Official Selection:
This month, we'll be reading the first Brother Cadfael mystery - A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters (Edith Pargeter). Considered by many to be the first example of a historical mystery series - written in 1977, but set in 1137 - the Brother Cadfael mysteries were the inspiration for a hugely popular sub-genre of crime fiction.
Official Selection:
Our other pick for the month, a historical mystery and one of our all-time favorites, is Dissolution by C J Sansom - written in 2003, but set during the dissolution of the monasteries in Tudor England. It introduces Matthew Shardlake, a hunchback attorney sent as an emissary for King Henry VIII to investigate a murder at a monastery. PD James was asked many years ago to name her five favorite mysteries of all time, and the only book on the list by a living author was Dissolution. I think you're in for a treat with these two! - McKenna
Bonus Recommendation:
One of Louise's best mysteries featuring Armand Gamache, this contemporary mystery takes the story out of Three Pines when they visit a monastery. There's chanting, beautiful writing, a great mystery, and no prerequisite to read the earlier books in the series first.
Bonus Recommendation:
It’s 1811 and Sebastian is a broody, moody Viscount still reeling from his experiences on the Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. With friends among the upper echelons of society, Covent Garden and stews of St. Giles, Sebastian is the perfect man for those looking for justice and the perfect foil for those who think they can get away with murder.