Top new historical-fiction books in January 2023
Last updated:
January 31, 2023
January 2023 featuring new releases by Margaret Rogerson, Simone St. James, Lincoln Child, Douglas Preston, Rachel Hawkins, Eleanor Shearer, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Brittany Cavallaro, Susanne Pari, R.S. Maxwell, Armando Lucas Correa and many more.
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Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson
In this sequel novella to Sorcery of Thorns, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas must unravel the magical trap keeping them inside Thorn Manor in time for their Midwinter Ball!Elisabeth Scrivener is finally settling into her new life with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn...action-adventure · audiobook · book · cozy · dark · demons · disability · enemies-to-lovers · epic · female-author -
![Ghost 19 by Simone St. James]()
Ghost 19 by Simone St. James
A woman moves to a town where she becomes obsessed with watching the lives of her neighbors while stuck in a house that refuses to let her leave in this first ever short story from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Cold Cases. Is there something wrong with Ginette Cox? It’s what everyone seems to think...new-york-state · horror · mystery · fiction · audiobook · paranormal · historical-fiction · ghosts · historical · suspense -
![The Cabinet of Dr. Leng by Lincoln Child, Douglas Preston]()
The Cabinet of Dr. Leng by Lincoln Child, Douglas Preston
Agent Pendergast faces his latest challenge in this next installment of the #1 NYT bestselling series by acclaimed authors Preston and Child, the second in the Leng Trilogy.Following the events of Bloodless, FBI Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast and Constance Greene return. Against all odds, Constance has found a way back to the place of her origins, New York City in the late 1800s...action-adventure · adult · audiobook · book · contemporary · crime · fiction · historical-fiction · horror · law-enforcement -
![The Villa by Rachel Hawkins]()
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins comes a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set at an Italian villa with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives... -
![River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer]()
River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer
Her search begins with an ending.... The master of the Providence plantation in Barbados gathers his slaves and announces the king has decreed an end to slavery. As of the following day, the Emancipation Act of 1834 will come into effect. The cries of joy fall silent when he announces that they are no longer his slaves; they are now his apprentices. No one can leave...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · literary-fiction · audiobook · family · slavery · poc-mc · poc-author · survival -
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![Independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni]()
Independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
India, 1947. In a rural village in Bengal live three sisters, daughters of a well-respected doctor.Priya: intelligent and idealistic, resolved to follow in her father's footsteps and become a doctor, though society frowns on it.Deepa: the beauty, determined to make a marriage that will bring her family joy and status...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · audiobook · family · poc-author · poc-mc · female-author · war · 20th-century -
![Manifest by Brittany Cavallaro]()
Manifest by Brittany Cavallaro
New York Times bestselling author Brittany Cavallaro delivers the thrilling conclusion to her YA duology set in an alternate history American monarchy in which a girl fighting for her own freedom sets out to change the government from within . . . or burn it all down.For the first time in her life, Claire Emerson isn’t under a man’s control...romance · fantasy · young-adult · historical-fiction · sci-fi · fiction · historical · alternate-history · steampunk · industrial-era -
![In the Time of Our History by Susanne Pari]()
In the Time of Our History by Susanne Pari
Inspired by her own Iranian-American heritage, the acclaimed author weaves a beautifully crafted story of mothers and daughters, secrets and lies, and defying expectations—even when those choices come with an irrevocable cost...historical-fiction · fiction · literary-fiction · contemporary · family · audiobook · friendship · female-mc · book · adult -
![Through a Darkening Glass: A Novel by R.S. Maxwell]()
Through a Darkening Glass: A Novel by R.S. Maxwell
A mesmerizing World War II mystery about a Londoner who flees the city to write a novel and finds a truth stranger than fiction.England, 1940. Literature student Ruth Gladstone evacuates Cambridge University for Martynsborough, a tiny English village with a shadowy history...20th-century · adult · amateur-sleuth · audiobook · book · fiction · ghosts · gothic · historical · historical-fiction -
![The Night Travelers by Armando Lucas Correa]()
The Night Travelers by Armando Lucas Correa
