Books like 'Howtown'
Readers who enjoyed Howtown by Michael Nava also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical romance mystery mlm lgbtq crime historical-fiction anti-hero law-enforcement
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The Unknown Beloved by Amy Harmon
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsChicago, 1923: Ten-year-old Dani Flanagan returns home to find police swarming the house, her parents dead. Michael Malone, the young patrolman assigned to the case, discovers there’s more to the situation - and to Dani Flanagan herself - than the authorities care to explore. Malone is told to shut his mouth, and Dani is sent away to live with her spinster aunts in Cleveland... -
![This Was a Man by Jeffrey Archer, Susanna Tuomi-Giddings]()
This Was a Man by Jeffrey Archer, Susanna Tuomi-Giddings
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIn Whitehall, Giles Barrington discovers the truth about his wife Karin from the Cabinet Secretary. Is she a spy or a pawn in a larger game? Harry Clifton sets out to write his magnum opus, while his wife Emma completes her ten years as Chairman of the Bristol Royal Infirmary, and receives an unexpected call from Margaret Thatcher offering her a job... -
![Murder Book by Marshall Thornton]()
Murder Book by Marshall Thornton
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn the second of the Boystown mysteries to be a finalist for the Lambda Award, it’s fall 1982 and Chicago is gripped by panic after five people die from poisoned Tylenol capsules. Amid the chaos, the Bughouse Slasher takes his eighth victim, this time striking close to private investigator Nick Nowak. With the Chicago Police Department stretched to its limit, Nick takes matters into his own hands... -
![The Tell Tale by Clare Ashton]()
The Tell Tale by Clare Ashton
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA small town, enduring love, a web of secrets.The Tell Tale has been watching and waiting, because there’s something queer about the village of Foel.Beth Griffiths has returned home to raise her daughter in the Welsh hills. They arrive to the open arms of the community, but not all is what it seems and Beth isn’t home for the reason she pretends either... -
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![The Orphan in the Peacock Shawl by AnneMarie Brear]()
The Orphan in the Peacock Shawl by AnneMarie Brear
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsYorkshire Dales 1850As a terrible storm rages, Annabelle Wallis is shocked to find a distressed young woman at her cottage door, heavy with child. Moments later a baby girl is born. But by dawn, the mother has vanished, leaving behind the helpless child wrapped only in a silk peacock shawl... -
![From the Ashes by Marshall Thornton]()
From the Ashes by Marshall Thornton
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt’s winter 1984. Private Investigator Nick Nowak has allowed his life to fall to pieces: He’s stopped taking cases, given up his apartment and taken a job as a bartender at a sleazy joint tucked under the El. All he wants to do is stay hidden and lick his wounds after the death of his lover, Detective Bert Harker... -
![Carved in Bone by Michael Nava]()
Carved in Bone by Michael Nava
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWas Bill Ryan's death an accident? Henry Rios has his doubts.The first new Henry Rios novel in 20 years from six-time Lambda Literary award winner Michael Nava is a brilliantly plotted mystery that weaves together the gripping story of two gay men against the backdrop of 1980s San Francisco as the tsunami of AIDS bears down upon the city... -
![Precious Jules by C.J. Bishop]()
Precious Jules by C.J. Bishop
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA Gangster Cowboy Novella They will bring him home...by any means necessary. When Adrian's 4 y/o nephew, Jules, is abducted by Adrian's brother Tazz - leader of a motorcycle gang - it is up to Clint and the boys to get him back, by any means necessary... -
![The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles]()
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsBridgerton meets Poldark in this sweeping LGBTQIA+ Regency romance from award-winning author KJ CharlesAbandoned by his father as a small child, Sir Gareth Inglis has grown up prickly, cold, and well-used to disappointment. Even so, he longs for a connection, falling headfirst into a passionate anonymous affair that's over almost as quickly as it began... -
![A Mystery at Carlton House by Ashley Gardner, Jennifer Ashley]()
