My Favorite Fiction Books

I love to read fiction set in Regency England (the Jane Austen era) or mysteries set in the England of the early to mid 1900s (the Agatha Christie era). My favorite author, Georgette Heyer, wrote a bit of both. I like to recommend her books to my friends, but she wrote in several genres, so it's helpful to have a list of what's what when you're browsing your library shelves. If you're looking for the Austen-era, you won't be happy if you bring home the Christie-era. Or if you're looking for the sparkling dialog of the Regency era, you'll be annoyed to bring home the more detailed historal books. So here's a list of Heyer books. Don't be put off by the covers of the paperback versions--sometimes the publisher tries to make you think these are trashy Harlequin romances. They're not. There is a little profanity here and there, but no more than Austen or Christie. There are no bedroom scenes. Lots of history, lots of fun, and fascinating characters.

If you like Jane Austen, try one of the Historical Romances. I've sorted them here into My Favorites, and Others. The Others are good, but they just don't "sparkle" like my favorites and I don't feel they are the best representation of her writings.

If you like Agatha Christie, try one of the Mysteries!

Historical Romances
My Favorites
Arabella
Bath Tangle
Beauvallet (Elizabethan era)
Black Sheep
Charity Girl
Cotillion
Devil’s Cub
False Colors
Faro’s Daughter
Frederica
Friday’s Child
Lady of Quality
Pistols for Two (short stories)
Powder and Patch
Regency Buck
Sprig Muslin
Sylvester
The Corinthian
The Foundling
The Grand Sophy
The Masqueraders
The Nonesuch
The Quiet Gentleman
The Reluctant Widow
The Talisman Ring
The Toll-Gate
The Unknown Ajax
These Old Shades

Other Historical Romances – worth reading, more enjoyable than most contemporary authors, but not quite as “sparkling” as the ones above (in my opinion)
A Civil Contract
April Lady
Cousin Kate
Simon the Coldheart (medieval)
The Black Moth
The Convenient Marriage

Historical Novels, not as much “storyline”
Don't pick up one of these hoping for a Jane Austen-type experience...
An Infamous Army
The Great Roxhythe
My Lord John
Royal Escape
Spanish Bride
The Conqueror

Contemporary Mysteries (30s England)
A Blunt Instrument
Behold, Here's Poison
Death in The Stocks ( or Merely Murder)
Detection Unlimited
Duplicate Death
Envious Casca
Footsteps in The Dark
No Wind of Blame
Penhallow
The Unfinished Clue
They Found Him Dead
Why Shoot a Butler?

"Contemporary" Romances (written when she was much younger, probably not interesting unless you’re a fan collecting Heyer books)
Barren Corn
Helen
Instead of the Thorn
Pastel