Top new historical-fiction books in May 2024
Last updated:
May 31, 2024
May 2024 featuring new releases by Mark T. Sullivan, Sarah Perry, Luanne G. Smith, Bridget Collins, Natalie Jenner, Janet Skeslien Charles, Genevieve Cogman, Jessica Shattuck, T.E. Kinsey, Conn Iggulden and many more.
-
All the Glimmering Stars by Mark T. Sullivan
Inspired by a true story, two teens kidnapped by an African warlord find salvation through love in a powerful and healing historical novel from the #1 bestselling author of Beneath a Scarlet Sky and The Last Green Valley.Anthony Opoka and Florence Okori are coming of age in Uganda in the 1990s... -
![Enlightenment by Sarah Perry]()
Enlightenment by Sarah Perry
A dazzling new work of literary fiction from the author of The Essex Serpent, a story of love and astronomy told over the course of twenty years through the lives of two improbable best friends. Thomas Hart and Grace Macaulay have lived all their lives in the small Essex town of Aldleigh...fiction · historical-fiction · literary-fiction · fantasy · historical · religion · lgbtq · audiobook · family · horror -
![The Wolf's Eye by Luanne G. Smith]()
The Wolf's Eye by Luanne G. Smith
Under the full moon of World War I, a baleful curse threatens to tear apart a witch’s found family in a novel by the Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Raven Spell.Petra Kurková—a witch who wields magic worth its weight in gold—is tasked with combating the undead on World War I’s eastern front...fantasy · paranormal · historical · historical-fiction · magic · witches-wizards · shapeshifters · alchemy · magical-realism · romance -
![The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins]()
The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins
From the acclaimed author of the #1 international bestseller The Binding—a captivating story of gothic suspense about a powerful family, the magical and dangerous silk their fortune is built upon, and the exploitative history they are desperately trying to hide...fantasy · historical-fiction · gothic · fiction · historical · magical-realism · mystery · lgbtq · spooky · audiobook -
![Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner]()
Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner
The bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls returns with a brilliant novel of love and art, of grief and memory, of confronting the past and facing the future.In 1955, Vivien Lowry is facing the greatest challenge of her life...europe · south-europe · italy · urban · vatican · england · romance · historical-fiction · fiction · historical -
-
![Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles]()
Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles
The New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the “captivating, richly drawn” (Woman’s World) The Paris Library returns with a brilliant new novel based on the true story of Jessie Carson—the American librarian who changed the literary landscape of France...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · ww1 · war · female-mc · romantic-love · literary-fiction · friendship · 20th-century -
![Elusive by Genevieve Cogman]()
Elusive by Genevieve Cogman
Revolutionary France is full of blood and bite as vampires plot for power.Eleanor, once a lowly English maid, is now a member of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, know for their daring deeds and recusing aristocrat vampires from the guillotine.This time, Eleanor and the League are investigating the disappearance of Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, the notorious French statesman and diplomat... -
![Last House by Jessica Shattuck]()
Last House by Jessica Shattuck
"An ambitious historical epic that doubles as an intimate family saga. Jessica Shattuck captures and connects it all—the imperial ambitions of the postwar generation, the rebellion of their offspring in the Sixties, and the fallout we’re still sifting through today. . . . This is a wide-ranging novel to savor...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · political-intrigue · 20th-century · literary-fiction · family · book · adult -
![An Assassination on the Agenda by T.E. Kinsey]()
An Assassination on the Agenda by T.E. Kinsey
They’re hoping this visit is a return journey—but it might be a one-way ticket to murder.July 1912. Lady Hardcastle and her tenacious lady’s maid, Florence Armstrong, are enjoying a convivial gathering at the home of their dear friends, the Farley-Strouds...mystery · historical-fiction · historical · fiction · murder · cozy · amateur-sleuth · law-enforcement · investigator · female-mc -
![Nero by Conn Iggulden]()
Nero by Conn Iggulden
From this New York Times bestselling author, the first novel in a new trilogy that finds Empress Agrippina and her young son, Nero, fending off ambitious rivals while shaping their own destiny—if Nero is to become the most feared and notorious emperor of them all.The story begins with a hand curled around another man’s throat... -
![The Brightwood Code by Monica Hesse]()
The Brightwood Code by Monica Hesse
