Georgette Heyer or PG Wodehouse. Wonderful writing and very witty

You might like the Golden Hour (Matthew Spector) - it’s newish and about old Hollywood and stylish, tho not necessarily witty. Still—I like many of the recs in this thread and liked it.

Have you read The Pursuit of Love (Nancy Mitford)? It’s the category killer for what you seek.

Who’s going to recommend the Draco Malfoy fanfic? I know you’re out there!

Rules of Civility

I think I know what you mean. It's narrow niche. I do think some older English books fit it, and some genre books. Like some Agatha Christie. Or some thrillers.

What about the Wedding People by Allison Espach? Not quite but almost.

Oh - have you read the Old Filth series? Jane Gardam. Also not quite (they aren't witty, per se) but very british upper class.

I read a mystery last year that doesn't fit totally but was absorbing in terms of time and place - Murder at Gull's Nest by Jess Kidd.

Anonymous wrote:the english understand wool by helen dewitt

I enjoyed this.

Anonymous wrote:Not exactly contemporary, but Cold Comfort Farm might be in this vein.

Great recommendation!

Maybe you’d like books by Elizabeth Peters, like the Amelia Peabody series or the Vicky Bliss mysteries?

I really liked The Humans by Matt Haig. I think it's better than The Midnight Library by him. I mean, laugh out loud funny and then poignancy.

Anonymous wrote:I think the Sarah Caudwell mysteries (starting with Thus was Adonis Murdered) are sort of Jane Austen meets Agatha Christie-- very funny in an ironic way.

I think this is an excellent suggestion (OP here), but unfortunately, I think I have read most (all?) of them!

Not sure why this type of book is so British-coded, but concede that pretty much all of the examples I can think of are also from across the pond.

50 shades of gray

I think the Sarah Caudwell mysteries (starting with Thus was Adonis Murdered) are sort of Jane Austen meets Agatha Christie-- very funny in an ironic way.

the english understand wool by helen dewitt

Not exactly contemporary, but Cold Comfort Farm might be in this vein.

Not sure how to describe the book I am after... but there is some quote about Old Hollywood that responds to a charge that it is unrealistic by retorting that this is precisely the point: sometimes you just want to watch people that look better and sound smarter than real life. I think I am looking for that in book form!

The only examples I can think of are classics, e.g. Oscar Wilde, Jane Austen, heck, maybe Shakespeare’s comedies. But would really like something from a more contemporary author?

Any thoughts DCUM? Although all the above makes it sound like I am looking for some sort of glam, showbiz subject matter, I am happy with any well-written book or genre.