Books like 'Fingersmith'
Readers who enjoyed Fingersmith by Sarah Waters also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical romance mystery action / adventure historical-fiction lgbtq wlw gothic industrial-era victorian
-
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 90 ratingsFor nineteen-year-old Edmond Dantes, life is sweet. Soon to be captain of his own sip, he is also about to be married to his true love, Mercedes. But suddenly everything turns sour. On the joyous day of his wedding he is arrested and—without a fair trial—condemned to solitary confinement in the miserable Chateau d'If! The charges? Faked! Edmond has been framed by a handful of powerful enemies...Categorized as:
classics crime drama gothic historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction suspense -
The Pearl Sister by Lucinda Riley
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsFrom the breathtaking beaches of Thailand to the barely tamed wilds of colonial Australia, The Pearl Sister is the next captivating story in New York Times bestselling author Lucinda Riley’s epic series about two women searching for a place to call home.CeCe D’Aplièse has always felt like an outcast...Categorized as:
drama female-mc historical-fiction lgbtq literary-fiction action-adventure adult audiobook -
Finding Lady Enderly by Joanna Davidson Politano
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRaina Bretton is a rag woman in London's east end when a handsome stranger appears in a dank alley and offers her a glittering smile and a chance for adventure. Rothburne Abbey has a unique position for her, one that will take her away from her hardscrabble life and give her a chance to be a lady. Things she could only dream of might be coming true. But some dreams turn out to be nightmares...Categorized as:
drama gothic historical-fiction industrial-era suspense victorian action-adventure adult -
Phantom by Susan Kay
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThis incredible portrait of Erik--the Phantom--recreates his entire life, from his survival as a child in a carnival freak show to his creative genius behind the Paris Opera House--and its labyrinthine world below--to his discovery of love...Categorized as:
classics drama gothic historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction victorian action-adventure -
-
The Mystery of Mr Daventry by Adele Clee
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHow long can one keep up a charade?A gentleman who hides many secrets.Society thinks it has the measure of Lucius Daventry, illegitimate son of the Duke of Melverley, but they know nothing of the dangerous man who lies beneath the constructed façade. As a member of a secret group known as the Order of Themis, he works to right injustices, to make wicked men pay... -
The Devereaux Affair by Adele Clee
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTwo lonely children form a bond.As the daughter of a famed courtesan, Julianna de Lacy had seen more than her share of heartbreak. As a child, her own heart was broken the night her mother dragged her from the Marquess Devereaux’s mansion and forced her into a stranger’s carriage... -
The Soul of a Rogue by K.J. Jackson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA lady who swore she’d never love again. A bitter rogue out to avenge horrors of the past. Two hardened souls are forced together in an adventure to break a curse, sparking to life a sizzling attraction that will not be denied in this newest novel from USA Today Bestseller, K.J. Jackson.A lady who swore she’d never love again.Eliana Graham, Dowager Countess of Raplan, had once had it all...Categorized as:
historical-fiction industrial-era steamy suspense victorian action-adventure adult book -
Wooed by a Wicked Duke by Collette Cameron
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s betrothed…but not to the woman who holds his heart She’s hiding from the past… Hoping to put the shame of her father’s disgrace behind her, Jessica Brentwood is determined to be the epitome of decorum and propriety her first London Season. All is well until she’s discovered naked in the arms of a notorious rake, Crispin, the wicked Duke of Bainbridge...Categorized as:
victorian historical-fiction industrial-era suspense drama literary-fiction regency historical -
The Queen and the Knave by Sarah M. Eden
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRomance and mystery come full circle in the fifth and final book of Sarah M. Eden’s best-selling Victorian Proper Romance series.London, 1866Móirín Donnelly has spent the last five years working in the shadows for the Dread Penny Society, but spending so much of her life in secret is taking a toll on her soul—and her heart... -
Moonraker's Bride by Madeleine Brent
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBorn in a Mission in China, Lucy Waring finds herself with fifteen small children to feed and care for. The way she tackles this task leads to her being thrown into the grim prison of Chengfu, where she meets Nicholas Sabine - a man about to die.He asks her a cryptic riddle, the mystery of which echoes through all that befalls her in the months that follow..Categorized as:
classics coming-of-age female-mc gothic historical-fiction industrial-era suspense 20th-century -
Survivor Pass by Shirleen Davies
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSurvivor Pass, Book Five, Redemption Mountain Historical Western Romance Series “The Redemption Mountain series is as good as historical romance gets—vivid settings, memorable characters, love, and lots at stake. Shirleen Davies knows how to bring the old west to life. You feel as if you've traveled, with the characters, to the frontier... -
Dangerous Lover by Mary Lancaster
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA danger to the world? Or just to her heart? Alexandra Battle is desperate enough to accept a new post as governess to the illegitimate daughter of Sir Nicholas Swan, without having met either of them. Fortunately, Evelina turns out to be delightful as well as challenging, though her father, from their first encounter in the dead of night, remains a disturbingly attractive mystery...Categorized as:
gothic historical-fiction industrial-era suspense victorian action-adventure adult book -
The Steel Rogue by K.J. Jackson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA scarred lady, living in the outskirts of society. A hardened rogue brought up from the worst of humanity. One seeks revenge. One seeks redemption. Neither is prepared for a love that will defy all odds.A scarred lady, living in the fringes. Lady Alton knows she doesn't fit into polite society. Her scars determined that long ago, and marrying a viscount never helped the matter... -
More than a Masquerade by Adele Clee
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn enquiry agent seeking her first case.After spending weeks eagerly awaiting an assignment, Rachel Gambit is instructed to meet her potential new client at a Vauxhall masquerade. She’s been given a list of instructions: to wear red, to find the mysterious gentleman amongst the crowd, with no clue to his identity... -
-
Temptations of a Duke's Daughter by Samantha Holt
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSolving a murder is dangerous business. So is falling in love…Lady Chastity Fallon will not stand idly by while her sister is suspected of murder. Since no one wants to help, she’ll take matters into her own hands. The plan? Simple. She’ll disguise herself as a servant and investigate...Categorized as:
historical-fiction industrial-era steamy suspense action-adventure adult book fiction -
Wildfire Creek by Shirleen Davies
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratings“A passionate story of rebuilding lives, working to find a place in the wild frontier, and building new lives in the years following the American Civil War. A rugged, heartwarming story of choices and love in the continuing saga of Redemption Mountain...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era victorian 19th-century action-adventure adult book -
A Deadly Affair by Carla Simpson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLondon 1889 — Murder, mystery, and two people in a most unlikely partnership.She's an unconventional lady who has traveled the world, practices the art of self defense most excellently, and has an interesting tattoo in, ahem... a very unusual place...Categorized as:
historical-fiction crime industrial-era victorian suspense female-mc romance mystery -
The Innkeeper's Daughter by Michelle Griep
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA London officer goes undercover to expose a plot against the Crown Dover, England, 1808: Officer Alexander Moore goes undercover as a gambling gentleman to expose a high-stakes plot against the king—and he’s a master of disguise, for Johanna Langley believes him to be quite the rogue. . .until she can no longer fight against his unrelenting charm...Categorized as:
crime drama historical-fiction industrial-era suspense action-adventure adult audiobook -
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsEast London, 1888 - a city apart. A place of shadow and light where thieves, whores, and dreamers mingle, where children play in the cobbled streets by day and a killer stalks at night, where bright hopes meet the darkest truths...Categorized as:
coming-of-age crime drama female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era lgbtq suspense -
Shadow of the Moon by M.M. Kaye
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsM. M. Kaye, author of The Far Pavilions, sweeps her readers back to the vast, glittering, sunbaked continent of India. Shadow of the Moon is the story of Winter de Ballesteros, a beautiful English heiress who has come to India to be married. It is also the tale of Captain Alex Randall, her escort and protector, who knows that Winter's husband to be has become a debauched wreck of a man...Categorized as:
classics drama historical-fiction industrial-era suspense victorian action-adventure adult -
Forsaken Falls by Shirleen Davies
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWyatt Jackson has lost everything. Successful in his role as a soldier, he can no longer find a home in the region he fought so hard to save. Sick and on the edge of starvation, he journeys west, searching for the one man who might help him. A deputy in Splendor, Montana.Nora Evans has never found a place to call home...Categorized as:
historical-fiction female-mc literary-fiction industrial-era victorian romance mystery historical -
An Agent for Audrey by Laura Beers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen heiress Audrey Hardwick is given the opportunity to become a Pinkerton Agent, she wholeheartedly leaves her life in Cincinnati behind and sets out for a new adventure. But her mission turns into mayhem when she meets Agent Warren Rockwell, a former gunslinger, who is too stubborn – and handsome – for his own good...Categorized as:
historical-fiction industrial-era victorian female-mc romance christian western historical -
An Agent for Belle by Nerys Leigh
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMarriage is the last thing Belle wants, but she’ll have to get married to avoid it.When Isabelle Wood answers a newspaper advertisement for female Pinkerton detectives, it seems the perfect way to avoid her parents’ desire for her to wed… until she discovers she has to marry her training agent for the duration of her first case...Categorized as:
female-mc industrial-era victorian historical-fiction romance western historical mystery -
Restless Wind by Shirleen Davies
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA headstrong rancher determined to make it on his own. A society belle intent on creating her own life. Is there any chance they’ll become each other’s future? Restless Wind, Book Thirteen, Redemption Mountain Historical Western Romance Series Dominic Lucero is a man driven to succeed. Leaving his family’s profitable ranch in Texas, he strikes out to build a new life. Becoming a Montana U.S...Categorized as:
female-mc industrial-era victorian literary-fiction historical-fiction romance mystery historical -
-
The Time for Love by Stephanie Laurens
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens explores what happens when a gentleman intent on acquiring a business meets the unconventional lady-owner, only to discover that she is not the biggest or the most lethal hurdle they and the business face...Categorized as:
historical-fiction industrial-era suspense victorian action-adventure adult audiobook book -
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 70 ratingsA lost child: On the eve of the First World War, a little girl is found abandoned on a ship to Australia. A mysterious woman called the Authoress had promised to look after her - but has disappeared without a trace. A terrible secret: On the night of her twenty-first birthday, Nell Andrews learns a secret that will change her life forever...Categorized as:
classics drama female-mc gothic historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction suspense -
The Governess by Christi Caldwell
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRegina (Reggie) Spark has loved Broderick Killoran, the resourceful and protective proprietor of the Devil’s Den, ever since he saved her from the streets and made her his right hand at the notorious gaming hell. For just as long, Reggie has never admitted her true feelings for him. Nor has she revealed her spirited ambitions—to buck convention and expectations and open a music hall...Categorized as:
drama historical-fiction industrial-era steamy victorian action-adventure adult angst -
An Impossible Impostor by Deanna Raybourn
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhile investigating a man claiming to be the long-lost heir to a noble family, Veronica Speedwell gets the surprise of her life in this new adventure from the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn.London, 1889. Veronica Speedwell and her natural historian beau Stoker are summoned by Sir Hugo Montgomerie, head of Special Branch...Categorized as:
crime female-mc gothic historical-fiction industrial-era suspense victorian action-adventure -
A Thread Unbroken by Kay Bratt, Nancy Wu
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMany believe that those who are destined to be together are connected by an invisible red thread. If that is so, the fates of Chai and Josi are weaved together and tied with a knot that cannot be broken.Chai has been the self-appointed protector of her best friend, Josi, since their toddler days...Categorized as:
crime drama female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction suspense action-adventure adult -
Saving Shadow by Laura Beers
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBorn with a perfect memory, Lady Elizabeth Beckett has become one of the world’s most notorious spies, despite being the daughter of a duke. She is shielded only by her code name: Shadow. When young ladies of High Society begin disappearing from London, Eliza has no doubt who is orchestrating these crimes; a heinous man she has been investigating for years... -
