Top new historical-fiction books in April 2023
Last updated:
April 30, 2023
April 2023 featuring new releases by Kate Morton, Martha Hall Kelly, Amy Harmon, Dennis Lehane, Susan Meissner, Jennifer Robson, Sylvain Neuvel, Eoin Dempsey, Chanel Cleeton, Ella Carey and many more.
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Homecoming by Kate Morton
Adelaide Hills, Christmas Eve, 1959: At the end of a scorching hot day, beside a creek on the grounds of the grand and mysterious mansion, a local delivery man makes a terrible discovery. A police investigation is called and the small town of Tambilla becomes embroiled in one of the most shocking and perplexing murder cases in the history of South Australia...adult · audiobook · book · crime · family · female-mc · fiction · gothic · historical · historical-fiction -
![The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly]()
The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly
Two former female spies, bound together by their past, risk everything to hunt down an infamous Nazi doctor in the aftermath of World War II—an extraordinary novel inspired by true events from the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac GirlsAmerican Josie Anderson and Parisian Arlette LaRue are thrilled to be working in the French resistance, stealing so many Nazi secrets that they become...20th-century · action-adventure · adult · book · espionage · family · female-mc · fiction · historical · historical-fiction -
![A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon]()
A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon
From New York Times bestselling author Amy Harmon comes the saga of a young woman who dares to chart her own destiny in life and love during the American Revolutionary War.In 1760, Deborah Samson is born to Puritan parents in Plympton, Massachusetts. When her father abandons the family and her mother is unable to support them, Deborah is bound out as an indentured servant...adult · audiobook · book · female-mc · fiction · historical · historical-fiction · literary-fiction · slow-burn · violent-conflict -
![Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane]()
Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane
The acclaimed New York Times bestselling writer returns with a masterpiece to rival Mystic River—an all-consuming tale of revenge, family love, festering hate, and insidious power, set against one of the most tumultuous episodes in Boston’s history.In the summer of 1974 a heatwave blankets Boston and Mary Pat Fennessey is trying to stay one step ahead of the bill collectors...21st-century · adult · book · crime · family · fiction · historical · historical-fiction · male-author · mystery -
![Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner]()
Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner
A heartrending story about a young mother’s fight to keep her daughter, and the winds of fortune that tear them apart by the New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things and The Last Year of the War...20th-century · adult · audiobook · book · female-mc · fiction · friendship · historical · historical-fiction · literary-fiction -
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![The Coronation Year by Jennifer Robson]()
The Coronation Year by Jennifer Robson
The USA Today bestselling author of The Gown returns with another enthralling and royal-adjacent historical novel—as the lives of three very different residents of London’s historic Blue Lion hotel converge in a potentially explosive climax on the day of Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation.It is Coronation Year, 1953, and a new queen is about to be crowned...20th-century · adult · book · family · fiction · historical · historical-fiction · mystery · royalty -
![For the First Time, Again by Sylvain Neuvel]()
For the First Time, Again by Sylvain Neuvel
Aster believes she is a normal teenage girl - she is very wrong . . .Teenager Aster barely escapes with her life when her adoptive father is killed in a shooting. Suddenly finding herself under the protection of a special US military unit, she learns that blood tests indicate that she's not even human. Unsure who or what she might be - or if any of this is true - Aster's first instinct is to flee... -
![The American Girl by Eoin Dempsey]()
The American Girl by Eoin Dempsey
Can one woman’s inspirational story inspire hope in her granddaughter’s lost soul?New York, 2006.Amy Sullivan’s life is a mess. Fired from her dream job at a prestigious newspaper, she gets a call from her 90-year-old grandmother in the South of France...historical-fiction · war · fiction · historical · thriller · ww2 · military · violent-conflict · 20th-century · book -
![The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton]()
The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton
In 1934, a luxury cruise becomes a fight for survival as two women’s pasts collide on a round-trip voyage from New York to Havana in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton's page-turning new novel inspired by the true story of the SS Morro Castle.New York heiress Catherine Dohan seemingly has it all. There’s only one problem. It’s a lie...adult · book · christian · female-mc · fiction · hispanic · historical · historical-fiction · latinx-mc · mystery -