Four generations of women experience love, loss, war, and hope from the rise of Nazism to the Cuban Revolution and finally, the fall of the Berlin Wall in this sweeping novel from the bestselling author of The German Girl.Berlin, 1931: Ally Keller, a talented young poet, is alone and scared when she gives birth to a mixed-race daughter she names Lilith...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · ww2 · war · audiobook · family · romantic-love · cold-war · journey -
![In Her Highlander's Bed by Lynsay Sands]()
In Her Highlander's Bed by Lynsay Sands
For fans of Outlander, New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands’ newest installment of the Highland Brides series brings us a sweeping tale of passion as a laird’s swim in a loch leads to the love of a lifetime.An invigorating swim in the loch was exactly what Calan Campbell, Laird of Kilcairn, needed after defeating his enemies in battle...20th-century · adult · audiobook · book · british-isles · europe · fiction · historical · historical-fiction · humor -
![When I First Held You by Anstey Harris]()
When I First Held You by Anstey Harris
Silence tore them apart. Can the truth bring them back together?In 1960s Glasgow, anti-nuclear activists Judith and Jimmy fall in love. But their future hopes are dashed when their protestors’ squat is raided and many, including Jimmy, are sent to prison. Pregnant and with no word from Jimmy, Judith is forced to enter an unmarried mothers’ home, give up their baby and learn to live with her grief...romance · fiction · historical-fiction · historical · lgbtq · womens-fiction · literary-fiction · family · epic · coming-of-age -
![Phaedra by Laura Shepperson]()
Phaedra by Laura Shepperson
Debut novelist Laura Shepperson offers a powerful feminist retelling of Phaedra and her unyielding quest for justice, perfect for fans of Madeline Miller and Natalie Haynes. Phaedra has been cast to the side all her life: daughter of an adulteress, sister of a monster, and now unwilling bride to the much-older, power-hungry Theseus...myths · fantasy · historical-fiction · retellings · fiction · historical · audiobook · feminism · ancient-civilization · womens-fiction -
![The Davenports by Krystal Marquis]()
The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
The Davenports are one of the few Black families of immense wealth and status in a changing United States, their fortune made through the entrepreneurship of William Davenport, a formerly enslaved man who founded the Davenport Carriage Company years ago.Olivia, the beautiful eldest Davenport daughter, is ready to do her duty and marry. .audiobook · black-mc · book · family · female-mc · fiction · historical · historical-fiction · new-adult · poc-author -
![The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz]()
The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz
In 1715, Lady Blythe Hedley's father is declared an enemy of the British crown because of his Jacobite sympathies, forcing her to flee her home in northern England. Secreted to the tower of Wedderburn Castle in Scotland, Lady Blythe awaits who will ultimately be crowned king. But in a house with seven sons and numerous servants, her presence soon becomes known...adult · audiobook · book · christian · drama · fiction · georgian · historical · historical-fiction · industrial-era -
![The Girl in the Photo by Catherine Hokin]()
The Girl in the Photo by Catherine Hokin
Theresienstadt Concentration Camp, 1944. ‘I have to go away, my darling. Please, be brave, stay alive, for me.’ Mama’s voice breaks. The little girl tries to stop the forbidden tears from falling, as the train takes her mother, and she is left alone…Berlin, six years later. Hanni Winter glows with pride as she shows her new husband around her first solo photography exhibition...20th-century · adult · book · coming-of-age · female-mc · fiction · historical · historical-fiction · literary-fiction · ww2 -
![A Love by Design by Elizabeth Everett]()
A Love by Design by Elizabeth Everett
You couldn't design a better hero than the very eligible and extremely charming Earl Grantham. Unless, of course, you are Margaret Gault, who wants nothing to do with the man who broke her youthful heart...romance · historical-fiction · historical · fiction · industrial-era · victorian · audiobook · feminism · friends-to-lovers · female-mc -
![Everything Is Just Beginning by Erin Bartels]()
Everything Is Just Beginning by Erin Bartels
An Immersive Story of Music, Struggle, and Starting Over from an Award-Winning AuthorMichael Sullivan is a talented lyricist and a decent guitarist, but since he was kicked out of his band (and his apartment), he's not sure he'll ever get a record deal. Living with his loser uncle in a beat-up trailer and working a dead-end job, Michael has little reason to hope for a better future...romance · historical-fiction · christian · fiction · contemporary · coming-of-age · friendship · marriage · family · drama -
![Decent People by De'Shawn Charles Winslow]()
Decent People by De'Shawn Charles Winslow
From Center for Fiction First Novel Prize winning author De'Shawn Charles Winslow, a sweeping and unforgettable novel of a Black community reeling from a triple homicide, and the secrets the killings reveal.In the still-segregated town of West Mills, North Carolina in 1976, Marian, Marva, and Lazarus Harmon-three enigmatic siblings-are found shot to death in their home...historical-fiction · mystery · fiction · historical · literary-fiction · audiobook · poc-author · lgbtq · suspense · crime -
