SOOOO thanks to my dear friend Gillian I started watching Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries on Netflix.
IT IS SO GOOD. SERIOUSLY.
It’s set in Australia in the 1920’s and revolves around Miss Phryne Fisher who is the most badass and glamorous lady detective in all the land. She figures out things that take the police (oh how I do love the detective and constable though!). Hey and it’s based on a book series!!
I grew up reading Nancy Drew and watching Murder She Wrote so I’ve always had a penchant for a good mystery and a leading lady detective/sleuth. Now no disrespect to those two, as they are absolutely classics, but I’m only half way done the first season, and Phryne is capturing my heart and MAY just be my favorite lady detective ever. Seriously.
Plus there is a bantery ship that is the BEST EVERRRRRR. HIS SMIRKS WHEN IT COMES TO HER EVEN WHEN HE TRIES SO HARD NOT TO.
ANYWAYS, like I said, it’s based on a book series but I’m not sure I will read them if they are exactly the same as the show because I’m already invested in the show…HOWEVER…I really kind of want some cozy mystery/lady detective book recs because I’m really digging it!!
So, my dears, that’s where YOU come in….hit me with your best cozy mysteries/general mysteries or lady detective book recs — adult or YA! Bonus points if they are historical mysteries!
OH AND WATCH THIS SHOW WHILE YOU ARE AT IT. Okay???
Gillian says
*dissolves in a puddle of feels because Phryne Fisher is queen and all is glorious and adfjhskdlfsd those gifs*
Gillian says
(also ps the Phryne books don’t have Jack as a love interest/banter partner//Significat Eye Contact Sharer so what is even the point)
hmmm as for books that feel Phryne-esque to me… HMM. So hard. Nothing is as fantabulous as Our Lord and Savior Phryne Fisher, esp in that cozy mystery vein. Not many cozy YA mysteries BUT THERE SHOULD BE.
OO not quite the same but the Every Breath series by Ellie Marney is ALSO AUSTRALIAN, has a great ship, mudrer times, mystery, and is all around awesome. Grittier than MFMM, though, not remotely as glam. OH the classic Lord Peter Whimsy mysteries by Dorothy Sayers! Harriet Vane and Peter = <333. These Vicious Masks/The Dark Days Club are two recent historical mysterious (but with PARANORMAL SHENANIGANS) that I think you'd like, if you haven't read yet! Great ships, banter times, historical costume, balls and parties and such. All my faves. Sorcery & Cecelia is also extremely funny and in that vein!
Man. This is hard. Can frothy, bloody, bantery, glamorous historical mysteries with brilliant female lady detectives become the new trend, please? With added fabulous cocktails and feather boas.
Jamie says
mwahahah I was almost going to give you fair warning that this post was coming but figured the sneak attack was best!
And yeah nahhh not here for no Jack and Phryne. NOPE. NO BOOKS.
We really need DO need to make frothy, bloody, bantery, glamorous historical mysteries with brilliant female lady detectives a thing.
I’ve been wanting to read Every Breath for aaaaages. Need to. Haven’t heard of the Dorothy Sayers books must check those out. And I have Vicious Masks so YAY! and been curious about Dark Days club.
Rebecca says
Glad you’re loving this show, I’ve only heard amazing things about it. Will have to add it to my list. Check out Burial Rites! It’s a mystery/historical and sounds fantastic. A few thriller/mysteries I’ve recently loved:
My Sister Rosa – SO GOOD. My favourite of this genre. Sometimes with these types of books, the characterisation can lack because it can revolve all around the plot. Not here though! OzYA, but maybe try TBD or Fishpond)
Damage Done.
Jamie says
Thanks for all the recs!!
Cilla says
Aah I need to watch this show! Anyway, there is one lady detective book that I recently read and fell in love with. A Useful Woman by Darcie Wilde, which is a mystery set in the regency period. I loved how the main character negotiated her way through social rules of the time to help figure out the mystery. 😀 It doesn’t come out until May, I think, but it’s available on Edelweiss!
Jamie says
Yes omg this show is so great!!! Thank you for the rec!! This sounds awesome!
Michelle says
You want a leading lady who is a detective? How about a leading lady who is a bounty hunter! Stephanie Plum is a bad ass chic. There is plenty of mystery, humour, and romance. So, so, so good! My ALL TIME favorite series! Not historical though. The author is Janet Evanovich.
Jamie says
Oooh I’ve heard good things about the Stephanie Plum series! I really do need to get on that!
Emmah says
It’s kind of a mystery YA, and it’s historical! “Maid of Secrets” by: Jennifer McGowan!
Jamie says
Oh yes I’ve been wanting to read this! Thanks for the reminder!
Emily says
Ahhhhh I love Phryne Fisher so much! That show is the absolute best, isn’t it?
If you’re looking for books that evoke the same feelings of coziness, badass female detectives, coziness, and period history, I HIGHLY recommend the Mary Russell books by Laurie R. King. The first is The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, and if you like it there’s lots more. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Jamie says
It really IS the best. I’m so smitten with it and can’t wait to continue on.