A Stroke of Malice by Anna Lee Huber
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLady Kiera Darby and her husband Sebastian Gage are looking forward to relaxing with new friends at an exciting yearly soiree, but they soon learn that murder never takes a holiday in the latest riveting installment in this national bestselling series. Scotland 1832...Categorized as:
crime drama female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era suspense victorian action-adventure -
A Brush with Shadows by Anna Lee Huber
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSebastian Gage returns home to battle the ghosts of his past and prevent them from destroying his future with Kiera in the latest exciting installment in this national bestselling series.July 1831. It's been fifteen years since Sebastian Gage has set foot in Langstone Manor... -
An Artless Demise by Anna Lee Huber
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNovember 1831. After fleeing London in infamy more than two years prior, Lady Kiera Darby’s return to the city is anything but mundane, though not for the reasons she expected. A gang of body snatchers is arrested on suspicion of imitating the notorious misdeeds of Edinburgh criminals, Burke and Hare—killing people from the streets and selling their bodies to medical schools...Categorized as:
crime drama female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction suspense victorian -
The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA high society amateur detective at the heart of Regency London uses her wits and invisibility as an 'old maid' to protect other women in a new and fiercely feminist historical mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Alison Goodman.Lady Augusta Colebrook, "Gus," is determinedly unmarried, bored by society life, and tired of being dismissed at the age of forty-two... -
-
The Jackal’s House by Anna Butler
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSequel to The Gilded ScarabSomething is stalking the Aegyptian night and endangering the archaeologists excavating the mysterious temple ruins in Abydos. But is it a vengeful ancient spirit or a very modern conspiracy…...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction industrial-era lgbtq suspense victorian action-adventure adult -
Not a Fine Gentleman by Donna Hatch
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMargaret, the eldest of the misbegotten Amesbury family, is accused of murdering her jerk of a husband and then fleeing. Conner Jackson, a Bow Street Runner, is hunting her down to bring her to justice. Or so he thinks...This romantic story of loss and betrayal, forgiveness and redemption, and strangers marrying, will leave you laughing, crying, and swooning...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era suspense victorian action-adventure adult book -
Seducing the Siren of Seven Dials by Jillian Eaton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThree years ago, Lady Amelia disappeared without a trace. Unable to conform to the rigid rules of society, she sought freedom in the streets of Seven Dials and transformed herself into Artemis Bishop, thief-extraordinaire. But in doing so, she spurned her betrothed…the powerful Duke of Warwick.Warwick can handle misplacing a cravat...Categorized as:
drama female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era victorian action-adventure adult book -
Risking the Detective by Ellie St. Clair
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe was swindled, ruined, and left for dead. She is determined to rise -- but she will never fall in love again.Madeline Castleton was played for a fool, tricked into a sham of a marriage to a masquerading earl who only wanted her fortune. Now she is determined to prove that she is not a naive young woman but capable of running her father’s stone company... -
A Season for Scandal by Golden Angel
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe always dreamed of marrying a Stuart brother. Just not the one who meets her at the altar. When scandal sweeps through London's ballrooms, Lord Elijah Stuart's younger brother is caught in its web. Though his main duty is to England's spymaster, Elijah must forsake his work searching for the traitor to the Crown and instead focus on weddings and reputations...Categorized as:
steamy historical-fiction industrial-era female-mc suspense victorian romance historical -
Colt (Alaska Cowboys and Mounties Book 1) (Western Historical Romance) by Kate Bridges
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBe swept away by these passionate ALASKA COWBOYS and MOUNTIES! This enthralling western historical romance series by USA TODAY bestselling author, Kate Bridges, celebrates sexy alpha heroes and remarkable women as they fall in love...Categorized as:
