More books like "The Historian?"

I loved Elizabeth Kostova's "The Historian" and wondering if other readers have suggestions for more books like that. Not the Vlad the Impaler part, the European history/mystery part. :) Thanks.

Hi majorbabs. I read The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson a month or so ago, and I liked it in the exact same way that I liked The Historian. It does have a little bit of European history/mystery in it, but no where near as much as The Historian. I think it was mainly how both stories quickly grabbed my attention and were just plain interesting that makes me link them together in my mind. The Gargoyle may not be quite what you were looking for, but I thought I'd mention it.

I look forward to reading what other people suggest because I too liked The Historian and would like to read more books in the same vein.

Hi majorbabs - I noticed that you also have The Shadow of the Wind in your library, along with The Historian. I enjoyed both books.

Have you tried the author Kate Mosse? I have read two of her books, Labyrinth and Sepulchre. Both books involve a mystery of the past being unraveled through events that happen to the main character in present day. You flip between the past and the present chapter by chapter which is a story telling format I enjoy.

I too would like to see what other people suggest :)

Ikernagh, I completely forgot about Labyrinth - I've read that one too, and it's an excellent suggestion for someone who liked The Historian. So, majorbabs, make that 2 votes for Labyrinth :-)

Make three votes for Labyrinth!
Thanks for reminding me that I have Sepulchre in one of the TBR mountains. I think it is time I get to it.

Depending on which aspects you like most, here are some suggestions -

Phantom of the Opera and Phantom - first the original and then an excellent novel that interprets what really happened to Erik and what motivates him. Not sure it's still in print, but well worth the search.

Raptor - more of an action adventure based on the fictional character of Thorn who is right-hand-man to non-fictional character Theodoric, sacker of Rome. Very long, epic and romantic - light on mystery, but heavy on action and espionage. However, if you have no stomach for violence and sex, maybe steer clear.

The Thirteenth Tale - mysterious sisters, old murder, books and fairly decent writing, this could be a good choice.

People of the Book - not my favorite, but a good story about the history of a Jewish prayer book framed by the people who found and preserved it throughout it's long history.

The Book of Air and Shadows - more of a thriller, but one that centers on the supposition that someone is hiding a lost Shakespearean manuscript. Not the most likeable protagonist, but I did.

I can't believe no one's mentioned Dracula...

Maybe A Case of Curiousities and The Grand Complication by Allen Kurzweil. I can't really put my finger on what's similar about them, but my brain insists that they are.

I didn't mention Dracula because it seemed like the OP wasn't really interested in the vampire piece of the story; more the mystery and the old-world history than anything else. Dracula has precious little of that, but lots of vampire.

Anyone interested in Dracula may also be interested in Renfield, Barbara Hambly's retelling of the story through the eyes of Renfield.

Have you tried The Last Cato? Great read and lots of mystery and history ;-)

And yes, The Labyrinth is definitely a must-read. that makes four votes

HATED Labyrinth . In fact, about twenty pages from the end, I was at the dentists office and gave it to the receptionist. Never finished it, never cared.

I have yet to read The Historian, although I have had it for ages.

Couldn't make my way through The Historian and I also didn't care for Labyrinth so maybe I'm not the best person to make a recommendation. Having said that, however, I'd suggest The Alienist by Caleb Carr (Not European, though. Takes place in New York) and perhaps The List of 7 by Mark Frost. I read it years ago when I had to weather a lengthy commute, so maybe it wouldn't hold up for me now, but as I remember it was great fun.

I just finished The Egyptologist which is similar in that it is epistolary, historical, mystery -- although it is a black humor type of vibe as opposed to the chilling geshtaldt of The Historian. I loved them both.

I, too, hated Labyrinth. It postures to be like one of the aforementioned books; but it was so poorly executed.

Well, this might be something of an outlier and is certainly challenging, but I thought Melmoth the Wanderer was quite good and shared some structural qualities with The Historian. Plus it's got lots of atmosphere to boot and Maturin was something of a predecessor to Stoker. It doesn't dwell on mystery to the same extent as The Historian, but it does feature quite a bit of history and varied settings.