Do you enjoy a good historical mystery? Are you drawn to books that blend fact and fiction in a clever way? If so, Nicholas Meyer might be an author for you. He wrote *The Seven-Per-Cent Solution*, which imagines Sherlock Holmes meeting Sigmund Freud.
He also wrote *Time After Time*, a story where H.G. Wells chases Jack the Ripper through time. If you are looking for authors who create stories with a similar blend of history, mystery, and a touch of the unexpected, here are some you might find interesting.
Laurie R. King writes clever detective stories rooted deeply in historical settings and vivid characters. If you enjoy Nicholas Meyer’s imaginative spin on Sherlock Holmes, you might appreciate King’s novel “The Beekeeper’s Apprentice.”
Set in the English countryside during World War I, the book introduces readers to Mary Russell, a sharp-minded young woman who becomes an unexpected apprentice to a retired Sherlock Holmes.
Russell proves more than capable of matching wits with Holmes, and together they unravel complex cases that threaten their quiet existence.
The engaging partnership between Russell and Holmes, combined with King’s careful attention to period detail, provides readers a fresh yet warmly familiar experience of the legendary detective’s world.
Readers who enjoy Nicholas Meyer’s blend of historical settings and suspenseful mysteries might appreciate Caleb Carr. Carr writes detailed historical crime novels that immerse you in another era.
His book “The Alienist” takes readers to the gritty streets of New York City in the late 19th century. The city is panic-stricken by a series of brutal murders targeting young boys. The police seem to have no clue who is behind these awful crimes.
Theodore Roosevelt, who is the police commissioner at the time, quietly assembles a team to investigate and uncover the criminal’s identity.
The group includes Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, an alienist—a psychologist in today’s terms—who employs innovative methods to explore the murderer’s mind and motives.
Carr carefully crafts the historical backdrop of early criminal psychology through fascinating characters, meticulous detective work, and vivid descriptions of old New York.
Fans of Meyer’s thoughtful plotting and rich historical detail might find Caleb Carr’s novels very rewarding.
If you enjoy Nicholas Meyer’s Sherlock Holmes adventures, Alan Bradley could become another favorite. Bradley’s novel “The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie” introduces Flavia de Luce, an eleven-year-old chemistry enthusiast with a talent for detection.
Set in a sleepy English village in the 1950s, the story unfolds when Flavia finds a mysterious corpse in her family’s cucumber patch.
Sharp-witted and charmingly eccentric, Flavia uses her knowledge of chemistry and fearless curiosity to untangle secrets from the past and confront danger head on.
Bradley combines humor, clever mysteries, and a lovable young detective who rivals Sherlock Holmes with her brilliant deductions and unforgettable wit.
Books by Lyndsay Faye offer a great treat for fans of Nicholas Meyer’s engaging mysteries. Faye’s novel “The Gods of Gotham” takes readers deep into New York City in 1845.
Timothy Wilde, a new recruit to the city’s first police force, uncovers dark secrets hidden within the city’s immigrant communities. Vivid characters and complex relationships bring 19th-century New York society to life.
Faye skillfully blends historical detail with suspenseful storytelling, building a mystery that keeps the reader eager and involved. Fans of Meyer’s Sherlock Holmes stories and historical mysteries will likely appreciate Lyndsay Faye’s writing as well.
If you enjoy Nicholas Meyer’s blend of historical detail and classic detective fiction, you might also like David Pirie. Pirie’s “The Patient’s Eyes” introduces readers to Arthur Conan Doyle when he was a young medical student in Edinburgh.
Teamwork between Doyle and his mentor, Dr. Joseph Bell, provides the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes. Together, they set out to unravel the truth behind a series of strange events involving a mysterious patient.
Pirie delivers suspenseful storytelling packed with authentic period atmosphere, similar in style to Meyer’s engaging adventures.
Michael Chabon is an author known for his imaginative storytelling, clever wit, and colorful characters. Fans of Nicholas Meyer might particularly enjoy Chabon’s novel “The Yiddish Policemen’s Union.”
This mystery unfolds in an alternate historical setting where Jewish refugees settled in Sitka, Alaska. Detective Meyer Landsman investigates the curious murder of a chess prodigy in his hotel, uncovering a fascinating web that involves politics, religion, and family secrets.
The world Chabon creates feels real, textured, and comfortably familiar, with well-drawn characters and plenty of suspense. The unique setting and vivid storytelling style offer an enjoyable reading experience to those who appreciate Meyer’s spin on history and mysteries.
Anthony Horowitz is a British author known for clever mystery novels and engaging storytelling reminiscent of Nicholas Meyer.
In his book “The House of Silk,” Horowitz brings Sherlock Holmes to life again with a mysterious case narrated by Dr. Watson, capturing the spirit and style of Conan Doyle’s classic stories.
Set in Victorian London, the tale begins when an art dealer seeks Holmes’ help after being stalked by an unknown figure.
This apparently simple case quickly evolves into a sinister and complicated puzzle involving secrets, corruption, and the elusive “House of Silk,” whose nature even Holmes struggles to uncover.
