ontheriver said: 

Favorites  are 

Elizabeth Peters  "Amelia Peabody" series

Anne Perry Victorian detectives  "Thomas Pitt" and "William Monk"

Christopher Fowler "Bryant and May=Peculair Crimes"

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Love these!  Especially William Monk.  He is such a wonderful complex character.  And I love the Bryant and May mysteries.  They make me want to go on one of those walking tours that Bryant does just to hear the off-the-beaten-path history.  I was facinated by the underground rivers!

The Irene Adler book sounds interesting.  I think I will look that one up.

 

You might also like:

PD James "Adam Dalgliesh" series – modern day (Well, 1970s to present…)  AD is a London police detective who writes poetry to deal with the tragedies in his past.  The first 15 or so novels were adapted fro television by the BBC starring Roy Marsden.  Martin Shaw played the characgter in 2 recent TV movie adaptation - Death in Holy Orders and The Murder Room, both for BBC.

 

If you like historical mysteries:

Susanna Gregory  "Matthew Bartholomew" series set in Cambridge during the black plague years.  MB is a physician who uses forensics (Instead of astrology) to treat patients as well as solve murders. 

Ellis Peters "Brother Cadfael" series set in Medieval Shrewsbury.  BC is a monk and herbalist who joined the abbey after being a solider in the Crusades.  Really good BBC Masterpiece theater adaptations starring Derek Jacobi too.

David Dickinson "Lord Powerscourt" series set Edwardian England usually involving a high profile bit of history. 

ontheriver said:

SInce I am a BIG Martin fan I did read several of these  when I  heard that Martin would be in a series of the  films

love a bit of history with my novels–the last couple I have read have a bit of Cromwell history I was not aware of–not that I know much of ENGLISH history

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Did you like The Murder Room or Death in Holy Orders?  I loved both and wish they would make PD James' last 2 novels into movies with the same actors.  Martin Shaw was a perfect Dalgliesh.  I like my heros a bit flawed – case in point – Castle!  (…and Wimsey, Mal Reynolds, William Monk, Sherlock Holmes, House… not to mention FItzwilliam Darcy, George Knightley and Edward Rochester…)   

 

I know what you mean about having a little bit of history.  Even if it's a modern setting, I like to learn something when I'm reading.  That's why I think I loved the Last Call episode of Castle so much.  I've heard of the speakeasies and Jonny Walker.  My husband has even tried Jonny Walker Blue.  I think I would have been just as giddy about finding something like that as Beckett and Castle were!  Maybe they will write a Nikky Heat book with some secret tunnels – Now that I could get into!