Now that 2023 is almost over, it’s time to look ahead to the historical fiction being published in 2024. I’ve listed below a selection of books that have caught my attention for one reason or another – some are review copies I’ve received, some are new books by authors I’ve previously enjoyed and others just sound interesting. 2024 looks like being a great year for historical fiction and I hope there’s something here that appeals to you.
Dates provided are for the UK and were correct at the time of posting.
January
The Beholders by Hester Musson (18th January 2024) – A debut Gothic thriller about secrets within the household of a politician and his wife, set in the 1870s and written from the perspective of their maid.
February
The Bone Hunters by Joanne Burn (8th February 2024) – I haven’t read either of Joanne Burn’s previous two novels but this new one, about the discovery of fossils in the cliffs of Lyme Regis, sounds appealing to me. I’ll be interested to see how it compares with Tracy Chevalier’s Remarkable Creatures, on the same subject.
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo (13th February 2024) – Choo’s novels usually combine history with elements of fantasy or magical realism and her new book, in which rumours of ‘fox gods’ surround the death of a young woman in 1908 Manchuria, sounds like it will do the same.
The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang (15th February 2024) – I don’t often read novels that are collaborations between two authors, but I’ve enjoyed other books by Kate Quinn, although I haven’t read anything by Janie Chang yet. This one is about two women who are drawn into a mystery when a dealer in Chinese antiques disappears after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
Clairmont by Lesley McDowell (29th February 2024) – I’ve read other books about Lord Byron and Percy and Mary Shelley, but this one is written from the perspective of Claire Clairmont, Mary’s stepsister, which should be interesting.
A Court of Betrayal by Anne O’Brien (29th February 2024) – Moving on from her last two novels which were a fictional account of the Paston family based on the letters they left behind, O’Brien’s new novel has a completely different setting and tells the story of Johane de Geneville, an heiress of the Welsh Marches in the 14th century.
March
The Tower by Flora Carr (7th March 2024) – This is a novel about the imprisonment of Mary Queen of Scots at Lochleven Castle, told from the point of view of Mary and her maids. It’s Flora Carr’s debut novel, so I’ll be interested to see what I think.
The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden (7th March 2024) – I loved Arden’s Winternight historical fantasy series set in medieval Russia, but this book, about a nurse investigating the disappearance of her brother in the trenches of the First World War, sounds very different.
The Other Gwyn Girl by Nicola Cornick (7th March 2024) – A dual timeline novel with the historical storyline set in 1671 and telling the story of Rose Gwyn, sister of the more famous Nell Gwyn, Charles II’s mistress.
The Book of Secrets by Anna Mazzola (21st March 2024) – I didn’t read Mazzola’s last book, but enjoyed her earlier ones. This new book is inspired by real events that took place in 17th century Italy.
April
The Household by Stacey Halls (11th April 2024) – A book inspired by the true story of Urania Cottage, a house for ‘fallen women’ co-founded by Charles Dickens. I enjoyed all of Stacey Halls’ previous three books so will definitely be reading this one.
A Plague of Serpents by KJ Maitland (25th April 2024) – This is going to be the last in the series of Daniel Pursglove mysteries set in Jacobean England. I’m hoping all my questions will be answered!
May
The Nightingale’s Castle by Sonia Velton (2nd May 2024) – This novel about the infamous Countess Erzsébet Báthory, an alleged 16th century serial killer, sounds fascinating and has a beautiful cover!
The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson (7th May 2024) – It feels like a very long time since Helen Simonson’s last book – in fact, it has been eight years! Her new one is going to be about a woman who joins a ladies’ motorcycle club in post-WWI England.
The Puzzle Wood by Rosie Andrews (9th May 2024) – I had mixed feelings about Rosie Andrews’ first book, The Leviathan, but I like the sound of this one, in which a woman takes up a position as governess in disguise so she can investigate the death of her sister.
Mary I: Queen of Sorrows by Alison Weir (9th May 2024) – The final book in Weir’s Tudor Rose trilogy, following her novels on Elizabeth of York and Henry VIII. I haven’t read as much about Mary I as I have about Elizabeth I, so it should be interesting.
Long Island by Colm Tóibín (23rd May 2024) – The long-awaited sequel to Tóibín’s 2009 novel Brooklyn will pick up the story of Eilis Lacey twenty years after the previous book ended.
June
The Burial Plot by Elizabeth Macneal (6th June 2024) – Described as a thriller set in Victorian London, this is Macneal’s third novel and having enjoyed her previous two, I’m already looking forward to it.
July
A Woman of Opinion by Sean Lusk (4th July 2024) – Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, the 18th century writer, poet and medical pioneer, is the subject of Sean Lusk’s new novel, which sounds entirely different from last year’s The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley!
The Trouble with Mrs Montgomery Hurst by Katie Lumsden (18th July 2024) – Lumsden’s first book, The Secrets of Hartwood Hall, was a Gothic novel inspired by the Brontës, so her new book, in which a rich gentleman marries an impoverished widow, again sounds very different!