![The Paris Maid by Ella Carey]()
The Paris Maid by Ella Carey
Paris, 1944. "Traitor!" yells the crowd as they push me down onto a stool. "Nazi collaborator." Tears blur my vision as the razor grazes my scalp, waves of blonde hair falling to the ground. As men paint a swastika across my face, I hold onto one small glimmer of hope. They have no idea who I am. Louise Basset works as a housemaid at The Ritz Hotel , home to the most powerful Nazis in France...historical-fiction · historical · fiction · female-mc · friendship · family · literary-fiction · book · adult -
![Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl by Renée Rosen]()
Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl by Renée Rosen
It’s 1938, and a young woman selling face cream out of a New York City beauty parlor is determined to prove she can have it all. Her name is Estée Lauder, and she’s about to take the world by storm, in this dazzling new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Social Graces and Park Avenue Summer.In New York City, you can disappear into the crowd...adult · book · drama · female-mc · fiction · friendship · historical · historical-fiction · literary-fiction · womens-fiction -
![To Swoon and to Spar by Martha Waters]()
To Swoon and to Spar by Martha Waters
The Regency Vows series that is “sure to delight Bridgerton fans” (USA TODAY) returns with this story about a viscount and his irascible new wife who hopes to chase her husband from their shared home so that she can finally get some peace and quiet—only to find that his company is not as onerous as she thought... -
![Who Cries for the Lost by C.S. Harris]()
Who Cries for the Lost by C.S. Harris
June 1815. The people of London wait, breathlessly, for news as Napoleon and the forces united against him hurtle toward their final reckoning at Waterloo. Among them is Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, frustrated to find himself sidelined while recovering from a dangerous wound he recently received in Paris...adult · amateur-sleuth · audiobook · book · fiction · historical · historical-fiction · killer · law-enforcement · mystery -
![The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton]()
The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton
Two rival spies must brave pirates, witches, and fake matrimony to save the Queen.Known as Agent A, Alice is the top operative within the Agency of Undercover Note Takers, a secret government intelligence group that is fortunately better at espionage than at naming itself. From managing deceptive witches to bored aristocratic ladies, nothing is beyond Alice’s capabilities...action-adventure · adult · book · enemies-to-lovers · fiction · historical · historical-fiction · humor · industrial-era · magic -
![Heir of Uncertain Magic by Charlie N. Holmberg]()
Heir of Uncertain Magic by Charlie N. Holmberg
One man is on a journey to unravel his magical lineage in the next spellbinding novel of the Whimbrel House series by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.Thanks to house tamer Hulda Larkin, the mischief infesting Whimbrel House has calmed...adult · book · cozy · fiction · gaslamp · gothic · historical · historical-fiction · industrial-era · mystery -
![The Fourth Enemy by Anne Perry]()
The Fourth Enemy by Anne Perry
Daniel Pitt prosecutes a beloved philanthropist whose good deeds may hide dark--and dangerous--secrets in this gripping mystery from New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry.Working his way up at London law firm fford Croft and Gibson, Daniel Pitt is named second prosecutor on a fraud case with the potential to make or break his--and the firm's--reputation...adult · audiobook · book · cozy · crime · fiction · historical · historical-fiction · law-enforcement · mystery -
![Murder on Bedford Street by Victoria Thompson]()
Murder on Bedford Street by Victoria Thompson
Midwife Sarah Malloy and her private investigator husband, Frank, must stop a killer lurking among a young family in the newest installment of the USA Today bestselling Gaslight Mysteries...adult · amateur-sleuth · book · cozy · female-mc · fiction · historical · historical-fiction · mystery · urban -
![Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb]()
Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb
From the celebrated author of book club favorite The Violin Conspiracy: A gripping page-turner about a professor who uncovers a shocking secret about the most famous American composer of all time—that his music was stolen from a young Black composer named Josephine Reed... -
![Verity and the Forbidden Suitor by J.J. McAvoy]()
Verity and the Forbidden Suitor by J.J. McAvoy
A spirited and independent heiress defies the expectations of society to chase happily ever after in this irresistible romance from the author of Aphrodite and the Duke. With her brother, the Duke of Everely, married off to the beautiful and charming Aphrodite Du Bell, Verity Eagleman feels more alone than ever within the cold halls of the family estate...romance · historical · historical-fiction · fiction · insta-love · audiobook · small-town · steamy · class-difference · poc-author -
