Sponsored by The Manningtree Witches by A.K. Blakemore.
In a 17th-century English village gripped by Puritanical fervor, Rebecca West, fatherless and husbandless, chafes against the drudgery of her days. But then a newcomer arrives, identifying himself as the Witchfinder General. Dangerous rumors of covens, pacts, and bodily wants begin to swirl around women like Rebecca—and the future is as frightening as it is thrilling. Brimming with contemporary energy, The Manningtree Witches plunges readers into the fever and menace of the witch trials, and into a moment when arrogant men begin to realize—perhaps too late—that those they oppress are about to rise and claim their freedom.
Happy fall, historical fiction fans! Personally, I start counting fall at the beginning of September, but now that we’re officially welcoming cooler weather with the autumnal equinox, I can go all out with the atmospheric fall book recs. Don’t worry– I promise no pumpkin spiced anything. These books are just good historical fiction, plain and simple. And I can’t think of anything better than some slightly dark and creepy historical fiction full of intrigue and mysteries to get in the fall spirit, can you?
These four books are definitely not for the faint of heart. You’ll find murder, stalkers, and criminals of all kinds within their pages. Read on–and add them to your TBR–if you dare.
Silence of Bones by June Hur
Seol is living as a damo, an indentured servant of the police, in 1800 Joseon Korea. Her place is not to speak or ask questions but to help the police in arresting women and examining the female bodies they aren’t allowed to touch. Maybe that would be fine if serving tea to the police and helping with their investigations had been her choice. But when she’s brought along to assist after the gruesome murder of a young noblewoman, her curiosity and need to find the truth leads her down a dangerous path, winding closer and closer to the killer–someone willing to kill nobles and scholars, much less an unruly servant, to meet his deadly ends.
Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The newest historical thriller from the acclaimed author of Mexican Gothic explores a turbulent period in Mexico’s history. Revolutionary students are clashing with the government and young people are being killed. A secretary secretly obsessed with romance comics and an eccentric criminal roughing people up under the moniker of “Elvis” find themselves searching for answers about the same woman after she disappears one night. As Maite begins to realize the dangerous path her idle curiosity has lead her down, Elvis’s loyalties to his boss and to the government are brought into question, even as he rises through the ranks.
The Doll Factory by Elizabeth McNeal
In this Victorian thriller, the Grand Exhibition is still being erected in Hyde Park when an aspiring artist named Iris crosses paths with Silas, a taxidermist and curiosity collector interested in all things strange and beautiful. The moment is almost meaningless for Iris, who soon agrees to pose for a portrait by a pre-Raphaelite artist in exchange for art lessons. But for Silas, the obsession is only just beginning.
The Wolf and the Watchman by Niklas Natt och Dag, translated by Ebba Segerberg
Sweden, 1793. A former night watchman hoping to give an unidentifiable body a proper burial. A consulting detective hoping to solve one last case before consumption takes him. A young man with dreams of becoming a doctor finds opportunities and terrible misfortunes in the capital that lead him down a dark path. A woman consigned to a work house for upsetting her parish priest hatches a desperate plan for escape. Over the course of one murder investigation, the lives of these four people intertwine, their stories connecting and colliding in shocking ways in this dark, Scandinavian noir.
MORE FROM AROUND THE WEB:
An interview with Natt och Dag about his grisly novel that is “taking the literary world by storm.”
BOOK RIOT RECS:
- Historical horror books
- Historical horror novels you’ll want to shove in the fridge
- 10 chilling historical thrillers
- Must-read creepy historical novels and ghost stories
That’s it for now, folx! Stay subscribed for more stories of yesteryear.
If you want to talk books (historical or otherwise), you can find me @rachelsbrittain on Instagram, Goodreads, Litsy, and occasionally Twitter.
Right now I’m reading There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura. What about you?