If you liked
Books like Malice at the Palace
by Rhys Bowen
Rhys Bowen's Malice at the Palace gets a lot of mileage from the real-world peculiarities of Prince George and the British royal family in the 1930s. If the period-correct royal-mystery atmosphere is what you came for, these five.
The shortlist
What to read next
Murder on a Midsummer Nightby Kerry Greenwood
“Murder on a Midsummer Night by Kerry Greenwood 2008 review. The seventeenth Phryne Fisher Mystery sends the Honourable Miss Fisher chasing two cases at once in summer 1929 Melbourne.”
Silksby Dick Francis
“Silks by Dick Francis 2008 review. Geoffrey Mason is a barrister who rides as an amateur jockey on weekends, until his only racetrack friend turns up dead.”
Dead Heatby Dick Francis
“Dead Heat by Dick Francis 2007 review. Chef Max Moreton survives a gala poisoning at the Newmarket races and has to figure out who is killing his guests and why.”
When Rich Men Dieby Harold Adams
“When Rich Men Die by Harold Adams 1987 review. The fifth Carl Wilcox Depression-era mystery sends the alcoholic itinerant artist back to Corden, South Dakota for a banker’s murder.”
Flash Pointby Paul Adam
“Flash Point by Paul Adam 2006 review. A Glasgow journalist investigates the death of a young African violinist competing in the Tchaikovsky Competition and stumbles into a missing-instrument scandal.”
FAQ
Common questions about Malice at the Palace read-alikes
- Are these all British?
- Three of the five. Kerry Greenwood is Australian writing 1928 Melbourne. Harold Adams is American writing 1930s Depression South Dakota. The connective tissue is the patient period-mystery procedural patience, not the geography.
- Which is closest to Royal Spyness in tone?
- Murder on a Midsummer Night. Greenwood's Phryne Fisher is the closest contemporary equivalent to Lady Georgiana Rannoch: aristocratic, witty, period-correct, with the same balance of social satire and fair-play whodunit.
- Do I need to read the rest of Royal Spyness first?
- No. Bowen writes the series to be entered at any point. If you want chronological, start with Her Royal Spyness.
The original