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.

Charles Bridge, an Edge-Of-Your-Seat Spy Novel by Jefferson Flanders

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The Bottom Line: An edge-of-your-seat spy origin story set within a clever Cold War thriller. Jefferson Flanders’ gripping new novel begins in 1980s New York City as antique dealer Claire Markham is hired to go to London to bid on an 18th century clock. But after returning, her client Benjamin Singer asks her to take on a more daring assignment. Claire is asked to go …

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Secrets of the Chimes, a Standout Holiday Murder Mystery by John Vance

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The Bottom Line:  A standout holiday murder mystery that is a must-read for fans of A Christmas Carol. Highly recommended. Pour yourself a brandy, slide into a pair of velvet loafers and cozy up by the fire to savor this perfectly timed murder mystery that centers around one of Charles Dickens’ little-known Christmas novellas (fact: The Chimes is actually one of five Christmas novellas written by the beloved …

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COLOGNE DISEASE, a Jaw-Dropping Historical Thriller by J.K. Lang

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The Bottom Line: A timely and atmospheric historical thriller that is tailor-made for fans of Steve Berry and Dan Brown. Set in Cologne, Germany, J.K. Lang’s novel begins as the city is celebrating its annual Carnival festival – a perfect breeding ground for plague. Meanwhile at the University of Cologne, dean Magnus Berger is confronted and attacked by a mysterious church official who wants information …

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Torched, a Must-Read Suspense Thriller by Joe Edd Morris

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The Bottom Line: Inspired by harrowing true events and real-life people, Torched is a must-read. In the summer of 1964, newly minted Methodist preacher Sam Ransom drives from Atlanta to his summer post in rural Mississippi. From the start, he knows they’re going to work him to the bone, as he’s expected to preach five times each Sunday at various area churches as well as …

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SPECTRE, a Compulsively Readable Supernatural Thriller by Douglas Misquita

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The Bottom Line: A compulsively readable supernatural thriller that is sure to expand Misquita’s audience. Douglas Misquita, author of one of the best thrillers of 2019, returns with his third Kirk Ingram series novel. In a narrative that spans the first, fourth,14th and 21st centuries, SPECTRE imagines a world where a small group of Resurrectionists – people with the power to raise the dead – …

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The Newton Code, an Irresistible Religious Conspiracy Thriller by Liam Fialkov

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The Bottom Line: A must-read for fans of Dan Brown and Steve Berry. While Sir Isaac Newton’s scientific legacy is well-established, novelist Liam Fialkov uses Newton’s lesser known obsessions with Christianity and metaphysics as the core of a spellbinding religious conspiracy thriller. As The Newton Code opens, computers around the world are held captive. For 13 minutes, frustrated users are met with a cryptic message and an …

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The Secrets We Kept, an Electrifying Spy Novel by Lara Prescott

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The Bottom Line: Did the world need another spy novel pitting the CIA against Russia? The answer is a resounding yes. Part historical fiction, part spy fiction, Prescott’s highly original novel begins in 1956 as Pasternak Boris is writing his future masterpiece, Doctor Zhivago. The Kremlin decides to ban it. The CIA has other plans. Why not use the subversive novel to create civil unrest in the …

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Blackwell, a Wondrous Gaslamp Thriller by Alexandrea Weis with Lucas Astor

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The Bottom Line: A lush gaslamp thriller that seems destined for a second life on television. Blackwell is the story of a rivalry that descends into a battle for the ages. In 1886, wealthy Harvard student Magnus Blackwell befriends fellow freshman Jacob O’ Connor. Unlike Magnus, whose family is as close to royalty as they came in New England, Jacob hails from working class stock. …

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Wish to Die, a Superb Historical Thriller by Robert Walton

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The Bottom Line: An ebullient historical thriller that solves one of World War II’s most perplexing mysteries in highly entertaining fashion. Perfect for readers waiting for the next Indiana Jones novel. In Robert Walton’s third Harry Thursday series novel, the intrepid archeologist attempts to right a wrong perpetrated by the Nazis during World War II: the theft of the legendary Russian Amber Room and a …

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