Thanks for the rec!! Super interested in these books after checking them out!!
Heather says
I’m loving the show too. Elisabeth Peters writes the Amelia Peabody series about a husband and wife team of archeologists in early 1900s Egypt. She solves crimes. The Crocodile on the Sandbank is the first. That’s the closest to Miss Fisher that I can think of. For another historical lady detective, Lindsey Davis writes about a father and daughter pair of detectives in Ancient Rome. The Ides of April is the name of the first daughter-based book.
Jamie says
Ooooh these recs sound so interesting! Thank you!!
Breenah says
I need to move this to the top of my watch list ASAP!
I’m a big fan of the Harper Connely and Shakespeare series by Charlaine Harris. She has another mystery series I haven’t read yet, Aurora Teagarden.
Oh and the Jane Wheel series by Sharon Fiffer is probably my favorite. The main character goes to estate sales and garage sales as a kind of job and that’s how she gets involved in the mysteries.
Jamie says
OH YES YOU ABSOLUTELY DO!!!!
Eee can’t wait to check out all these recs! Thank you so much!!!
Stephanie says
This is a silly recommendation but I haven’t binged on a series in a while and I read this series in a week. Six books in a week! My poor family may have lost some weight during this incident because I am not sure I graced the door of my kitchen. My bad.
The first book is Cupcakes, Trinkets and Other Black Magic. It is a paranormal mystery series with a wonderful snarky main character with a serious chocolate habit.
If you decide to give this series a try, beware of the chocolate road trips that may be in your future.
Jamie says
Hahahah I love getting sucked into a series like that! A testament to how great it is! DEFINITELY checking this out and mmmm will make sure I have copious amounts of chocolate on hand. THANK YOU!!
Leah says
COZIES YESSSSS!!! READ THEM ALL, JAMIE!
I’m tryyying my best not to start gushing over Poirot but seriously ♥ Agatha Christie is my QUEEN and basically the grandmother of mystery – definitely, definitely check out her work if you haven’t already! Miss Marple might be more up your alley than Hercule. Tommy & Tuppence too!
Becca says
Oh my gosh, yes! I LOVE Agatha Christie! She is my favorite author ever and I collect all her books with their different editions, covers, and titles. I just ran over to follow your blog!!
Jamie says
Hehe I’m excited to dive into cozy mysteries. It’s funny bc I read SO widely but every now and again I’m like HMMM I haven’t read much of this genre. Like I do mysteries but not cozy mysteries per se. EXCITED. Thanks for the recs!!
Cat says
Not cozy per say, but great characters and always a murder – J D Robb’s “In Death” series. There are, like, 40 books out and they are my mashed potatoes of books – comfort food books. You likely know Robb is Nora Roberts. But these are fun mysteries set in the future in NYC. I love them.
I need to be able to post the biggest, most epic, *HEART EYES* emoji here, because Miss Fisher is my jam.
Jamie says
Oooh these books sound fun! Thank you! And yassssss HEART EYES ARE SO APPROPRIATE. I aspire to be more like Phryne.
Becca says
I love Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries! It’s one of my favorite shows, I watch with my dad whenever I visit 🙂
Book recommendations: Definitely the Mary Russell series, at least the first few. They are by Laurie King, and the first book in the series, The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, is in the inspiration for my blog name. Also the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley has a really strong female protagonist.
Jamie says
thank you for the recs!! Someone else recc’d the Laurie King books in these comments so def high up on my list. I have always been so curious about the Flavia de Luce books!
grace says
This series sounds great! I’d recommend the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear, anything by Agatha Christie, and while it’s not a female sleuth, Louise Penny’s Armand Gamache series.
Mary says
Maisie Dobbs. Done and done.
I also enjoy the Rhys Bowen mysteries – Her Royal Spyness is a fun series.
Jamie says
Thank you for the rec! Her Royal Spyness just sounds like a fun book!
Jamie says
Ooh thank you for all these great recs!!
LNE says
Ahh I love Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries! Phryne and Veronica Mars are def my two favorite lady detectives.
Please please please read the Flavia de Luce series! The first book is “The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie” and it (and the rest of the books in the series) are wonderful. It is set in a small town in 1950s England, so the setting is great. I feel like people are hesitant because Flavia is only 11 but she is a chemistry wizard and so snarky so it never seems too far-fetched (to me) that she is solving crimes. Each story has its own mystery, but there is always the question of what happened to her mother (who died when Flavia was super young).
Jamie says
YAS Veronica is one of my all time fave modern lady detectives and really just all time in general. I sobbed from joy while watching the movie in the theater bc LoVe <3333
I have been curious about Flavia de Luce for a while but you def just convinced me I need to get to these!!
Quinn @ Quinn's Book Nook says
I wonder if you would like the Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley. The main character is Flavia, and she is actually a child (around 12, I think) but they aren’t children’s books. The are set in 1950 English countryside. They are amazing!
Jamie says
You are the 3rd person to rec them in the comments AND I’ve had my eye on them way back before I started blogging soooo this is a sign that I NEEDS TO GET TO THEM. Thank you for the rec!
