It’s been a brutal winter. What better way to fire up your senses than to plunge into a rousing historical tale? These brand-new books, ranging in period from the 12th century to the 20th, come from top talents in historical fiction. Whether it’s a mystery solved on the gritty streets of medieval London, an intrigue seething in czarist Russia palaces, a small American town rocked by a Bohemian poet or a deadly mission in a Languedoc gripped by the French Resistance, full immersion is guaranteed. When you next look up, spring should finally be in full bloom.
12th century
A King’s Ransom, by Sharon Kay Penman
What happened to England’s legendary Richard the Lionheart after the Crusades? Bestselling author Sharon Kay Penman tells the story of the king’s harrowing capture and imprisonment—and the price he paid—both in fortune and in love. (A Marian Wood Book/Putnam)
14th century
A Burnable Book, by Bruce Holsinger
Prophecy, murder, political betrayal and a desperate search for the book with the answers make for a potent mix in this debut novel, which captures life in medieval London in rich detail. (William Morrow)
16th century
Queen Elizabeth’s Daughter, by Anne Clinard Barnhill
A touching and suspenseful romance that follows the plight of a young ward of Elizabeth I who is in love—but not with the man the queen commands her to marry—and must decide which fate to choose. (St. Martin’s Griffin)
The Queen’s Man, by Rory Clements
The latest in the popular John Shakespeare mystery series, The Queen’s Man sends the “intelligencer” on a mission to uncover the plot revolving around Mary Queen of Scots that threatens the life of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth. (HarperCollins)
18th century
Empress of the Night, by Eva Stachniak
Following up on the enchanting literary tale The Winter Palace, Stachniak brings to life one of the most fascinating—and controversial—female rulers of all time: Russia’s Catherine the Great. (Bantam, out March 25)
20th century
Fallen Beauty, by Erika Robuck
The author of Hemingway’s Girl and Call Me Zelda triumphs with this enthralling Jazz Age story of what happens when a small-town seamstress struggling for independence takes a job with the uninhibited Bohemian poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. (NAL Trade)
City of Jasmine, by Deanna Raybourn
Romantic, witty and mysterious, this novel follows an aviatrix who receives a mysterious photo of the husband she thought dead—and learns that the answers lie in the ancient city of Jasmine, Damascus. (Harlequin MIRA)
Citadel, by Kate Mosse
With her talent for atmosphere and suspense, the author of the hugely popular Labyrinth and Sepulchre produces a heady page-turner that intercuts the life-and-death struggle of French Resistance fighters with the mystical secrets of 700 years ago. (HarperCollins)
MORE:
March’s New Book Releases: Our Top Picks
Page Turners Inspired by the Past
Why Classic Literature Survives