Full of hidden plots, vivid characters, and surprising twists, this novel offers a fresh new case fans of Nicholas Meyer’s Sherlock Holmes books would appreciate.
Readers who enjoy Nicholas Meyer’s intriguing blend of historical details and mysteries might also appreciate Charles Finch. Finch’s Victorian-era detective stories offer readers intelligent plots and vivid settings.
In “A Beautiful Blue Death,” we meet Charles Lenox, an aristocrat and amateur detective drawn into investigating the suspicious death of a maid. The case seems straightforward at first, but soon Lenox uncovers secrets among London’s upper classes and hidden dangers.
Finch crafts a story filled with clever deductions and absorbing characters that bring Victorian London vividly to life.
If you enjoy the historical mysteries of Nicholas Meyer, you might also appreciate the books by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Best known as a basketball legend, Abdul-Jabbar has also made his mark as an author with “Mycroft Holmes,” a fresh and intriguing take on Sherlock Holmes’ older brother.
This novel portrays Mycroft as a young government official drawn into a complex conspiracy in Trinidad, complete with suspense, international politics, and engaging historical detail.
Abdul-Jabbar skillfully captures Victorian London’s atmosphere, filling the story with lively dialogues and clever twists that reveal a different, fascinating side to the Holmes family.
If you enjoy Nicholas Meyer’s mix of history, intrigue, and vivid storytelling, Arturo Pérez-Reverte might be another author worth exploring.
Pérez-Reverte is known for historical adventure tales that combine meticulous detail, morally complex characters, and thrilling mysteries. His novel “The Club Dumas” explores the hidden world of rare book dealers and collectors.
It follows Lucas Corso, a cynical and skilled book detective, as he investigates an authentic manuscript by Alexandre Dumas. Along the way, Corso becomes embroiled in secret societies, mysterious adversaries, and dangerous clues tied to the works of Dumas.
The story blends literary puzzles, suspenseful twists, and a shadowy atmosphere that fans of Meyer’s nuanced historical puzzles will appreciate.
If you enjoy Nicholas Meyer’s blend of historical detail, detective stories, and compelling characters, you might appreciate James Runcie’s “Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death.” Runcie creates an inviting atmosphere in the English village of Grantchester in the 1950s.
There, the charming Sidney Chambers, a young vicar with sharp intuition, quietly investigates crimes alongside his pastoral duties. The mysteries range from thefts and forgery to murder; each story brings out fascinating insights about human nature and morality.
The storytelling is smooth and engaging, and Runcie’s attention to everyday details makes the small community come alive. Anyone who appreciates clever, character-focused crime stories set against historical backgrounds will find Runcie’s novels satisfying and enjoyable reads.
Readers who enjoy Nicholas Meyer’s mysteries set in historical contexts might also appreciate Matthew Pearl. Pearl mixes historical events with suspense to bring literary figures vividly to life.
In his novel “The Dante Club,” Pearl creates a tense thriller around the first American translation of Dante’s Inferno.
Set in Boston shortly after the Civil War, literary giants Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and James Russell Lowell band together to uncover gruesome murders inspired by Dante’s work.
Pearl captures the period’s atmosphere and the literary scene, combined with a suspenseful narrative that pulls readers into a dangerous mystery.
Readers who enjoy Nicholas Meyer’s historical twists and immersive storytelling may also appreciate Dan Simmons. Simmons skillfully mixes history, fiction, and suspense, creating captivating narratives with well-drawn characters.
His novel “The Terror” combines historical fact and supernatural mystery in a chilling tale set during the doomed Franklin Expedition of the 1840s.
As two British ships become trapped in ice near the Arctic Circle, the stranded crew members face the threat of starvation and freezing temperatures. Something sinister lurks in the darkness beyond their ships, making their survival even more uncertain.
Simmons weaves historical events with elements of horror, building tension page after page. This engaging mix of real history and imagined terror creates a haunting story readers won’t soon forget.
Will Thomas is an author who crafts intriguing historical mysteries set in Victorian London. If you enjoy Nicholas Meyer’s vivid storytelling and historical detail, you may appreciate Thomas’ Barker and Llewelyn series, which begins with “Some Danger Involved.”
In this novel, we meet Cyrus Barker, a private inquiry agent, and his new assistant, Thomas Llewelyn. After a young Jewish scholar is murdered in London, Barker and Llewelyn step into the dark corners of the city’s immigrant neighborhoods in search of answers.
Rich in period detail, the story combines clever detective work with interesting characters and lively dialogue.
Thomas’ portrayal of Victorian-era tensions, clever plot twists, and genuine sense of time and place makes this read enjoyable for fans of historical detective fiction.
Emma Orczy was a Hungarian-born British author noted for her adventurous and inventive storytelling. If you appreciate Nicholas Meyer’s blend of mystery, historical detail, and suspenseful narrative, Orczy’s classic novel “The Scarlet Pimpernel” may interest you.
This novel takes place during the French Revolution. It introduces readers to a daring masked hero known as the Scarlet Pimpernel. He risks everything to rescue French aristocrats from the guillotine. Orczy’s story weaves adventure, romance, and intrigue.
Its lively characters, clever plot twists, and thrilling secret identities keep readers captivated from beginning to end.