A Mystery at Carlton House by Ashley Gardner, Jennifer Ashley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratings1818: Captain Lacey is drawn into affairs of the highest in the land when his friend Grenville is asked by the Prince Regent to look into odd happenings in his lavish abode of Carlton House. Objects of value have gone missing, paintings and sculpture have been moved, and some of the staff have reported strange sounds and movements in the shadows...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction law-enforcement adult book female-author fiction historical -
![A Deadly Affair by Carla Simpson]()
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 law-enforcement romance mystery historical fiction industrial-era -
![Murder in St. Giles by Ashley Gardner, Jennifer Ashley]()
Murder in St. Giles by Ashley Gardner, Jennifer Ashley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLondon, 1819: When Brewster, my bodyguard, comes to me about a murder of a pugilist—and what’s more, says his wife has summoned me—I must hasten to St. Giles to find a killer before Brewster is arrested for the crime. This is made difficult because Donata's late husband’s odious cousin has materialized to try to wrest her son into his care...Categorized as:
historical-fiction crime law-enforcement romance mystery historical industrial-era regency -
![Ármány és kézfogó by Gyula Böszörményi]()
Ármány és kézfogó by Gyula Böszörményi
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA naptár 1900-ról lassanként 1901-re vált, miként a négy esztendővel korábban elrabolt Hangay Emma ügye is hátborzongató fordulatot vesz. Ambrózy báró, az Osztrák-Magyar Monarchia első magándetektívje és hű segítőtársa, Mili kisasszony új nyomra lel, ám az ösvény, melyre ezáltal lépnek, sokkal tüskésebb, nyaktörőbb és veszélyesebb, mint azt bármelyikük is sejtené...Categorized as:
historical-fiction crime law-enforcement romance historical young-adult mystery fiction -
![A Rudnay-gyilkosságok by Gyula Böszörményi]()
A Rudnay-gyilkosságok by Gyula Böszörményi
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratings1900 ősze. Budapest székesfőváros a perzsa sah látogatására készül. A titokzatos keleti uralkodó teljes udvarházával egyetemben járja be Európát, mindenhol rendkívüli érdeklődést, sőt rajongást váltva ki. Rudnay Béla rendőrfőkapitányt azonban egészen más nyomasztja: kereken hét olyan gyilkossági ügy aktája hever az asztalán, amit a legkiválóbb detektívjei sem voltak képesek felderíteni...Categorized as:
historical-fiction crime law-enforcement romance historical young-adult mystery fiction -
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![The Lies That Bind by Marshall Thornton]()
The Lies That Bind by Marshall Thornton
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe eighth book of the best-selling Boystown Mystery Series begins with a phone call in the middle of the night. Private investigator Nick Nowak is pulled into the troubled world of freelance journalist, and all around pain-in-the-ass, Christian Baylor. When Christian can’t stop lying about the corpse in his bathroom things slip slowly out of control... -
![Bloodlines by Marshall Thornton]()
Bloodlines by Marshall Thornton
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn the latest book in the Boystown Mystery series, Private Investigator Nick Nowak finds himself simultaneously working two cases for his new client, law firm Cooke, Babcock and Lackerby. A suburban dentist has just been convicted of murdering her adulterous husband, Nick is asked to interview witnesses for the penalty phase of the trial—and possibly find the dead man’s mistress... -
![Fade Out by Marshall Thornton]()
Fade Out by Marshall Thornton
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Lambda Award-winning Boystown Mystery series comes to a close with Boystown 13: Fade Out. When a box containing a woman’s corpse shows up at his doorstep, Private Investigator Nick Nowak finds himself accused of murder. The police are convinced it’s Rita Lindquist—a woman who once shot Nick. Their case is thin, but they and the state’s attorney are determined to prosecute him... -
![The Favored Son by Sarah Woodbury]()
The Favored Son by Sarah Woodbury
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNovember 1147. Gareth and Gwen have again been called to a castle belonging to Robert, Earl of Gloucester, this time by Prince Henry, who insists his uncle was murdered. Allying with Normans doesn't come easily to Gareth and Gwen, but initial doubts are swept aside as more losses come to light... -
![The Gangster by C.S. Poe]()
The Gangster by C.S. Poe
