Mayfair 100 by Lynn Brittney – Read the Books in Order

There are many books out there about London’s history but few that can compete with the Mayfair 100 series by British author Lynn Brittney. Fortunately, these books are more than mere eye candy. The characters are interesting and the setting is believable. If you’re a fan of crime fiction or just love a good mystery you won’t be disappointed with the Mayfair 100 series.

The first in the series is Murder in Belgradia. This book may not be as complex or as entertaining as the rest of the series, but it does manage to introduce a large number of characters to your neophyte readers’ palates. The story is not just about murder, though that’s a given, but it also highlights the neophyte’s ability to navigate his or her way through the city’s seedy underbelly. In the process, one discovers the city’s most glaring omission.

The second book in the series is A Death in Chelsea. It is the shortest in length, but it does manage to pack in the requisite quantity of action. One might wonder why the Mayfair 100 series has a name. Upon closer inspection, however, it seems that the name is borrowed from a different source. Indeed, the company formerly known as the London and Westminster Police has been rechristened the Metropolitan Police after its merger with the former Metropolitan police force. With the city’s burgeoning crime rate, the policing of the city is of the utmost importance.

The other two novels in the series, The Art of Sleuthing and Mysteries in the City, are equally compelling and well worth reading. These three books aren’t just for kids; you can learn a thing or two from the authors’ experience with the police and forensics. For example, you might learn that not all police work is legal. You might even pick up a few useful life lessons in the process.