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.

The Summer of Haight, an Electrifying Debut Thriller by George Petersen

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The Bottom Line: An electrifying debut that is part murder mystery, part psychological thriller, and most of all, a memorable plunge into the dark soul of the Summer of Love.  The Summer of Haight begins as British expatriate and San Francisco attorney Longfellow finds himself in the vibrant tide of the 1967 Summer of Love. While the city explodes in psychedelic colors, free love, and anti-establishment fervor, […]

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Deceit of the Manna: Nature’s Fury, a Riveting Conspiracy Thriller by Henry Cox

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The Bottom Line: If you love secret societies, conspiracy theories and hard sci-fi, don’t miss Deceit of the Manna: Nature’s Fury. Riveting cover-to-cover, it’s like digesting an eight-course meal. The fourth book in Henry Cox’s bestselling Deceit series opens on a chilly May 1976 morning in Bozeman, Montana. In a snug, slightly ramshackle bungalow near the Montana State campus, Brice, a tall and deliriously in love graduate student,

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Devil I New 666 Book

666: The Devil I Knew, The Devil I Didn’t Know by Eliade Moldovan

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The Bottom Line: An unforgettable supernatural saga that deftly blurs fact and fiction into something truly original.  666: The Devil I Knew, The Devil I Didn’t Know is unlike any other book you’ll ever read. The concept was borne out of author Eliade Moldovan’s memoir about growing up in Romania during the Cold War. Like a songwriter creating an album, Moldovan prepared 41 stories for the original book, and on the advice

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The Best Vatican Thriller Books of All Time

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Looking for a pulse-pounding novel that involves the Vatican, the pope and perhaps a conspiracy theory or two? When it comes to high-stakes suspense, few settings deliver like the Vatican. With its centuries-old secrets, hidden chambers, and power struggles cloaked in ritual, it’s the perfect backdrop for some of the most pulse-pounding thrillers ever written. The fact that the pope is the leader of over

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Born of Bombs

Born of Bombs and Bullets, a Hard-Hitting Historical Thriller by David A. Dummer

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The Bottom Line: A welcome respite from monotonous historical thrillers, Born of Bombs and Bullets delivers a fresh, hard-hitting take on Northern Ireland’s Troubles as seen through the eyes of a vulnerable American.  After failing to stop a preventable murder in the American prison where he worked, psychologist Aaron Thornton moves to his wife’s native city of Belfast, Northern Ireland, for a fresh start. Thornton specializes in psychological trauma, including vicarious

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Rescue Run, an Essential World War II Thriller by John Winn Miller

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The Bottom Line: Based on real World War II heroes, and profoundly researched from cover-to-cover, Rescue Run is every bit as riveting and essential as anything in Clive Cussler’s body of work.  Set during World War II, Rescue Run opens as American Captain Jake Rogers’ cargo ship comes under attack from a Nazi submarine. Despite the assistance of a B-24 bomber in fending off the U-boat attack, Rogers’ battered

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Historical Thriller of The Year: The Beauty Doctor by Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard

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The Bottom Line:  Voted Best Historical Thriller in the 2024 BestThrillers.com Book Awards 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 her agreeing to marry a man

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Tiger Season

Tiger Season, a Haunting Historical Thriller by Gojan Nikolich

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The Bottom Line: A haunting, nerve-wracking tale set in the eerie landscape of the Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ). Tiger Season opens as U.S. Army veteran Eddie Profar is dying in a hospital in Duluth, Minnesota. After a day of visitors coming and going from his deathbed, a chill sends him into a vivid remembrance about the winter of 1968, when he served along the demilitarized zone (DMZ) dividing

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Echoes of Fortune, a Taut Historical Thriller by David R. Leng

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The Bottom Line: A taut historical thriller that blends a rich tapestry of American folklore with modern adventure and romance. Perfect for fans of Steve Berry and James Rollins.  In the timeless tradition of The Count of Monte Cristo, David R. Leng’s new book centers around a modern-day search for buried treasure. In this case, the fortune comes courtesy of the real-life historical account of British General Edward

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Pushing Back the Desert, a High-Stakes Political Thriller by Gordon Zuckerman

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The Bottom Line: Rigorously researched, this cold war political thriller crackles with high-stakes spycraft, corporate greed and the moral obligation to protect humanity.  Pushing Back the Desert opens in the 1950s, as New Yorker Claudine Demaureaux summons a group of highly educated friends dubbed the Six Sentinels. The group first became acquainted when they shared the same doctoral study group during World War II. Now successful

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