
Crider, Bill | Galveston Gunman (1988) | 1800s USA – Texas |
Day, Dianne | Cut to the Heart (2002) | 1860s USA – Hilton Head |
Defoe, Gideon | Pirates! An Adventure With Scientists (2004) | 1880s England – London |
Desjardins, Maurice | Devil’s Alibi (2004) | 1800s USA – South Carolina |
Dexter, Colin | The Wench is Dead (1991) | 1800s England (also modern) |
Dibdin, Michael | Rich, Full Death (1988) | 1855 Florence |
Dickinson, David | The Lord Francis Powerscourt Series — Death of an Old Master (2004) — Death on the Nevskii Prospekt (2007) (and many more…) |
1899 England – London |
Disney, Doris M. | At Some Forgotten Door (1966) | 1886 USA – Connecticut |
Donnelly, Jennifer | Tea Rose (2003) | 1888 England – London |
Douglas, Carole | Spider Dance (2004) | 1889 USA – New York |
Doyle, Arthur Conan |
The Sherlock Holmes Series |
late 1800s England |
Finch, Charles | A Beautiful Blue Death (2007) | 1865 England |
Fowler, Karen | Sister Noon (2001) | 1890 USA – San Francisco |
Frost, Mark | List of Seven (1993) | 1880s England |
6 Messiahs (1996) | 1880s USA – New York | |
Gardner, Ashley | Glass House (2004) | 1800s England – London |
Sudbury School Murders (2005) | ||
Goodwin, Jason | The Janissary Tree (2006) | 1836 Turkey |
Granger, Ann | The Companion (2007) | 1860s England – London |
Gray, John M. | Fiend in Human (2002) | 1850s England – London |
White Stone Day (2004) | 1850s England – London | |
Hall, Oakley | The Ambrose Bierce Series — Ambrose Bierce and the Death of Kings (2001) — Ambrose Bierce and the One Eyed Jacks (2003) — Ambrose Bierce and the Trey of Pearls (2004) |
1890s USA – San Francisco |
Hambly, Barbara | The Benjamin January Series — Free Man of Color (1997) — Fever Season (1998) — Graveyard Dust (1999) — Sold Down the River (2000) — Die Upon a Kiss (2001) — Wet Grave (2002) — Days of the Dead (2003) — Dead Water (2004) — Dead and Buried (2010) — The Shirt on His Back (2011) — Ran Away (2011) — Good Man Friday (2013) — Crimson Angel (2014) — Drinking Gourd (2016) The Emancipator’s Wife (2005) (not Benjamin January) |
1830s USA – New Orleans |
Harris, Jane | The Observations (2006) | 1863 Scotland |
Harrison, Ray | The Sgt. Bragg/Constable Morton Series — Death of an Honorable Member (1984) — Death of a Dancing Lady (1985) — Death Watch (1985) — Counterfeit of Murder (1986) — Season for Death (1987) — Harvest of Death (1988) — Tincture of Death (1989) — Patently Murder (1991) |
1890s England |
Hatvary, George | Murder of Edgar Allen Poe (1997) | mid-1800s USA |
Haviland, Diana | Death on the Ladies Mile (2006) | 1880s |
Heck, Peter | The Mark Twain mysteries Series — Death on the Mississippi (1995) — A Connecticut Yankee in Criminal Court (1996) — The Prince and the Prosecutor (1997) — Tom’s Lawyer (2001) |
1890s USA |
Hervey, Evelyn | Governess (1983) | 1870s England |
Man of Gold (1985) | 1870s England | |
Into the Valley of Death (1986) | 1870s England | |
Hickam, Homer | Keeper’s Son (2003) | 1841 USA – South Carolina |
Hilton, John B. | Gamekeeper’s Gallows (1976) | 1877 England |
Hitchcock, Jane | Social Crimes (2002) | USA – New York |
Hjorstberg, William | Nevermore (1994) | 1800s USA |
Hockensmith, David | Devil’s Acre (2003) | 1890s USA – Dakotas |
