Five top historical murder mysteries

S. J. Parris is the pseudonym of author and journalist Stephanie Merritt. Her latest novel is Treachery.

One of the author's five favorite historical murder mysteries, as shared with the Telegraph:

The daddy of all historical murder mysteries remains Umberto Eco’s masterpiece The Name of the Rose (1980). Ritualistic murders multiply inside a 14th-century monastery; its brooding atmosphere and rich, labyrinthine plot have yet to be bettered.

Read about another entry on the list.

The Name of the Rose is on Ian Rankin's list of five perfect mysteries, John Mullan's top ten list of the most memorable libraries in literature, Andy McSmith's top 10 list books of the 1980s, and Vanora Bennett's list of five favorite historical novels.

--Marshal Zeringue