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings1881—Special Agent Gillian Hamilton, magic caster for the Federal Bureau of Magic and Steam, has recovered from injuries obtained while in Shallow Grave, Arizona. Now back in New York City, Gillian makes an arrest on New Year’s Eve that leads to information on a gangster, known only as Tick Tock, who’s perfected utilizing elemental magic ammunition...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction law-enforcement lgbtq mlm action-adventure adult alternate-history -
![A Time For Secrets by Marshall Thornton]()
A Time For Secrets by Marshall Thornton
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn the first full-length novel of the Boystown series, it’s late summer 1982 and private detective Nick Nowak is asked to find a retired gentleman’s long lost lover. Instead, he finds himself embroiled in a decades old murder connected to the man who wants tobe Chicago’s next mayor... -
![Rag and Bone by Michael Nava]()
Rag and Bone by Michael Nava
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOne of the most highly acclaimed writers in the mystery genre "explores new emotional depths" in this last Henry Rios novel. The gay Mexican-American attorney, after the loss of his lover, must face his own mortality while recovering from a heart attack-and reach out to a family he didn't know he had... -
![Lay Your Sleeping Head by Michael Nava, Michael Hames-García]()
Lay Your Sleeping Head by Michael Nava, Michael Hames-García
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThirty years ago, The Little Death introduced Henry Rios, a gay, Latino criminal defense lawyer who became the central figure in a celebrated seven novel series... -
![Golden Terrace, Vol. 2 by Cang Wu Bin Bai, 苍梧宾白]()
Golden Terrace, Vol. 2 by Cang Wu Bin Bai, 苍梧宾白
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAs the bond between Fu Shen and Yan Xiaohan deepens, the looming threat above the empire of Great Zhou remains omnipresent. After the settlement of the Kuangshan Academy case, Yan Xiaohan accompanies Prince Qi southward to Jingchu. However, an unexpected storm traps Prince Qi’s party inside a mysterious temple and leads Yan Xiaohan into a hidden lion’s den... -
![Late Fees by Marshall Thornton]()
Late Fees by Marshall Thornton
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt’s Thanksgiving, 1992 and Noah Valentine is late picking his mother up from the airport. When he arrives he discovers that she’s made a friend on the flight whose also waiting for her son. When women’s son doesn’t show up, they eventually take the woman home for breakfast with neighbor’s Marc and Louis... -
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![The Candlelit Coffin by Elizabeth Bailey]()
The Candlelit Coffin by Elizabeth Bailey
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA thrilling mix of mystery and romance! For fans of Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh, Barbara Erskine and Jane Austen. Murder lurks behind the scenes… 1791, England Lord Francis and Lady Ottilia Fanshawe have suffered a devastating blow. With Ottilia sunk deep into a depression, Francis is desperate to get his beloved wife back... -
![The Seamstress by Mary Kingswood]()
The Seamstress by Mary Kingswood
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA traditional Regency romance, drawing room rather than bedroom. Miss Fanny Winterton has only one wish in her romantic heart — to surrender to overwhelming love. She will accept nothing less than to be struck by the thunderbolt of everlasting passion... -
![The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman]()
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]()
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…... -
![Fairs' Point by Melissa Scott]()
Fairs' Point by Melissa Scott
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDuring Dog Moon, the chief entertainment in the great city of Astreiant, for nobles and commons alike, is the basket-terrier races at New Fair. This year, with spectacularly bad timing, the massive and suspicious bankruptcy of a young nobleman has convulsed the city, leading to suicides, widespread loss of employment, and inconvenient new laws around the universal practice of betting on the races... -
![Claw Marks & Card Games by Maz Maddox]()
Claw Marks & Card Games by Maz Maddox
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCooper Woodlock is a man who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Between his gambling debt and being a widowed father, he can never seem to get Lady Luck back on his side. Desperate for a winning hand, Cooper starts hitting saloons and tempting fate in order to keep the bloodthirsty Spades at bay... -
