They have all drawn that line between history and story slightly differently, and all have fascinated and sometimes haunted me. In no particular order, these are my current favorites of historical crime books, most set in Great Britain, and most taking place at least 100 years ago. Sometimes the story just has to come first. Each writer has to decide where to draw the line between a history textbook and a modern story. Sometimes the writer has to battle with clichéd portrayals or assumptions of the past, skating over the fine detail to get the big picture across. A good historical crime book needs to effortlessly create the background to the story without overwhelming it with detail. Not just right, but the history has to be believable. From stories based on true crimes to conspiracies, the importance of getting the history right is crucial. Historical crime writing is a varied type within the crime genre, and seems to be growing.
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