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![Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross]()
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever.After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines...romance · fantasy · young-adult · historical-fiction · historical · audiobook · fiction · enemies-to-lovers · war · myths -
![The Swiss Nurse by Mario Escobar]()
The Swiss Nurse by Mario Escobar
Based on the true story of an astonishingly brave woman who saved hundreds of mothers and their children during the Spanish Civil War and World War II. Elisabeth Eidenbenz left Switzerland in 1937 to aid children orphaned during the Spanish Civil War...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · audiobook · ww2 · female-mc · alpha-mc · military · war · 20th-century -
![A Pocketful of Lies: Collected Stories by K.J. Charles]()
A Pocketful of Lies: Collected Stories by K.J. Charles
A light-fingered drifter encounters a landless earl…A music hall singer finds the man of her dreams in a thieves’ kitchen…A detective is plunged into a Christmas conspiracy…A rogue magician needs the help of a waste-paper seller…Chaos reigns in a dark and twisted alt-Victorian London..romance · historical · lgbtq · historical-fiction · mlm · fantasy · fiction · horror · humor · friends-to-lovers -
![Where Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas]()
Where Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas
Beautifully rendered, Where Coyotes Howl is a vivid and deeply affecting ode to the early twentieth century West, from master storyteller Sandra Dallas.Except for the way they loved each other, they were just ordinary, everyday folks. Just ordinary.1916...adult · audiobook · book · drama · female-mc · fiction · historical · historical-fiction · industrial-era · western -
![The Trackers by Charles Frazier]()
The Trackers by Charles Frazier
From the New York Times bestselling author of Cold Mountain and Varina, a stunning new novel that paints a vivid portrait of life in the Great DepressionHurtling past the downtrodden communities of Depression-era America, painter Val Welch travels westward to the rural town of Dawes, Wyoming...adult · audiobook · book · fiction · historical · historical-fiction · industrial-era · literary-fiction · mystery · western -
![The Lost Daughters of Ukraine by Erin Litteken]()
The Lost Daughters of Ukraine by Erin Litteken
A story of the strength of the human spirit, the personal cost of conflict and how love can be found even in the darkest times. Summer 1941. War rages in Europe. The Germans march towards Ukraine. Halya, Liliya and Vika are no strangers to sorrow. They lost family during the Holodomor, loved ones in Stalin's purges, and war looms once more on the horizon. Vika lives in fear for her children...historical-fiction · fiction · family · war · ww2 · audiobook · historical · terror · torture · prison -
![Throwback by Maurene Goo]()
Throwback by Maurene Goo
Back to the Future meets The Joy Luck Club in this YA contemporary romance about a Korean American girl sent back to the ’90s to (reluctantly) help her teenage mom win Homecoming Queen.Being a first-generation Asian American immigrant is hard. You know what’s harder? Being the daughter of one...romance · young-adult · contemporary · time-travel · sci-fi · historical-fiction · fiction · audiobook · family · fantasy -
![Snow & Poison by Melissa de la Cruz]()
Snow & Poison by Melissa de la Cruz
Love is stronger than poison in this lush retelling of "Snow White" by #1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz.Raven-black hair, red lips, and skin as white as snow—Lady Sophie has led a sheltered life. . . . But that tale ends here.Duchy of Bavaria, 1621. The palace is abuzz with excitement...romance · fantasy · retellings · young-adult · historical-fiction · historical · fiction · fairy-tale · audiobook · magic -
![Atalanta by Jennifer Saint]()
Atalanta by Jennifer Saint
From the beloved, bestselling author of Elektra and Ariadne, a reimagining of the myth of Atalanta, a fierce huntress raised by bears and the only woman in the world’s most famous band of heroes, the ArgonautsPrincess, Warrior, Lover, HeroWhen Princess Atalanta is born, a daughter rather than the son her parents hoped for, she is left on a mountainside to die. But even then, she is a survivor... -
![Life and Other Love Songs by Anissa Gray]()
Life and Other Love Songs by Anissa Gray
A father’s sudden disappearance exposes the private fears, dreams, longings, and joys of a Black American family in the late decades of the twentieth century, in this page-turning and intimate new novel from the author of The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls.It’s a warm, bright October afternoon, and Ozro Armstead walks out into the brilliant sunshine on his thirty-seventh birthday...adult · black-mc · book · contemporary · family · female-mc · fiction · friendship · historical-fiction · literary-fiction -
