Where to Start Reading Elizabeth Crowens
Elizabeth Crowens writes across two highly distinct genres: time-traveling speculative fiction and historical Hollywood mystery. Because her series do not overlap, deciding where to start depends entirely on which genre pulls you in first.
If you love alternate history, steampunk flair, and Victorian occultism, start with the Time Traveler Professor series. If you prefer hard-boiled detective noir, classic cinema history, and real-life Hollywood cameos, you should begin with the Babs Norman Golden Age of Hollywood Mysteries.
The Time Traveler Professor Series
This award-winning series blends steampunk, science fiction, and historical fiction. It follows John Patrick Scott, a concert pianist who becomes a time traveler, navigating the early 20th century alongside legendary figures like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H.G. Wells, and Harry Houdini. The books should be read in chronological and publication order:
- Silent Meridian (2019): Introduces John Patrick Scott as he teams up with Arthur Conan Doyle to search for a mysterious red book containing secrets of time travel and the supernatural.
- A Pocketful of Lodestones (2019): Set against the backdrop of World War I, Scott faces supernatural forces, psychological trauma, and deep karmic connections.
- A War in Too Many Worlds (2021): Scott continues his journey across multiple timelines, further exploring the dark consequences of manipulating history.
Note: The author has announced that the series will conclude with a fourth book, tentatively titled The Story Beyond Time.
Babs Norman Golden Age of Hollywood Mysteries
If you prefer a classic detective noir flavor, this series is set in 1940s Hollywood. It stars private investigator Babs Norman and her partner Guy Brandt as they solve cases for real-life movie legends while dealing with the historical realities of World War II-era California. This series must be read in publication order:
- Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles (2024): A Hollywood mystery that kickstarts Babs and Guy's partnership as they investigate a bizarre, cinematic threat.
- Bye Bye Blackbird (2025): Humphrey Bogart hires Babs and Guy to investigate a series of strange murders involving dead birds on the set of The Maltese Falcon.
- Round Up the Unusual Suspects (2026): Jack L. Warner hires the duo to solve a murder on a Warner Brothers sound stage during the filming of Casablanca, weaving in subplots about wartime paranoia and the Japanese internment.
What to Know Before You Start
Crowens's writing style is deeply cinematic, drawing from her fifteen years of experience working in the film and television industry in New York and Los Angeles. In both series, she excels at blending meticulous real-world historical research with fictionalized adventures of iconic historical figures. While the Time Traveler Professor series is heavier on fantasy and mysticism, the Babs Norman series is grounded in historical noir with a touch of Hollywood glamor and grit.