by Maybelle Wallis — Gripping, atmospheric historical fiction in the sensationalist tradition. Forbidden love amidst evil and murder.
Tag: historical
The Ravenswood Witch
by Jenni Keer — An atmospheric gothic tale oozing with mystery, madness, secrets, lust, murder and a touch of magic.
The Peepshow
by Kate Summerscale — Meticulously researched and highly readable account of the infamous mid-20th century murderer, Reginald Christie.
The Glassmaker
by Tracy Chevalier — A multiple-timeline novel about the history of Murano glassmaking, following Orsola Rosso from 1486 to now.
The House of the Witch
Immersive story, set in the 17th century and the present, about female defiance of patriarchal control.
Blue Hawk
by Chloe Turner — Immersive story about a textile worker, set in 17th century Gloucestershire. Blue Hawk celebrates female tenacity and ingenuity.
The Red House Mystery
by A.A. Milne — The Red House Mystery has it all; the country house, the witty dialogue, the tight plotting, superb writing, … Oh it’s a proper treat!
The Silence Factory
by Bridget Collins — Gothic, historical fantasy. The Silence Factory is an imaginative, immersive and spellbinding story. I was thoroughly captivated!
The Household
by Stacey Halls — A mystery and fictionalised account of the setup, by Charles Dickens and a wealthy heiress, of a house for fallen women.
The Book of Secrets
by Anna Mazzola — We are plunged into 17th century Rome, where women strive to survive in a patriarchal world perhaps not so very different from our own.
Violet Hamilton, Lady Detective series
by Hannah Dolby — Meet the most delightful detective ever written, Violet Hamilton, in No Life for a Lady and How to Solve a Murder Like a Lady.
What Doesn’t Kill Us
by Ajay Close — A beautifully written, gripping and immersive, and still very relevant historical novel about misogyny and activism.
The List of Suspicious Things
by Jennie Godfrey — A child tries to track the Yorkshire Ripper. Immersive and multilayered.
Under Ground
by E.S. Thomson — Victorian filth is Under Ground. Feel it clinging to your shoes and smell it as it assails your nostrils. It is gross — and engrossing.
The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch
by Melinda Taub — Funny, clever and very, very entertaining pastiche with witchcraft and tomfoolery.
The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies
by Alison Goodman — When the days are dull and lifeless, you need The Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies. Thrilling, moving, clever.
Cuckoo in the Nest
by Fran Hill — A quiet domestic drama set in 1970s Britain. Moving and well written. A wealth of domestic detail plunges the reader into the era.
Fyneshade
by Kate Griffin — A taut and dark gothic tale. Marta is sent to be a governess at Fyneshade, where she expects to find a rich man to marry.
Weyward
by Emilia Hart — Three women, three time periods, and always the same old shit of male coercion and violence. An absorbing, immersive story.
Darling
by India Knight — A clever and up-to-date retelling of the classic The Pursuit of Love. It’s an absolute joy. Vivid, hilarious dialogue, wonderful characters.