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Historical Fiction May 2026 |
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An Ordinary Sort of Evil: A Rip Through Time Novel
by Kelley Armstrong
New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong returns to Victorian Scotland in the latest in the genre-blending Rip Through Time series. Modern-day homicide detective Mallory Mitchell has grown accustomed to life in Victorian Scotland after travelling 150 years into the past into the body of a housemaid. She's built a new life for herself. Even though she works as an assistant to forensic-science pioneer Dr. Duncan Gray and Detective Hugh McCreadie, she considers them true friends. And with Gray in particular, perhaps, someday, something more. Late one night, Gray and Mallory are summoned urgently to the home of Lady Adler, a patron of Gray's undertaking business, and they assume there's been a death in the household. But instead, they arrive in the midst of a seance with a ghost demanding Gray's presence. The ghost is Lady Adler's former maid, who had gone missing but now requests that Gray investigate her murder. Although Gray and Mallory are skeptical, they agree to look into the matter, whether she's dead or alive. But unsure if there's been a murder or not, unable to call out the medium as a fraud, and concerned for the fate of the young maid, Gray and Mallory are once again drawn into a mystery much more puzzling--and more dangerous--than it first seems.
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| A Bad, Bad Place by Frances CrawfordIn 1979 Glasgow, orphaned 12-year-old Janey Devine, who lives with her nana, is out walking her dog Sid Vicious when she finds the body of college-aged Samantha Watson, daughter of the local crime boss. Janey's traumatized and there's something she can't share with anyone, though the cops keep questioning her and Samantha's grieving dad also visits. This evocative, leisurely paced debut is gritty but has threads of humor throughout. Read-alikes: Marie Tierney's Deadly Animals; Jennie Godfrey's The List of Suspicious Things. |
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The Lost Story of Via Belle
by Melanie Dobson
Searching for a story to adapt for film, an aspiring screenwriter becomes captivated by a bestselling classic novel and the mysterious disappearance of the woman who wrote it.1940. Via Belle's sweet romance novels made readers believe in happily ever after. But Via's reality was much more complicated. While her first husband was alive, her creativity thrived in a beautiful stone estate situated above a pristine lake and moonflower garden. After his tragic death and a whirlwind second marriage shrouded in secrets, Via vanished from public life, leaving behind a shadow of scandal . . . and her final story.2006. Screenwriter Harper Rayne is desperate for a breakthrough, if only she can find the right story to tell. But when she digs into the life of her late mother's favorite novelist, she never expects it to become personal. Drawn to the quaint Pennsylvania town where both her mother and Via once lived, Harper discovers more than a mystery to solve--she finds echoes of her own longing for love, healing, and home. As long-buried secrets come to light, Harper must decide if she'll protect the past or rewrite this particular ending.Described as a powerhouse in dual-timeline Christian fiction (Library Journal), Melanie Dobson delivers another rich, atmospheric novel about the legacy of sacrificial love and the redemptive power of truth.Standalone dual-timeline historical mystery filled with drama, faith, and intrigueClean, suspenseful historical fiction, perfect for fans of Susan Meissner, Lisa Wingate, or Patti Callahan HenryIncludes discussion questions for book groups
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| The Shock of the Light by Lori Inglis HallWorld War II separates tight-knit twins Theo and Tessa when Theo joins the Royal Air Force and French-speaking Tessa trains as a Special Operations Executive (SOE) operative. Afterwards, a wounded Theo mourns war casualties, hides his homosexuality since it's still illegal, and wonders about his still-missing sister. Decades later, PhD candidate Edie researches women in the SOE, leading her and Theo to team up and investigate what happened to Tessa. Try this next: Lucy Caldwell's These Days. |
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| I Hope You Find What You're Looking for by Bsrat MezghebeFlashing back to pivotal 1970s events, this thoughtful novel explores the lives of Eritrean immigrants in 1991 Alexandria, Virginia. Widowed ex-rebel fighter Elsa and her 13-year-old daughter, Lydia, host a newly arrived teenaged cousin, and he pushes Lydia learn more about her dad, who died fighting for independence. Meanwhile, an older relative ponders her last chance at marriage. For fans of: moving immigrant stories; One Blood by Denene Millner. |
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| Evil Genius by Claire OshetskyIn 1970s San Francisco, 19-year-old Celia works at the telephone company, where an adulterous coworker has been murdered by her husband. Unhappily married to a controlling man 11 years her senior, Celia finds the sex and violence of the story tantalizing, and begins to dream of freedom and killing her spouse in this slightly surreal and darkly humorous novel. Try this next: Alex Kadis' Big Nobody. |
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| Where the Girls Were by Kate SchatzIn 1968 California, strait-laced Elizabeth Baker Phillips is a high school valedictorian who's headed to Stanford in the fall. But after falling for a guy at a party, she discovers she's pregnant. Forced by her mother to hide away at a San Francisco home for unwed mothers, she navigates her new reality. Read-alikes: Susan Wiggs' The Wayward Girls; Leila Mottley's The Girls Who Grew Big; Laura Anthony's The Women on Platform Two. |
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| Fatherland by Victoria ShorrA family is broken apart when feckless physician Martin leaves to be with his pregnant mistress. Dealing with her pain and the embarrassment of divorce in a well-to-do 1950s Ohio suburb, Martin's beautiful wife Lora adjusts to life as a single mom while her eldest, seven-year-old Josie, especially misses her dad. Focusing on Martin, Lora, and Josie over several decades, this layered novel is great for book clubs. For fans of: Buckeye by Patrick Ryan. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Michigan City Public Library
100 E. 4th Street
Michigan City, Indiana 46360
219-873-3044mclib.org/ |
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