1. My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara—I'm about a third of the way into this children's classic that I don't *think* I've ever read before. I need to read a book set in Wyoming to complete the Literary Escapes Reading Challenge and one with the word "friend" in the title for the Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge, so My Friend Flicka seemed like a good double-duty choice. The story is about a boy and the wild horse he wants to tame. Not gonna lie, it's slllloooowww. Hopefully, it will pick up soon. It's supposed to be a beautiful, heartwarming book. We'll see.

2. The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose—My book club is meeting on Thursday night to discuss this novel. We all loved The Maid when we read it last year, so we're excited to experience the sequel. This time, Molly, a neurodivergent hotel housekeeper is investigating the murder of a well-known mystery writer. There are suspects aplenty, including Molly herself. If she can't clear her name, she'll be cleaning in jail instead of at her beloved Regency Grand.

3. Murder is Bad Manners by Robin Stevens—This middle-grade series opener qualifies for the "Book Written During NaNoWriMo" PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt, plus it just sounds fun. It's about two schoolgirls who form a detective agency. When one of their teachers dies in a suspicious accident, the duo determine to prove it was murder.

4. The Mesmerist by Caroline Woods—It's 1894 and young women are disappearing mysteriously in Minneapolis. When a young woman named Faith arrives at the Bethany Home for Unwed Mothers, refusing to speak or explain herself, her superstitious housemates are quick to accuse her of wielding dark magic, which must be the cause of the missing persons. Faith's roommate is secretly assigned to investigate her background, which reveals shocking secrets about the city and its supposedly genteel residents.

6. Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James—I'm a big St. James fan. I've been working through her backlist and this historical mystery is one of the two that I haven't read yet. It's about a woman on the run who falsifies her resume in order to get a job at a remote hospital for WWI veterans suffering from shell shock. Strange things are afoot at the institution and the fake nurse is determined to get to the bottom of what is really happening at the eerie hospital.

7. The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson—What could be more perfect for spooky season than a book about witches? Immanuelle Moore is the product of a mixed-race relationship, a sin in the strict Puritanical society in which she lives. Already an outcast, she tries to keep her head down by always being pious and devout. When she finds herself being beckoned into the mysterious woods around her home, she is given a precious gift by the witches who lived there: her dead mother's diary. As dark truths about her community start coming to light, Immanuelle realizes it is up to her to make things right.

8. Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dexon—Book covers that feature a hotel are surprisingly hard to find and I need one for a reading challenge prompt (What else?). I was tempted to re-read The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James to fulfill this one, since I loved it the first time around, but I decided on this historical mystery instead. It stars Kitty Underhay, a young woman who is temporarily left in charge of her family's hotel on the English coast. Expecting a busy but unremarkable season, she's shocked when several guest rooms are broken into. Rumor has it that someone is searching for a priceless ruby, a jewel that is connected to Kitty's mother. With the help of a handsome hotel employee, she vows to figure out what is happening before the hotel is ruined by bad press.

9. The Unforgettable Logan Foster by Shawn Peters—This middle-grade novel looks cute and entertaining, plus it features a superhero, which makes it perfect for another reading challenge prompt I need to cross off (natch). It's about an "unadoptable" foster kid who is finally chosen to be part of a forever family. His new parents are far from perfect, but they're kind. They're also a little...strange. When Logan discovers they're actually superheroes, he realizes his life has just taken an unexpectedly wild turn.

10. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter—Carter's books are always upbeat and entertaining. Her newest is a holiday-themed enemies-to-lovers locked-room murder mystery starring rival mystery writers. Say no more. I'm in!

There you go, ten books I'm planning to enjoy this Fall. Have you read any of them? What did you think? What's on your Fall TBR list? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. I also reply to comments left here.

Happy TTT!

1. Rachel Savernake series by Martin Edwards—Set in 1930s London, this series stars the intrepid daughter of a well-known hanging judge who has an uncanny knack for solving the murders that stump Scotland Yard. Convinced Rachel is more than she seems, journalist Jacob Flint follows the amateur sleuth hoping to discover the secrets behind her sleuthing success.

2. Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourn—When the titular heroine and private inquiry agent Nicholas Brisbane are brought together by the murder of Julia's husband, it becomes apparent that they make a good investigating team. Mysteries ensue. I believe this series is set in Victorian England.

3. Maggie Hope series by Susan Ella MacNeal—When Winston Churchill becomes prime minister in 1940, Maggie Hope is hired to be his secretary. Brilliant but overlooked because of her gender, Maggie's new position opens her up to an exciting array of unimaginable opportunities, including tantalizing mysteries begging to be solved.

4. Baskerville Hall series by Ali Standish—The first installment of this brand-new middle-grade series won't be available for a few more weeks, but I've got an ARC I'm excited to read. It imagines what might have happened if a young Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was recognized for his deductive brilliance and invited to attend a special school for gifted children. Spoiler alert: he and his schoolmates (including a boy named Jimmie Moriarty) find all kinds of mysteries to explore. 

5. Louise Falk series by Liz Freeland—It's 1913 and 20-year-old Louise Falk has traded her Pennsylvania upbringing for the bright lights of New York City. Solving a murder that happened in her Greenwich Village apartment proves she has an aptitude for investigation. Soon, she's moving all over the city to sniff out criminals. 

6. Verity Kent series by Anna Lee Huber—In post-World War I England, grieving widow Verity Kent is pulled into a mystery surrounding the death of her husband. Solving that one leads her to reluctantly take on more cases to help family and friends.

7. The Brontë Sisters series by Bella Ellis—Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë are smart, creative, and plucky women who are eager to use their talents for endeavors beyond keeping house. When a neighbor's disappearance leads them to launch their own amateur investigation, they realize that they make a fine team of detectors—even society frowns on them doing something so unladlylike.

8. Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens—This middle-grade series is set in an English boarding school in the 1930s. It stars Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong, who set up a secret detective agency to investigate crimes among their friends and classmates.

9. Mrs. Jefferies series by Emily Brightwell—Another series set in Victorian England (I just can't resist!), this one just sounds delightful. Mrs. Jefferies is the eagle-eyed housekeeper of a prominent Scotland Yard inspector. Her insights are the real key to his success as an investigator. 

10. Victorian Book Club series by Callie Hutton—Set in Bath, England, in the 1890s, this series stars a female mystery author who solves real-life mysteries along with the members of her book club.

Phew! There you go, ten historical mystery series I already adore and ten I want to read (and adore). Which others would you recommend? What did you do for your genre freebie list today? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. I also reply to the comments you leave here.

Happy TTT!