The Dick Francis mysteries are good ones. Because jof those i have visited Newmarket, went to the Gold Cup in Cheltenham and drove thru Lambourne

if you want to know how London really was, during the Victorian age, read "The Crimson Petal and the White"...pretty awesome truth, and a good read to boot!/

Just to put in my two cents worth...

Agree with most posters (although I have to say, I have never really been able to "get into" AS Byatt...) If you are looking for a hefty book, I would recommend Crimson Petal and the White long before Jonathan Strange... For something a little bit lighter, you might try some of the suggestions below:

For Historical fiction, try Rose Tremain, with her wonderful book Restoration, about a doctor during the restoration era. (Music and Silence is equally as good, but is about an English musician going off to the Danish court). She's a bit more "literary" than Phillipa Gregory but very enjoyable.

For a fascinating non-fiction biography that reads as easily as fiction is the book "Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire" by Amanda Foreman.

Michael Frayn's Spies is one of the most chilling and memorable books I have read, a mystery/coming of age book based in England in WW2 (His Headlong is completely different, a farcical novel that weaves in an in-depth study of Breugel as well as a very funny commentary on country-house English culture). Spies is not very thick, Headlong is much longer.

Enjoy!!!

Wow, there are so many great suggestions here--thanks, everyone! I hardly had a chance to print out many of these before we left.

As it turned out, I had no time to get to a good bookstore but did stop at a rummage sale, where I picked up two mysteries by Morag Joss (recommended here) as well as Atonement by Ian McEwan. All I had time to read was one of the mysteries, which was quite good.

I was happy to see some of my favorite books here, including some Jane Austens and other classics. And I've made lists of the others so I can continue my reading of books based in England . . . to keep the experience going now that I've returned!

I couldn't believe I made it almost to the bottom of this string of responses and only one person mentioned Daphne duMaurier.

Cornwall has an entire industry based on her stories. There is a festival in Fowey near her hometown and several bookstores there.

Which reminds me, it's been nearly 40 years since I've curled up by the fire with 'Frenchman's Creek'. Time to read it again.

For those who liked "I Capture the Castle", it's been made into a cute little movie.

The 'abes books' mention reminded me that was where I got my out of print copy of one of Enid Blyton's adventure series. Now you did all read those as kids, and travel along with Lucy, Jack and Kiki the parrot, didn't you?

for london read anna quindlen's book Imagined London,a tour of the world's greatest fictional city. Also Mystery Readers Walking guide:London by Barbara Sloan Hendershott and alizna Stone Dale. They also have one on England.

I hope this hasn't been mentioned already as I haven't read the entire thread yet. I'm sitting here reading "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" as I had never read it and it seems timely here at Halloween. It's really a novella (about 70 pages or so) set in last turn of the century London. It's very old fashioned in tone and riveting really... Not sure it's plane fare but great to read by the fireplace with a wee dram.