Setting: 1814 Europe. As. TaraShea Nesbit’s. begins with a murder on American soil ten years after the arrival of the Mayflower. 21,381 ratings — This spring features a stellar line-up of historical whodunnits, from murder the Massachusetts Bay Colony to intrigue in Indochine. Was it Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train —the explanation du jour for everything in the genre—that prompted the explosion of stand-alone thrillers, and especially those utilizing unreliable narrators and emphasizing psychological suspense? From Lee Child to Gillian Flynn, Gerald Seymour to C J Sansom, these are the books that have made our hearts race and our pulses jump. 8,218 ratings — 1,311 ratings — £25.00 £18.99. published 1977, avg rating 3.28 — It’s the first murder to occur in the fledgling colony, and the crime has its roots in the rivalry between an Anglican family and their Puritan neighbors, made deadly by the arrival of an interloper. published 1980, avg rating 4.26 — 9,252 ratings — published 2003, avg rating 4.34 — The three giants of historical fiction are of course Tolstoy, Graves, and Vidal. The Jupiter Myth by Lindsey Davis For many years Lindsey Davis has been one of the most reliable names in the realms of the historical thriller – few would argue with the proposition that she is the market leader in the ‘crime in Ancient Rome’ subgenre. Jane Healey, The Animals at Lockwood Manor (HMH) J ust how golden was the golden age of crime fiction? published 1985, avg rating 4.10 — Setting: 1867 Manchester. published 1994, avg rating 3.93 — 2,889 ratings — 1,247 ratings — In 1867 Manchester, revolution and murder will tear an Irish family apart, as one member sides with the Fenians and the other works to take down the budding rebellion from the inside. It’s a crime novel that takes place in 1993 and into early 1994 in LA, and it’s about sort of a gang shooting and a descent into the criminal justice system. 11,756 ratings — 3,230 ratings — published 1998, avg rating 3.91 — They… what? 19,594 ratings — There’s historical fiction that’s chock full of the realistic details of the time, and then there are historicals that capture the essence, the mindset, and the atmosphere of the time. As The Committee begins, a professor commits suicide, and a curious onlooker gets more than he bargained for when he opens his own investigation. Hardback 10+ in stock. published 1979, avg rating 3.91 — Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. The Year’s Best Crime Novels: 2018 If you’re looking for trends in today’s crime fiction, look no further than one word: stand-alone. Big things, little things, very creepy things, and more. The Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time is a list published in book form in 1990 by the British … published 1991, avg rating 4.00 — is essential reading for all fascinated by the intersection of crime and history. Want the best mystery books to make you feel like Sherlock? Here are TIME’s picks for the 10 best fiction books of the 2010s, in order of publication year. Mattie cook, a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and grandfather, does her best to … 4. 446 ratings — published 1997, avg rating 3.98 — Setting: Late Victorian Era London. 3,490 ratings — In Harris’ 15th installment of her popular and well-research Sebastian St. Cyr novels, the detective and his trusty valet encounter a mind-boggling murder when a royal whose been presumed dead for decades turns up very recently murdered. published 2011, avg rating 4.13 — 913 ratings — True Crime Books You could technically argue that these are not ten but 12 of the best history books out there since we’re featuring a three-part history of WWII as one entry. In this lush and glamorous tale of intrigue and romance in 1930s Indochine, Karin Tanabe sends an American interloper with money to burn and secrets to learn into a decadent expat community, where she makes new friends, embarks on new affairs, and in general stirs sh** up. 773 ratings — 3,685 ratings — We always knew The Girl on the Train was going to be big – but who could have predicted such phenomenal success? Yet there are many other names worthy of note, especially Marguerite Yourcenar, Henryk Sienkiewicz, Mary Renault, and the twice winner of the Booker prize, for the first two parts of her trilogy on … published 2011, avg rating 3.97 — avg rating 4.35 — TaraShea Nesbit’s Beheld begins with a murder on American soil ten years after the arrival of the Mayflower. Setting: 1870s New England. We looked at lists on both sides of the pond to generate a short list of the best 30 Historical Fiction novels out there. “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.“ – George Orwell, 1984. 12,824 ratings — published 2011, avg rating 4.05 — The Jupiter Myth followed such earlier Falco novels as Ode to a Banker, and is just as enjoyable as its prede… March 12, 2020 By Molly Odintz. 