Books like 'Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant'
Readers who enjoyed Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant by Tony Cliff also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy action / adventure alternate history comedy historical-fiction humor friendship steampunk industrial-era
-
The Good, The Bad and The History by Jodi Taylor
16 ratingsSt Mary's is under investigation. Their director has been shot and Max is Number One Suspect. Can things get any worse? We all know the answer to that one.Max needs to get away - fast - and a Brilliant Idea soon leads her to a full-scale uprising in twentieth-century China. If she can come by a historical treasure or two in the process, even better. That is, if she makes it out alive... -
![The Fall of the House of Cabal by Jonathan L. Howard]()
The Fall of the House of Cabal by Jonathan L. Howard
16 ratingsJohannes Cabal, a necromancer of some little infamy, has come into possession of a vital clue that may lead him to his ultimate goal: a cure for death. The path is vague, however, and certainly treacherous as it takes him into strange territories that, quite literally, no one has ever seen before... -
![Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore]()
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
41 ratingsThe birth of Jesus has been well chronicled, as have his glorious teachings, acts, and divine sacrifice after his thirtieth birthday...Categorized as:
friendship historical-fiction humor 21st-century action-adventure adult alternate-history angels -
![Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart]()
Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart
22 ratingsWhen the children of his village were struck with a mysterious illness, Number Ten Ox sought a wiseman to save them. He found master Li Kao, a scholar with a slight flaw in his character. Together, they set out to find the Great Root of Power, the only possible cure...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction humor 20th-century action-adventure adult alternate-history ancient-china -
-
![The Brothers Cabal by Jonathan L. Howard]()
The Brothers Cabal by Jonathan L. Howard
16 ratingsHorst Cabal has risen from the dead. Again. Horst, the most affable vampire one is ever likely to meet, is resurrected by an occult conspiracy that wants him as a general in a monstrous army. Their plan: to create a country of horrors, a supernatural homeland. As Horst sees the lengths to which they are prepared to go and the evil they cultivate, he realizes that he cannot fight them alone... -
![The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones]()
The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones
26 ratingsHis father and uncles are enchanters, his mother a powerful sorceress, yet nothing seems magical about Christopher Chant except his dreams. Night after night, he climbs through the formless Place Between and visits marvelous lands he calls the Almost Anywheres. Then Christopher discovers that he can bring real, solid things back from his dreams...Categorized as:
children friendship humor 20th-century action-adventure alternate-history animals audiobook -
![The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud, Simon Jones]()
The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud, Simon Jones
27 ratingsIt is 950 B.C.E., and King Solomon rules Jerusalem with a steely hand; a hand on which gleams a magic ring of immense and unforgiving power. Solomon has just begun work on his marvelous temple, charging Khaba, a formidable magician in his royal court, to oversee its construction. The workforce is an ill-behaved bunch of demons, a particularly unruly djinni named Bartimaeus among them... -
![The Other Merlin by Robyn Schneider]()
The Other Merlin by Robyn Schneider
10 ratingsWelcome to the great kingdom of Camelot. Prince Arthur’s a depressed botanist who would rather marry a library than a princess, Lancelot’s been demoted to castle guard after a terrible misunderstanding, and nothing is going according to plan... -
![The Story of the Stone by Barry Hughart]()
The Story of the Stone by Barry Hughart
17 ratingsIn the valley of Sorrows, a monk is brutally murdered for a worthless manuscript, and the abbot of the humble monastery calls upon Master Li and Number Ten Ox to investigate the seemingly senseless killing. The most likely suspect is the infamous Laughing Prince, founder of the valley, whose murderous frenzies have made him a legend...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction humor 20th-century action-adventure adult alternate-history ancient-china -
![Nation by Terry Pratchett]()
Nation by Terry Pratchett
28 ratingsAlone on a desert island — everything and everyone he knows and loves has been washed away in a storm — Mau is the last surviving member of his nation. He’s completely alone — or so he thinks until he finds the ghost girl. She has no toes, wears strange lacy trousers like the grandfather bird, and gives him a stick that can make fire... -
![My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton]()
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton
33 ratingsEdward (long live the king) is the King of England. He’s also dying, which is inconvenient, as he’s only sixteen and he’d much rather be planning for his first kiss than considering who will inherit his crown…Jane (reads too many books) is Edward’s cousin, and far more interested in books than romance. Unfortunately for Jane, Edward has arranged to marry her off to secure the line of succession...Categorized as:
friendship historical-fiction humor action-adventure alternate-history animals audiobook book -
![Magicians of Quality by Patricia C. Wrede, Caroline Stevermer]()
Magicians of Quality by Patricia C. Wrede, Caroline Stevermer
6 ratingsFor country-bred cousins Cecelia Rushton and Katherine Talgarth, something extraordinary is afoot besides the constant whirl of Regency balls - something Young Ladies of Quality rarely come in contact with: magic. Oh, not the mere love spells used by country folk, but real sorcery capable of thwarting ambitions and destroying life...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction humor industrial-era action-adventure alternate-history book comedy -
![How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It by K.J. Parker]()
How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It by K.J. Parker
14 ratingsThis is the story of how the City was saved, by Notker the professional liar, written down because eventually the truth always seeps through.The City may be under siege, but everyone still has to make a living. Take Notker, the acclaimed playwright, actor and impresario. Nobody works harder, even when he's not working...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook book comedy -
![Renegade Magic by Stephanie Burgis]()
Renegade Magic by Stephanie Burgis
14 ratingsThe feisty Kat Stephenson is back in the second installment of the Regency era magical trilogy Kirkus Reviews calls “enjoyable mayhem...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction humor industrial-era action-adventure alternate-history book comedy -
-
![Eight Skilled Gentlemen by Barry Hughart]()
Eight Skilled Gentlemen by Barry Hughart
15 ratingsOnce again World Fantasy Award-winner Barry Hughart blends folklore and fantasy to create a work of enchantment set in an ancient China that never was…but should have been. Master Li and Number Ten Ox—heroes of Bridge of Birds and The Story of the Stone—return to solve the mystery of how and why respected mandarins are being mysteriously murdered...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction humor 20th-century action-adventure adult alternate-history ancient-china -
![The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home by Joseph Fink, Jeffrey Cranor]()
The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home by Joseph Fink, Jeffrey Cranor
18 ratingsFrom the New York Times bestselling authors of Welcome to Night Vale and It Devours! and the creators of the hit podcast, comes a new novel set in the world of Night Vale and beyond.In the town of Night Vale, there’s a faceless old woman who secretly lives in everyone’s home, but no one knows how she got there or where she came from...until now...Categorized as:
crime female-mc historical-fiction humor outlaws action-adventure alternate-history audiobook -
![The Fear Institute by Jonathan L. Howard]()
The Fear Institute by Jonathan L. Howard
18 ratingsJohannes Cabal and his rather inexact powers of necromancy are back once more. This time, his talents are purchased by The Fear Institute as they hunt for the Phobic Animus - the embodiment of fear... -
![Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by K.J. Parker]()
Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by K.J. Parker
19 ratingsThis is the story of Orhan, son of Siyyah Doctus Felix Praeclarissimus, and his history of the Great Siege, written down so that the deeds and sufferings of great men may never be forgotten.A siege is approaching, and the city has little time to prepare. The people have no food and no weapons, and the enemy has sworn to slaughter them all...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook book comedy -
![The Hound of the D'Urbervilles by Kim Newman, Tom Hodgkins]()
The Hound of the D'Urbervilles by Kim Newman, Tom Hodgkins
16 ratingsImagine the twisted evil twins of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson and you have the dangerous duo of Professor James Moriarty—wily, snake-like, fiercely intelligent, terrifyingly unpredictable—and Colonel Sebastian Basher Moran—violent, politically incorrect, debauched. Together they run London crime, owning police and criminals alike...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction humor industrial-era steampunk action-adventure adult alternate-history -
![The Pirates! In an Adventure with Communists by Gideon Defoe, Richard Murkin]()
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Communists by Gideon Defoe, Richard Murkin
12 ratingsLondon, 1840: Wagner’s latest opera plays to packed houses while disgruntled workers gather in crowded pubs to eat ice cream and plan the downfall of the bourgeoisie. And the Pirate Captain––his disguise proving something of a letdown––finds himself incarcerated at Scotland Yard, in a case of mistaken identity...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction humor outlaws action-adventure adult alternate-history book -
![Fool by Christopher Moore]()
Fool by Christopher Moore
