We’re Reading Women (and British Lit), How About You?

When #readwomen2014 was first introduced by Joanna Walsh she had no idea that it would become so popular in such a short period of time. But as she said, revolutions start small so we’re starting our week featuring some women authors and tying them to another thing that well, we just want to talk about more – the season finale of Downton Abbey 😉

So, was anyone else left with as many unanswered questions as we were??

And until next season, when we hopefully get some answers….we’re going to be checking out these British lit novels written by fabulous women (of course) to get our fix. Happy reading!

Clouds of Witness is the 2nd novel featuring Lord Peter Wimsey. And this time, it’s not just a matter of him indulging his detective hobby–the family honor and his brother’s life is at stake. The clock is ticking, and only England’s premier sleuth can get to the bottom of this murky mystery.

A novel of dazzling breadth and scope, The Camomile Lawn, journeys from the end of childhood to the slings and arrows of old age with the humor and insight readers have come to expect from the beloved Mary Wesley.

An orphan of the WWII, Candida Sayle vacation goes off the rails when death strikes the house after she goes to the country to reconnect with old relatives, and the brilliant detective Maud Silver joins the party to investigate the possible murder. The Benevent family history is about to get a dark new chapter.

When a young man moves into a recently inherited Suffolk manor house, he falls into a summer idyll that gathers friends and strangers alike—and concludes in murder. Now investigators must piece together whodunit in this brilliantly constructed thriller.

The 1st book in Perry’s bestselling Victorian crime series, bringing together Inspector Thomas Pitt and Charlotte Ellison. Rich with authentic period details, The Cater Street Hangman hooks readers from the moment the sparks first fly between Charlotte and Thomas.

Welsh heir Robert Godwin knows everything about his powerful family’s interests, but what does he know of his own heart? Based on a true story that has been updated to modern times, The Wheel of Fortune is a timeless tale of love, hatred, revenge, redemption, and forgiveness.

In nineteenth-century Ireland, the de Salis family carries on through times of both riches and hardship, but their hard-won resilience will be threatened by tragedy of their own making. Cashelmara follows the fortunes of three generations as they struggle to survive both the tragedies of history and their own chaotic lives.

A warm, affectionate depiction of a postwar English village, Some Tame Gazelle, perfectly captures the quotidian details that make up everyday life. With its vibrant supporting cast, it’s also a poignant story of unrequited love.

From the Man Booker Prize–nominated author of The Yips comes an epistolary novel of startling originality a work of immense comic range, sparkling, disquieting, and thrilling all at once.. Reading other people’s letters is always a guilty pleasure. But for PC Roger Topping, who is contemplating a cache of 27 undelivered missives retrieved from a back alley in Skipton, it’s also work. The quaint English village of Burley Cross has been plunged into turmoil by the theft of the contents of its postbox, and no one is above suspicion.