Top new historical-fiction books in June 2024
Last updated:
June 30, 2024
June 2024 featuring new releases by Liz Moore, Beatriz Williams, Lisa Wingate, Tracy Chevalier, Jacqueline Winspear, Ellery Lloyd, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Dianne Freeman, Claudia Gray, Elizabeth Macneal and many more.
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The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
From the New York Times bestselling author of Long Bright River, an immersive, propulsive novel about a missing child whose disappearance sends equal shockwaves through three very different worlds—an opulent Adirondack summer estate, the rustic teen summer camp that operates in its shadow, and the blue-collar community that serves them both...mystery · fiction · historical-fiction · historical · literary-fiction · suspense · thriller · season-summer · family · psychological -
![Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams]()
Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams
Two women—separated by decades and continents, and united by a mysterious family heirloom—discover second chances at love in this sweeping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Wives.A sprawling and exciting new novel from Beatriz Williams, the acclaimed author of A Hundred Summers and The Summer Wives...romance · fiction · historical-fiction · historical · womens-fiction · ww2 · espionage · family · female-mc · paranormal -
![Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate]()
Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes a sweeping novel inspired by the untold history of women pioneers who fought to protect children caught in the storm of land barons hungry for power and oil wealth.Oklahoma, 1909...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · christian · indigenous-mc · audiobook · poc-mc · mystery · literary-fiction · friendship -
![The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier]()
The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier
From the bestselling historical novelist, a rich, transporting story that follows a family of glassmakers from the height of Renaissance-era Italy to present day.It is 1486 and Venice is a wealthy, opulent center for trade. Orsola Rosso is the eldest daughter in a family of glassblowers in Murano, the island revered for the craft...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · literary-fiction · family · 21st-century · magical-realism · female-mc · epic · romance -
![The Comfort of Ghosts by Jacqueline Winspear]()
The Comfort of Ghosts by Jacqueline Winspear
A milestone in historical mystery fiction as Maisie Dobbs takes her final bow! Psychologist and investigator Maisie Dobbs unravels a profound mystery from her past in a war-torn nation grappling with its future. London, 1945: Four adolescent orphans with a dark wartime history are squatting in a vacant Belgravia mansion—the owners having fled London under heavy Luftwaffe bombing...mystery · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · suspense · war · espionage · crime · psychological · audiobook -
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![The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd]()
The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd
Some women can’t be painted out of history…A story of love and madness, of obsession and revenge.Paris, 1938 : Runaway heiress Juliette Willoughby perishes, with her married lover, in an accidental studio fire alongside her Surrealist masterpiece, Self Portrait as Sphinx...fiction · historical-fiction · mystery · historical · killer · suspense · aristocracy · cold-case · crime · female-mc -
![A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey]()
A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey
A tender and touching novel about a young woman who discovers the family she has always longed for when she spends a life-changing summer in North Carolina.Present Keaton Smith is desperate for a fresh start. So when her mother needs someone to put her childhood home in Beaufort, North Carolina, on the market—the home that Keaton didn’t know existed until now—she jumps at the chance to head south...romance · fiction · contemporary · historical-fiction · womens-fiction · season-summer · audiobook · secrets · feminism · female-mc -
![An Art Lover's Guide to Paris and Murder by Dianne Freeman]()
An Art Lover's Guide to Paris and Murder by Dianne Freeman