33 ratings“Hilarious, always inventive, this is a book for all, especially uptight English teachers, bardolaters, and ministerial students.” —Dallas Morning NewsFool—the bawdy and outrageous New York Times bestseller from the unstoppable Christopher Moore—is a hilarious new take on William Shakespeare’s King Lear…as seen through the eyes of the foolish liege’s clownish jester, Pocket...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor 21st-century action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook book -
![The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton]()
The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton
21 ratingsJust when you thought it was safe to go back into the teahouse...Miss Charlotte Pettifer belongs to a secret league of women skilled in the subtle arts. That is to say—although it must never be said—witchcraft. The League of Gentlewomen Witches strives to improve the world in small ways...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor industrial-era outlaws steampunk action-adventure adult alternate-history -
![Her Majesty's Wizard by Christopher Stasheff]()
Her Majesty's Wizard by Christopher Stasheff
18 ratingsMatt Mantrell translates runes on a scrap of parchment, and himself to a world where verses are spells. Imprisoned by evil sorcerer Malingo, Matt tries for a light, gets dragon Stegoman, drunk on fire, in need of dentist. They rescue Princess Alisande, rightful ruler, and fight to restore her kingdom with helpful Sir Guy, lust witch Sayeesa and werewolf priest Brunel... -
![My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton]()
My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton
16 ratingsWelcome to Renaissance France, a place of poison and plots, of beauties and beasts, of mice and . . . queens?⠀⠀Mary is the queen of Scotland and the jewel of the French court. Except when she's a mouse. Yes, reader, Mary is an Eðian (shapeshifter) in a kingdom where Verities rule. It's a secret that could cost her a head—or a tail.⠀⠀Luckily, Mary has a confidant in her betrothed, Francis...Categorized as:
friendship historical-fiction humor action-adventure alternate-history audiobook book comedy -
-
![Wyrde and Wayward by Charlotte E. English]()
Wyrde and Wayward by Charlotte E. English
10 ratings‘If you had not already realised it, this is a very strange house you are come to.’ The Scions of the House of Werth are all born normal. It is what happens afterwards that sets them apart. It is not easy being the most supernatural family in England...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor industrial-era action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook book -
![A Night of Blacker Darkness: Being the Memoir of Frederick Whithers As Edited by Cecil G. Bagsworth III by Dan Wells]()
A Night of Blacker Darkness: Being the Memoir of Frederick Whithers As Edited by Cecil G. Bagsworth III by Dan Wells
10 ratingsWrongly imprisoned, Frederick Whithers is desperate to commit the crime he's already being punished for: defrauding the bank out of a vast inheritance. He fakes his death to escape, but when he's seen climbing out of a coffin everyone assumes he's a vampire; when he shows none of the traditional vampire weaknesses, they decide he must be the most powerful vampire in the history of the world...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction humor action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook book -
![Mercury Begins by Robert Kroese]()
Mercury Begins by Robert Kroese
10 ratingsTravel to ancient Troy with the irrepressible angel Mercury as he masterminds the most unnecessarily complicated sneak attack in history! Never read any of the Mercury books? Start here! Already read one or more of the books? Also OK! There's no wrong way to read this story, unless you're using a spatula and a bowl full of goose feathers...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor action-adventure adult alternate-history book comedy fiction -
![The Magicians of Caprona by Diana Wynne Jones]()
The Magicians of Caprona by Diana Wynne Jones
24 ratingsTonino is the only person in the famous Montana household who wasn't born with an instinct for creating spells, but he has other gifts. His ability to communicate with cats just might help defend the city of Caprona against a mysterious enchanter -- but only if Tonino can learn to cooperate with a girl from the hated Petrocchi family of spell-makers...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction humor 20th-century action-adventure alternate-history animals audiobook -
![The Science of Discworld by Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart]()
The Science of Discworld by Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart
24 ratingsWhen a wizardly experiment goes adrift, the wizards of Unseen University find themselves with a pocket universe on their hands: Roundworld, where neither magic nor common sense seems to stand a chance against logic. The Universe, of course, is our own. And Roundworld is Earth... -
![The Brass Queen by Elizabeth Chatsworth]()
The Brass Queen by Elizabeth Chatsworth
