|
|
|
|
Historical Fiction December 2025 |
|
|
|
| Boleyn Traitor by Philippa GregorySet during the turbulent reign of Henry VIII, this latest from bestselling British author Philippa Gregory explores the life of Jane Boleyn, the wife of Anne Boleyn's brother. Jane serves five of Henry’s wives as lady-in-waiting and works with Thomas Cromwell as a spy in this atmospheric novel full of court intrigue. Fans of Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance will be glad to revisit the family here. Read-alike: Oliver Clements’ The Eyes of the Queen. |
|
|
|
The Night We Became Strangers
by Lorena Hughes
1957: Aspiring photojournalist Valeria Anzures returns to her hometown of Quito with a secret: to discover what really happened to her parents. The disastrous 1949 War of the Worlds show caused a mob to torch her family's radio station--and the newspaper run by their closest friends, the Monteros. The tragedy shattered the families' relationship--and left the station on precarious financial ground. Now, expected to save her family's legacy through an arranged marriage, Valeria will risk everything to find out the truth. Even if it means allying with the man she's always loved--but who now treats her like a stranger.
|
|
| The Gun Man Jackson Swagger by Stephen HunterIn 1897 Arizona Territory, sharpshooter and Civil War vet Jack Swagger takes a job guarding deliveries to and from Mexico for prosperous rancher Colonel Callahan. But not everything is as it seems in this western by Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Hunter, which is “reminiscent of Larry McMurtry” (Booklist). For fans of: Hunter’s Bob Lee Swagger novels (which star a descendent of Jack); William W. Johnstone’s westerns. |
|
| The Silver Book by Olivia LaingLeaving London after an unspecified incident, art student Nicholas Wade heads to Italy in 1974. In Venice, he has a one-night stand with famed production and costume designer Danilo Donati and becomes his assistant, working with celebrated directors Federico Fellini and Pier Paolo Pasolini. But the country is in turmoil, which leads to murder in this “mesmerizing, contemplative, and haunting work” (Kirkus Reviews). Try this next: Isa Arsen’s The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf. |
|
| Christmas at the Women's Hotel by Daniel M. LaveryAt New York’s Biedermeier Hotel in the 1960s, where unmarried working class women of all ages live, Christmas means jobs, some more legal than others. Meanwhile, the hotel manager ponders a large phone bill, secretive tenants, and missing jewels. Full of period charm and witty narration, this holiday follow-up novella to Women's Hotel will please fans. |
|
| The Last Spirits of Manhattan by John A. McDermottIn 1956, 20-something Midwesterner Carolyn Banks ponders her future and visits her Aunt Bella in Manhattan. Bella is selling the family mansion there, but not before renting it to Alfred Hitchcock for a “haunted” party with guests like Henry Fonda and Charles Addams. Since there really are ghosts there, Carolyn attends, hoping to keep her late relatives from causing too much trouble in this evocative and banter-filled debut novel. Try this next: Fiona Davis’ The Spectacular. |
|
| Bog Queen by Anna NorthThis immersive dual-timeline novel follows a young druid priestess from two thousand years ago and an American forensic anthropologist, Dr. Agnes Linstom, who’s been called to examine a body found in an English bog. As Agnes battles both a corporation and climate activists for access, the priestess deals with local rivals and an influx of Romans. Author Anna North “reaches new heights with this brilliant novel,” raves Publishers Weekly. |
|
| The Hitchhikers by Chevy StevensAfter a loss, Tom and Alice try to save their marriage and heal by taking an RV trip across Canada in 1976. But giving a ride to a young couple who are far more dangerous than they appear leads to stunning consequences in this gritty, slow-burn historical thriller that’ll please fans of twisty plotting and memorable characters. For fans of: Simone St. James’ Murder Road. |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
|
|
|