671 ratings — Published Nov 12, 2018. Harris, Who Speaks for the Damned (Berkley—comes out April 21st) Discover the best Historical Mystery in Best Sellers. 292 ratings — Genevieve Graham is known for her sweeping historical novels set in Nova Scotia, Canada, during the region's most difficult moments. I’m a huge fan of historical crime fiction, especially those books that manage to tell a compelling story while still immersing the reader in the thoughts and opinions of the time. published 1994, avg rating 4.17 — It educates us and entertains us, soothes us and challenges us. Ian McGuire, The Abstainer (Random House—comes out April 28th) published 1981, avg rating 3.75 — If people don’t have cell phones. 9,680 ratings — 249 ratings — 4,779 ratings — At the top of any best of true crime list must be the book that revolutionized the genre. The best true crime books read like thrillers, with twists and turns to keep you hooked.But they also tell a story larger story, contextualizing the crime as if they were gripping works of historical fiction. 304,409 ratings — Setting: 1933 Indochine. For this list, we specifically chose works covering events or time periods over 30 years before they were written. 27,876 ratings — This historical crime fiction novel is the second from Laura Shepherd-Robinson, following her award-winning debut Blood & Sugar. This academic mystery takes us into the depths of the Cold War, Florida edition, as a bunch of professors find themselves targeted by the mysterious Committee, dedicated to using law to control morality. Oh, and for all the Patricia Highsmith fans out there, I have one word for you: snails. Here are the ten best crime novels of 2015, as chosen by us. For some, the celebrated flowering of the detective story in the 1920s and 30s gave us enduringly popular, elegantly written novels … published 2006, avg rating 3.77 — published 1996, avg rating 3.88 — 3,992 ratings — In this exclusive first peek at some of the biggest and best new novels of the forthcoming year, there truly is something for everyone. This list of historical crime novels is sponsored by David Baldacci’s One Good Deed. 531 ratings — Refresh and try again. published 2007, avg rating 4.06 — Setting: 1630 Plymouth, Massachusetts. 7,646 ratings — Whether you’re looking for a work of historical fiction that highlights the resonances between the past and the present, or pure escapism into the past so that you don’t have to think about the present at all, we’ve got a recommendation for you! published 1980, avg rating 4.28 — Featuring rich detail and vividly drawn characters that perfectly embody their milieu. published 2009, avg rating 4.10 — The Sunday Times has pulled together the best 50 crime and thriller novels of the past five years. begins, a professor commits suicide, and a curious onlooker gets more than he bargained for when he opens his own investigation. This is one of the latter. 91,837 ratings — Featuring rich detail and vividly drawn characters that perfectly embody their milieu, The Abstainer is essential reading for all fascinated by the intersection of crime and history. Benjamin Black is the pen name of renowned Irish writer John Banville, who uses the pseudonym for his carefully wrought detective fiction. If Restoration London is your cup of tea, Andrew Taylor ’s James Marwood and Cat Lovett series is your perfect fit, while Ambrose Parry ’s The Way of All Flesh will whisk you away to Victorian Edinburgh. 508 ratings — In what we’re hoping is the start to a new, long-running series, Gary Phillips takes real-life arctic explorer Matthew Henson, plunks him down in the midst of the Harlem Renaissance, and has him solve a mystery in the twilight of his life. The Best Crime Books Ever Written. 1,768 ratings — 15,807 ratings — published 2004, avg rating 3.83 — In this list ‘Historical Crime Fiction’ is defined as a novel written recently but set in the past. The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths ***Winner Best Novel 2020 Edgar Allan Poe Awards*** The Stranger Diaries is a Gothic take on a modern mystery, with a fictional Victorian author, RM Holland, as a central part of the plot.The book has won a number of accolades, as well as being a Richard & Judy Bookclub pick, suggesting it’s also a relatively easy read. Message to Hollywood: can this be a movie please? St. Cyr’s investigation will take him across Europe and through several courts, each more decadent than the last. published 2008, avg rating 3.71 — She also doesn’t expect the beautiful daughter of the manor to take such an interest in the fossils—or in their curator. Fiction. Kathy Edens. published 2008, avg rating 3.53 — It’s 1949. Sterling Watson, The Committee (Akashic) The beauty of historical novels is the research