Bitomsky has a PhD in early modern English history, a BA (Hons) and an LLB (Hons) from the University of Queensland. She’s published in academic journals, and volunteers as a baker (specialising in brownies and cheesecake) for New Zealand charity Good Bitches Baking.
At CrimeReads Bitomsky tagged six favorite historical mysteries set in the early modern era, including:
Elsa Hart, Jade Dragon MountainRead about the other titles on the list at CrimeReads.
Former imperial librarian Li Du arrives in a mountainous Chinese outpost by the Tibetan border to find it teeming with traders, astronomers andsoldiers, who are gathered to witness the spectacle of a solar eclipse in 1708. During the celebrations, an elderly Jesuit astronomer, and Li Du’s recent acquaintance, is murdered. The ex-librarian takes it upon himself to investigate.
What ensues is a Poirot-esque whodunit, where Li Du uses a combination of logic and luck to break down the clues, and gather suspects. There’s a colourful cast of side characters, a glimpse into everyday life in eighteenth-century China, and the reader is thoroughly educated on the proper way to prepare tea.
--Marshal Zeringue
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