For all you ladies that read historical romance I need some advice on who writes historicals with some mystery or suspense. I like series books but can read stand alone novels.

I have read and liked Celeste Bradley, Amanda Quick, Stephanie Laurens and some of Madeline Hunters and several more.  I just finished reading a couple of books by Jacquie D'Alessandro and didn't care a lot for them.

Sooo any suggestions would be helpful. 

Well you pretty much killed off the authors that I have read but if I am not mistaken I think Brenda Joyce writes some too.

what didn't you like about Jacquie D'Alessandro ? I'm new to historical and have enjoyed 3 by Amanda Quick - slightly shady, don't look back and late for the wedding. D'Alessandro is one of the many authors I've just bought..think I got 1 maybe 2 of hers though but would like to know what to expect. I like light suspense and some humor and of course sex is always okey dokey...anyways I now have a huge stack of historicals but not sure what to expect with them!

I can' tremember who wrote the 'deadly' series but I have those in my TBR as well - they're supposed to be mysteries but I think the series wsn't continued and just sorta ended hanging..maybe someone here has read all of them and knows??

Susanna

very,very little suspense and in the 2 books I have read so far she spent way to much time in their minds.. you know -what they were thinking and staring at the hero-heroin.  some fairly good sex scenes but not enough actual  action.

You should try some Jo Goodman.  If His Kiss Is Wicked, A Season to Be Sinful, and the new one (it's still wishlisted), The Price of Desire might fit the bill.  Also, if you can get a copy of it, Not So Innocent (Sonnet Books) by Laura Lee Guhrke is a great romantic suspense with emphasis on the romance.  These all made my keeper shelf - but I sorta have a Jo Goodman collection, so I'd have at least one of everything anyway:P

Brenda Joyce wrote the "Deadly" books. They're okay, though the heroine is supposed to be really intelligent and is actually kind of an idiot. :-) They're not exactly left hanging, except that she's still engaged at the end of the last one.  And I suppose some plot ends didn't get tied up. So okay, they are left hanging. ;-)

Kim, I just went to ebay and got a copy of Not So Innocent by Guhrke- you talked me into it!

Lol.  You have no idea how much I actually dread those words, Rose:P  I am actually capable of highly recommending the occasional dud - just ask Willa:P  You should like that one pretty well though.  It has a nice little gothic feel to it, and it's a pretty quick, very engrossing little book.  It doesn't push any hot buttons or offend in any way that I can detect, and I doubt anyone would find it boring despite any wacky personal tastes & preferences.  And that's about the best I can do as far as disclaimers go:P

Shirlee Busbee, anything she wrote before year 2000 sounds like something you might enjoy (except Gypsey Lady, read the reviews for this one). Few titles I enjoyed: Tiger Lily, Lady Vixen, Decieve Not My Heart.  Her books are rich is southern history, steamy romance and good mystery plot lines .  I can't say anything great about her later books though, most of the "greats" have gone main stream, unfortunatly.

Jane Feather, her V series ( her titles that start with a V).  Only one out of this series that I personally loved was Valentine though, but al lot of people seem to love this series. 

Virginia Henley, love this authors older books!  The Pirate and the Pagan, The Raven and the Rose, any of her books title that says, "whatever and whatever" is a great read.  Passionate love scenes, great mystery, totally absorbing plot lines. 

I loved Brenda Joyce's "Deadly" series! Just enough mystery so as not to overpower the romance. And yes, the last one is left hanging. BJ has plans to continue the series, but her publisher put them on hold so she could do her "Masters of Time" series (which I don't like quite as much--time travel is fun but all the alpha males get a little old after a while). So Francesca Cahill hasn't gone away; she's just been put on hold for now.

I haven't tried anything by Jo Goodman or Virginia Henley  so I will give them a try.

Thank you ladies for the help

I love Celeste Bradley and the Liars Club series is probably the best series I've ever read.  I loved the ending of "The Pretender."  I think you would like Gaelen Foley but I can't say specifically her book involve too much mystery or suspense although they can be dramatic.

I checked my BooksI'veRead list and here are individual titles that fit your requirement for mystery or suspense and I can recommend:

Lady of Skye by Patricia Cabot - A lot of research went into the mystery in this book

Master of Desire by Kinley MacGregor - First in a series

Saving Grace by Julie Garwood

Forbidden by Elizabeth Lowell - Second in a series - Untamed is the first

A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux - Starts out as contemporary but time travels to medieval period

Karen Marie Moning's highlander series has suspense...plus they are just a great read.

http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/details/9780044023487-Beyond+the+Highland+Mist

C.S. Harris has a historical series-they aren't technically romance but have an ongoing romance in them. They're very good.  I believe What Angel's Fear is the 1st book.  The hero is a Lord who solves mysteries.  He really doesn't want to be a Lord.  He's the 3rd son and didn't expect to be.  He's hopefully in love with his mistress who will not marry him because she's not of the same class.  She also writes romances under the name Candace Proctor but I haven't read one of those yet.

Do you like historical eroticas with good plots? A few off hand that were really good (all on my keeper shelves!) are the following.

*I especially liked the first two-The first one I never saw the end coming and I am usually good with stuff like that.

Just for Her by Katherine O'Neal

The Midnight Man by Charlotte Meade (interesting premise with Darwin's Theory)

Black Silk by Sharon Page

Hot Silk by Sharon Page

Sin by Sharon Page (Loosely linked series; SIN is Bk1, BLACK SILK Bk 2, & HOT SILK, Bk 3)

Passion for the Game by Sylvia Day

If you can find them--Patricia Veryan has series books with mystery/suspense along with the romance. There is the Tales of the Jeweled Men series, the Sanguinet series, and what I call the Riddle series. Most of her books are wishlisted on here, I think. Patricia Veryan is one of my very favorite authors--I guess it helps that I love her heroes!

Thanks ladies for the lists of authors. Some of the authors I have read  and some I have never heard of  so it should keep me busy trying new authors.