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![The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis]()
The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis
A sensational new novel from the best-selling author of Less Than Zero and Imperial Bedrooms that tracks a group of privileged Los Angeles high school friends as a serial killer strikes across the city...21st-century · adult · audiobook · book · classics · coming-of-age · contemporary · crime · dark · dark-academia -
![The Bullet Garden by Stephen Hunter]()
The Bullet Garden by Stephen Hunter
The long-anticipated origin story of legendary sniper, fan favorite, and father of literary icon Bob Lee takes us to the battlefields of World War II as Earl Swagger embarks on a top secret and deadly mission—from Pulitzer Prize–winning and New York Times bestselling Stephen Hunter, “one of the best thriller novelists around” (The Washington Post)... -
![The Duke Gets Even by Joanna Shupe]()
The Duke Gets Even by Joanna Shupe
By beloved USA Today bestselling author Joanna Shupe, the fourth installment in the Fifth Avenue Rebels series about a secret affair between a free-spirited heiress and an uptight duke which turns more passionate than either could have imagined. A rebellious heiress.A duke in dire straits.An anonymous midnight tryst...adult · alpha-mc · aristocracy · audiobook · book · enemies-to-lovers · female-mc · fiction · historical · historical-fiction -
![Night Wherever We Go by Tracey Rose Peyton]()
Night Wherever We Go by Tracey Rose Peyton
A gripping, radically intimate debut novel about a group of enslaved women staging a covert rebellion against their ownersOn a struggling Texas plantation, six enslaved women slip from their sleeping quarters and gather in the woods under the cover of night...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · literary-fiction · audiobook · poc-mc · slavery · racism · poc-author · social-commentary -
![Daughters of Victory by Gabriella Saab]()
Daughters of Victory by Gabriella Saab
From the acclaimed author of The Last Checkmate comes a brilliant novel spanning from the Russian Revolution to the Nazi occupation of the Soviet Union and following two unforgettable women…their fates intertwined by ties of family and interrupted by the tragedy of war. Perfect for readers of Kate Quinn, Pam Jenoff, and Elena Gerokhova...romance · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · ww2 · war · ww1 · dystopia · politics · female-mc -
![The New Life by Tom Crewe]()
The New Life by Tom Crewe
A brilliant and captivating debut, in the tradition of Alan Hollinghurst and Colm Tóibín, about two marriages, two forbidden love affairs, and the passionate search for social and sexual freedom in late 19th-century London...europe · british-isles · united-kingdom · england · urban · romance · historical-fiction · fiction · lgbtq · historical -
![Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim]()
Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim
The first book in an epic fantasy series for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Hafsah Faizal and Elizabeth Lim, set in an Arabian-inspired land. Raised to protect her nation from the monsters lurking in the sands, seventeen-year-old Imani must fight to find her brother whose betrayal is now their greatest threat...action-adventure · audiobook · book · epic · fiction · high-fantasy · historical-fiction · magic · mystery · myths -
![Queen Among the Dead by Lesley Livingston]()
Queen Among the Dead by Lesley Livingston
A stunning Celtic YA fantasy adventure set in the ancient kingdom of Eire, inspired by the legend of the first true queen of Ireland, perfect for fans of Shelby Mahurin and Adrienne Young.In the kingdom of Eire, banshees chill the air, and water-wights lurk in the rivers. But magic is outlawed by the king, and jealously hoarded by his Druid priests...romance · fantasy · young-adult · myths · historical-fiction · fiction · action-adventure · high-fantasy · historical · audiobook -
![The Agency for Scandal by Laura Wood]()
The Agency for Scandal by Laura Wood
An all-female detective agency righting wrongs at the end of the nineteenth century; infiltrating a scandalous upper class world straight out of Bridgerton and using their wit and bravery to unmask a villain. Eighteen-year-old Isobel Stanhope is keeping a lot of secrets...romance · historical-fiction · mystery · young-adult · historical · fiction · feminism · industrial-era · victorian · audiobook -
![An Extravagant Duplicity by Lynn Messina]()
An Extravagant Duplicity by Lynn Messina
Why, yes, the former Beatrice Hyde-Clare is distracted. Having settled comfortably into marriage to the Duke of Kesgrave, she is nevertheless surprised to find herself in an interesting condition. And it has to be that—the unsettling prospect of motherhood—that causes her to overlook the obvious clue that Roger Dugmore had indeed been killed in his sleep...romance · mystery · historical-fiction · industrial-era · regency · historical · fiction · cozy · audiobook · amateur-sleuth -
![Queen of Thieves by Beezy Marsh]()
Queen of Thieves by Beezy Marsh
