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Quick answer: If you loved Rhys Bowen, read Rhys Bowen's Her Royal Spyness, then Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs, then Alan Bradley's The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, and Kerry Greenwood's Cocaine Blues and Agatha Christie's Murder at the Vicarage. All are historical mysteries with spirited women.
Rhys Bowen writes the Her Royal Spyness, Molly Murphy and Evan Evans mysteries. They mix history, humour and sleuthing. These picks share the charm.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Her Royal Spyness | Rhys Bowen | Adult | cozy comedy |
| Maisie Dobbs | Jacqueline Winspear | Adult | readers who like historical mysteries |
| The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie | Alan Bradley | Adult | readers who like a young detective |
| Cocaine Blues | Kerry Greenwood | Adult | 1920s Melbourne |
| Murder at the Vicarage | Agatha Christie | Adult | classic mystery fans |
| A Beautiful Blue Death | Charles Finch | Adult | gentleman detectives |
| And Only to Deceive | Tasha Alexander | Adult | antiquities mysteries |
| Death at Wentwater Court | Carola Dunn | Adult | Daisy Dalrymple book one |
| Dissolution | C.J. Sansom | Adult | Tudor mysteries |
| The Alienist | Caleb Carr | Adult | readers who like historical thrillers |
| The Cater Street Hangman | Anne Perry | Adult | Victorian crime |
| The Daughter of Time | Josephine Tey | Adult | armchair detection |
| Gaudy Night | Dorothy L. Sayers | Adult | golden-age puzzles |
| Whose Body? | Dorothy L. Sayers | Adult | classic detection |
| The Moonstone | Wilkie Collins | Adult | early detective fiction |
1. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
A penniless royal in 1930s London gets drawn into a murder. Light and funny.
Best for: cozy comedy.
2. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
A psychologist and investigator in 1929 London takes on cases tied to the Great War. Thoughtful and historical.
Best for: readers who like historical mysteries.
3. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
Flavia de Luce, an 11-year-old chemist in 1950 England, investigates a body in the cucumber patch. Charming and sharp.
Best for: readers who like a young detective.
4. Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood
Phryne Fisher, a glamorous detective, solves a case in Melbourne. Stylish and witty.
Best for: 1920s Melbourne.
5. Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
Miss Marple's first full-length novel, with a hated colonel found dead in a vicar's study. A classic of the gentle mystery.
Best for: classic mystery fans.
6. A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch
Charles Lenox, an amateur detective, investigates a death in Victorian London. Well written and cozy.
Best for: gentleman detectives.
7. And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander
A widow takes up study of antiquities and uncovers a mystery. Elegant and lively.
Best for: antiquities mysteries.
8. Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn
A young journalist finds a body at a country house party in 1920s England. Light and witty.
Best for: Daisy Dalrymple book one.
9. Dissolution by C.J. Sansom
Lawyer Matthew Shardlake investigates a murder at a monastery in Tudor England. Rich historical atmosphere.
Best for: Tudor mysteries.
10. The Alienist by Caleb Carr
In 1896 New York, a psychologist, a reporter and an illustrator hunt a killer of boys. Historical and atmospheric.
Best for: readers who like historical thrillers.
11. The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry
A Victorian family is shaken by murders in London. Class, manners and crime.
Best for: Victorian crime.
12. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
Inspector Grant, bedridden in hospital, investigates whether Richard III really murdered the princes in the Tower. A classic puzzle of history.
Best for: armchair detection.
13. Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
Harriet Vane returns to her Oxford college, where a poison-pen campaign threatens the women inside. Literate and romantic.
Best for: golden-age puzzles.
14. Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
Lord Peter Wimsey investigates a body found in a bathtub. A classic of the Golden Age.
Best for: classic detection.
15. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
A diamond vanishes from a country house. One of the earliest detective novels.
Best for: early detective fiction.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Rhys Bowen: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Rhys Bowen. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For cosy historical mysteries, read Maisie Dobbs or The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. For 1920s fun, try Cocaine Blues. For classics, pick Murder at the Vicarage.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Rhys Bowen?
An English-born author of historical mysteries.
What is her best-known series?
Her Royal Spyness.
Where do I start?
With Her Royal Spyness.
Which book here is best for early detective fiction?
Try The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, which suits readers looking for early detective fiction.
Which book here is best for classic detection?
Try Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers, which suits readers looking for classic detection.
Which book here is best for golden-age puzzles?
Try Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers, which suits readers looking for golden-age puzzles.
Which book here is best for armchair detection?
Try The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey, which suits readers looking for armchair detection.
Which book here is best for Victorian crime?
Try The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry, which suits readers looking for Victorian crime.