Love British Humor? Try Jodi Taylor's 'The Chronicles of St Mary’s'

The Chronicles of St Mary’s is a riotous, funny, heart-breaking series by British writer Jodi Taylor, who has written eleven books with more to come, plus linked short stories, and a spin-off series. The Chronicles is about time travel—but please, that term is never used: St. Mary’s Institute for Historical Research, an adjunct of the University of Thirsk, conducts investigations of major historical events in contemporary time. The erudite, well-informed, and well-prepared historians of St. Mary’s are frequently described as tea-soaked disaster magnets, whose best intentions at serious research invariably go very, very wrong.

So, get yourself a nice cup of tea—tea fuels the books—and we’ll begin. The series begins when the learned Dr. Madeleine Maxwell (Max), an accomplished field archaeologist, is recruited by St. Mary’s, a venerable hall of academe which is not what it seems. As the series progresses (it is advisable to read them in order) you learn more about Max and her eccentric and lovable colleagues, her love interest Leon Farrell, and her epic struggle with renegade historian Clive Ronan. Although the books are outrageously funny, Taylor brings a depth of profundity to her comedy, celebrating courage and heroism, and making us believe that it is possible to survive difficult situations and heartbreak. It's no wonder that her writing is deservedly growing in popularity during these times.

Taylor sets up the background to the series admirably in each book, and, to her further credit, makes it fascinating and succinct every time. This present-day setting (or at least the present-day of the beginning of the series--things and times will change) is the near future. A few intriguing hints are dropped. The British monarch is now a king, and the country is recovering from a dark period in which the population, including many of the St. Mary’s staff, overthrew a fascist takeover.