Holman, Sheri | Dress Lodger (1999) | 1831 England |
Hunter, Evan | Lizzie (1984) | 1890 USA – Massachusetts |
Jennings, Maureen | Except the Dying (1997) | 1895 Canada – Toronto |
Under the Dragons Tail (1998) | ||
Poor Tom is Cold (2001) | ||
Jones, Robert F. | Deadville (1998) | 1833 USA |
Knight, Alanna | Enter Second Murderer (1988) | 1890s USA – New York |
Blood Line (1989) | ||
Kruger, Mary | Masterpiece of Murder (1997) | |
Kurland, Michael | Empress of India (2006) | 1890s England |
Lee, Wendi W. | Cannon’s Revenge (1995) | late 1800s USA |
Leonard, Elmore | Cuba Libre (1998) | 1898 USA/Cuba |
Linscott, Gillian | Murder I Presume (1992) | 1874 Biarritz |
Lovesey, Peter | The Sergeant Cribb Series — Wobble to Death (1970) — The Detective Wore Silk Drawers (1971) — Abracadaver (1972) — Mad Hatter’s Holiday (1973) — Swing, Swing, Together (1976) |
1880s England |
The Prince Albert, ‘Bertie’ Series — Bertie and the Tinman (1987) — Bertie and the Seven Bodies (1990) — Bertie and the Crime of Passion (1994) |
1886-1891 England (London) and France (Paris) | |
Marshall, William | Faces in the Crowd (1991) | 1800s USA |
Mason, Daniel | Piano Tuner (2002) | 1886 Burma |
Matsuoka, Takasi | Cloud of Sparrows (2003) | 1861 Japan |
Autumn Bridge (2005) | 1860s Japan | |
McCrumb, Sharyn | Ballad of Frankie Silver (1998) | 1830 USA – North Carolina |
McKinney, Meagan | Fortune Hunter (1998) | 1880s USA – New York |
Moonlight Becomes Her (2002) | ||
Michaels, Barbara | Wings of the Falcon (1977) | 1880 Italy |
Other Worlds (1999) | Victorian England | |
Moore, Brian | Magician’s Wife (1998) | 1850s France/Africa |
Moquist, Richard | Eye of the Agency (1997) | 1800s USA |
Myers, Amy | Murder in Pug’s Parlor (1987) | 1800s England – London |
Murder Makes an Entree (1992) | ||
O’Connor, Joseph | Star of the Sea (2003) | 1847 (At Sea) |
Onan, Stewart | Prayer for the Dying (1999) | 1870s USA – Wisconsin |
Paige, Robin (combined pseudonym of Bill Albert and Susan Wittig Alberg) |
The Kathryn Ardleigh and Charles Sheridan Series — Death at Bishop’s Keep (1994) — Death at Gallows Green (1995) — Death at Daisy’s Folly (1997) — Death at Devil’s Bridge (1998) — Death at Rottingdean (1999) — Death at Dartmoor (2002) — Death at Glamis (2003) — Death at Hyde Park (2004) — Death at Blenheim Palace (2005) — Death on the Lizard (2006) |
1890s England |
Palliser, Charles | Unburied (1998) | 1870s England |
Palmer, William | The Mr. Dickens Series — The Detective and Mr. Dickens (1990) — The Highwayman and Mr. Dickens (1992) — The Hoydens and Mr. Dickens (1997) — The Dons and Mr. Dickens (2000) |
1849-1853 England (some at Oxford) |
Parker, Ann | Silver Lies (2003) Iron Ties (2006) |
1879 USA – Colorado |
Peale, Cynthia | The Beacon Hill Series — The Death of Colonel Mann (2000) — Murder at Bertram’s Bower (2001) — The White Crow (2002) |
Victorian Boston |
Pearl, Matthew | The Dante Club (2003) | 1865 USA – Boston |
The Poe Shadow (2006) | 1865 USA – New York | |
The Last Dickens (2009) | 1870 Boston | |
Perez-Reverte, Arturo | Fencing Master (1999) | 1868 Spain |
