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Old 05-04-2012, 12:39 AM   #2
ATDrake
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If you think you might like historical mysteries, especially ones with aviation and safari adventures in them, I recommend the Jade del Cameron series by Suzanne Arruda. They're set during the 1920s in the British East Africa colony that would become Kenya, and the author maintains a blog which tells you about the historical background that she incorporates into the books.

IIRC, they have no swearing beyond maybe a few mild hells and damns, there is a slow-growing romantic subplot that isn't too obtrusive, so you won't get annoying relationship drama but can see the characters get to know each other, there isn't much in the way of gory violence which is only briefly described, and there's no on-screen sex, and developing friendships and helping people in need are important in the stories.

If you don't mind occasional strong swearwords (maybe about 2-3 times per chapter at most), Barbara Hambly has two excellent historical fiction series, and 1 standalone novel which you may find of interest as it's set amongst early Christians in Rome and the stereotypes that people had about them back then.

Possibly her series written as Barbara Hamilton which is set just prior to the American Revolution, with future First Lady Abigail Adams as the amateur sleuth, will be most to your taste, as it is written from Adams' viewpoint, and not that many characters swear in front of a prominent society matron.

Her Benjamin January series set in antebellum New Orleans about a freed ex-slave educated as a physician and a musician is even better, but contains more violence and coarser language due to his life circumstances and the grittily realistic approach to the types of historical experience that tend to get overlooked or glossed over. However, if you think you can stand it, I highly recommend it as a truly excellent series with wonderful writing and clever whodunnits.

The standalone mystery Search the Seven Hills is, as mentioned, involves early Roman Christians and I don't particularly recall any serious swearing in it, though there might be the occasional words in a couple of sporadic scenes. ETA: Actually, this one may not be for you. It's got a brief scene of a somewhat orgiastic Roman dinner party in it, and the viewpoint characters are disgusted by the excesses which go on, but you'll probably find it too much for your personal taste.

Needless to say, there's no explicitly described onscreen sex in Hambly's detective novels and backstabbing and cheating are generally engaged in by the villains, or at least the characters who are revealed to be the villains, and there are subtle developing or ongoing romantic relationships in almost all her books, which generally emphasize compassion and understanding, in a secular way. She has some descriptions on her website, if you're interested.

Hope this helps, and welcome to MobileRead!

Last edited by ATDrake; 05-04-2012 at 12:48 AM.
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