Historical Thriller Books

The best historical thriller book reviews. Historical thrillers feature suspenseful situations set in specific time periods, in which the survival of fictional characters are threatened by the real circumstances of prior historical eras and places.

House of Fat Man, an Atmospheric Spy Thriller by M Gerard-Alesco

By

The Bottom Line: A deeply atmospheric, labyrinthine spy thriller written in the tradition of John le Carre.   House of Fat Man opens at dawn in Chiang Mai as 29-year-old American ex-pat Greg Robber  is polishing off yet another beer. The previous night, he had found a friend named Nok severely beaten at a research station. The primary suspect? The Fat Man – a Chinese drug lord […]

House of Fat Man, an Atmospheric Spy Thriller by M Gerard-Alesco READ MORE >

The Relentless Sun, a Riveting Historical Thriller by Robert Walton

By

The Bottom Line: A riveting historical thriller set at the intersection between white and tribal culture in Arizona. Fans of Dark Winds will love The Relentless Sun.  Set in the 1970s, Relentless Sun begins as archeologist and investigator Harry Thursday embarks on a government mission to Flagstaff, Arizona. Working for the Bureau of Audits and Reclamation (BAR),  a clandestine Pentagon department tasked with finding lost

The Relentless Sun, a Riveting Historical Thriller by Robert Walton READ MORE >

Rage of the Jinn, an Intoxicating Historical Thriller by Ox Devere

By

The Bottom Line: An intoxicating, globetrotting historical thriller that is tailor-made for fans of Douglas Preston and Dan Brown.  Inspired by the 2019 real-life fire that destroyed significant portions of Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral, Rage of the Jinn imagines what excavators involved in the church’s restoration might have found after the blaze. Namely, a mysterious sarcophagus that had gone undetected for centuries. Researchers quickly determine that it was placed

Rage of the Jinn, an Intoxicating Historical Thriller by Ox Devere READ MORE >

The Beauty Doctor, a Powerful Historical Thriller by Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard

By

The Bottom Line: A powerful, richly drawn historical thriller that is as terrifying as it is absorbing. Highly recommended.  Aspiring doctor Abigail Platford has nearly given up on her dream to follow in her father’s footsteps to help New York City’s poor. After her father’s death and her mother’s remarriage, she fends off an attempted rape by her alcoholic stepfather – a situation that finds

The Beauty Doctor, a Powerful Historical Thriller by Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard READ MORE >

Fighting for Peace, a Stunning Historical Thriller by Jim Perakis

By

The Bottom Line: Perakis’ depiction of a fighter pilot-turned-anti-war activist is stunning and unputdownable. Perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Women and Ron Kovic’s Born on the 4th of July.   Fighting for Peace opens in 1968 as United States Navy fighter pilot Lieutenant Tom Beckett is completing his last mission of the Vietnam War. After escorting bombers operating over North Vietnam, he’s ambushed by an enemy MiG-17. Reacting quickly,

Fighting for Peace, a Stunning Historical Thriller by Jim Perakis READ MORE >

Deception Bay, an Extraordinary Historical Thriller by N.N. Parker

By

The Bottom Line: Parker delivers an extraordinary debut historical thriller that will stay with readers long after the final page.  Set in the rural village of Lower Lynch in the early 1700s, eighteen-year-old Lacey Emerson lives with older sister, Bella, and her father, a baker who suffers from crippling arthritis. The three have been on their own in the years since Lacey’s mother was executed

Deception Bay, an Extraordinary Historical Thriller by N.N. Parker READ MORE >

The Advent House, an Unforgettable Political Thriller by Tim Jorgenson

By

The Bottom Line: This political thriller set in post-revolutionary Cuba features an unforgettable hero’s journey that is both emotionally resonant and highly suspenseful.   The Advent House opens as hospital volunteer Gabriella Suarez Paloma is assigned to assist a dying woman during her final days. The patient, a woman named Adriana, is considered both a person of interest and a “consort of an enemy of the state.”

The Advent House, an Unforgettable Political Thriller by Tim Jorgenson READ MORE >

In The Lair of Legends, The Year’s Best Historical Thriller

By

The Bottom Line: Winner, Best Historical Thriller, The BestThrillers.com Book Awards. Highly recommended. The most highly decorated Native American in the history of the United States Cavalry, Jolon Winterhawk is a combat veteran of countless bloody skirmishes during the American Civil War. He’s a man of honor, struggling with sworn allegiances to two different nations-the country he’s sworn to protect, and the tribe he’s promised to defend.

In The Lair of Legends, The Year’s Best Historical Thriller READ MORE >

The Birthday of Eternity, a Must-Read Historical Thriller by A.D. Price

By

The Bottom Line: This atmospheric mystery is a must-read for fans of L.A. Noir and postwar historical fiction.  Set in Los Angeles one year after the end of World War II, private investigators Kit Comfort and Henry Richman have a new client: Hoyle Cooper, a.k.a. the Doctor to the Stars. Cooper wants to find his soon-to-be-ex, Lillian, who left him in March and served divorce

The Birthday of Eternity, a Must-Read Historical Thriller by A.D. Price READ MORE >

Veil of Doubt

Veil of Doubt, an Engrossing Courtroom Thriller by Sharon Virts

By

The Bottom Line: Veil of Doubt is a perfectly paced courtroom thriller with flourishes of forensics that will excite fans of Caleb Carr’s Angel of Darkness or the TV series Law and Order. I love murder mysteries, courtroom dramas and psychological thrillers. Virts adds all these elements together in a very engrossing tale about a woman who is charged with murdering her husband and four

Veil of Doubt, an Engrossing Courtroom Thriller by Sharon Virts READ MORE >

Scroll to Top