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Five Golden Age London Mysteries for Autumn

Diary of a Provincial Lady

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Hi pals, today we’re talking about five atmospheric mysteries set in London, perfect for autumn and winter reading.

From wartime London and Underground murders to Victorian fog and mysterious deaths in gentlemen’s clubs. Best enjoyed with a hot water bottle and a cup of tea!

Books mentioned 📚

Murder by Matchlight, E. C. Lorac
The 4.50 from Paddington, Agatha Christie
Murder Underground, Mavis Doriel Hay
The Santa Klaus Murder, Mavis Doriel Hay
London Particular, Christianna Brand
The Sign of the Four, Arthur Conan Doyle
The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, Dorothy L. Sayers

Coffee with a Classic Schedule for 2026 ☕️📖

31st October - The Old Curiosity Shop, Charles Dickens
30th November - Lolly Willowes, Sylvia Townsend Warner
21st December - The Santa Klaus Murder, Mavis Doriel Hay

Videos mentioned ✨

6 Classic Crime Novels Perfect for Winter (Murder’s a Swine, Nap Lombard) 6 Classic Crime Novels Perfect for Winter ...

#booktube #classicliterature #goldenagecrime #britishlibrarycrimeclassics #dorothylsayers

20 Comments

@EdelweisSusie 40 minutes ago

I found 27 of those British Library Crime Classics for £1.00 each at a charity shop last year and grabbed the lot! All the ones you mentioned are brilliant - not a bad one among them. I've been reading DL Sayers for over 40 years (love her) - PLEASE hunt out the televised series starring Edward Petherbridge & Harriet Walter (free on YouTube) - they really bring her stories to life. Great video. x

@williamwomack1208 4 days ago

I love the passion you have when you talk about books. Keep being you! Its so nice to see people discuss this stuff sincerely and having fun doing it. Great list!!

@ZeldasTears 3 days ago

love the sound of all these ! thanks :)

@LopasBookNook 2 days ago

I am a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes and also Agatha Christie novels. Thanks for the other recommendations, which I would surely add to my TBR pile. One of the first among that will be Murder by Matchlight. 😊

@EveningReader 3 days ago

All of these sound like such a wonderful mood. Murder Underground is especially compelling, as is the Sherlock Holmes!

@elizabethbrink3761 4 days ago

I love Lorac's Macdonald series. He is one of my favorite detectives. I think they all feel like good autumnal reads to me. Murder Underground sounds great! I definitely want to get to that one.

@ChrisNaylor-k7h 4 days ago

I’m am just in love with these type of mysteries! Inspector MacDonald is one of my faves! I have heard so many good things about London Particular. I’ve ordered some Lorac from my library. I need another bookshelf! I did find the Sign of Four on my shelf!
Thank you so much for all your insight! Just love the videos! Chris from Canada!🇨🇦🍁🍁🍁

@alidabaxter5849 1 day ago

I love Dorothy L. Sayers' books, but also Christianna Brand's which I find far less snobbish and very realistic. I knew her in the last years of her life, and she was very witty. My favourite of hers is Green for Danger but she liked London Particular, of her own novels, best.

@chescainpages 4 days ago

I feel a reading slump coming on, and my go to cure are always murder mystery classics 💃

@ariadne_oliver 3 days ago

I love all the books you mentioned, great list :)

@nula14 5 days ago

Oh, this is great! Autumn is my favourite season! I truly enjoy your channel :-) Thanks from Germany 🍂🍂📚

@astitchingbooklover 2 days ago

Great recommendations …quite a few of these I have read but haven’t heard of a couple of these authors, so thank you for sharing 😊

@awebofstories 4 days ago

Great list! I just added a number of them to my TBR!

@m4dferret 4 days ago

Excellent video! I love reading London mysteries and then head to the map to try and find all the addresses and spots mentioned in the book. E.C.R. Lorac is becoming one of my favourite mystery authors - her Murder in the Mill-Race was a 5-star read for me.

@sethball2475 4 days ago

Murder Underground - love that book!

@cloudermilk60 4 days ago

I'm American but also love any fiction set during the London Blitz, as well as the British Library Crime Classics in general. I read Murder by Matchlight and enjoyed it, both for the puzzle posed by the murder and maybe more for the historical touches. For more Blitz-related fiction, consider some of the short stories by Elizabeth Bowen. She should be better known. Love your channel (and your book tastes)!

@Deb-i9p 4 days ago

Great recommendations! Oooh…I love Lord Peter, and I really should go through the series again. Strangely, I haven’t read the Sherlock Holmes one. Weird, as Victorian London is dear to my heart. I’m trying all of these, and I will be sure to get ready for the Christmas discussion. Thank you!