Mary Riley Styles Public Library: Historical Fiction: December 2025

Recent Releases

The Women of Oak Ridge
by Michelle Shocklee

In the hills of Tennessee, two women work at a Manhattan Project site during World War II and uncover truths that irrevocably change their lives--

The Elopement
by Gill Hornby

Fanny Austen, a niece of Jane Austen, marries widowed Sir Edward Knatchbull in 1820 and parents his children, including teenage Mary Dorothea. Though she’s not fond of her new stepmother, Mary Dorothea does like the rest of the family, especially Fanny’s handsome brother Edward. For more witty novels about Jane Austen or her family, try: Gill Hornby’s Godmersham Park or Paula Byrne’s Six Weeks by the Sea.

The Gun Man Jackson Swagger
by Stephen Hunter

In 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 Laing

Leaving 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. Lavery

At 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.

Sharpe's Storm: Richard Sharpe and the Invasion of Southern France, 1813
by Bernard Cornwell

The year is 1813. France is a battlefield, and winter shows no mercy. Amid brutal conditions, Major Richard Sharpe finds himself saddled with an unexpected burden: Rear-Admiral Sir Joel Chase, dispatched by the Admiralty with sealed orders, unshakable confidence, and a frankly terrifying enthusiasm for combat. Sharpe's mission from Wellington is clear, yet anything but simple: keep Sir Joel alive. Sir Joel could hold the key to defeating Napoleon once and for all. But to pull off his audacious plan, he needs someone who knows how to fight dirty, think fast, and survive the impossible--

Bog Queen
by Anna North

This 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 Stevens

After 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!