Books like 'One Puzzling Afternoon'
Readers who enjoyed One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical mystery historical-fiction friendship amateur-sleuth crime literary-fiction cozy female-mc
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The Trouble With Secrets: The Kilteegan Bridge Story by Jean Grainger
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsKilteegan Bridge, County Cork 1958For eighteen year old Lena Mullery, life is predictable and dull. A future of hard work, marriage to a local boy, and a family of her own one day is all she has to look forward to. People from her background know not to expect too much, but Lena yearns for something different.Malachy Berger was different, for him, the world is at his feet... -
![The Saltwater Murder by L.B. Hathaway]()
The Saltwater Murder by L.B. Hathaway
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMURDERED WITH A BOX OF TEARS… London, 1924Posie Parker has been called to her most baffling case yet.Amyas Lyle, London’s top young lawyer, has been found with his head in a box of poisoned saltwater.It’s the perfect murder... -
![Safe and Sound by Fern Michaels]()
Safe and Sound by Fern Michaels
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe Sisterhood: a group of women from all walks of life bound by friendship and a quest for justice. Armed with vast resources, top-notch expertise, and a loyal network of allies around the globe, the Sisterhood will not rest until every wrong is made right. Now in their 29th adventure, the Sisterhood team up to find a gifted but neglected child the home he deserves... -
![The Sculthorpe Murder by Karen Charlton]()
The Sculthorpe Murder by Karen Charlton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNorthamptonshire, 1810: As a new canal network snakes across the landscape, a vicious mob stakes its claim to the county. Every local constable is out on the hunt for the ruthless Panther Gang. When an elderly man is robbed and murdered in sleepy Middleton, the beleaguered magistrates send for help from London’s Bow Street Police Office... -
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![Masquerade in London by Emily L. Finch]()
Masquerade in London by Emily L. Finch
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSuspected of murder, Samantha Kingston leaves behind the world she knows when she flees to the streets of London to discover the truth in this, the first book in a new historical mystery series.London, 1861. Samantha Kingston has lived under the control of her overbearing uncle since the death of her parents six years ago... -
![The Secretary by Catherine Hokin]()
The Secretary by Catherine Hokin
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe Tower House. Down a secluded path, hidden by overgrown vines, the crumbling villa echoes with memories. Of the family who laughed and sang there, until the Nazis tore them from their home. And of the next woman to walk its empty rooms, whose courage in the face of evil could alter the course of history…Germany 1940...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century adult book fiction -
![Pilfered Promises by M. Louisa Locke]()
Pilfered Promises by M. Louisa Locke
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt is the winter of 1880, and the future looks promising for Annie and Nate Dawson. Nate’s law practice is taking off. Annie has made the transition from pretend clairvoyant to a successful financial consultant. And they are looking forward to spending their first Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays together... -
![The Memory Tree by Linda Gillard]()
The Memory Tree by Linda Gillard
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCan the power of love overcome life’s darkest memories and deepest losses? When her favourite beech tree is felled in a storm, Ann feels as if someone has died. But when long-hidden seed packets are found inside the trunk, Ann realises there are more memories than her own lurking within the ancient tree . . -
![A Gentleman of Dubious Reputation by Grace Burrowes]()
A Gentleman of Dubious Reputation by Grace Burrowes
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA matter of matrimony...Lord Julian Caldicott is summoned to the family seat by his ducal brother, whose bachelorhood is imperiled by the very determined Lady Clarissa Valmond. As the only titled Eligible the hostesses avoid including on their guest lists, Julian has little sympathy for the duke’s situation... -
![The Gang of St Bride's by Emily Organ]()
The Gang of St Bride's by Emily Organ
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLondon 1885. A gang of lady thieves is targeting Piccadilly’s wealthy shoppers and no one seems able to stop them. As frustrations build, the body of a young woman is pulled from the River Thames. Reporter Penny Green has a lot to write about, and she faces a new challenge when a stranger approaches her with a riddle...Categorized as:
historical-fiction crime literary-fiction amateur-sleuth cozy female-mc romance mystery -
![The Midwife's Secret by Emily Gunnis]()
The Midwife's Secret by Emily Gunnis
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA little girl goes missing from Yew Tree Manor - the same house from which a girl vanished decades before. Does the key to the present lie buried even deeper in the past, in the forgotten history of an innocent midwife accused by a family of shocking betrayal? A gripping, heartwrenching story of love, loyalty and family secrets... -
![Murder at the Folly by Beth Byers]()
Murder at the Folly by Beth Byers
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSeptember 1923. When Violet and Victor run into an old friend in Belgium, they have an idea of what to expect. What they don’t expect is to be followed back to England, persuaded to spend an additional weekend away from home, or to have their group experience another murder. This time, the suspect is their long-time friend Tomas St. Marks—-a shell-shocked former soldier... -
![Kennington House Murder by Beth Byers]()
Kennington House Murder by Beth Byers
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsApril 1923. After a winter on the Amalfi Coast, Lady Violet Carlyle returns home for her little sister’s wedding. The last time Vi was with her family, she was the pauper daughter who needed to wed before she lost her chance. After the events of the holidays, Vi’s richer than Midas. When Violet meets her sister’s fiancé Violet knows something must be done... -
![Feu d'artifice mortel by Faith Martin]()
Feu d'artifice mortel by Faith Martin
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratings‘An explosive read… Characters, dialogue and plot were superb.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars As the Hughes family celebrate bonfire night, a terrible accident leaves the garden shed in flames – and father and grandfather Thomas trapped inside. Tragic though it is, Thomas’s death passes without suspicion – until a local journalist makes accusations of a police cover-up in the press... -
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![A Fatal Secret by Faith Martin]()
A Fatal Secret by Faith Martin
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsOxford, 1961A family day out at Briar’s Hall ends in tragedy when a young boy goes missing – and his body is found at the bottom of a disused well in the orchard.It looks like a simple case of an eleven-year-old exploring where he shouldn’t: a tragic accident. But Coroner Clement Ryder and Probationary WPC Trudy Loveday aren’t convinced... -
![Murder Under A Blue Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Historical Cozy Mystery Book 1 (A Mona Moon Mystery) by Abigail Keam]()
Murder Under A Blue Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Historical Cozy Mystery Book 1 (A Mona Moon Mystery) by Abigail Keam
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFIVE STARS! "A most delightful novel." -- READERS' FAVORITE Mona Moon is not your typical young lady. She is a cartographer by trade, explorer by nature, and adventurer by heart. But there’s a problem. Miss Mona is broke. It’s during the Depression, and National Geographic has just turned down her application to join an expedition to the Amazon... -
![The Fateful Marriage by Elizabeth Bailey]()
The Fateful Marriage by Elizabeth Bailey
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA brand new mystery featuring Lady Fan! For fans of Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh, Barbara Erskine and Jane Austen. Wherever Lady Fan goes, murder follows… 1791, England Lady Ottilia and Lord Francis Fanshawe are holidaying in Tunbridge Wells when they stumble across the scene of a horrific accident... -
![Return to Thrush Green by Miss Read]()
Return to Thrush Green by Miss Read
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt's Spring again in the village of Thrush Green and with the changing season comes change for many of the villagers... -
![The Dagger Dance by Elizabeth Bailey]()
The Dagger Dance by Elizabeth Bailey
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLady Fan returns in another twisty murder case! For fans of Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh, Barbara Erskine and Jane Austen.Can Lady Fan unravel another mystery…?1793, EnglandAfter a not-so-relaxing holiday in Tunbridge Wells, Lady Ottilia and Lord Francis Fanshawe have returned to their home with a young orphaned girl, Pertesia ‘Pretty’ Brockhurst... -
![The Mortal Blow by Elizabeth Bailey]()
The Mortal Blow by Elizabeth Bailey
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe intrepid Lady Fan is back! For fans of Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh, Barbara Erskine and Jane Austen. Lady Fan is back to full health but can she solve the trickiest case yet…? 1791, England Lord Francis and Lady Ottilia Fanshawe are on their way home when their coach comes to a sudden stop. A woman is standing in the middle of the road — covered in blood... -