August
The King’s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley (1st August 2024) – Set in 1613, this book follows the story of Andrew Logan, messenger to King James I of England and VI of Scotland, who becomes caught up in rumours of poisoning following the death of the king’s eldest son.
The Briar Club by Kate Quinn (15th August 2024) – Kate Quinn’s second book of the year is a solo effort this time, about a group of women who hold weekly meetings in the attic of a Washington DC boarding house in the 1950s.
Unsinkable by Frances Quinn (15th August 2024) – I loved Frances Quinn’s last book, That Bonesetter Woman, so I’ll be looking out for Unsinkable which, as the title suggests, is going to be about the Titanic.
Precipice by Robert Harris (29th August 2024) – A new Robert Harris book is always something to look forward to. This one is set at the beginning of World War I and involves Prime Minister H.H. Asquith, his affair with Venetia Stanley, and some leaked secret documents.
September
The Royal Rebel by Elizabeth Chadwick (5th September 2024) – The first of two books telling the story of Jeanette of Kent (usually known as Joan of Kent), wife of Edward, the Black Prince and mother of Richard II. I have read about Joan before but I’m sure Chadwick’s version will add something new.
The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier (12th September 2024) – Chevalier’s first new novel in five years will begin in 15th century Venice and will follow a family of glassblowers down through the generations to the present day.
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Are you interested in reading any of these books? What else have I missed?
She Reads Novels 
The Elizabeth Chadwick, Anne O’Brien and Stacey Halls books are all on my wishlist, but £22 for one book really is a lot!
That does seem excessive!
Goodness, I haven’t even got to grips with 2023 releases yet! But Colm Tóibín and Stacey Halls sound appealing, as well as getting to know authors as yet unknown to me.
I probably won’t actually read all of the books I’ve listed here, but the Tóibín and Halls are two I’ll definitely try to find time for.
There are so many on here that I want to read. I think that the KJ Maitland has to be top of the list though
Yes, I’m looking forward to that one and am hoping it will tie up all the loose ends!
I’m not a huge fan of histfic but that sounds like a vintage Chevalier – exciting!
I still have a few of Chevalier’s earlier books to read but am looking forward to the new one as I love books set in Venice!
Wow, what a list! The word “gothic” got me right away on your January offering. I think I’d like to read The Bone Hunters, The Warm Hands of Ghosts, just because of the title, The Nightingale’s Castle, not sure about the Simonson, because I loved her first and only just liked her second, plus the title makes me think of Guernsey Potato Peel or whatever that was, another Rosie Andrews might be good, of course the Toibin and the Robert Harris, and Tracy Chevalier is usually predictably good, Lots to read next year!
Yes, I think 2024 looks like being a great year for new historical fiction. I’m glad you’re interested in reading some of these too.
Some interesting hisfic there! I haven’t read Chevalier for a long while now, and am quite intrigued by The Glassblower. It reminds me of Daphne du Maurier’s book with the same title (which I haven’t read either, but it quite interested me).
I have read du Maurier’s The Glassblowers and found it interesting, although it’s not one of my favourite du Maurier books. I’m looking forward to the new Chevalier!
A interesting and very tempting batch – I await your reviews with anticipation! I have a few of them on my own list – Mazzola, Choo, and the Rosie Andrews, whose first book I loved more than you, if I remember rightly. The Toibin and the Harris are very tempting…
I liked the first Rosie Andrews but it ended up going too far in the fantasy/horror direction for me. I’m hoping her new one will be more to my taste.
Precipice by Robert Harris and the (finally!) new Tracy Chevalier are going straight onto my TBR–thank you!
I love Robert Harris, so that’s the book I’m most looking forward to. I’m excited about the new Tracy Chevalier too, though – it seems like such a long time since her last one!
Agree on Chavalier
I have read The Warm Hands of Ghosts — I was eager to get my hands on a new Katherine Arden. And I was not disappointed, as it was indeed quite a different setting from the Winternight series but just as well written and thoughtful.
I still haven’t read Stacey Halls but I want to. The Household sounds intriguing, as do all the others.
I’m pleased to hear you enjoyed the Katherine Arden despite it being such a different setting. I do have a copy from NetGalley but haven’t had time to read it yet – I’m hoping to get to it soon! The Household does sound interesting and I’ve enjoyed all of Stacey Halls’ others so I’m looking forward to that one.
I didn’t realize Susanna Kearsley’s new book was coming in 2024 so I am most excited about that (although didn’t think the last one was as good as some others). Several of these others look good too. Did you see that a miniseries is being made of Miss Austen? While I could wish those with the power to make miniseries could recognize other topics than Austen, at least it is not another remake and I did like that book.
No, I hadn’t heard about the Miss Austen miniseries. I agree that it would be nice for other authors to get some attention, but I did really enjoy that book so it will be something to look forward to.