Welcome to this month’s post on all things historical fiction!
First of all, congratulations to Kevin Jared Hosein, the winner of this year’s Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, announced at the Borders Book Festival last week. His winning novel, Hungry Ghosts, is the story of a Hindu community in 1940s Trinidad and is one of three books I had managed to read from this year’s shortlist. It’s not a book that I particularly liked as I found it too bleak and miserable, but the writing is beautiful and the setting is fascinating, so I can see why it impressed the judges. I’ll find time to read the other three books on the shortlist eventually!
Moving on, last December I posted a list of upcoming historical fiction being published in 2024. Now that we’re halfway through the year, more titles have been announced so I thought I would post an updated list below for July to December. This is 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 sounded interesting. I hope there’s something here that appeals to you. A lot of the July and August ones are already on my 20 Books of Summer list, so you should be hearing more about them here soon!
Dates provided are for the UK and were correct at the time of posting.
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JULY
Babylonia by Costanza Casati (4th July 2024)
A Woman of Opinion by Sean Lusk (4th July 2024)
The King’s Mother by Annie Garthwaite (11th July 2024)
The Trouble with Mrs Montgomery Hurst by Katie Lumsden (18th July 2024)
A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith (18th July 2024)
The Lost Queen by Carol McGrath (18th July 2024)
The Briar Club by Kate Quinn (18th July 2024)
The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson (18th July 2024)
Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran (30th July 2024)
AUGUST
Cabaret Macabre by Tom Mead (1st August 2024)
The King’s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley (1st August 2024)
Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid (13th August 2024)
The Voyage Home by Pat Barker (22nd August 2024)
Precipice by Robert Harris (29th August 2024)
SEPTEMBER
What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley (3rd September 2024)
Gabriel’s Moon by William Boyd (5th September 2024)
The Royal Rebel by Elizabeth Chadwick (5th September 2024)
The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier (12th September 2024)
The Hidden Girl by Lucinda Riley and Harry Whittaker (12th September 2024)
OCTOBER
The Bells of Westminster by Leonora Nattrass (17th October 2024)
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Are you interested in reading any of these? Which other historical novels should I be looking out for before the year of the year? And what do you think of Hungry Ghosts winning the Walter Scott Prize?
She Reads Novels 
There are plenty of books to look forward to here, Helen 😊
The only problem is finding time to read them!
Absolutely! But it’s a nice problem to have 😊
Lots of interesting titles here I see. The Chevalier would certainly be one as I’ve enjoyed her books previously.
I haven’t read many of Chevalier’s books, but I’ve enjoyed the few that I have read. I’m looking forward to The Glassmaker as it’s set in Venice, which is a setting I love.
My favourite so far is the Mary Anning one–of course I haven’t read very many either.
Thanks for sharing, It’s interesting to see what books are coming out soon. I hate to keep plugging her but the latest in Cynthia Harrod-Eagles’ Morland Dynasty series, The Gathering Storm, is out on 22 August. I gather it can be read as a stand-alone. The latest in her Ashmore Castle series came out in paperback last week. Nothing if not prolific and always a great read!
Thanks – it’s good to know that the new book would work as a stand-alone. I prefer to start a series from the beginning, but I’ve always felt daunted by the number of books in this series. I’m sure I’ve been missing out!
I do understand there are more books than time and one can’t read everything much though one might wish too!
I will be interested to read The Hidden Girl. I thought Harry did a good job with Atlas and I expect he will do well with this book. I have read all of Lucinda Riley’s books and enjoyed most of them. The Sun Sister was an exception. I didn’t particularly like Electra so didn’t really enjoy her story. But the fact that one can have strong feelings about a fictional character has to be the mark of a good writer, doesn’t it?
Yes, I was impressed by how well Harry managed to capture his mother’s writing style and I’m looking forward to reading The Hidden Girl. I didn’t like Electra much either, but I enjoyed The Sun Sister anyway because of the Cecily storyline set in Kenya.
I’ve got no idea where I’m going to find the time or money to read all the promising-looking historical novels coming out later this year 😉 .
I don’t think we’re going to run out of books to read anytime soon!
I’ve heard really good things about The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club, so that’s on my list.
I did not know there is a novelized version of Maria von Trapp’s life coming. I have some concerns about how people are being fictionalized. There is a mystery with historical midwife Martha Ballard as the detective. She kept a wonderful diary of her work in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It feels wrong to me when real people are fictionalized like that – as Jane Austen was, in a mystery series.
I don’t mind fictional accounts of real people’s lives as long as the author sticks mainly to the known historical facts. I read a lot of books like that – but I have very little interest in the current trend for using real people as detectives. It seems a weird idea to me and I’m not very comfortable with it.
My apologies if this appears twice, WordPress doesn’t always accept my ID.
I’ve heard very good things about The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club, so that is on my list.
I have a copy of Maria von Trapp’s autobiography, so I don’t think I will look for a fictionalized version of her life.
Don’t worry, I rescued your first comment from the spam folder! Yes, The Hazelbourne Ladies seems to be getting very positive reviews. It’s not released here until July but I’m looking forward to it, particularly as I enjoyed Helen Simonson’s first two books.
I’ll be reading The Glassmaker and, possibly, Harris’ novel as well. The Glassmaker is going to be released on June 18 this side of the world. I’m also interested in Kearsley’s novel but it will not be released in the States until next year. Good luck with all your reading whatever you choose!
The Glassmaker and Precipice are two that I’m particularly looking forward to from this list. I’m sorry you have to wait so long for the new Kearsley novel, but hopefully it will be worth the wait.
I’m so excited about The Glassmaker, hoping for a return to vintage Chevalier a la The Lady and the Unicorn. Will also be reading The Voyage Home.
I’m looking forward to The Glassmaker as well, although I haven’t read all of Chevalier’s previous novels and still have The Lady and the Unicorn to look forward to.
Lots of these authors aren’t familiar to me, but I will certainly look out for the books by Helen Simonson, William Boyd, and Tracy Chevalier. Kate Quinn and Susanna Kearsley are not my favorites.
I’m glad there are some here that you’re interested in. I’m particularly looking forward to the William Boyd as I really enjoyed his last book.
I like some of his better than others, but it’s always interesting to see what he’s doing.
That’s a great list, I have lots of them on my TBR too.
I hope we both enjoy them!
Hi Helen, after seeing the new Susanna Kearsley novel here, I immediately went to request a copy on Netgalley. Thank you! 😊
It sounds like another good one and has a beautiful cover!