![Hidden Treasures by Marshall Thornton]()
Hidden Treasures by Marshall Thornton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt’s about a dress. A valuable blue sequined dress worn by a famed actress in a film from the 1940s. For some reason everyone thinks video storeowner Noah Valentine has it. Which might not be a big deal except that it’s connected to the murder of a prominent Hollywood costumer.In the second of the Pinx Video Mysteries, Noah attempts to solve the mystery of the dress... -
![All Lessons Learned: A classic mystery romance by Charlie Cochrane]()
All Lessons Learned: A classic mystery romance by Charlie Cochrane
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“A sparkling, intelligent series, not to be missed” – The Historical Novel Society The Great War is over. Freed from a prisoner of war camp and back at St. Bride’s College, Orlando Coppersmith is discovering what those years have cost.... All he holds dear—including his beloved Jonty Stewart, lost in combat... -
![The Anarchists' Club by Alex Reeve]()
The Anarchists' Club by Alex Reeve
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt's been a year since Leo Stanhope lost the woman he loved, and came closing to losing his own life. Now, more than ever, he is determined to keep his head down and stay safe, without risking those he holds dear... -
![The Viking Prince by Sarah Woodbury]()
The Viking Prince by Sarah Woodbury
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMay 1148. All Dublin is shocked by the murder of a prominent merchant, but only Prince Godfrid knows that the dead man was also a co-conspirator in his brother's plan to take the throne of Dublin. With death stalking his every move, Godfrid must call upon new friends and old to find the killer--and with their help uncover a conspiracy stretching beyond Dublin's walls to every kingdom in Ireland...Categorized as:
historical-fiction crime law-enforcement mystery cozy action-adventure historical fiction -
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![Just a Little Seduction by Merry Farmer]()
Just a Little Seduction by Merry Farmer
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDavid Wirth has made it his life’s work to fight for the rights of those who cannot defend themselves and to navigate England’s choppy legal waters for fellow members of The Brotherhood. Tracking down the three villainous noblemen, including a powerful duke, who have masterminded a child kidnapping ring promises to be the pinnacle of his career seeking justice for the helpless... -
![A Shimmer in the Night by Kelley York]()
A Shimmer in the Night by Kelley York
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBenjamin Prichard has spent much of his life feeling like an outsider. Growing up, his odd behaviour and visions of ghosts left him isolated, not to mention being the child of an immigrant mother and an absent father. Benjamin walks the line between not being Chinese enough for one community, and not English enough for the other.Whisperwood School for Boys changes everything... -
![Any Old Diamonds by K.J. Charles]()
Any Old Diamonds by K.J. Charles
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsLord Alexander Pyne-ffoulkes, the younger son of the Duke of Ilvar, holds a bitter grudge against his wealthy father. The Duke intends to give his Duchess a priceless diamond parure on their wedding anniversary — so Alec hires a pair of jewel thieves to steal it.The Duke's remote castle is a difficult target, and Alec needs a way to get the thieves in... -
![Saffron Alley by A.J. Demas]()
Saffron Alley by A.J. Demas
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA month ago, eunuch sword-dancer and spy Varazda collided with ex-soldier Damiskos at a seaside villa during a dizzying week of intrigue, assassinations, and a fake love affair that—maybe—turned real. Now Varazda is back home in Boukos, at the center of a family and community he dearly loves, and Damiskos is coming to visit.Things aren’t going according to plan...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction lgbtq mlm 21st-century adult alternate-history alternate-universe -
![Two Nick Nowak Novellas by Marshall Thornton]()
Two Nick Nowak Novellas by Marshall Thornton
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn the two novellas that make up the third book in the popular Boystown Mysteries private Investigator Nick Nowak works two challenging cases and grapples with an even more challenging personal life. In Little Boy Boom, Nick’s car explodes when a thief attempts to steal it... -
![The Burning Plain by Michael Nava]()
The Burning Plain by Michael Nava
