Read The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco (If you're blessed with the ability to read Italian Il Noma Della Rosa). It is, in short a mystery novel set in a wealthy Italian abbey in 1327. However, like all great genre literatue, it transcends it's boundaries and just becomes great fiction. The blurb describes it better than I can:
"When William's theological mission is overshadowed by seven bizarre deaths, the monk turns detective. He collects evidence, deciphers secret symbols and coded manuscripts and digs into the eeire labyrinth of the abbey."
I'll admit, this book is very dry. Great long passages are devoted to describing the Tympanum of a Church, there is a 30 page debate into the nature of Christs poverty, that, although life and death to monks in 1327 seems alien and baffling to us now. When I read it, I knew a fair deal about medieval history, but still great swathes of it passed me by. I let it wash over me, setting the scene. For a moment I thought I was back there, and that's what great fiction does.
Also the murders are pretty gruesome and there's a good twist at the end.