Gangland was a man's world - but the women knew differentLondon, 1946.Alice Diamond, the Queen of the Forty Thieves, rules over her gang of hoisters with a bejewelled fist. Nell is a slum girl from Waterloo, hiding a secret pregnancy and facing a desperately uncertain future...20th-century · action-adventure · adult · audiobook · book · crime · female-mc · fiction · heist · historical -
![The Motion Picture Teller by Colin Cotterill]()
The Motion Picture Teller by Colin Cotterill
CWA Dagger winner Colin Cotterill returns with an enchanting new standalone novel set in Bangkok: a mystery without a crime, where the line between fact and fiction blurs, and nothing is as simple as it appears.Thailand, 1996: Supot, a postman with the Royal Thai Postal Service, hates his job...asia · southeast-asia · thailand · mystery · fiction · humor · historical · historical-fiction · cozy · audiobook -
![Sutton's Secrets by Scarlett Scott]()
Sutton's Secrets by Scarlett Scott
From USA Today and Amazon Top 100 Bestselling author Scarlett Scott comes the sizzling, emotional conclusion to The Sinful Suttons series...Logan Sutton lives in the shadowy underworld of London, rooting out evil before it can strike. He’s a nameless enigma prowling the streets to keep the innocent safe. His next mission? Seducing a beauty with ties to the villains he’s out to destroy...romance · industrial-era · regency · historical · historical-fiction · fiction · forbidden-love · espionage · crime · revenge -
![The Other Edie Trimmer by Jacqueline Wilson]()
The Other Edie Trimmer by Jacqueline Wilson
A brilliant new middle-grade novel from the bestselling Jacqueline Wilson!"I seemed to be seeing double. I saw two Edies instead of one - but they weren't the same."Edie is fascinated by Victorian times, and she's just desperate to be cast in the lead role of her drama club production of Oliver... -
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![Yesterday's Tides by Roseanna M. White]()
Yesterday's Tides by Roseanna M. White
In 1942, Evie Farrow is used to life on Ocracoke Island, where every day is the same--until the German U-boats haunting their waters begin to wreak havoc. And when special agent Sterling Bertrand is washed ashore at Evie's inn, her life is turned upside down...romance · historical-fiction · christian · fiction · ww2 · historical · mystery · ww1 · audiobook · suspense -
![For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain by Victoria Mackenzie]()
For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain by Victoria Mackenzie
An astounding debut, both epic and intimate, about grief, trauma, revelation, and the hidden lives of women - by a major new talentIn the year of 1413, two women meet for the first time in the city of Norwich.Margery has left her fourteen children and husband behind to make her journey...europe · british-isles · united-kingdom · england · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · religion · medieval · feminism -
![In the Upper Country by Kai Thomas]()
In the Upper Country by Kai Thomas
The fates of two unforgettable women--one just beginning a journey of reckoning and self-discovery and the other completing her life's last vital act--intertwine in this sweeping, powerful novel set at the terminus of the Underground Railroad...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · literary-fiction · civil-war · audiobook · slavery · poc-mc · indigenous-mc · family -
![The Witches of Vardø by Anya Bergman]()
The Witches of Vardø by Anya Bergman
Norway, 1662. A dangerous time to be a woman, when even dancing can lead to accusations of witchcraft. When Zigri, desperate and grieving after the loss of her husband and son, embarks on an affair with the local merchant, it's not long before she is sent to the fortress at Vardø, to be tried and condemned as a witch... -
![The Book Spy by Alan Hlad]()
The Book Spy by Alan Hlad
Perfect for fans of Kate Quinn, Marie Benedict, and Pam Jenoff and inspired by true stories of the heroic librarian spies of WWII, the new book from the internationally bestselling author of Churchill’s Secret Messenger transports readers from the New York Public Library to Portugal’s city of espionage in a thrilling, riveting tale.An American librarian. A Portuguese bookseller...20th-century · adult · book · drama · espionage · family · female-mc · fiction · historical · historical-fiction -
![The Marriage Season by Jane Dunn]()
The Marriage Season by Jane Dunn
‘It’s not a fair world I’m afraid. Beauty or fortune carries the day. You have the beauty and I the fortune, so there’s every chance we’ll succeed’In Regency England, marriage is everything. For young widow Sybella Lovatt, the time has come to find a suitable husband for her sister and ward Lucie...romance · historical-fiction · audiobook · fiction · historical · industrial-era · regency · female-mc · epic · religion -
![The Trial of Lotta Rae by Siobhan MacGowan]()
The Trial of Lotta Rae by Siobhan MacGowan
On Halloween night, 1906, young working-class Lotta Rae is attacked by a wealthy gentleman. She seeks justice at an Old Bailey trial alongside her barrister, William LInden, who she believes to be her ally.The verdict is devastating and Lotta Rae soon realises the guardians of justice do not support her. But what none could foresee were the shocking consequences...historical-fiction · historical · fiction · feminism · female-author · sexual-assault · audiobook · revenge · sad · crime
