I have picnicked on the steps of St.Georges in Bloomsbury Way,London.It is an old church that people are trying to save.I am particularly interested in this church because it was where the novelist Trollope was baptised....So I would recommend something by Trollope..You could even read one of his books while visiting the church..Bloomsbury is a nice area,in that it also includes the British Museum.I would put the B.Museum in my top five of must see things in London....

The Maisie Dobbs books got mentioned above, but I'd like to underline what a great read they are.

Another new(ish) writer basing his books in London- and the locations are key to the plots- is Christopher Fowler, with his Bryant and May mysteries. That is, incidentally, a very British pun.

Out of London look for anything by Graham Hurley whose protagonist is a birwatching policeman in Portsmouth.

And Reginald Hill's Dalziel and pascoe novels are pretty good too. (I couldn't remembe what they were and went to do a search. Have you any IDEA how many mystery books are set in Yorkshire???)

Granmere: I just bought Possesion on half.com. Thanks for the rec. I am always looking for great authors of literary fiction.

OReilly: I also ordered Behind the Scenes at the Museum.

I have been using the library almost exclusively these days, so buying two good books for $8.25 is a nice little treat. Thanks.

I could not put down "The Other Boleyn Girl" this summer. It's by Philippa Gregory--a historical fiction read about the sister of Anne Boleyn. Really good.

Another vote for Jane Austen...Pride and Prejudice being my all-time fav. Also, A Room with a View, which begins and ends in Florence, but the in-between is English countryside.

I am in the middle of reading a novel by Victoria Holt "Secret for A Nightingale" It was published in the 1980's but somehow I had never read it. It is quite interesting.

Tuscanlifeedit, sent you an email; hope I have up to date address--your names and v.net?

Just realize I forgot one of my favorite English authors as a kid:
James Herriot. "All Creatures Great and Small," etc. All four of the original books are great, but the first is the funniest.

Olive Oil, I too thought Of Human Bondage was a little sad, but so insightful. I will try the others.

I am really enjoying this list of books. For tuscanlifeedit and others, I have always had fantastic luck finding out of print and used books at http://www.abebooks.com/, a collection of book dealers listing together.

For a historical detective story, how about josephine Tay's "The daughter of time" - conspiracy theory rules OK. In fact anything written by her is wonderful.

Daphne duMaurier is wonderful. Have read most everything.

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
Jonathan Strange by Susanna Clarke (a bit hefty but superb)
Anything by Peter Ackroyd, fiction or non fiction.

Couldn't put down Philippa Gregory's, The Virgin's Lover. Historical fiction about the love affair between Elizabeth I and Sir Robert Dudley during the first years of her reign. Now reading Jane's P & P, but will look for the Other Boleyn Girl by Gregory. Thanks, StephCar and others for the great thread.

gailscout-if you liked Virgin Lover you are going to LOVE the Other Boleyn Girl. I read OBG first, then was dying for another book by Philippa Gregory, since it was so good. I have to say though, I thought Virgin Lover was not as good (but still great) so I am 100% confident you are going to love the OBG. She seems to have matured her style a bit and provides a lot more historical detail, which just makes it all the better.

Good luck. Of course P&P is a classic as well, and I love it, but it just doesn't seem as juicy as books that involve Henry VIII (or English royalty) LOL.

Morgana, I absolutely LOVED Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel, but we appear to be in the minority! I recommended it to several people, but only one actually finished it (the footnotes got the better of them).

As we both like this one and are also fans of Ackroyd, you might try the Jasper Fforde novels. They are weird, in the same manner as Clarke's book - an alternative reality, really well written and seduce you into this new reality, which is an incredible achievement.

Agree with just about anything by Thomas Hardy. I didn't start reading Hardy until somewhat later in life--should have started much earlier. But better late than never.

I've enjoyed Graham Greene for years--a lot of his works feature Brits out of the country, but try Brighton Rock, A Gun for Sale (In the USA--This Gun for Hire), and The Ministry of Fear.

Anyone headed for Mexico might try one of Greene's nonfiction works, The Lawless Roads, as well as The Power and the Glory.

O'Reilly - I loved the footnotes in Jonathan Strange! In fact I just loved the whole book. It was one of our Bookclub reads and we were divided - it's a love or hate book.
I'm in awe of Susanna Clarke's imagination.
Have you read Fingersmith by Sarah Waters? Think you would enjoy that.
Also Small Island by Andrea Levy.
I've not read any Jasper Fforde books but he's on my ever increasing 'to read' list.
Talking of Thomas Hardy, there's a new biography out by Claire Tomalin (her Pepys book was superb) called Hardy - the Time Torn Man. It's had excellent reviews and is on my Christmas list!

How fast do you read? I arrived from England Monday and I was able to read only one short paperback during a two week trip, but I thought the suggestion of PG Woodhouse was the best-light and delightful although the whole thing is an Englishman making fun of sterotypical Englishmen. Keep a journal, the days run together.

Anyone who has never read Beverley Nichols' house and garden books really does owe it to him or herself to try one. Witty, erudite, frothy entertainment. Anglophiles and aesthetes alike will delight in his books.

Merry Hall
Laughter on the Stairs
Sunlight on the Lawn
Down the Garden Path
Garden Open Today
Garden Open Tomorrow
A Thatched Roof

are some of his titles.

I second the recommendation for Rennie Airth and Charles Todd.

I really like Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. She has a modern series featuring a London police officer as well as a historical series of English wars beginning with the War of the Roses and coming up through the centuries to modern times that comprises, I believe, 28 volumes. The mysteries are available in the U.S., but at least in my area the historical romances are not. You can buy some of them in London bookstores or order them from abe.com.