Forsyth County Public Library: Historical Fiction: February 2026

Recent Releases

Abduction of a Slave
by Dana Stabenow

In Cleopatra's Egypt, the clouds of war are on the horizon. Cleopatra, seventh of her name, all-powerful ruler of Egypt, has found her most able and trusted agent in Tetisheri, her Eye of Isis. So when Tetisheri asks permission to visit the Kingdom of Cyrenaica, she is surprised - and suspicious - when her queen grants her leave from Alexandria. A gripping historical mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of the Kate Shugak series.

Canticle
by Janet Rich Edwards

Set in medieval Bruges, this atmospheric debut follows devout teenager Aleys as she runs away from home to avoid an arranged marriage and joins a group of secular women supporting the church. Her time there isn't without incident, however, as corrupt religious officials abound and others are suspicious of her ability to read books and her supernatural healing talent. For fans of: Bright I Burn by Molly Aitken; Matrix by Lauren Groff.

The Final Problem
by Arturo Perez-Reverte

In this locked-room mystery set in 1960, a washed-up actor puts his on-camera detective skills to the test when a suspicious death shatters the quiet peace for a group of strangers staying at an isolated Greek island resort. Perfect for fans of Knives Out, Benjamin Stevenson, and Anthony Horowitz.

The Hadacol Boogie: A Dave Robicheaux Novel
by James Lee Burke

Dave Robicheaux, James Lee Burke's iconic detective, returns to investigate the death of an unidentified woman, pulling him into a vortex of corruption and violence in the Louisiana bayou. Through brilliant prose and a quintessential cast of characters, James Lee Burke weaves a portrait of a gritty, violent Louisiana at the turn of the 20th century. For fans of Walter Mosley and Robert Dugoni.

Keeper of Lost Children
by Sadeqa Johnson

Lost in the streets and smoldering rubble of Occupied Germany, Ethel Gathers, the proud wife of an American soldier, spots a gaggle of mixed-race children following a nun. Desperate to conceive her own family, she feels compelled to follow them to learn their story. Keeper of Lost Children explores how one woman's vision will change the course of countless lives, and demonstrates that love in its myriad of forms--familial, parental, and forbidden, even love of self--can be transcendent. For fans of An American Marriage by Tayari Jones and This Motherless Land by Nikki May.

The Shape of Dreams
by April Reynolds

It's the mid-eighties in East Harlem: a twelve-year-old Black boy's murdered body is found by Mathilda Twin Johnson, an unlikely hero who is both the neighborhood's troublemaker and its conscience. When she breaks a cardinal rule--don't call the cops--her decision ensnares a community and brings unmanageable grief to a mother. Anita, a postal worker and army widow, is determined to solve her son's Tyrone's murder, and her quest galvanizes the neighborhood, which is itself a complex character in this teeming novel, with its Mets fans and gossips, immigrant shop owners and latch-key kids. Try this next: People of Means by Nancy Johnson.

She Made Herself a Monster
by Anna Kovatcheva

A heady, dark-hued Gothic gem of a debut novel: in nineteenth-century Bulgaria, a self-proclaimed vampire slayer--in truth, a traveling con artist--joins forces with a teenage girl to create a monster deadly enough to vanquish their own demons. Inspired by Slavic folklore, She Made Herself a Monster concocts a clever mix of witchery, ghost stories, heresy, and deception to spin a feminist fable about agency and the power of collective action. It is a haunting and astoundingly cathartic tale of two women who will stop at nothing to take control of their fate. Try this next: The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez.

The Wandering Queen: A Novel of Dido
by Claire Heywood

An epic and fiercely imaginative retelling of the story of queen Dido, the legendary founder of Carthage, from the author of Daughters of Sparta. When the King of Tyre dies, he decrees that the rule of the kingdom will pass equally to both his children: Elissa, his clever and strong-willed daughter, and Pygmalion, her young half-brother. But Elissa, not yet skilled in the machinations of court, quickly finds herself sidelined by a band of powerful merchants in favor of her more malleable brother. Then one day, a mysterious stranger, Aeneas, arrives at the city gates, fleeing the Trojan War. As Dido and Aeneas are increasingly drawn to each other, Dido is forced to make an impossible choice between power and love. For fans of Jennifer Saint and Madeline Miller.

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