![Murder on the Boardwalk by Lee Strauss, Denise Jaden]()
Murder on the Boardwalk by Lee Strauss, Denise Jaden
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBrand New 1950s Cozy Mystery series by USA TODAY bestselling author Lee Strauss! Murder's such a shock! When Rosa Reed, aka CPW Reed of the Metropolitan Police, and her cousin Gloria decide to spend a carefree and fun-filled afternoon in 1956 at the fair on the boardwalk in Santa Bonita, California, they're in for a shocking surprise... -
![Death by the Book by Beth Byers]()
Death by the Book by Beth Byers
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsInspired by classic fiction and Miss Buncle's Book. Death by the Book questions what happens when you throw a murder into idyllic small town England.July 1936When Georgette Dorothy Marsh’s dividends fall along with the banks, she decides to write a book. Her only hope is to bring her account out of overdraft and possibly buy some hens... -
![Murder in the Library by Martha Bond]()
Murder in the Library by Martha Bond
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMurder mystery at the manor!After months of travel, former maid, Lottie Sprigg, returns to Fortescue Manor in the rolling hills of Shropshire. Her arrival coincides with a celebratory dinner to mend a family feud. But the flow of champagne dwindles to a trickle when a body is found in the library…Who committed the atrocity? Suspicion falls on several some above stairs and some below... -
![No Stone Unturned by Pam Lecky]()
No Stone Unturned by Pam Lecky
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA suspicious death, stolen gems and an unclaimed who will be the victor in a deadly game of cat and mouse? London October 1886 : Trapped in a troubled marriage, Lucy Lawrence is ripe for an adventure. But when she meets the enigmatic Phineas Stone, over the body of her husband in the mortuary, her world begins to fall apart...Categorized as:
historical-fiction crime cozy amateur-sleuth mystery historical industrial-era victorian -
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![Obsidian Murder by Beth Byers]()
Obsidian Murder by Beth Byers
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBonfire Night 1924. Violet, Victor, and friends intend to celebrate an evening with cocktails, bonfires, and fireworks. What they don't intend is to find a body instead of their Guy Fawkes. What's even more baffling? The obsidian blade. Once again, the friends delve into a wicked crime. Tensions rise as they realize that murder wasn't the only game afoot during the celebration... -
![Murder at Feathers & Flair by Lee Strauss]()
Murder at Feathers & Flair by Lee Strauss
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt's 1924 and war widow fashionista Ginger Gold's new Regent Street dress shop, Feathers & Flair, is the talk of the London fashion district attracting aristocrats from Paris to Berlin to Moscow.Ginger is offered her first job as a private detective when a well-known stage actor goes missing, and though the dress shop takes most of her time, Ginger takes the case... -
![Guaranteed to Bleed by Julie Mulhern]()
Guaranteed to Bleed by Julie Mulhern
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWith his dying breath, Bobby Lowell begs Ellison Russell, “Tell her I love her.” Unable to refuse, Ellison struggles to find the girl the murdered boy loved. Too bad an epically bad blind date, a vindictive graffiti artist, and multiple trips to the emergency room keep getting in the way... -
![The Bootlegger's Daughter by Nadine Nettmann]()
The Bootlegger's Daughter by Nadine Nettmann
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn Prohibition-era Los Angeles, two women on opposite sides of the law must take control of their lives, make their marks, and try to survive. Even if it means crossing the line. It’s 1927. Letty Hart’s father is long gone, but his old winery provides a meager wage and a legal livelihood for selling sacramental wine... -
![Safe at the Edge of the World by Jean Grainger]()
Safe at the Edge of the World by Jean Grainger
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratings'What you get with a Jean Grainger book is warm, authentic writing that welcomes you into the heart of Ireland' Kate Kerrigan, New York Times bestselling author of the Ellis Island trilogy.A tranquil Irish vacation, music, scenery, food... but someone on this tour has a secret he's desperate to keep concealed.Sequel to the #1 Bestseller, The Tour...Categorized as:
amateur-sleuth cozy historical-fiction literary-fiction adult audiobook book fiction -
![Kathleen Catches a Killer by M. Louisa Locke]()
Kathleen Catches a Killer by M. Louisa Locke
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt’s the very end of December, 1880, and the servant Kathleen Hennessey expects to spend a quiet week taking care of the O’Farrell Street boarding house while her employers, Annie and Nate Dawson, are off spending the Christmas holidays with Nate’s family... -
