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Author

Evelyn James

55 fiction

Evelyn James is a British crime writer known for historical mysteries set in early twentieth-century England. Her short fiction has appeared in several anthologies, and she was longlisted for the Asham Award in 2010 and named runner-up for the Rider Haggard Literary Award. Her first crime series, the Clara Fitzgerald Mysteries, follows Brighton’s first female private detective as she investigates murders and other crimes while confronting the restrictions placed on women in 1920s Britain.

Beginning with Memories of the Dead, the Clara Fitzgerald novels combine traditional mystery plots with period detail, social history and a resourceful female protagonist. James is also the author of the Gentleman Detective Mysteries, featuring Colonel Bainbridge and Victoria Gower, whose investigations unfold amid the social tensions and changing conventions of interwar Britain. Her work is characterised by accessible storytelling, recurring characters and an emphasis on the everyday realities behind historical crime.

Periods and events

Armistice and Aftermath of World War I1918–1923 CE Roaring Twenties1920–1929 CE Shell Shock and Military Psychiatry in World War I1914–1918 CE Victorian Crime1837–1901 Victorian London1837–1901 CE Victorian Spiritualism and Psychical Culturec. 1850–1901 Western Front1914–1918 CE World War I Air War1914–1918

Historical fiction

Historical fiction series by Evelyn James (2 series)

The Clara Fitzgerald Mysteries in Order

by Evelyn James 38 books 4.4(45,772)

The Clara Fitzgerald Mysteries follow Brighton’s first female private detective from 1920 into the middle of the decade. Clara works beside her brother Tommy, Annie Fitzgerald and Captain O’Harris, later her husband, investigating murders, disappearances, frauds and conspiracies in a society still marked by the First World War…

1. Memories of the Dead

First published 2012 · 4.1(2,699)

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2. Flight of Fancy

First published 2013 · 4.3(2,267)

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3. Murder in Mink

First published 2014 · 4.3(2,221)

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4. Carnival of Criminals

First published 2014 · 4.4(1,959)

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5. Mistletoe and Murder

First published 2015 · 4.3(1,930)

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6. The Poison Pen

First published 2015 · 4.4(1,915)

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7. Grave Suspicions of Murder

First published 2016 · 4.4(1,844)

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8. The Woman Died Thrice

First published 2016 · 4.3(1,923)

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9. Murder and Mascara

First published 2017 · 4.3(1,632)

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10. The Green Jade Dragon

First published 2017 · 4.4(1,776)

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11. The Monster at the Window

First published 2017 · 4.3(1,759)

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12. Murder on the Mary Jane

First published 2018 · 4.4(1,899)

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13. The Missing Wife

First published 2018 · 4.4(1,863)

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14. The Traitor’s Bones

First published 2019 · 4.6(1,710)

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15. The Fossil Murder

First published 2019 · 4.4(1,742)

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16. Mr Lynch’s Prophecy

First published 2019 · 4.5(1,595)

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17. Death at the Pantomime

First published 2019 · 4.4(1,203)

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18. The Cowboy’s Crime

First published 2020 · 4.3(1,210)

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19. The Trouble with Tortoises

First published 2020 · 4.4(1,126)

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20. The Valentine Murder

First published 2020 · 4.5(1,089)

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21. A Body Out of Time

First published 2020 · 4.5(1,147)

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22. The Dog Show Affair

First published 2021 · 4.4(1,049)

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23. The Unlucky Wedding Guest

First published 2021 · 4.4(1,039)

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24. Worse Things Happen at Sea

First published 2021 · 4.5(682)

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25. A Diet of Death

First published 2022 · 4.4(697)

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26. Brilliant Chang Returns

First published 2022 · 4.5(659)

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27. Storm in a Teacup

First published 2022 · 4.5(714)

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28. The Dog Theft Mystery

First published 2023 · 4.4(536)

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29. The Day the Zeppelin Came

First published 2023 · 4.5(608)

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30. The Mystery of Mallory

First published 2023 · 4.4(609)

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31. Death at the Sun Club

First published 2024 · 4.3(383)

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32. The Disappearance of Emily Potter

First published 2024 · 4.5(559)

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33. Bright Young Dead Things

First published 2024 · 4.3(411)

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34. The Price of Honour

First published 2024 · 4.4(192)

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35. Murder on the Silver Screen

First published 2025 · 4.2(283)

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36. For King and Country

First published 2025 · 4.5(305)

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37. The Mahjong Mystery

First published 2025 · 4.3(207)

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38. A Rose by Any Other Name

First published 2026 · 4.3(330)

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The Gentleman Detective Mysteries in Order

by Evelyn James 17 books 4.4(5,579)

The Gentleman Detective Mysteries follow retired Colonel Julius Bainbridge and his niece Victoria as they investigate crime in Norwich and the surrounding countryside between 1898 and 1900. Bainbridge brings military experience, patience and social access to each case, while Victoria’s independence and determination make her an increasingly capable…

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Evelyn James

Periods and events

Historical fiction series by Evelyn James (2 series)

1. Memories of the Dead

2. Flight of Fancy

3. Murder in Mink

4. Carnival of Criminals

5. Mistletoe and Murder

6. The Poison Pen

7. Grave Suspicions of Murder

8. The Woman Died Thrice

9. Murder and Mascara

10. The Green Jade Dragon

11. The Monster at the Window

12. Murder on the Mary Jane

13. The Missing Wife

14. The Traitor’s Bones

15. The Fossil Murder

16. Mr Lynch’s Prophecy

17. Death at the Pantomime

18. The Cowboy’s Crime

19. The Trouble with Tortoises

20. The Valentine Murder

21. A Body Out of Time

22. The Dog Show Affair

23. The Unlucky Wedding Guest

24. Worse Things Happen at Sea

25. A Diet of Death

26. Brilliant Chang Returns

27. Storm in a Teacup

28. The Dog Theft Mystery

29. The Day the Zeppelin Came

30. The Mystery of Mallory

31. Death at the Sun Club

32. The Disappearance of Emily Potter

33. Bright Young Dead Things

34. The Price of Honour

35. Murder on the Silver Screen

36. For King and Country

37. The Mahjong Mystery

38. A Rose by Any Other Name

1. The Gentleman Detective

2. The Unholy Preacher

3. The Unwelcome Guests

4. The Last Word in Pickles

5. The Mayfair Mystery

6. Murder on Ice

7. The Man of Friars’ Wood

8. The Cherry Tree Murder

9. The Mystery of Cromwell’s Skull

10. The Return of Turpin

11. The Fatal Gathering

12. The Mystery of the Cursed Castle

13. The Mystery of the Brewer’s Suicide

14. The Curse of the Norwich Mermaid

15. The Mystery of the Misplaced Teaspoon

16. Bad Luck Comes in Threes

17. Who Killed Houston Fairchild?

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