Perfect for fans of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and Jane Austen alike, the latest in this delightful mystery series described as “pure, unadulterated fun” ( Publishers Weekly ) combines historical intrigue, wit, and a sophisticated Victorian setting with a charmingly independent heroine.Frances and her husband, George, have two points of interest in Paris...mystery · historical-fiction · cozy · historical · fiction · audiobook · crime · industrial-era · victorian · murder -
![The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh by Claudia Gray]()
The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh by Claudia Gray
The third book in the Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney Mystery series, which finds the amateur sleuths facing their most daunting challenge preventing the murder of the imperious Lady Catherine de Bourgh.Someone is trying to kill Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Esteemed aunt of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, generous patroness of Mr...romance · mystery · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · retellings · industrial-era · regency · cozy · audiobook -
![The Burial Plot by Elizabeth Macneal]()
The Burial Plot by Elizabeth Macneal
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Doll Factory, The Burial Plot is an unstoppable historical thriller about murder, manipulation, and a young woman trying to wrestle power from the hands of a dangerous man. But he’s always one step ahead . . .London, 1839...historical-fiction · gothic · historical · fiction · mystery · industrial-era · victorian · audiobook · fantasy · dark -
![A Ruse of Shadows by Sherry Thomas]()
A Ruse of Shadows by Sherry Thomas
Charlotte Holmes is accustomed to solving crimes, not being accused of them, but she finds herself in a dreadfully precarious position as the bestselling Lady Sherlock series continues.Charlotte’s success on the RMS Provence has afforded her a certain measure of time and assurance. Taking advantage of that, she has been busy, plotting to prise the man her sister loves from Moriarty’s iron grip...mystery · historical-fiction · historical · fiction · retellings · killer · romance · female-mc · book · adult -
![A Deceptive Composition by Anna Lee Huber]()
A Deceptive Composition by Anna Lee Huber
Lady Kiera Darby and her dashing husband, Sebastian Gage, hope they’ve finally found peace after a tumultuous summer, but long-buried family secrets soon threaten to unravel their lives . . .October 1832. Kiera is enjoying the slower pace of the English countryside...romance · mystery · historical-fiction · historical · fiction · murder · cozy · industrial-era · suspense · female-mc -
![The Last Twelve Miles by Erika Robuck]()
The Last Twelve Miles by Erika Robuck
Two real, brilliant women on opposite sides of the law, in a deadly game of cat and mouse…1926. Washington, D.C.The Coast Guard is losing the Prohibition Rum War, but they have a new, secret weapon to crack smuggler codes, intercept traffic, and destroy the rum trade one skiff at a time. That secret weapon is a 5'2" mastermind in heels, who also happens to be a wife and mother: Mrs... -
![Warrior King by Wilbur Smith, Tom Harper]()
Warrior King by Wilbur Smith, Tom Harper
Multimillion copy bestselling author Wilbur Smith returns with a brand-new historical epic set in Africa.South Africa, 1820When Ann Waite discovers a shipwreck in Algoa Bay she is stunned to find survivors: a scarred sailor and a little boy. As the man walks away into the distance alone, Ann is left to raise the young child, Harry, in place of the baby she tragically lost at sea... -
![Shanghai: A Novel by Joseph Kanon]()
Shanghai: A Novel by Joseph Kanon
In this dazzling thriller, New York Times bestselling author Joseph Kanon gives us his richest setting pre-World War II Shanghai, where glamour and squalor exist side by side and murder is just a cost of doing business. A love affair against all odds, a city dancing on the rim of a volcano—Shanghai is the story of a political haven that becomes a minefield of conflicting loyalties...fiction · historical-fiction · mystery · historical · espionage · ww2 · law-enforcement · crime · thriller · war -
![The Last Song of Penelope by Claire North]()
The Last Song of Penelope by Claire North