Seven months ago Edda was on the World War I front lines as one of two hundred “Hello Girls,” female switchboard operators employed by the US Army. She spent her nights memorizing secret connection codes to stay ahead of spying enemies and her days connecting calls between platoons and bases and generals, all trying to survive—and win—a brutal war...historical-fiction · young-adult · historical · mystery · fiction · 20th-century · season-spring · children · ww1 · law-enforcement -
![All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker]()
All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
From the New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End comes a soaring thriller and an epic love story that spans decades.“Impeccably crafted, deeply emotional, entirely shattering. I was captivated from page one.” ―Bonnie Garmus, New York Times bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Mohammed Ali is fighting Joe Frazier...mystery · fiction · crime · suspense · historical-fiction · contemporary · thriller · audiobook · kidnapping · friendship -
![The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson]()
The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson
"Constance Haverhill is without prospects. Her mother has just passed away, her brother is newly married, and now that the Great War is over, she has been asked to give up managing the estate she helped to run when the men all joined the army. It is suggested to her that she become a governess. But first, she will act as caretaker to Mrs...europe · british-isles · united-kingdom · england · romance · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · feminism · drama -
![Tom Clancy Act of Defiance by Tom Clancy, Brian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson]()
Tom Clancy Act of Defiance by Tom Clancy, Brian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson
When a Russian superweapon is let loose under the waves, it's up to President Jack Ryan to find a countermove in the latest entry in this #1 New York Times bestselling series.US intelligence says there's something going on in Russia. While their land forces have been decimated by corruption and incompetence, the Navy seems to be pouring money into some secret project...fiction · audiobook · military · mystery · suspense · action-adventure · politics · historical-fiction · thriller · espionage -
![The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood]()
The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood
A romantic historical fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blackwood, set in the American Civil War with vampires and people with demigod-like abilities.1863, PennsylvaniaWar doesn’t scare Jerusalem—she’s a Saint. Thanks to powerful demigod-style reflexes, endurance, and strength, she’s fearless...romance · fantasy · young-adult · historical-fiction · vampires · historical · fiction · sci-fi · sword-sorcery · urban-fantasy -
![The Lost Lover by Karen Swan]()
The Lost Lover by Karen Swan
Young Flora MacQueen has always dreamed of more than a hard life on the small Scottish island of St Kilda. And when she catches the eye of visiting adventurer and wealthy businessman James Callaghan her future seems brighter.Only, as the islanders prepare to leave their homes for the final time, Flora finds her dreams shattered...romance · historical-fiction · historical · fiction · audiobook · mystery · womens-fiction · friendship · family · book -
![The Medicine Woman of Galveston by Amanda Skenandore]()
The Medicine Woman of Galveston by Amanda Skenandore
Caught in the great Galveston Hurricane of 1900, a female doctor who’s joined a traveling medicine show to support her disabled son is forced to weather the storm and its aftermath in a town hostile to the troupe’s unconventional ways but desperate for their help...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · western · womens-fiction · medical · family · friendship · female-mc · 20th-century -
![The Puzzle Wood by Rosie Andrews]()
The Puzzle Wood by Rosie Andrews
Deep in the woods, something is stirring.When Miss Catherine Symonds arrives to take up a position as governess at remote Locksley Abbey in the foothills of the Black Mountains, where England bleeds into Wales, she is apprehensive...historical-fiction · gothic · fiction · mystery · historical · crime · industrial-era · victorian · fantasy · audiobook -
![The Numbers Man by Graham Moore]()
The Numbers Man by Graham Moore
A midwestern tax attorney joins a secret mission to crash the Nazi economy in this historical thriller based on a true story, from the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of The Imitation Game and bestselling author of The Last Days of Night .What would you do if you saw the world was ending—but nobody believed you?1939...historical-fiction · fiction · ww2 · historical · mystery · espionage · action-adventure · suspense · war · audiobook -
-
![Bluebeard by Jim Clemente, Peter McDonnell]()
Bluebeard by Jim Clemente, Peter McDonnell
A NEW THRILLER BASED ON THE TRUE STORY OF LA’S FIRST KNOWN SERIAL KILLERIn 1919, Kathryn Wombacher finds a lonely-hearts ad placed by one Walter Andrew:"Would be pleased to correspond with a refined young lady or widow. Object, matrimony."Kathryn and Walter fall in love and marry within weeks...audiobook · mystery · fiction · true-crime · crime · historical-fiction · suspense · historical · serial-killers · retellings -
