Summer Reading List

Does anyone else miss having a set list of things they had to read each summer? I mean, theoretically I can give myself a set list of things to read but it's not exactly the same, is it? This summer I've been blowing through historical mysteries like nothing.  I've loved reading the book reviews from Lizzy at Shot From the Street so I thought I'd go through some of the books I've been flying through this summer! Check out my list of reading below, and let me know in the comments if you think I should continue with this series!

1. Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr - So last year I blew through Carr's first book, The Alienist. Angel of Darkness is the sequel to The Alienist and is told from a different character's perspective as the group traverses downtown Manhattan and the Hudson Valley trying to find an entirely different killer.  The first book was infinitely better, but Angel of Darkness wasn't far behind.  It's one of those things where the sequel can never surpass the original.  Both books follow a troupe of mismatched characters as they team up to catch a murderer.  At the center of it all is Dr. Lazlo Kreisler, an "alienist" by profession but what would now be known as a psychologist.  Kreisler along with the other characters use psychological tactics to understand the killer's mind and catch them that way.  If you haven't read the Alienist, I would highly recommend it.  Angel of Darkness? Eh, you can go without reading it.  
2. A Gilded Grave & A Golden Cage by Shelly Freydont - Oh boy did I read these books quickly.  I picked up one at Book Hampton this past weekend for a quick easy Summer read and by Monday evening I was on my way to the book store in Manhattan for the next one.  Now I'm itching for the third to come out! These books were quick and easily enjoyable.  They take place in Newport, Rhode Island (right near my hometown!) during the Gilded Age and star a young female detective who solves murders with the assistance of her intrepid maid.  For lovers of Downton Abbey, it has the perfect mix of upstairs and downstairs while adding a mystery for flair.  Totally recommend! 
3. As Death Draws Near (Lady Darby Mystery) by Anna Lee Huber - this is the book I'm currently reading now, since it just came out.  I got completely sucked into the Lady Darby Mysteries last winter when I picked up The Anatomist's Wife while visiting family in North Carolina.  Taking place in the 1830s, Lady Darby is a curious artist with anatomical training who gets roped into solving mysteries in the Scottish Highlands.  Albeit, it's rather unrealistic to have such a headstrong female working in a pseudo-official capacity on murders.  But, it's fiction right? Still one of my favorite mystery series in general and definitely my favorite historical mystery series at the moment.
4. Tears of Pearl (Lady Emily Mystery) by Tasha Alexander - The series that started my obsession with female-led historical mysteries.  Tears of Pearl is the latest book I went through by Tasha Alexander, though it's not the latest in the series.  In all honesty, I was extremely disappointed.  So much so that I haven't touched the next book in the series as it sits on my bedside table.  In comparison to the previous mysteries in this series, Tears of Pearl was shallow in content and character development.  I hear that the series gets better afterwards, but it will take me a while to get over this one.