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGay Mexican American lawyer Henry Rios has fought bigotry and prejudice, battled alcoholism, and watched his lover die from AIDS. In The Burning Plain, he's wrongly accused of murder after a male prostitute he spent an evening with is savagely murdered... -
![The Hidden Law by Michael Nava]()
The Hidden Law by Michael Nava
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWinner of six Lambda Literary awards, the Henry Rios mystery series is iconic. In The Hidden Law, Rios delves deeply into his Latino identity as he defends a young man charged with assassinating a prominent Los Angeles Latino politician... -
![Lessons in Power by Charlie Cochrane]()
Lessons in Power by Charlie Cochrane
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe ghosts of the past will shape your future. Unless you fight them. Cambridge Fellows Mysteries, Book 4 Cambridge, 1907 After settling in their new home, Cambridge dons Orlando Coppersmith and Jonty Stewart are looking forward to nothing more exciting than teaching their students and playing rugby... -
![A Veil Removed by Michelle Cox]()
A Veil Removed by Michelle Cox
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMurder is never far from this sexy couple . . . even during the holidays! Their honeymoon abruptly ended by the untimely death of Alcott Howard, Clive and Henrietta return to Highbury, where Clive discovers all is not as it should be...Categorized as:
historical-fiction crime law-enforcement romance historical suspense mystery fiction -
![How Goes The World? by K.J. Charles]()
How Goes The World? by K.J. Charles
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Positively Final Appearance: a two-part epilogue with Daniel and Archie at a house party and Kim and Will in a gentleman's club, because those are definitely settings that go well for them... -
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![Unseen by Jordan L. Hawk]()
Unseen by Jordan L. Hawk
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsLibrarian Sebastian Rath and his lover Vesper Rune are tasked with seeking and containing the evil Books of the Bound. But one of the Books has been freed from its prison—and is in the hands of a killer.As more bodies turn up, Sebastian finds himself tempted to use forbidden magic to locate the Book and stop the murderer... -
![Honeytrap by Aster Glenn Gray]()
Honeytrap by Aster Glenn Gray
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAt the height of the Cold War, a Soviet and an American agent fall in love.Soviet agent Gennady Matskevich is thrilled when he's assigned to work with American FBI agent Daniel Hawthorne. There’s just one catch: Gennady’s abusive boss wants him to honeytrap his American partner...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction law-enforcement lgbtq mlm 20th-century action-adventure adult -
![To Trust Man On His Oath by K.J. Charles]()
To Trust Man On His Oath by K.J. Charles
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA Will Darling Adventures interlude.Set a week after the ending of The Sugared Game (so containsmild spoilers for that book)... -
![Song for a Viking by K.J. Charles]()
Song for a Viking by K.J. Charles
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 11 ratings‘Song for a Viking’ takes place during/just after the events of the last chapter of Think of England and will be of no use at all to anyone who hasn’t read that book. It is not a standalone. You will definitely get the most out of it if you remind yourself of Think of England’s last chapter before reading... -
![Death in the Spires by K.J. Charles]()
Death in the Spires by K.J. Charles
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe newspapers called us the Seven Wonders. We were a group of friends, that’s all, and then Toby died. Was killed. Murdered. 1905. A decade after the grisly murder of Oxford student Toby Feynsham, the case remains hauntingly unsolved. For Jeremy Kite, the crime not only stole his best friend, it destroyed his whole life... -
![Leányrablás Budapesten by Gyula Böszörményi]()
Leányrablás Budapesten by Gyula Böszörményi
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBudapest, 1896.A város a millenniumi ünnepségek lázában ég. A békebeli Monarchia minden zugából tízezerszám tódulnak az emberek, hogy megcsodálják az ezeréves Magyarország egybehordott kincseit. Köztük van a Marosvásárhelyről érkezett, 16 éves Hangay Emma kisasszony is, akinek a rendezvények második napján nyoma vész...Categorized as:
historical-fiction crime law-enforcement romance historical fiction mystery young-adult
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