'CLAIRE NORTH BRINGS A POWERFUL, FRESH AND UNFLINCHING VOICE TO ANCIENT MYTH' Jennifer Saint, author of Sunday Times bestseller AriadneFollowing the critically acclaimed Ithaca and House of Odysseus comes the final novel in Claire North's Songs of Penelope trilogy - an exquisite, gripping tale that breathes life into ancient myth... -
![The Last Secret of Lily Adams by Sara Blaydes]()
The Last Secret of Lily Adams by Sara Blaydes
The death of a legendary actress reveals a wealth of Hollywood secrets in a breathtaking novel about betrayal, rivalry, and the punishing brutality of fame.One of the brightest stars of Hollywood’s golden age was Lily Adams, the beloved picture of all-American innocence. Why she suddenly vanished from the spotlight was a mystery even to those closest to her...historical-fiction · fiction · mystery · historical · audiobook · mental-illness · season-summer · horror · thriller · friendship -
![Lake County by Lori Roy]()
Lake County by Lori Roy
Set in the 1950s, this Southern Gothic thriller by Edgar Award–winning author Lori Roy reimagines the life of Marilyn Monroe, tying her fate to a dreamy teenager whose boyfriend runs afoul of the mob.Desperate to break free of small-town Florida, Addie Anne Buckley dreams of following in the path of her glamorous aunt Jean—known to the world as Marilyn Monroe...north-america · usa · california · mystery · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · audiobook · suspense · conspiracies -
![Murder at the Dinner Party by C.J. Archer, Marian Hussey]()
Murder at the Dinner Party by C.J. Archer, Marian Hussey
The staff in high society households are expected to be unobtrusive, but a dead butler in the dining room tends to get noticed. Did he die of natural causes or was he poisoned?Cleo is hired by the housekeeper at a Mayfair residence after the police rule the sudden death of the butler was the result of natural causes. Not convinced by the verdict, she wants Cleo to prove foul play was involved...mystery · historical-fiction · audiobook · historical · family · cozy · investigator · fiction · book · adult -
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![A Lady of Conscience by Mimi Matthews]()
A Lady of Conscience by Mimi Matthews
A Victorian bluestocking with a passion for lost causes attracts the unwilling attention of a frost-hearted viscount during her tumultuous debut season in Bath in USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews’s fifth book in her acclaimed Somerset Stories series...romance · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · industrial-era · victorian · religion · spirituality · book · adult -
![The Last Note of Warning by Katharine Schellman]()
The Last Note of Warning by Katharine Schellman
The Last Note of Warning is the third in the luscious, mysterious, and queer Nightingale mystery series by Katharine Schellman, set in 1920s New York.Prohibition is a dangerous time to be a working-class woman in New York City, but Vivian Kelly has finally found some small measure of both stability and freedom...mystery · historical-fiction · fiction · lgbtq · suspense · historical · thriller · murder · female-mc · book -
![Lady Scandal by Laura Lee Guhrke]()
Lady Scandal by Laura Lee Guhrke
Grumpy meets sunshine in this charming tale featuring a haughty businessman and the headstrong event planner who steals his heart.Delia Stratham is a sophisticated, thoroughly modern woman who often flouts convention...romance · historical · fiction · industrial-era · regency · grumpy-sunshine · cheerful-mc · grumpy-mc · audiobook · historical-fiction -
![In the Hour of Crows by Dana Elmendorf]()
In the Hour of Crows by Dana Elmendorf
In a small town in Appalachia, people paint their doorways blue to keep spirits away.Black ferns grow where death will follow.And Weatherly Opal Wilder is a Death Talker.When called upon, she can talk the death out of the dying and save their lives; only once, never twice...fantasy · mystery · magical-realism · paranormal · witches-wizards · historical-fiction · fiction · gothic · rural · audiobook -
![Murder at Traitor's Gate by Irina Shapiro]()
Murder at Traitor's Gate by Irina Shapiro
The chill of winter has descended on London. But for Sebastian Bell and Gemma Tate, there will be little cheer this season…Gemma Tate> has a new job and a new address. She is putting her past – her memories of nursing in the Crimean war – behind her. Until Jacob Harrow, a journalist with ties to Crimea, is found brutally killed, and Gemma is pulled into the investigation...mystery · historical-fiction · historical · cozy · murder · crime · season-winter · dark · fiction · female-mc -