![The Cursed Writer by Holly Hepburn]()
The Cursed Writer by Holly Hepburn
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPreorder the BRAND NEW instalment in Holly Hepburn's page-turning Baker Street Mystery series Join Harriet White in 1930's London for another glorious Sherlock Holmes-inspired mystery, for fans of Nita Prose and Janice... -
![A Veil Removed by Michelle Cox]()
A Veil Removed by Michelle Cox
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMurder is never far from this sexy couple . . . even during the holidays! Their honeymoon abruptly ended by the untimely death of Alcott Howard, Clive and Henrietta return to Highbury, where Clive discovers all is not as it should be... -
![Disaster at the Christmas Dinner by Emily Organ]()
Disaster at the Christmas Dinner by Emily Organ
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA poisoned plum pudding. A mutilated snowman. Christmas has gone disastrously wrong in Compton Poppleford.Elderly sleuths Churchill and Pemberley are enjoying Christmas dinner with friends when a guest is fatally poisoned...Categorized as:
cozy historical-fiction literary-fiction amateur-sleuth crime mystery historical humor -
![The Leper's Bell by Peter Tremayne]()
The Leper's Bell by Peter Tremayne
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn November of 667 A.D., Fidelma of Cashel has returned home to her brother's castle to discover that a servant, her son's nurse, has been found brutally murdered in the woods near town, and her son is missing, presumed kidnapped or worse... -
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![A Bucket of Ashes by P.B. Ryan]()
A Bucket of Ashes by P.B. Ryan
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratings“As always, the author excels at setting the scene, evoking the time and place by use of the day-to-day details as well as historical events. The resolution of the central mystery is almost secondary to the revelations about Nell’s past and the way the author ties up all the loose ends of her present situation. Longtime readers will enjoy this aspect immensely; I know I did... -
![The Secret of the Château by Kathleen McGurl]()
The Secret of the Château by Kathleen McGurl
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEverything is about to change…1789.Pierre and Catherine Aubert, the Comte and Comtesse de Verais, have fled the palace of Versailles for their château, deep in the French Alps. But as revolution spreads through the country, even hidden away the Auberts will not be safe forever. Soon they must make a terrible decision in order to protect themselves, and their children, from harm.Present day...Categorized as:
crime female-mc friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century adult book -
![Murder in Venice by L.B. Hathaway]()
Murder in Venice by L.B. Hathaway
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWho do you trust when simply everyone is wearing a mask?A Winter Wedding, Venice, 1923Posie Parker, London’s premier female Private Detective, is getting married…But on arrival in Venice, Posie finds she is walking into a nightmare: her lodgings on the Grand Canal are consumed by fire, her famous fiancé is preoccupied, and most bizarrely of all, her hostess, the Countess Romagnoli, confesses she... -
![Murder at Queen's Landing: A Captivating Historical Regency Mystery by Andrea Penrose]()
Murder at Queen's Landing: A Captivating Historical Regency Mystery by Andrea Penrose
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe many strands of a dark mystery entangle Lady Charlotte Sloane and the Earl of Wrexford in a dangerous web of secrets and lies that will call into question how much they really know about the people they hold dear--and about each other.. -
![Christmas at The Grange by T.E. Kinsey, Elizabeth Knowelden]()
Christmas at The Grange by T.E. Kinsey, Elizabeth Knowelden
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsListening Length: 2 hours, 5 minutesIt’s Christmas 1909, and for once Lady Hardcastle—respectable gentlewoman, amateur spy—and her lady’s maid, Florence Armstrong, are setting sleuthing aside. They are invited to the festivities up at The Grange, as guests of Sir Hector and Lady Farley-Stroud.But barely have corks been popped and parlour games played when a mysterious crime comes to light... -
![Turning the Tide by Edith Maxwell]()
Turning the Tide by Edith Maxwell
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"An intriguing look at life in 19th-century New England, a heroine whose goodness guides all her decisions, and a mystery that surprises."--Kirkus Reviews A suffragist is murdered in Rose Carroll's Massachusetts town Excitement runs high during presidential election week in 1888... -
![Victorian San Francisco Stories by M. Louisa Locke]()
Victorian San Francisco Stories by M. Louisa Locke