Perry, Anne | The Thomas and Charlotte Pitt Series — Cater Street Hangman (1979) — Callander Square (1980) — Paragon Walk (1981) — Resurrection Row (1981) — Rutland Place (1983) — Bluegate Fields (1984) — Death in the Devil’s Acre (1985) — Cardington Crescent (1987) — Silence in Hanover Close (1988) — Bethlehem Road (1990) — Face of a Stranger (1990) — Highgate Rise (1991) — Belgrave Square (1992) — Farrier’s Lane (1993) — Hyde Park Headsman (1994) — Traitor’s Gate (1995) — Pentecost Alley (1996) — Ashforth Hall (1997) — Brunswick Gardens (1998) — Bedford Square (1999) — Half Moon Street (2000) — The Whitechapel Conspiracy (2001) — Southampton Row (2002) — Seven Dials (2003) — Long Spoon Lane (2004) — Buckingham Palace Gardens (2008) — Betrayal/Treason at Lisson Grove (2010) — Dorchester Terrace (2011) — Midnight at Marble Arch (2012) — Death on Blackheath (2013) — The Angel Court Affair (2014) — Treachery at Lancaster Gate (2015) — Murder on the Serpentine (2016) |
late 1800s England |
The William Monk and Hester Latterly Series — A Dangerous Mourning (1991) — Defend and Betray (1992) — A Sudden Fearful Death (1993) — Sins of the Wolf (1994) — Cain His Brother (1995) — Weighed in the Balance (1996) — Silent Cry (1997) — Breach of Promise (1998) — The Twisted Root (1999) — Slaves of Obsession (2000) — Funeral in Blue (2001) — Death of a Stranger (2002) — The Shifting Tide (2004) — Dark Assassin (2005) — Execution Dock (2009) — Acceptable Loss (2011) — A Sunless Sea (2012) — Blind Justice (2013) — Blood on the Water (2014) — Corridors of the Night (2015) — Revenge in a Cold River (2016) |
mid-1800s England (Slaves of Obsessions is 1862 US) |
Peters, Elizabeth | The Amelia Peabody Series — Crocodile on the Sandbank (1975) — Curse of the Pharaohs (1981) — Mummy Case (1985) — Lion in the Valley (1986) — Deeds of the Disturber (1988) — The Last Camel Died at Noon (1991) — The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog (1991) — The Hippopatamus Pool (1996) (the rest of the Amelia Peabody series takes place after the Victorian Era) |
1884-1901 Egypt/Sudan/London |
Peterson, Audrey | An Unmourned Death (2003) | 1885 England – London |
Phillips, Scott | Cottonwood (2004) | 1872 USA – Kansas |
Raybourn, Deanna | The Lady Julia Grey Series — Silent in the Grave (2007) — Silent in the Sanctuary (2008) — Silent on the Moor (2009) — Dark Road to Darjeeling (2010) — The Dark Enquiry (2011) |
Mid-1800s England, India and Mediterranean |
Robinson, Suzanne | The Rescue (1998) | Victorian England |
Rogow, Roberta | Problem of the Missing Miss (1998) | 1885 England – Brighton |
Problem of the Spiteful Spiritualist (1999) | 1885 England – Brighton | |
Problem of the Evil Editor (2000) | 1885 England – Portsmouth | |
Rowland, Laura Joh | The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte (2008) | early-to-mid 1800s England |
Ruddick, James | Death at the Priory (2001) (True Crime – 364.152 Rud) |
Victorian England |
Ryman, Rebecca | Shalimar (1999) | Victorian India |
Scarborough, Elizabeth | Lady in the Loch (1998) | 1800s Scotland – Edinburgh |
Schechter, Harold | Nevermore (1999) | 1830s USA – Baltimore |
Hum Bug (2001) | 1844 USA – New York | |
Mask of Red Death (2004) | 1845 USA – New York | |
Selwyn, Francis | Cracksman on Velvet (1974) | 1800s England |