![The Forgotten Names by Mario Escobar]()
The Forgotten Names by Mario Escobar
In August 1942, French parents were faced with a horrible choice: watch their children die, or abandon them forever. Fifty years later, it becomes one woman’s mission to match the abandoned names with the people they belong to...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · ww2 · survival · literary-fiction · 20th-century · action-adventure · book · adult -
![Jackie by Dawn Tripp]()
Jackie by Dawn Tripp
In this mesmerizing novel about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, acclaimed author Dawn Tripp has crafted an intimate story of love and power, family and tragedy, loss and reinvention.The world has divided my life into three:Life with JackLife with OnassisLife as a woman who goes to work because she wants to.My life is all of these things, and it is none of these things...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · politics · family · politician · female-mc · 20th-century · romance · book -
![The Moonlight Market by Joanne Harris]()
The Moonlight Market by Joanne Harris
From New York Times bestselling author Joanne Harris comes a richly imagined and captivating novel of two colliding worlds.Deep in the heart of London, a photographer walks the streets and captures whatever catches his an old man drinking coffee; a beautiful woman sipping champagne in St. Pancras station; a cloud of moths, disturbed, taking flight across the sky...fantasy · fiction · magical-realism · urban-fantasy · audiobook · magic · contemporary · fae · fairy-tale · supernatural -
![A Botanist's Guide to Society and Secrets by Kate Khavari, Jodie Harris]()
A Botanist's Guide to Society and Secrets by Kate Khavari, Jodie Harris
12 hours, 6 minutes Brilliant botanist Saffron Everleigh is ready for her next thrilling adventure in the newest installment of Kate Khavari’s mesmerizing historical mystery series.“A cleverly plotted puzzle” (Ashley Weaver) in the vein of Opium and Absinthe, this is perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Sujata Massey.London, 1923...romance · historical-fiction · mystery · fiction · cozy · historical · audiobook · young-adult · female-mc · book -
![Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh]()
Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh
Moonlight meets Purple Hibiscus in this gay coming-of-age novel from an astonishing young talent, set in post-military Nigeria and culminating in the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act of 2014.Obiefuna has always been the black sheep of his family—sensitive where his father, Anozie, is pragmatic, a dancer where his brother, Ekene, is a natural athlete...africa · western-africa · nigeria · fiction · lgbtq · literary-fiction · contemporary · coming-of-age · poc-mc · journey -
![Four Squares by Bobby Finger]()
Four Squares by Bobby Finger
From the beloved author of The Old Place comes a tender, funny, and fresh novel spanning the 1990s and present day, about a young writer and the community he builds in New York City, and his lonely life 30 years later when an unexpected injury lands him at the local queer senior center.Artie Anderson wouldn’t call himself lonely, not exactly...fiction · lgbtq · historical-fiction · literary-fiction · historical · urban · mlm · friendship · romantic-love · book -
![A Daughter of Fair Verona by Christina Dodd]()
A Daughter of Fair Verona by Christina Dodd
Knives Out meets Bridgerton in Fair Verona, as New York Times bestselling author Christina Dodd kicks off a frothy, irreverent, witty new series with an irresistible premise—Romeo and Juliet’s daughter as a clever, rebellious, fiercely independent young woman in fair Verona—told from the delightfully engaging point of view of the captivating Rosie Montague herself…"A sharp, determined heroine, a...romance · historical-fiction · retellings · mystery · fiction · historical · murder · whodunit · fantasy · humor -
![Babylonia by Costanza Casati]()
Babylonia by Costanza Casati
From the author of the bestselling Clytemnestra comes another intoxicating excursion into ancient history, as Casati reimagines the rise to power of the Assyrian empire's only female ruler, Semiramis.When kings fall, queens rise.Nothing about Semiramis's upbringing could have foretold her legacy or the power she would come to wield...historical-fiction · myths · fantasy · fiction · historical · retellings · ancient-civilization · classics · romantic-love · feminism -
