English Historical Fiction

Mary Hamilton has had enough of being passed over by all of the eligible men in London, though she's had years and years of practice, and she's ready to give it up. But before she hangs up her dancing shoes for good, she wants one season of everything she's never had - invitations, flirtation, and suitors. But will all of that actually give her what she's always secretly wanted? Behind every little secret, there's another secret waiting....

On a summer evening in 1931, Lilly Blackwood glimpses circus lights from the grimy window of her attic bedroom. Lilly isn't allowed to explore the meadows around Blackwood Manor. She's never even ventured beyond her narrow room. Momma insists it's for Lilly's own protection, that people would be afraid if they saw her. But on this unforgettable night, Lilly is taken outside for the first time - and sold to the circus sideshow.

With the stunning prose and engaging characters of The Silent Governess, Christy Award finalist Julie Klassen whisks listeners away to Regency England for a compelling tale of romance and intrigue. Thinking she’s guilty of a crime, Olivia Keene flees her home and stumbles upon a grand estate—and a damaging secret. To ensure her silence, Lord Bradley insists she serve in his opulent manor.

Purple. The foundation of an influential trade in a Roman world dominated by men. One woman rises up to take the reins of success in an incredible journey of courage, grit, and friendship. And along the way, she changes the world. But before she was Lydia, the seller of purple, she was simply a merchant's daughter who loved three things: her father, her ancestral home, and making dye. Then unbearable betrayal robs her of nearly everything.

Colin Gerrard has everything. He is a handsome, charming, and unattached gentleman in possession of a fortune. What nobody knows, and would never suspect, is that he is not nearly as carefree as he seems, nor is his heart free for anyone’s taking. It was already taken long ago, and when his lost love unexpectedly reappears, in London of all places, he’s very much afraid she still has it.

Everyone knows that Gemma Templeton is a wonderful, cheerful, friendly young woman who is well worth one’s acquaintance. She is vibrant and warm, and plays the violin with exquisite talent. The only thing she lacks is a husband, and time is growing short for her in that regard. When an interesting opportunity arises from an unlikely source, Gemma’s future is suddenly far more appealing, and a small wager makes all the difference.

When disaster strikes, Marianne Bray finds herself in quite a mess, and the most important things in the world are at stake: her family name and her reputation. Desperation leads to a solution she cannot bear, but she has no choice. She must bind herself to a man who can protect her, save her, and, more importantly, tolerate her. Unfortunately for her, that man is Kit Gerrard.

When the body of a young woman is found near the ruins of a haunted abbey, everyone assumes she died of fright. A postmortem examination tells a different story. Not only was Elizabeth Barrett poisoned, but the lethal dose of cyanide must have been administered by someone close to her - someone she trusted, who may have known her secret. As Captain Redmond and Constable Haze delve into the victim's seemingly ordinary life, they learn she wasn't the proper, biddable wife everyone believed her to be.

When the body of a renowned British archeologist is found inside a sarcophagus he was bringing back from a dig in Egypt, Redmond and Haze must determine who aboard the Sea Witch had reason to want him dead. The method of murder suggests it was someone familiar with the funerary rites of the Ancient Egyptians, casting suspicion on members of the expedition, but there were others aboard the vessel who might have harbored a grudge against Blake Upton for reasons unconnected to the dig.

When a gentlewoman is savagely murdered in her own bed, Lord Redmond and Inspector Haze must pick apart her seemingly blameless life to understand what drove her attacker to such frenzied rage—and how they managed to escape from a locked room in a house filled with people. The closer Redmond and Haze get to the truth, the more secrets they uncover, and the greater the risk the perpetrator will strike again. Will they solve the case before the killer claims another victim?

Every old house has its secrets, so it comes as no surprise when a relic of a noble Victorian family is discovered in the new home of historical author Nicole Rayburn and her husband Kyle. Curious about the lovely young woman in the sepia photograph, Nicole delves into the history of the family and stumbles on a long-forgotten mystery.

When a man’s naked corpse is found strapped to a waterwheel, newly appointed Inspector Haze is called upon to investigate the crime. With the help of American surgeon Captain Redmond, he delves into the life of Frank Darrow, a man who inspired such hatred, his mere death wasn’t enough to satisfy his killer. Finding few clues and no obvious motive for the murder, Redmond and Haze must peel away the layers of Frank Darrow’s relationships to get to the shocking truth, while also coming to terms with unexpected developments in their own lives.

Chief Inspector Soobramania is called when three bodies are discovered in the space of twenty-four hours, with mutilations bearing an eerie resemblance to Jack the Ripper’s victims. Initial suspicion centres on an English Duke visiting Hyderabad and his friend, a powerful Deccani noble and the angry stepson of one of the dead. In the face of political pressure, Soob must ally with his rival in the British Residency Police, Inspector Wilberforce, to unearth the culprit.

When Nicole visits Stiles Castle, the stately home of Lady Caroline Seaton, she doesn’t expect to stumble upon a centuries-old mystery hidden in the noble family’s genealogical tree. Once she finds that some vital details have been removed from the ancestral records, Nicole can’t refuse her friend’s plea to discover the truth and help her save the floundering family business.

When a guest at a séance dies under suspicious circumstances, Inspector Haze and Lord Redmond quickly realize his death was a cleverly plotted execution. The main suspects are the other guests - including Daniel’s wife Sarah. Delving into the life of the deceased reveals a growing list of possible suspects, while the motive remains elusive.

RITA finalist and Christy Award winner Julie Klassen draws high marks from fans for her meticulous attention to detail in her inspirational historical romances. With The Tutor’s Daughter, Klassen sweeps listeners away to the blustery Cornwall coast, where Emma Smallwood and her widowed father take up residence with a baronet and his four sons. As Emma begins teaching the two youngest boys, she becomes plagued by mysterious events.

Georgiana Allen is a spinster, and everybody knows it. She also happens to be one of the writers for the Spinster Chronicles, and everybody knows that, as well. She’s accepted her lot in life, and along with the other spinsters in her circle, takes great pride in the articles she writes and the influence she has. Then, Captain Anthony Sterling infiltrates their group and her life, and Georgie impossibly begins to hope, once more.

Onna Gebowa is determined to become a great wizard. She can write the parameters of a spell faster than any of the young men in her village school. But despite her incredible abilities, she’s denied a place at the nation’s premier arcane academy. Undaunted, she sails to the bustling city-state of Hexos, hoping to find a place at a university where they don’t think there’s anything untoward about providing a woman with a magical education.

Celtic mythology, Arthurian romance, and an intriguing interpretation of British history - these are just some of the themes embraced by the anonymous authors of the eleven tales that make up the Welsh medieval masterpiece known as The Mabinogion. They tell of Gwydion the shape-shifter, who can create a woman out of flowers; of Math the magician whose feet must lie in the lap of a virgin; of hanging a pregnant mouse and hunting a magical boar.

This powerful novel tells the story of two World War II concentration camp survivors, the life they build together, and the son who faces struggles of his own as a first-generation American determined to be his own person and achieve success. Moving from the ashes of postwar Europe to the Lower East Side of New York to wealth, success, and unlimited luxury, In His Father's Footsteps is a stirring tale of three generations of strong, courageous, and loving people who pay their dues to achieve their goals.