NC RA-Likes Dick’s Victorian Era Picks

The Victorian Era refers to the reign of England’s Queen Victoria which stretched from her coronation on June 20, 1837, until her death on Jan. 22 1901.  Here are some both fiction and non-fiction book recommendations that span an era that saw the beginnings of widespread use of steam locomotives and ended with the dawn of manned flight.

Victoria: A Biography by A.N. Wilson DB80349 

An excellent book on her life including the fascinating story of her inclusion into the line of royal succession and her later family tree that extended in every royal family in Europe (for better or worse).

Barrow’s Boys: A Story of Daring, Fortitude and Outright Lunacy by Fergus Fleming DB63049

Although this book’s narrative starts out in the pre-Queen Victoria era it does extend into her reign and tells the story of the daring (and oftentimes outright crazy and/or sadly tragic) 19th British exploration of the world’s then-unknown regions mostly centered on the discovery of the mythical Northwest Passage to China.

Victoria’s Daughters by Jerrold Packard DB95190

Passed over for accession to the throne and most often forced into arranged marriages to various European Royal families Victoria’s five daughters and their offspring influenced world history for generations most famously the three royal cousins who were the heads of state of Great Britain, Russia, Germany during WW1.

The Victorians by A.N. Wilson DB58822

An interesting look into the vast world of British politicians, authors, artists, explores and eccentric personalities from this era in history

And a few fiction recommendations:

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins DB21677

First published in 1869 and considered one of the forerunners of the modern detective mystery genre this is an excellent mystery combined with a bit of adventure concerning the search for a legendary diamond and its effect on the extended members of a family.

Victorian Ghost Stories: An Oxford Anthology Edited by Michael Cox DB35421

The Victorians loved their ghost stories (many taking place around Christmas) and here is a great collection containing both well-known and obscure authors. Perfect for curling up with at night.

Drood by Dan Simmons DB68808

Historical fiction that combines mystery with some supernatural & horror, the story concerns author Wilkie Collins (see The Moonstone above) and his relationship to Charles Dickens during the final years of Dickens life and his last and unfinished novel The Mystery Of Edwin Drood.

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NC RA-Likes Clay’s Hardboiled Detective Fiction

Looking for a new read? Check out RA Clay’s Hardboiled Detective Fiction on NC RA-Likes.

The hardboiled detective is an American style of mystery novel that originated in the 1920s. It was a reaction against the prevailing mystery style where sleuths caught criminals by sifting clues to solve puzzles. The hardboiled genre usually cared less about the technicalities of “who dunnit” and focused more on a detective trying to right a wrong in a dangerous and corrupt world.

Dashiell Hammett was the father of the hardboiled detective story. His most famous novel was The Maltese Falcon (DB74949), where he created the model for the American private eye, Sam Spade. Despite the character’s everlasting fame, he only appeared in that one book. Hammett also wrote The Thin Man (DB16349), which was hardboiled only a most generous sense and mostly remembered for the series of frothy comedy movies it spawned.

Raymond Chandler refined the hardboiled detective genre by simplifying Hammett’s literary prose to create the prototypical terse understated language. Chandler’s first and most-read book was The Big Sleep (DB32657), where he premiered the sardonic private eye, Philip Marlowe. All seven Marlowe novels were moody and effective, but his masterpiece was The Long Goodbye (DB42704).

After Hammett and Chandler wrote the rules for the hardboiled story, many other authors expanded or broke those rules. Among the best was James M. Cain, probably best known for The Postman Always Rings Twice (DB17817). Among the most prolific was Mickey Spillane, who stripped away the nuance with his two-fisted private eye Mike Hammer, a gaudy comic book version of Philip Marlowe. The first Hammer was I, the Jury (DB18608) or you could submerge in the neon mayhem with Five Complete Mike Hammer Novels (I, the Jury, Vengeance is Mine, The Big Kill, My Gun is Quick, Kiss Me Deadly) DB53637. And while author Jim Thompson shared the same brutal outlook as Spillane, he found more humanity in his characters and his prose. Bleak but rewarding, his first was The Killer Inside Me (DBC08669).

In the last few decades, many writers have taken up hardboiled fiction, exploring what came before them and putting their own spin to it. Elmore Leonard started in Western pulps, but wrote lively hardboiled bestsellers well into the 21^st century including Fifty-two Pickup (DB57057) and Get Shorty (DB31976).  James Ellroy made his reputation by returning to the world of the hardboiled masters with his L.A. Trilogy — The Black Dahlia (DB27689), The Big Nowhere (DB59258), and L.A. Confidential (DB31404). Michael Connelly has established himself as one of the great modern hardboiled cop writers with his Harry Bosch series, the first of which is The Black Echo (DB34800).

Two other writers stretched the genre further. Walter Mosley created the African-American private eye, Easy Rawlins, in Devil in a Blue Dress (DB32935) set in Los Angeles in the 1940s. Each successive book in the series moves forward in time, aging the character and confronting him with troubles of modern American history. And Philip Kerr uses the same technique beginning in March Violets (DB66544), but his character, Bernie Gunther, is a German detective in Nazi-ruled Berlin in the 1930s and his series deals with World War II and into the Cold War years.

I’ve only mentioned a few of the great hardboiled writers and novels out there. There are many more with a range of characters and settings and stories. They can be literary or two-fisted (or both!), but while they can wallow in a cynical view of human nature, they also allow hope that some of us will try to be better, and help others no matter the odds.

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NC RA-Likes Dick’s Fiction Mixed with Fact

Looking for a new read? Check out RA Dick’s Fiction-Fact picks on NC RA-Likes

Like mystery mixed with a bit of actual historical people & places? Here’s some interesting spy, suspense, intrigue and who-done-its that mix fiction with the fact.

The L.A. Quartet by James Ellroy – Series Code LAQ

Taking place in post-WWII Los Angeles and proceeding into the early 50’s Ellroy’s series while not linked together thematically feature many of the same characters interacting. Filled with corrupt politicians, morally questionable police and thoroughly evil authority figures mixed with actual historical and entertainment personalities these are a dense read that requires concentration but well worth the effort.

Bernie Gunther Mysteries by Philip Kerr – Series Code BGM

Starting off in Weimar Republic Germany, Kerr’s hard-boiled German detective moves through WWII with even some stops in post-WWII South America. Excellent engrossing mysteries that give a real authentic feeling to the historical locations.

Ethan Gage Adventures by William Dietrich – Series Code ETG

A mixture of spy, intrigue and bit of Indiana Jones mixed in, these books feature American adventurer Ethan Gage who initially starts off getting involved in Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign and subsequently travels throughout Europe interacting with many historical personages and events throughout the Napoleonic era.

Books by Alan Furstz:

• DB56799 Blood of Victory
• DB52580 Kingdom of Shadows
• DB71415 Spies of the Balkans

These are just a few of the books written by Alan Furst. Although not connected in a series all his books take place in the shadowy world of pre-WWII Europe and feature spies, double agents, femme fatales all dealing in coded messages, stolen secrets and assassinations.

Amelia Peabody by Elizabeth Peters – Series Code PEA

For something a bit lighter Elizabeth Peter’s books feature Edwardian era archaeologist/sleuth Amelia Peabody solving mysteries in Egypt while artifact hunting.

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