Berkley Bookmas: Jayne Ann Krentz – Book Recommendations & Giveaway!

The Reading Cafe is so excited to participate in Berkley Bookmas and today we are hosting Jayne Ann Krentz with her book recommendations for Historical Mystery Lady Sleuths! Berkley Bookmas is chock full of exclusive content from some wonderful authors like exclusive excerpts, deleted scenes, author recipes and more! Check out the calendar of events below:

 

 

The New Lady Sleuths of Historical Mystery
By
Jayne Ann Krentz

The female detective has been around for quite a while – think Agatha Christie – but it seems to me that we are watching the rise of a new genre: the lady sleuths of historical mystery and suspense.

These unusual and intrepid heroines are women of their eras – the stories are often set in the Regency or Victorian period – but they defy the conventions of their times which is, of course, what makes them so interesting.

These are not your traditional “puzzle” mysteries nor can they be labeled “cozies.”  They are novels of intrigue and suspense featuring fully realized female characters with unique skill-sets who solve crimes, have dangerous adventures and, yes, sometimes get entangled in romantic relationships.

I’m having a fabulous time discovering new authors in this genre.  If this sounds like something you might enjoy – or if you’ve got someone on your holiday gift list who loves historical suspense and mystery – below is a selection of titles that have come to my attention.  I think they are excellent examples of the new lady sleuths of historical mystery and suspense.

 

 

A CURIOUS BEGINNING, by DEANNA RAYBOURN:  The first title in the Veronica Speedwell novels.  Set in Victorian England, the novels feature a delightfully outrageous heroine with an intriguing past who is a professional butterfly hunter and a fearless sleuth.

 

 

 

 

 

A STUDY IN SCARLET WOMEN by SHERRY THOMAS:  This series features a real twist on the Sherlock Holmes legend – meet the fascinating and very unique Charlotte Holmes.

 

 

 

 

 

BEAUTY LIKE THE NIGHT by JOANNA BOURNE:  A novel in Bourne’s terrific Spymaster series set against the backdrop of Napoleonic France and Regency England.  Lush, elegant, well-researched and romantic.

 

 

 

 

DEATH BELOW STAIRS by Jennifer Ashley
Kat Holloway is a cook who takes a position in a Mayfair mansion and soon finds herself immersed in the odd household of Lord Rankin. Kat can deal with the family’s eccentricities as long as the various members of the clan stay away from her kitchen.  But murder below stairs changes everything.

 

 

 

CITY OF LIES by VICTORIA THOMPSON
The first in the A Counterfeit Lady series featuring Elizabeth Miles, a woman on the run.  Here’s the setup:  Elizabeth has some unusual skills and she uses them to relieve so-called respectable men of their ill-gotten gains. But she has recently outwitted a brutal man who has sent his thugs after her.

 

 

 

 

THE ANATOMIST’S WIFE by ANNA LEE HUBER
Scotland, 1830.  Following the death of her husband, Lady Darby has taken refuge at her sister’s estate, finding solace in her passion for painting. But when her hosts throw a house party for the cream of London society, Kiera is unable to hide from the ire of those who believe her to be as unnatural as her husband, an anatomist who used her artistic talents to suit his own macabre purposes.
That’s my starter list.  I’d love some more suggestions from you.  Got a title or author working in this new genre you’d like to recommend?

Wishing you the best of the holidays and a sparkling New Year!

Sincerely,

Jayne

 

Jayne Ann Krentz is the author of more than fifty New York Times bestsellers, including the upcoming romantic thriller Promise Not to Tell. Jayne has written contemporary romantic suspense novels under that name, as well as historical and futuristic romance novels under the pseudonyms Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle, respectively. Learn more at jayneannkrentz.com and connect with her on facebook.com/JayneAnnKrentz.

 

 

 

Berkley Bookmas is graciously offering a giveaway of one $100 Visa gift card, and a book/galley/bound manuscript by each of the authors participating.

Click this link to enter giveaway: http://bit.ly/2zlFxAq

For tomorrow’s fun, head to one of the following blogs:

• Scandalicious Book Reviews
• Relentless Romance
• No BS Book Reviews
• Book Babes Unite
• Owl Always Be Reading
• The Eater of Books!
• GReads!