JoLee says
Have read read Trouble is a Friend of Mine by Stephanie Tromly? I found it to be so much fun. It’s not a historical, but the dialog is so snappy. I also really liked A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallora. Having a girl Sherlock Holmes character made for fun dynamic. I love William Ritter’s Jackaby series. It’s a historical detective series with a paranormal twist. Deanna Raybourne’s Lady Julia series is also a favorite. Set in Victorian England, the only catch is that the first in the series isn’t as good as the sequels. Hope you find something you love.
Jamie says
I haven’t read Trouble is A Friend of Mine but I do have it! A study in charlotte is on my tbr for this month so yay! Eeee can’t wait to check out the rest of these recs!
Jessie H. says
I adore Miss Fisher’s! You should pick up the Jaya Jones series by Gigi Pandian. They’re like Indiana Jane cozy mysteries! I’d also recommend the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde! It’s a delightful sci-fi/alt history series where Thursday Next is a literary detective who goes inside books to solve mysteries.
Jamie says
Thank you so much for these recs — can’t wait to check them out!!
Maeghan Trail says
One that I finished not too long ago was Dead to Me by Mary McCoy. It’s YA. It’s set in Hollywood’s Golden Age and it involves a mystery. I loved it since it was so close to a teen version of an awesome PI noire film.And I love a good black and white detective film! So I will have to check out Miss Fisher’s! I agree that Ellie Marney’s books are fantastic. Same with Laurie King’s Series. I would also recommend trying the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling!). I just finished the third one last night and LOVED it! It’s set in modern day London and it involves a war hero veteran. The best thing about it is definitely Robin Ellacott. She’s kind of like a mature version of Hermione! She’s smart, brave, and secretly was wants to be a PI. I didn’t think I would like the series but once you start it’s really, really hard to stop. I seriously can’t wait for the fourth one! Have you tried The Diviners by Libba Bray? It’s one of my faves, too.
Kat c says
I like Joanne Fluke’s cozy mystery series. They are really cozy, have lots of recipes in them and there are so many.
Brittany @ The Book Addict's Guide says
MYSTERIES. I gotchu.
// The Heather Wells series by Meg Cabot: Adult Meg Cabot + cozy mystery + adorable characters + an OTP of mine. These books got me back into reading way back in the day.
// J.D. Robb’s In Death Series: mystery set a little into the future + it’s Nora Roberts pseudonym so we have some sexy times too but not overdone
// With Malice by Eileen Cook: comes out this summer + for fans of Dangerous Girls!
// The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz: adult + comedy + sleuthing family + hijinks
// Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty: modern-day but still British Sherlock Holmes + YA
// The Passenger by Lisa Lutz: adult + more of a thriller at times but still a mystery (less whodunnit) + wild ending
// Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich: silly but fun + characters you love + silly mysteries to solve
// The Pact by Rachel Sturman: adult cozy + 4 book series + I remember these being a lot of fun!
Rachel Lightwood @ Quite the Novel Idea says
I just went to the costume exhibition for this show for my Tourism class. I haven’t seen the show so the point of it was kind of missed on me, but it’s a show I definitely have been meaning to check out.
I’d recommend These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly which I’m currently read it. It’s a mystery set in the late 1800s with a savvy female protagonist who wants to be a reporter! Definitely worth checking out. Also maybe The Diviners by Libba Bray? That’s a mystery set in the 1920s – haven’t read it personally though. Oh, and Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella is a chicklit story with mysterious undertones about a girls whose great aunt appears to her as a 20s flapper girl ghost and they have to track down her aunt’s necklace. It isn’t a mystery or historical, but it’s got a lot of 1920s stuff and mystery subplots and is hilarious.
Amber B says
Charles Todd has a great series starring a lady sleuth called Bess Crawford.
Jamie says
Ooh will check it out! THank you!
Lindsay says
I’ve been meaning to watch this show AND read the book series forever! I even had the first disc of the show checked out from the library a few months ago but didn’t have a chance to watch it.
I love historical mysteries! You might check out Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily series. And I really liked “A Curious Beginning” by Deanna Raybourn, the first in a new series. And you like Sherlock Holmes, right? You might enjoy Laurie R. King’s Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes mysteries. And it’s not a historical, but I recently read and loved “Still Life,” the first in Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series. As for TV shows, I enjoyed “Grantchester” on Masterpiece Mystery this year. It’s set in postwar England and the main character is pretty easy on the eyes! Also, re the comment above, I liked “Twenties Girl” too.
Reta Kenter says
Let’s not overlook the actress who stars in this terrific series – Essie Davis. Back in 2003 she played Vermeer’s wife Catherina and she was EXCELLENT. However, as Colin Firth played Vermeer she was somewhat a background figure.
Deyse says
I don’t read much detective novels as I would like since some of my favorite tv shows revolve around this concept but my favorites are Sherlock Holmes, the novels and short stories, these are historical now obvs but is really good, I read the first time when I was about 15 and always come back to re-read, and the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling which is amazing, the mysteries are always interesting and the characters arcs and relationships are on point.