![The Hudson Collection by Jocelyn Green]()
The Hudson Collection by Jocelyn Green
Elsa Reisner's lifelong dream of working as an ornithologist at the American Museum of Natural History is fading as the job begins to drain her passion. But fate takes an unexpected turn when she is assigned to catalog the bequest of a recently deceased patron whose Gothic country mansion holds secrets and treasures waiting to be discovered...romance · historical-fiction · christian · fiction · historical · mystery · marriage · friendship · family · drama -
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![The Mistress Experience by Scarlett Peckham]()
The Mistress Experience by Scarlett Peckham
The scandalous women of the USA Today bestselling author Scarlett Peckham’s Society of Sirens are back with the final stage in their fight for female rights—and this time the battle is to be waged in bed… She’s the most infamous harlot in London…and she’s up for auction. Thaïs Magadalene is a legend... -
![Farewell, Amethystine by Walter Mosley]()
Farewell, Amethystine by Walter Mosley
Easy Rawlins’ latest client sends him down a warren of memory and nostalgia, blinding him to reason and risk, from “master of the genre,” (Washington Post) Walter Mosley. January 1970 finds Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins, LA’s premier Black detective, at 50 years of age despite all expectations. He has a loving family, a beautiful home, and a thriving investigation agency...mystery · fiction · historical-fiction · crime · audiobook · poc-author · suspense · investigator · noir · book -
![The House of the Red Balconies by A.J. Demas]()
The House of the Red Balconies by A.J. Demas
Hylas has come to Tykanos to build an aqueduct. He has not come to enjoy the island’s main attraction: the six houses where the companions of Tykanos, courtesans both female and male, offer tea and elegant conversation. Yet he cannot ignore them as he finds himself renting a room in one of the tea houses and meeting his neighbour, the beautiful, chronically ill companion Zo...romance · historical · fantasy · mlm · lgbtq · fiction · historical-fiction · disability · friends-to-lovers · high-fantasy -
![Io: The Shrew by Minerva Spencer, Minerva Spencer]()
Io: The Shrew by Minerva Spencer, Minerva Spencer
This is Lady Io Hale's story...What happens when you cross a feisty, independent, condom-distributing bluestocking with a bossy, proper, too-attractive-for-his-own-good tyrant?More heat and excitment than a box of fireworks crossed with a bonfire!Don't miss this super steamy, smart and sexy story of two strong people butting heads and falling in love.Guaranteed happily ever after.. -
![A Rivalry of Hearts by Tessonja Odette]()
A Rivalry of Hearts by Tessonja Odette
Two rival writers.One prestigious publishing contract.A bargain of hearts and seduction. They say never bargain with the fae. They also say don’t get drunk on fae wine. Yet romance author Edwina Danforth has managed a blunder with both on her first visit to the infamous faelands. Now she's trapped in a magic-fueled bet she barely remembers with a man she’d be happier to forget...romance · fantasy · fae · fiction · historical · historical-fiction · magic · enemies-to-lovers · season-spring · cozy -
![The Betrayal of Thomas True by A.J. West]()
The Betrayal of Thomas True by A.J. West
It is the year 1710, and Thomas True has arrived on old London Bridge with a dangerous secret. One night, lost amongst the squalor of London's hidden back streets, he finds himself drawn into the outrageous underworld of the molly houses. Meanwhile, carpenter Gabriel Griffin struggles to hide his double life as Lotty, the molly's silent guard...lgbtq · historical · historical-fiction · mental-illness · mystery · fiction · thriller · book · adult -
![A Shore Thing by Joanna Lowell]()
A Shore Thing by Joanna Lowell
A delightful queer Victorian love story, featuring a boldly brash trans hero, the beguiling botanist who captures his heart, and a buoyant bicycle race by the British seaside -- from the author of The Duke Undone.Former painter and unreformed rake Kit Griffith is forging a new life in Cornwall, choosing freedom over an identity that didn't fit...romance · historical-fiction · lgbtq · historical · fiction · industrial-era · victorian · trans-mc · audiobook · season-summer
