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The Book and The Vibe. A Mostly Historical Fiction PodcastAuthor: Helen Gabay
The Book and The Vibe is a weekly half-hour escape for mood readers who want to build their TBR list and feed their history habit, all in one podcast.Expect spoiler-free reviews of historical fiction books, plus real history tidbits that enrich each book without giving away its plot twists. Gen X host Helen Gabay serves up historical gossip and insight into the kind of world you'll inhabit when you pick up your next read, focusing on vibe and atmosphere over plot.Recommending everything from World War II spy thrillers and Tudor books to mysteries, medieval stories, cozy murder mysteries, biographical historical fiction, myth retellings, warlord sagas, legends, historical fantasy, and more.Favoring books written for both men and women that are filled with adventure, intrigue, mystery, and something big to say.Ultimately, this show is for readers of (mostly) historical fiction who yearn to inhabit and explore the places and times they read about. Language: en-us Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Should you read A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith? It's a cozy mystery AND it's literary | The Historical Novel Society
Episode 7
Tuesday, 10 November, 2026
(00:00) Welcome to the book and the vibe(01:21) Spoiler-free review of A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith(11:55) Unearthed: Working as a Barrister in Edwardian England (15:13) The Tavern: The Historical Novel Society and the Publication that’s mailed to members(16:54) The Women Who Saved Shakespeare by Mai Black(17:37) The Spy and the Urchin by D.A. Parsons set during the rise of Oliver Cromwell(18:06) The Queen’s Sister by Carol McGrath imagines the life of Jane Seymore’s sister during the rule of Henry VIII(19:17) The Nine Taylors by Dorothy L. Sayers, recommended to us by Sally Smith, a mystery novel set in East Anglia in the 1930’s that she wishes she’d written(20:45) My walk around the Inns of Court in London during a literary tour based on the Shardlake seriesOrder A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally SmithOrder The Women Who Saved Shakespeare by Mai BlackOrder The Nine TaylorsThe Historical Novel Society websiteWelcome mood readers! This week we step inside London's Inner Temple in 1901 for a spoiler-free review of A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith, the first book in The Trials of Gabriel Ward series. It's a locked-room murder mystery with a quirky barrister, a Dickensian cast of characters, and true wit. Fans of The Thursday Murder Club should take note. This is a clever Edwardian legal mystery that goes down like lemon cake but should absolutely not be mistaken for being strictly a cozy mystery. The author calls in to share her historical fiction recommendation to us that she didn’t write, but wishes she had.In Unearthed, we count down 10 surprising facts about life as a barrister in Edwardian England, a legal culture that will sound almost alien to Americans.In The Tavern, Helen introduces the Historical Novel Society and its quarterly print magazine, packed with historical fiction reviews. And in Notes from the Road, we walk through London's Inns of Court - the setting for A Case of Mice and Murder.Support the showSupport the podcast here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2619689/supportShop the HIGHLY CURATED BOOKSHOP HERE or below. https://bookshop.org/lists/the-book-and-the-vibe-a-mostly-historical-fiction-podcastThe below bio.site link will take you to all socials, website, curated bookshop and more. bio.site/Thebookandthevibe