Sgt. Verity and the Imperial Diamond (1975) | 1800s India | |
Sgt. Verity Presents His Compliments (1977) | 1800s England | |
Sherburne, James | Death’s Gray Angel (1981) | 1890s USA – Kansas |
Death’s Clenched Fist (1982) | 1890 USA – New York | |
Sickels, Noette | Shopkeeper’s Wife (1998) | 1886 USA – Philadelphia |
Silvas, Randall | On Night’s Shore (2000) | 1840 USA – New York |
Disquiet Heart (2002) | 1847 USA – Pittsburgh | |
Soos, Troy | Island of Tears (2001) | 1892 USA – Ellis Island |
Gilded Cage (2002) | 1893 USA – New York | |
Stubbs, Jean | Dear Laura (1973) | 1890s England – London |
Symons, Julian | Blackheath Poisonings (1978) | 1890s England – London |
Sweet Adelaide (1980) | 1890s England – London | |
Detling Secret (1982) | 1890s England – London | |
Tallman, Shirley | Murder on Nob Hill (2004) | 1880s USA – San Francisco |
Russian Hill Murders (2005) | ||
Thomas, Will |
The Cyrus Barker Series |
1880s England – London |
Thompson, Victoria | The Gaslight Mysteries series — Murder on Astor Place (1999) — Murder on St. Mark’s Place (2000) — Murder on Gramercy Park (2001) — Murder on Washington Square (2002) — Murder on Mulberry Bend (2003) — Murder on Marble Row (2004) — Murder on Lenox Hill (2005) — Murder in Little Italy (2006) — Murder In Chinatown (2007) — Murder on Bank Street (2008) — Murder on Waverly Place (2009) — Murder on Lexington Avenue (2010) — Murder on Sisters’ Row (2011) — Murder on Fifth Avenue (2012) — Murder in Chelsea (2013) — Murder in Murray Hill (2014) — Murder on Amsterdam Avenue (2015) — Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue (2015) — Murder in Morningside Heights (2016) |
Turn of the century New York |
Trow, M.J. | The Inspector Lestrade Series — The Supreme Adventure of Inspector Lestrade (1985) — Brigade: The Further Adventures of Inspector Lestrade (1986) — Lestrade and the Hallowed House (1987) — Lestrade and the Brother of Death (1988) — Lestrade and the Ripper (1988) — Lestrade and the Guardian Angel (1990) — Lestrade and the Deadly Game (1990) — Lestrade and the Gift of the Prince (1991) — Lestrade and the Magpie (1991) — Lestrade and the Dead Man’s Hand (1992) — Lestrade and the Sign of Nine (1992) — Lestrade and the Sawdust Ring (1993) — Lestrade and the Devil’s Acre (1996) |
1891-1910 England |
Waters, Sarah | Affinity (1999) | 1870s England – London |
Fingersmith (2002) | 1862 England – London | |
West, Paul | Women of Whitechapel and Jack (1998) | 1800s England – London |
White, Jenny | The Sultan’s Seal (2006) | 1886 Istanbul |
Wiggs, Susan | The Firebrand (2001) | 1800s USA – Chicago |
Wikarski, Nancy | Fall of White City (2003) | 1890s USA – Chicago |
Williams, Gerard | Dr. Mortimer and the Aldgate Mystery (2003) | 1890s USA – Chicago |
Wilson, James | Dark Clue (2001) | late 1800s England – London |
Zimler, Richard | Hunting Midnight (2003) | 1800s Portugal |
Numerous anthologies of Victorian Era mysteries have been published, many with a focus on Sherlock Holmes. Here are a few titles available at the libraries:
813.08 Doz — Ripper
813.08 Gre — Red Jack
813.08 Gre — Murder, My Dear Watson
Original list content – rs | Adapted for the web March 2007 sdc | Last updated June 2008 rs/sdc