![Return to the Irish Boarding House by Sandy Taylor]()
Return to the Irish Boarding House by Sandy Taylor
Mary Kate takes a deep breath as she stands outside 24 Merrion Square with its red front door and pretty rose garden. Grieving from her recent heartbreak, will returning to the Irish boarding house be the second chance she so desperately needs?Dublin, 1956: When Mary Kate Ryan loses the love of her life, she’s not sure how she can keep going...historical-fiction · small-town · literary-fiction · historical · family · fiction · female-mc · epic · romance · book -
![The Stolen Child by Ann Hood]()
The Stolen Child by Ann Hood
An unlikely duo ventures through France and Italy to solve the mystery of a child’s fate in this moving, page-turning novel from “a gifted storyteller” ( People ). For decades, Nick Burns has been haunted by a decision he made as a young soldier in World War I, when a French artist he’d befriended thrust both her paintings and her baby into his hands―and disappeared...fiction · historical-fiction · historical · audiobook · mystery · literary-fiction · war · ww2 · female-mc · 20th-century -
![The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji]()
The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji
Shortlisted for The Women’s Prize • Named a most anticipated book by Electric Literature, Publishers Weekly, The BBC, Daily Mail (London), and moreA darkly funny, life-affirming debut novel following five women from a once illustrious Iranian family as they grapple with revolutions personal and political.Meet the Valiat family. In Iran, they were somebodies. In America, they’re nobodies...urban · new-york-state · fiction · historical-fiction · contemporary · literary-fiction · audiobook · family · politics · poc-mc -
![The Theatre of Glass and Shadows by Anne Corlett]()
The Theatre of Glass and Shadows by Anne Corlett
Sometimes the greatest spectacle hides the darkest secrets . . .In an alternate London, the city's Theatre District is a walled area south of the river where an immersive production - the Show - has been running for centuries, growing ever bigger, more sprawling and lavish... -
![Long Island by Colm Tóibín]()
Long Island by Colm Tóibín
From the beloved, critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author comes a spectacularly moving and intense novel of secrecy, misunderstanding, and love , the story of Eilis Lacey, the complex and enigmatic heroine of Brooklyn , Tóibín’s most popular work twenty years later...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · literary-fiction · 20th-century · audiobook · parenthood · marriage · family · book -
![The Last Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal]()
The Last Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal
All will be revealed in this no-holds-barred finale of the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated Maggie Hope series as the intrepid spy teams up with fashion designer—and possible double agent—Coco Chanel to bring down the physicist behind Nazi Germany’s nuclear program.“Intrepid Maggie Hope’s high-stakes mission is fraught with danger and moral questions. . . . A heartfelt story...historical-fiction · mystery · historical · ww2 · fiction · espionage · war · friendship · female-mc · law-enforcement -
![The Men From Echo Creek by N.R. Walker]()
The Men From Echo Creek by N.R. Walker
In the winter of 1882, a boy from the mountains has to prove himself a man.When Albie Bramwell’s father died, he was left with two thousand hectares of mountain to farm, and little help to run it. Abandoned by all but two of his workers, the whole town of Alpine Falls called him too young to run the farm alone.Young, yes. At just nineteen, he was determined to prove them wrong...oceania · australia · romance · historical · mlm · historical-fiction · western · lgbtq · audiobook · found-family -
![Flawless Girls by Anna-Marie McLemore]()
Flawless Girls by Anna-Marie McLemore
The Soler sisters are infamous in polite society—brazen, rebellious, and raised by their fashionable grandmother who couldn’t care less about which fork goes where...horror · young-adult · lgbtq · fantasy · mystery · contemporary · fiction · gothic · magical-realism · wlw -
![The Berlin Sisters by Soraya M. Lane]()
The Berlin Sisters by Soraya M. Lane
From the bestselling author of The Secret Midwife comes a story of bravery, sacrifice and resilience in war-torn Berlin―and two sisters who will risk it all to make a difference. Berlin, 1943: Ava Müller is a proud supporter of the German war effort, working for Joseph Goebbels alongside her father, a high-ranking official in the Reich...historical-fiction · audiobook · ww2 · historical · fiction · romance · friendship · family · 20th-century · literary-fiction -
![The Goddess of Warsaw by Lisa Barr]()
The Goddess of Warsaw by Lisa Barr
The Goddess Of Warsaw is an enthralling tale of a legendary Hollywood screen goddess with a dark secret about her life in the Warsaw Ghetto. When the famous actress is threatened by someone from her past, she must put her skills into play to protect herself, her illustrious career, and those she loves, then and now. Los Angeles, 2005...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · ww2 · war · suspense · assassinations · new-adult · vigilante · justice -