![The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters]()
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
A four-year-old Mi’kmaq girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a tragic mystery that haunts the survivors, unravels a community, and remains unsolved for nearly fifty years.July 1962. A Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia arrives in Maine to pick blueberries for the summer. Weeks later, four-year-old Ruthie, the family’s youngest child, vanishes...fiction · historical-fiction · mystery · contemporary · drama · indigenous-mc · literary-fiction · suspense · family · audiobook -
![The Benson Murder Case by S.S. Van Dine]()
The Benson Murder Case by S.S. Van Dine
The Benson Murder Case, the first book in one of the most significant detective series of the early 20th century, features the introduction of legendary amateur sleuth Philo Vance and a plot that is partially based on the real-life murder of a well-known bridge player...mystery · fiction · crime · law-enforcement · classics · murder · cozy · golden-age-mystery · audiobook · historical-fiction -
![The Dutch Orphan by Ellen Keith]()
The Dutch Orphan by Ellen Keith
From the author of The Dutch Wife comes a riveting novel set during World War II about a woman who offers shelter to a Jewish baby, and her sister, who must choose between family loyalty and her own safety.Amsterdam, 1941...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · ww2 · realistic · family · female-mc · 20th-century · book · adult -
![The King's Jewel by Elizabeth Chadwick]()
The King's Jewel by Elizabeth Chadwick
Wales, 1093.The warm, comfortable family life of young Nesta, daughter of Prince Rhys of Deheubarth is destroyed when her father is killed and she is taken hostage. Her honor is further tarnished when she is taken as an unwilling concubine by King William's ruthless younger brother Henry, who later ascends the throne under suspicious circumstances... -
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![The Hitherto Secret Experiments of Marie Curie by Seanan McGuire, Jane Yolen, Scott Sigler, Alethea Kontis]()
The Hitherto Secret Experiments of Marie Curie by Seanan McGuire, Jane Yolen, Scott Sigler, Alethea Kontis
Luckily for humanity, scientist Marie Curie applied her brilliant mind and indomitable spirit to expanding the frontiers of science, but what if she had instead drifted toward the darkness?At the cusp of between child- and adulthood, at the crossroads between science and superstition, a teen Marie Curie faces the factual and the fantastic in this fabulous collection of stories that inspire,...young-adult · horror · fantasy · anthologies · historical-fiction · fiction · sci-fi · audiobook · historical · friendship -
![The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox]()
The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox
"Weaves a spell of darkness that’s mysterious and magical, and binds it with a knot of deathless love...20th-century · adult · book · fiction · ghosts · gothic · historical · historical-fiction · horror · magical-realism -
![The Goodbye Governess by Scarlett Scott]()
The Goodbye Governess by Scarlett Scott
She's not truly a governess. He doesn't want to be a dutiful lord. They're about to collide in this deliciously steamy conclusion to the Unexpected Lords series from USA Today bestselling author Scarlett Scott.Oliver “Knight” Knightly, newly inherited Earl of Stoneleigh, has been summoned home to England after the sudden death of his brother...romance · fiction · historical-fiction · industrial-era · regency · sports · historical · victorian · book · adult -
![Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge]()
Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge
Set in the City of Light and starring Julia Child’s (fictional) best friend, confidant, and fellow American, this Magnifique new historical mystery series from the acclaimed author of Murder at Mallowan Hall combines a fresh perspective on the iconic chef’s years in post-WWII Paris with a delicious mystery and a unique culinary twist...adult · amateur-sleuth · book · cozy · female-author · female-mc · fiction · historical · historical-fiction · killer -
![My Sister's Betrayal by Roberta Kagan]()
My Sister's Betrayal by Roberta Kagan
The Nazi oppression whips up a storm of terror, ripping apart the blood sisters Anna, Bernie, Elica, and Dagna.Desperate to be reunited with her husband, Daniel, Elica walks into the dreaded den of the ruthless Gestapo. She's ready to sacrifice anything for their love.Anna and her family find themselves at the mercy of Anna's heart-throb, Ulf...historical-fiction · ww2 · historical · fiction · war · military · 20th-century · violent-conflict · book · adult -
![A Duchess for the Duke by Sally Britton]()
A Duchess for the Duke by Sally Britton
The Duke of Montfort takes a wife. Gregory Dinard, a young duke caught unprepared for his role, needs a companion. When he meets Cecilia, he knows she has the grace and intelligence his duchess will need. Lady Cecilia never expected more than a marriage of mutual benefit, but she's still surprised when the duke proposes an alliance between them...