8 ratingsIn 1897, a fiery British aristocrat and an inept US spy search for a stolen invisibility serum that could spark a global war.Miss Constance Haltwhistle is the last in a line of blue-blooded rogue inventors. Selling exotic firearms under her alias, the ‘Brass Queen,’ has kept her baronial estate’s coffers full...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor industrial-era steampunk action-adventure alternate-history assassins book -
![Sinai Tapestry by Edward Whittemore, Edvards Vitmors]()
Sinai Tapestry by Edward Whittemore, Edvards Vitmors
6 ratingsTales of a blind man, written down by an imbecile. Such is the genesis of the Bible in this raucous, unsettling account of recent and not-so-recent history with its richly entwined odysseys...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor action-adventure adult alternate-history book comedy espionage -
![Athenian Steel by P.K. Lentz]()
Athenian Steel by P.K. Lentz
6 ratingsShe is doom and madness. She is Thalassia.In 425 BCE, the Athenian general Demosthenes comes into possession of a weapon from the stars. He fears to wield it against his city's bitter enemy Sparta, but he knows that he must, lest it be wielded by others...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor action-adventure adult alternate-history ancient-civilization book comedy -
![The Educated Ape And Other Wonders Of The World by Robert Rankin]()
The Educated Ape And Other Wonders Of The World by Robert Rankin
6 ratingsAn epic in four movements, this is the third book in Robert Rankin's highly acclaimed meta-Victorian series. Comparable to Pratchett or Douglas Adams, the Father of Far Fetched Fiction has pulled out all of the stops with this riotous tale of wicked women, a dangerous detective and Darwin the educated ape.Lord Brentford has a dream... -
![The Dragon and the George by Gordon R. Dickson]()
The Dragon and the George by Gordon R. Dickson
18 ratingsJim Eckert was a dragon. He hadn't planned it that way, but that's what happened when he set out to rescue his betrothed. Following her through an erratic astral-projection machine, Jim suddenly found himself in a cockeyed world - locked in the body of a talking dragon named Gorbash.That wouldn't have been so bad if his beloved Angie were also a dragon...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor 20th-century action-adventure alternate-history animals audiobook book -
-
![Dodger by Terry Pratchett]()
Dodger by Terry Pratchett
26 ratingsA storm. Rain-lashed city streets. A flash of lightning. A scruffy lad sees a girl leap desperately from a horse-drawn carriage in a vain attempt to escape her captors. Can the lad stand by and let her be caught again? Of course not, because he's...Dodger.Seventeen-year-old Dodger may be a street urchin, but he gleans a living from London's sewers, and he knows a jewel when he sees one...Categorized as:
children crime friendship historical-fiction humor industrial-era 21st-century action-adventure -
![The Dragon, the Earl, and the Troll by Gordon R. Dickson]()
The Dragon, the Earl, and the Troll by Gordon R. Dickson
10 ratingsThe Earl of Somerset is throwing a Christmas feast. But the Dark Powers have chosen this joyous time to launch a massive offensive. An army of land-hungry trolls has laid siege outside the Earl's fortress, while a nest of traitors waits to hatch its deadly plan from the inside. Now Sir James, the brave Dragon Knight, must fight a battle unlike any he has ever known...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook book comedy -
![Johnny and the Bomb by Terry Pratchett]()
Johnny and the Bomb by Terry Pratchett
18 ratingsTwelve-year-old Johnny Maxwell has a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This has never been more true than when he finds himself in his hometown on May 21, 1941, over forty years before his birth!An accidental time traveler, Johnny knows his history. He knows England is at war, and he knows that on this day German bombs will fall on the town. It happened. It's history... -
![Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton]()
Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton
18 ratingsA tale of love, money, and family conflict--among dragons. A family deals with the death of their father. A son goes to court for his inheritance. Another son agonises over his father's deathbed confession. One daughter becomes involved in the abolition movement, while another sacrifices herself for her husband. And everyone in the tale is a dragon, red in tooth and claw... -
![The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton]()
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
23 ratingsA prim and proper lady thief must save her aunt from a crazed pirate and his dangerously charming henchman in this fantastical historical romance.Cecilia Bassingwaite is the ideal Victorian lady. She's also a thief. Like the other members of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, she flies around England drinking tea, blackmailing friends, and acquiring treasure by interesting means...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor industrial-era outlaws steampunk action-adventure adult alternate-history -
![The Napoleon of Notting Hill by G.K. Chesterton]()
The Napoleon of Notting Hill by G.K. Chesterton