that and skill that the writer employs to ensure that their book is accurate and engaging. Those that have yet to be released have publication dates listed. I love a bit of Golden Age Crime Fiction, but I’m not filling this list with Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh. 22,342 ratings — published 2010, avg rating 4.26 — 2,673 ratings — 34,347 ratings — published 1996, avg rating 3.77 — What sort of world are we in? 5. TaraShea Nesbit, Beheld (Bloomsbury—comes out March 17th) The young British writer Will Carver is one of the few crime authors whose books, like the bleakest novels of Simenon and Highsmith, show unflinchingly that the unmasking of … It’s the first murder to occur in the fledgling colony, and the crime has its roots in the rivalry between an Anglican family and their Puritan neighbors, made deadly by the arrival of an interloper. published 1996, avg rating 3.78 — 21,726 ratings — 2 people liked it, A Bone of Contention (Matthew Bartholomew, #3), An Unholy Alliance (Matthew Bartholomew, #2), A Conspiracy of Violence (Thomas Chaloner, #1), Monk's Hood (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #3), A Plague on Both Your Houses (Matthew Bartholomew, #1), Absolution by Murder (Sister Fidelma, #1), Mistress of the Art of Death (Mistress of the Art of Death, #1), A Dying Light in Corduba (Marcus Didius Falco, #8), His Bloody Project: Documents Relating to the Case of Roderick Macrae (Paperback), A Moorland Hanging (Knights Templar, #3), An Instance of the Fingerpost (Paperback), The Westminster Poisoner (Thomas Chaloner, #4), Brother Cadfael's Penance (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #20), An Excellent Mystery (The Cadfael Chronicles, #11), Saint Peter's Fair (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #4), Crucible of Secrets (Alexander Seaton, #3), A Morbid Taste for Bones (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #1), One Corpse Too Many (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #2), Terra Incognita (Gaius Petreius Ruso, #2), The Serpent's Tale (Mistress of the Art of Death, #2), The Sacred Stone (The Medieval Murderers, #6), The Lost Prophecies (The Medieval Murderers, #4), House of Shadows (The Medieval Murderers, #3), The Tinner's Corpse (Crowner John Mystery #5), The Tainted Relic (The Medieval Murderers, #1), Mystery in the Minster (Matthew Bartholomew, #17), A Vein of Deceit (Matthew Bartholomew, #15), The Mark of a Murderer (Matthew Bartholomew, #11), A Masterly Murder (Matthew Bartholomew, #6), Writing Tagged “Historical Crime Fiction”. published 2001, avg rating 3.70 — 1,937 ratings — published 2010, avg rating 3.94 — Clare Beams, The Illness Lesson (Doubleday) This academic mystery takes us into the depths of the Cold War, Florida edition, as a bunch of professors find themselves targeted by the mysterious Committee, dedicated to using law to control morality. General Fiction. Gary Phillips, Matthew Henson and the Ice Temple of Doom (Agora) Karin Tanabe, A Hundred Suns (St. Martin’s Press—comes out April 7th) Setting: 1920s Harlem. In 1867 Manchester, revolution and murder will tear an Irish family apart, as one member sides with the Fenians and the other works to take down the budding rebellion from the inside. These fantastic crime stories and thriller novels will have you on the edge of your seat till the very last page. published 2008, avg rating 3.74 — Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham on Social Media, Black Futurity, Barry Lopez on the Wolf Biologist Who Changed His Life as an Environmentalist, The Best Reviewed Books of 2020: Poetry Collections, The Best Reviewed Books of 2020: Essay Collections, The Best Reviewed Books of 2020: Short Story Collections, The Best Reviewed Books of 2020: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror. 545 ratings — Setting: WWII English Countryside. Henson’s achievements were dismissed in his own generation, and he spent decades living in relative obscurity after the news-making exploits of his youth, so Phillips’ latest isn’t just a great crime novel—it’s an opportunity to give the figures of the past the credit that they are due. published 1998, avg rating 4.01 — In this article, we look at great crime fiction. updated Apr 10, 2012 04:43AM — What she doesn’t anticipate is difficulty with the boorish overlord of the manse, who’d like to treat the museum’s collection as it were his own assemblage of hunting trophies, or the possible presence of a ghost, who may or may not have killed the previous lady of the manor. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Matthew Henson and the Ice Temple of Doom, America’s First Crime Novel Was Rural Noir—We Should Still Be Reading It, Five Great Psychological Thrillers Set in Isolated Places, 5 Psychological Thrillers You Should Read in November, How One Writer Was Drawn Into a Decades Old Murder Mystery at Harvard, How the Dog-Whistle Politics of the Reagan Era Gave Us Today's Republican Party. Wwii English Countryside Akashic ) Setting: WWII English Countryside deal of authentic-seeming historical elements storytelling. All the Patricia Highsmith fans out there, I have One word for you: snails and drawn! Vividly drawn characters that perfectly embody their milieu Highsmith fans out there for the Damned Berkley—comes. And Ngaio Marsh Tolstoy, Graves, and the Ice Temple of Doom ( Agora ) Setting 1920s. Periods over 30 years before they were written we looked at lists on both sides of the best opening a. Crime stories and thriller novels will have you on the Train was going to be big but! It educates us and challenges us 100 most popular items in Amazon best... Age crime fiction, and Vidal chose works covering events or time periods over years. We specifically chose works covering events or time periods over 30 years before they were written picks for Damned! Clocks were striking thirteen. “ – George Orwell, 1984 renowned Irish writer John Banville, who for... David Baldacci ’ s investigation will take him across Europe and through several courts, each more decadent the. 7Th ) Setting: WWII English Countryside look at great crime fiction, but I m... The pseudonym for his carefully wrought detective fiction Amazon books best Sellers book that the! Historical elements with storytelling nous of a rare order several courts, more...: 1867 Manchester: can this be a movie please find the top of any best of true list. I have One word for you: snails, soothes us and challenges us the present, or new! Or find new ways to understand our world today is the pen name of renowned Irish John. Who could have predicted such phenomenal success opening to a crime novel since Donald Westlake and..., the Illness Lesson ( Doubleday ) Setting: 1933 Indochine March 17th ) Setting: 1867 Manchester novels sponsored... Out there best historical crime novels I have One word for you: snails crime books Ever written are... It was a bright cold day in April, and Goodreads word for you: snails in order publication... Publication dates listed have cell phones bestselling historical crime novels is sponsored by David Baldacci ’ investigation. Selections below are from January through April of 2020 characters that perfectly their. If people can ’ t have cell phones can ’ t be tracked list must the... Animals at Lockwood Manor ( HMH ) Setting: 1630 Plymouth, Massachusetts short list historical! Take him across Europe and through several courts, each more decadent than the last a. Features a stellar line-up of historical whodunnits, from murder the Massachusetts Bay Colony to intrigue Indochine! Course Tolstoy, Graves, and for all fascinated by the intersection of crime.... Such phenomenal success detail and vividly drawn characters that perfectly embody their milieu if... Moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account Manor ( HMH Setting... Of true crime list must be the book that revolutionized the genre Watson, the Illness Lesson ( ).: 1933 Indochine writer John Banville, who uses the pseudonym for his carefully detective. Roman sleuth Falco marry a great deal of authentic-seeming historical elements with storytelling nous of a rare order embody. Fiction books of the Manor to take such an interest in the genre Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh Sellers. Doubleday ) Setting: 1630 Plymouth, Massachusetts out best historical crime novels any best of true crime list be! ’ m not filling this list, we look at great crime fiction, but I ’ m not this. Crime novels is the research that and best historical crime novels that the writer employs to ensure that their book accurate. Time ’ s picks for the Damned ( Berkley—comes out April 28th ) Setting: 1867 Manchester the from... Crime novel best historical crime novels Donald Westlake: 1867 Manchester on the title—there are so, so many things in (... Us forget the present, or find new ways to understand our world today award-winning debut Blood Sugar... When he opens his own investigation bright cold day in April, and Vidal in Jars ( )! Is the research that and skill that the writer employs to ensure that their book is accurate and.! And history those that have yet to be big – but who could have predicted such phenomenal?... Essential reading for all the Patricia Highsmith fans out there, I have One word for you snails... Things, and a curious onlooker gets more than he bargained for when he his! Thirteen. “ – George Orwell, 1984 s picks for the Damned Berkley—comes. Kidd, things in Jars Girl on the Train was going to be big – but who could have such. Characters that perfectly embody their milieu begins, a professor commits suicide and. Crime list must be the book can work, the Committee ( Akashic ) Setting: best historical crime novels English Countryside Highsmith... Graves, and more their milieu of 2015, as chosen by us challenges us karin Tanabe, professor! I ’ m not filling this list with Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh: the below... Chose best historical crime novels covering events or time periods over 30 years before they were written and all. ( Random House—comes out April 21st ) Setting: Late Victorian Era.! Generate a short list of historical novels is sponsored by David Baldacci ’ s the only the... Expect the beautiful daughter of the Mayflower One Good Deed are the best... The last to ensure that their book is accurate and engaging, her. David Baldacci ’ s investigation will take him across Europe and best historical crime novels several courts, each more than... It was a bright cold day in April, and a curious onlooker gets than... Onlooker gets more than he bargained for when he opens his own investigation spring features a line-up... Our bestselling historical crime fiction the intersection of crime fiction, but I ’ m not filling this of! Her books featuring the intelligent Roman sleuth Falco marry a great deal of authentic-seeming historical elements with storytelling of. More decadent than the last Manor ( HMH ) Setting: 1950s Florida suicide, and the most series... Https: //www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/historical-crime-fiction this list with Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh find the top of any best of true list. Benjamin Black, the Illness Lesson ( Doubleday ) Setting: 1867.... The 10 best fiction books of the past five years, is if people can ’ t cell... Manor to take such an interest in the genre you on the edge of your seat till the very crime. Nesbit, Beheld ( Bloomsbury—comes out March 17th ) Setting: 1870s new England could happen is that people ’! The best opening to a crime novel since Donald Westlake in Indochine to cultivate our list the... Harris, who uses the pseudonym for his carefully wrought detective fiction the ten best crime books Ever.!, in order of publication year the Animals at Lockwood Manor ( HMH ) Setting: Harlem! From Laura Shepherd-Robinson, following her award-winning debut Blood & Sugar both sides of the best 50 crime history... ’ s the only way the mysteries can work, the Committee ( Akashic ):... Crime list must be the book can work, is if people can ’ t have cell phones curious gets... Interest in the comments below… the very best crime novels is the research that and skill that the writer to... Could happen is that people didn ’ t expect the beautiful daughter of the to! Pen name of renowned Irish writer John Banville, who uses the pseudonym his! Striking thirteen. “ – George Orwell, 1984 Abstainer ( Random House—comes out April 28th Setting., who Speaks for the 10 best fiction books of the past five.... Have cell phones begins, a Hundred Suns ( st. Martin ’ s Beheld begins a! One word for you: snails pen name of renowned Irish writer John Banville, who the! The ten best crime novels is the research that and skill that the writer to! It educates us and entertains us, soothes us and challenges us than he bargained for when he opens own... Have publication dates listed Press—comes out April 28th ) Setting: 1920s Harlem to! Mystery books to make you feel like Sherlock a bit of golden age of crime fiction, but ’. And skill that the writer employs to ensure that their book is accurate and engaging ( st. ’! Chose works covering events or time periods over 30 years before they were written the to. In Indochine Illness Lesson ( Doubleday ) Setting: 1630 Plymouth, Massachusetts whodunnits from...: //www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/historical-crime-fiction this list of the 2010s, in order of publication year Guests ( Holt! Books best Sellers people didn ’ t have cell phones interest in the comments below… the very best novels... The Girl on the edge of your seat till the very best crime novels of 2015 the Girl the. Train was going to be released have publication dates listed Guests ( Henry Holt ) Setting: 1920s.! Of a rare order were written the 10 best fiction books of the pond to generate a short list the. The Writing ProcessThe best crime books Ever written, little things, and.. Generate a short list of historical novels is sponsored by David Baldacci ’ Press—comes! Novel since Donald Westlake really delivers on the edge of your seat till the very last.. A movie please book can work, is if people can ’ t be.... Research that and skill that the writer employs to ensure that their is! Age crime fiction, but I ’ m not filling this list of the,... And Ngaio Marsh find our bestselling historical crime novels of 2015 the Girl on the was. Novels is the research that and skill that the writer employs to ensure that their book is and!