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis is a collection of four short stories by bestselling author, M. Louisa Locke, set in the gas-lit world of Victorian San Francisco. was written specifically for this collection and it finds Annie Fuller, the young widowed boardinghouse keeper, just starting her career as a pretend clairvoyant... -
![Atonement of Blood by Peter Tremayne]()
Atonement of Blood by Peter Tremayne
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWinter, 670 AD. King Colgú has invited the leading nobles and chieftains of his kingdom to a feast day. The gathering is interrupted by a religieux claiming that he has an important message for the King. Suddenly, the man, shouting 'Remember Liamuin!' stabs King Colgú. The assassin is slain but Colgú is on the verge of death... -
![Mrs. Jeffries and the Best Laid Plans by Emily Brightwell, Jennifer M. Dixon]()
Mrs. Jeffries and the Best Laid Plans by Emily Brightwell, Jennifer M. Dixon
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe keeps house for Inspector Witherspoon . . . and keeps him on his toes. Everyone's awed by his Scotland Yard successes-but they don't know about his secret weapon. No matter how messy the murder or how dirty the deed, Mrs. Jeffries's polished detection skills are up to the task . . . proving that behind every great man there's a woman-and that a crimesolver's work is never done... -
![Mrs. Jeffries Appeals the Verdict by Emily Brightwell]()
Mrs. Jeffries Appeals the Verdict by Emily Brightwell
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGUILTY BYSTANDERSAfter a perfectly decent local woman is killed during a robbery, the Witherspoon household receives a surprising visit from a stranger named Blimpey Groggins. He claims his best buddy was convicted of the crime. He also claims the peaceable chap didn’t even know how to fire a gun. And considering he’s to be hanged in three weeks, Blimpey’s desperate to find the real killer... -
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![Mrs. Jeffries and the One Who Got Away by Emily Brightwell]()
Mrs. Jeffries and the One Who Got Away by Emily Brightwell
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOLD SINS CAST LONG SHADOWS Normally dead bodies in a graveyard are buried—but not this one. When a woman is found strangled in a North London cemetery with an old newspaper clipping clutched in her hand, Inspector Witherspoon is surprised to find that he and the victim have crossed paths before. Alice Robinson was a respectable widow who ran a quiet Islington lodging house...Categorized as:
amateur-sleuth cozy female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction adult audiobook book -
![The Dove of Death by Peter Tremayne]()
The Dove of Death by Peter Tremayne
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn A.D. 670, an Irish merchant ship is attacked by a pirate vessel off the southern coast of the Breton peninsula. Merchad, the ship?s captain, and Bressal, a prince from the Irish kingdom of Muman, are killed in cold blood after they have surrendered. Among the other passengers who manage to escape the slaughter are Fidelma of Cashel and her faithful companion, Brother Eadulf... -
![A Prayer for the Damned by Peter Tremayne]()
A Prayer for the Damned by Peter Tremayne
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn February of 668 A.D., Fidelma of Cashel and her companion Eadulf are about to get permanently married. As the sister to the King of Muman, Fidelma's marriage ceremony is a major event; the High King of Ireland, as well as other kings and major figures, are going to be in attendance... -
![The Opium Purge by Elizabeth Bailey]()
The Opium Purge by Elizabeth Bailey
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA dark shadow has been brought from the West Indies to an English estate… 1790, England Lord Francis and Lady Ottilia Fanshawe are preparing for the birth of their first child. But Lady Fan won’t let a little thing like pregnancy get in the way of solving a local mystery... -
![Valley of the Shadow by Peter Tremayne]()
Valley of the Shadow by Peter Tremayne
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSister Fidelma must entreat the chieftain of a Druid clan to allow the construction of a Christian church and school in the region. On their way, she and Brother Eadulf find the slaughtered bodies of 36 young men--all covered with pagan ritual scars. Fidelma must learn who or what is behind the massacre. Martin's Press... -
![The Monk Who Vanished by Peter Tremayne]()
The Monk Who Vanished by Peter Tremayne
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn September of 666 A.D., an aged monk and a set of relics disappear during the night from the Abbey of Imleach. The missing monk is a matter of great concern for the abbey. But the relics are a disaster of a much higher order. They are the priceless holy relics of St...
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