16 ratingsIn a London of the future, the drudgery of capitalism and bureaucracy have worn the human spirit down to the point where it can barely stand. When a pint-sized clerk named Auberon Quinn is randomly selected as head of state, he decides to turn London into a medieval carnival for his own amusement... -
![The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists by Gideon Defoe]()
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists by Gideon Defoe
16 ratingsNot since Moby-Dick... No, not since Treasure Island... Actually, not since Jonah and the Whale has there been a sea saga to rival The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists, featuring the greatest sea-faring hero of all time, the immortal Pirate Captain, who, although he lives for months at a time at sea, somehow manages to keep his beard silky and in good condition... -
![The Wood Nymph and the Cranky Saint by C. Dale Brittain]()
The Wood Nymph and the Cranky Saint by C. Dale Brittain
6 ratingsCaught between renegade magic and cranky religion, what's a poor wizard supposed to do? When the king of Yurt goes on vacation, leaving his Royal Wizard Daimbert in charge, he is faced with the escalating crises of the cranky saint of the shrine of the Holy Toe, an all-too-beguiling wood nymph, bizarre horned rabbits, a scandalous duchess, the royal nephew's mid-life crisis, and a monstrous... -
![The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore]()
The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore
24 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore channels William Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe in this satiric Venetian gothic that brings back the Pocket of Dog Snogging, the eponymous hero of Fool, along with his sidekick, Drool, and pet monkey, JeffVenice, a long time ago...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction humor absurdism action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook -
![The Good, the Bad, and the Goofy by Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith]()
The Good, the Bad, and the Goofy by Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith
12 ratingsEveryone’s favorite time-travelers are changing their styles! The Time Warp Trio series now features a brand-new, eye-catching design, sure to appeal to longtime fans, and those new to Jon Scieszka’s wacky brand of humor...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction humor industrial-era poc-mc action-adventure alternate-history book -
-
![The Not-So-Jolly Roger by Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith]()
The Not-So-Jolly Roger by Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith
12 ratingsThe first four books of the wildly popular Time Warp Trio series are now in one value-priced boxed set! Whether the gang's fighting off the Black Knight in the middle of Camelot, practicing magic tricks on Blackbeard and his pirates, stampeding cattle in the Old West, or running from a woolly mammoth, one thing is for sure: no one's ever bored when the Time Warp Trio's...Categorized as:
children friendship historical-fiction humor outlaws action-adventure alternate-history book -
![Tut, Tut by Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith]()
Tut, Tut by Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith
10 ratingsEveryone’s favorite time-travelers are changing their styles! The Time Warp Trio series now features a brand-new, eye-catching design, sure to appeal to longtime fans, and those new to Jon Scieszka’s wacky brand of humor... -
![Your Mother Was a Neanderthal by Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith]()
Your Mother Was a Neanderthal by Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith
10 ratingsThe Time Warp Trio find themselves in the middle of an adventure in prehistoric times, where cave art is a form of graffiti and "rock" music takes on a whole new meaning... -
![Apocalypso by Robert Rankin, Axel Merz]()
Apocalypso by Robert Rankin, Axel Merz
10 ratingsThe Ministry of Serendipity at Mornington Crescent runs everything. And that is everything. When the Ministry learns of' a spacecraft that crashed four thousand years ago into the Pacific Ocean, it sends Sir John Rimmer and his elite team of' paranormal investigators to recover it. Amongst Sir John's team is Danbury Collins, and Danbury isn't keen. He's seen the movies... -
![Retromancer by Robert Rankin]()
Retromancer by Robert Rankin
10 ratingsThere is big and evil magic abroad upon the face of the Earth. History has been changed. The Germans have won WWII. America is a nuclear wasteland. And worst of all, the breakfast menu at The Wife's Legs Caf?? in Brentford is serving Bratwurst rather than the proper big boys' British banger. Something is Not Right...Categorized as:
humor industrial-era steampunk 21st-century action-adventure adult alternate-history book -
![Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith]()
Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith
18 ratingsFrom the author of the New York Times bestselling Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, comes UNHOLY NIGHT, the next evolution in dark historical revisionism. They're an iconic part of history's most celebrated birth...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor action-adventure alternate-history audiobook book christian comedy
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.