![The Nightingale's Castle by Sonia Velton]()
The Nightingale's Castle by Sonia Velton
In the vein of riveting historical novels such as Hamnet and Circe—with a touch of Dracula—a propulsive, feminist reimagining of the story of Erzsébet Báthory, the infamous sixteenth-century Hungarian aristocrat known as the “Blood Countess”, who was rumored to have murdered hundreds of peasant girls and bathed in their blood.In 1573, Countess Erzsébet Báthory gives birth to an illegitimate child...historical-fiction · gothic · fiction · historical · fantasy · horror · magical-realism · retellings · vampires · audiobook -
![Someplace Like Home by Bobi Conn]()
Someplace Like Home by Bobi Conn
A mother and daughter in Appalachia unpack the traumas of the past in a powerful and reflective novel about family, healing, and moving on by the author of A Woman in Time.Jenny Caudill grows up in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in a home that feels more like a trap...fiction · rural · historical-fiction · romantic-love · mental-illness · historical · dark · audiobook · family · drama -
![Locked in Pursuit by Ashley Weaver]()
Locked in Pursuit by Ashley Weaver
The fourth instalment in the delightful series following safecracker Electra McDonnell fighting Nazis at every turn as World War II looms over London...romance · mystery · historical-fiction · historical · fiction · ww2 · espionage · suspense · cozy · audiobook -
-
![The Thunder of Stones by Andrea Penrose]()
The Thunder of Stones by Andrea Penrose
Athens. A city where the ancient past and present tangle in a web of intrigue. As Saybrook and Arianna seek to unravel the truth about her brother’s disappearance while on a clandestine mission for the Crown, they find themselves threatened by shadowy enemies—and a mysterious ancient talisman . .mystery · industrial-era · regency · historical · historical-fiction · fiction · cozy · romantic-love · female-mc · amateur-sleuth -
![Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong]()
Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong
Disturbing the Dead is the latest in a unique series with one foot in the 1890s and the other in the present day. The A Rip Through Time crime novels are a genre-blending, atmospheric romp from New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.Victorian Scotland is becoming less strange to modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson...romance · mystery · time-travel · historical-fiction · fantasy · historical · audiobook · fiction · suspense · paranormal -
![This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud]()
This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud
Over seven decades, from 1940 to 2010, the pieds-noirs Cassars live in an itinerant state—separated in the chaos of World War II, running from a complicated colonial homeland, and, after Algerian independence, without a homeland at all...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · family · literary-fiction · 20th-century · epic · book · adult -
![Two Lies and a Lord by Eloisa James]()
Two Lies and a Lord by Eloisa James
When a baby lands on Daisy’s doorstep, she blurts out a lie that leads to marriage…And then realizes her wedding night looms! A new hilarious, sexy convenient marriage story by bestselling author Eloisa James...romance · historical · marriage-of-convenience · industrial-era · regency · fiction · historical-fiction · age-gap · family · slow-burn -
![Forever Her Viscount by Scarlett Scott]()
Forever Her Viscount by Scarlett Scott
After a salacious rumor tarnished her reputation and caused the man she loved to cry off their engagement, Lady Charity Manners has dedicated herself to becoming an unapologetic hoyden. She’ll never fall in love with a man—or trust one—ever again. Especially not a quiet, brooding, proper lord who is too handsome for his own good...romance · historical · audiobook · humor · alpha-mc · steamy · historical-fiction · fiction · industrial-era · regency -
![The Scandalous Life of Nancy Randolph by Kate Braithwaite]()
The Scandalous Life of Nancy Randolph by Kate Braithwaite
A compelling historical retelling of the first great scandal to shake America.Victim? Temptress? Murderer?October 1792. At Glentivar Plantation, Virginia, enslaved workers find the body of a white baby hidden amongst logs.Judy and Richard Randolph along with Nancy, Judy’s eighteen year old sister, are staying at the plantation...historical-fiction · fiction · mystery · historical · audiobook · suspense · female-mc · murder · classics · crime -
![You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian]()
You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian
An emotional, slow-burn, grumpy/sunshine, queer mid-century romance for fans of Evvie Drake Starts Over, about grief and found family, between the new star shortstop stuck in a batting slump and the reporter assigned to (reluctantly) cover his first season—set in the same universe as We Could Be So Good.The 1960 baseball season is shaping up to be the worst year of Eddie O’Leary’s life...romance · lgbtq · historical · historical-fiction · sports · fiction · mlm · grief · new-adult · slow-burn