victorian historical-fiction female-mc suspense industrial-era romance western historical -
Hollow Out the Dark by James Wade
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAward-winning author James Wade blends atmospheric prose with soul-stirring themes in Hollow Out the Dark, a gothic adventure set against a Depression-era landscape where a whiskey war threatens to decimate a small Texas town.A veteran of the Great War, Jesse Cole is grateful for the quiet life he now leads...Categorized as:
historical-fiction suspense crime gothic literary-fiction industrial-era romance fiction -
The Corpse Played Dead by Georgina Clarke
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players…’ When an undercover assignment for the Bow Street magistrate sees prostitute Lizzie Hardwicke trade Ma Farley’s Bawdy House in Soho for life as a seamstress the theatre on Drury Lane, it becomes clear quite quickly - what goes on in the wings is much more intriguing than the theatrics being played out on stage…Soon Lizzie is...Categorized as:
historical-fiction crime industrial-era victorian female-mc romance mystery historical -
Raven by Adele Clee
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMeet Raven—the second of four gentlemen who work to right injustices—in the new heart-stopping series, Gentlemen of the Order.Finlay Cole deserves the moniker Raven. Bad luck and ill omens are his constant companions. Still crippled with guilt over his wife’s death, he works as an enquiry agent to distract him from the pain of the past...Categorized as:
crime female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction steamy suspense victorian -
Desiring the Devil of Duncraven by Jillian Eaton
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe's a dangerous bounty hired to track her down...she's a beautiful duchess with a wounded heart. When these two meet, one thing is certain: the Devil of Duncraven is never letting her go...Categorized as:
drama female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era victorian action-adventure adult book -
-
A Treacherous Trade by Kerrigan Byrne
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“Forgive me…for I have sinned.”And nothing interrupts a good confession like a murder.Fiona Mahoney stands in the ashes of her hopes facing her tempting adversary, Inspector Grayson Croft. Her sins are about to spill from her lips, when he says the one thing that could dispel all thoughts of revelation or redemption...Categorized as:
crime female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era suspense victorian action-adventure adult -
Fire on the Hill by Gretta Curran Browne
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAlthough presented here as a novel, FIRE ON THE HILL is a true story based on recorded facts. Michael Dwyer was born, cradled and then grew from boy to man under the shade of the Wicklow Hills. He knows every inch of them, knows all their secrets: the river streams to quench a man’s thirst, the wild game to keep away hunger, the wood in excess to burn, and the sheltering caves... -
A Dangerous Game by Laura Beers
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSpies never play by the rules, especially when it comes to falling in love. Emmeline Lockhart is in an extraordinary position for a woman of her station. However, she has no desire to marry a duke who is old enough to be her grandfather. But what other options does she have? The only way out is to find someone who is willing to marry her... and quickly...Categorized as:
drama female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era victorian action-adventure adult book -
The Crown Jewel Mystery by Anna Elliott, Charles Veley
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA young American actress arrives in London hoping to learn her identity, just as Sherlock Holmes is closing in on a master criminal. Their worlds collide, and not even Holmes could have foreseen the impact! This novella is the prequel to The Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James Mystery series. It takes place three days before the opening of The Last Moriarty...Categorized as:
female-mc suspense historical-fiction literary-fiction romance historical mystery christian -
Passage of Shadows by Chasity Bowlin
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDon’t miss the exciting conclusion to The Victorian Gothic Collection… The plots, schemes and machinations at Cysgod Lys, from both mortal and immortal sources, are coming to a head... -
The Wind Dancer/Storm Winds by Iris Johansen
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTwice the thrills—in one captivating volumePublished together for the first time, from #1 New York Times best-selling author Iris Johansen comes a gripping pair of historical thrillers that push the boundaries of intrigue, suspense, and danger...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction literary-fiction suspense abuse action-adventure adult anthologies
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.