The 25 best historical fiction books to take a journey back in time

Time period: 18th century

Jane Austen as a detective? Sign us up. When the dead body of a milliner is discovered at a ball and Jane's brother Georgy is accused of the crime, Jane must do everything she can to clear her brother's name.

Time period: 20th century

Suyin is desperate to escape her life as a seamstress in Penang, and join her sister as a nurse in London. So when the opportunity comes through she jumps at it, however just before she leaves, her sister returns to Penang as a shell of her former self. With no time to find out why Suyin travels to London, where she throws herself head first into the city and her new life as an NHS nurse.

Time period: 20th century

It's winter in post-war Bristol and sisters Moira and Evelyn go to a student party where they meet the intriguing yet repellant Paul and Sinden. Sinden later invites them to a party at Paul's house and despite Evelyn's misgivings the pair accept the invitation. The night of the party arrives and the two siblings learn more about themselves and the world as the night goes on.

Time period: 11th century Scotland

Channelling the dark magic at the heart of one of Shakespeare's most intriguing anti-heroes, this reimagining of Macbeth is full of witchcraft and deadly power games. Not to worry if you’re not the most familiar with Shakespeare – this retelling has its own intriguing identity, full of dark schemes, supernatural elements, and a touch of romance. Lady Macbeth is the third Ava Reid book I’ve read, and it was no doubt my favourite.

Time period: 9th century BC

From the author of Clytemnestra comes another immersive journey into ancient history, as Casati reimagines the rise to power of the Assyrian empire's only female ruler, Semiramis. I was truly blown away by this book, which is easily one of my favourite reads of the year. The epic rise of the ambitious female protagonist is complemented by truly gorgeous writing, and the spying and scheming was reminiscent of the juiciest Game of Thrones scenes.

Time period: 19th century

From the celebrated author of 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World comes a meditation on love, loss, and memory centred around three characters living on the banks of the River Thames and the River Tigris. This rich story about one lost poem, two great rivers, and three remarkable lives, spans centuries, continents and cultures.

Time period: 16th century

Moving between Elizabethan England and modern day Manhattan, By Any Other Name is an insightful novel of female identity and inequality from the bestselling author of Mad Honey. In this heartrending novel, two women centuries apart struggle to assert their artistic expression in a world dominated by men.

Time period: 19th century

From the author of The Doll Factory comes a spellbinding gothic thriller set in London, 1839. Revolving around two career criminals and a Thameside mansion, The Burial Plot is a gripping historical thriller about murder, deception, and a young woman’s struggle to seize power from a dangerous man who is always one step ahead.

Time period: 1960s

This immersive novel from the author of Small Pleasures (one of the best books I read in 2022!) follows an art therapist in a psychiatric hospital in 1960s Croydon who decides to unravel the story of an immensely talented mute patient, exploring the various ways we can feel confined in our lives, and the joys of freedom.

Time period: 700 BCE

Based on the myth of Medea, Rosie Hewlett retells the story of one of mythology’s most complex heroines. Medea has been shunned by her family all her life for her witchcraft abilities, so when a hero, Jason, arrives to seek her father’s famous golden fleece, Medea sees an opportunity to escape. But what follows is a devastating and brutal journey that rips apart the lives of everyone she holds close.

Time period: 60AD

In order to save her lover and her land from the Romans, Herla makes an urgent deal with the Otherworld King to become Lord of the Hunt, reaping wanderers’ souls. But when she meets Saxon Queen Æthelburg on the battlefields, the two form a deep connection and work together in the hopes of breaking Herla’s curse, before it’s too late.

Time period: 16th Century

From the author of Shadow and Bone comes a tale of magic, survival, and danger set in the Spanish Golden Age. When servant Luzia Cotado’s magical skills are discovered by the disgraced secretary to the king, who is determined to regain power and help the king fight Queen Elizabeth I, Luzia’s life changes forever, and she must do everything she can to survive.

Time period: 16th Century

It's summer 1596 and a young girl in Straford-Upon-Avon is ill with a sudden fever. Her twin brother Hamnet, does everything he can to find help, but no one is home. Both their parents are out, with their father working in garden and their mother over a mile away in the garden they grow herbs. However, what the parents don't know is Hamnet will not survive the week.

Time period: 17th Century

It's Norway, 1662, and recently widowed Zigri is sent to the fortress at Vardø to be tried as witch after her affair with a local merchant is discovered. Also in the fortress is Anna Rhodius, who was once the King of Denmark's mistress, and is now in disgrace of the kingdom, but who will she betray in order to return to her old life? And Zigri's daughter Ingeborg, along with the help of Maren, a daughter of a witch, is on a mission to bring her mother home.

Time period: 17th Century

Inspired by a true story, Mary Read has led a life full of reinvention. From being raised as a boy to collect the inheritance of her dead brother, to working in a grand estate, to sailing in the navy, to fighting on the battlefields, Mary has not had a simple life, but her biggest adventure is yet to come as she embarks on her true calling - becoming a pirate.

Time period: 18th Century

Set in Amsterdam in 1705, Thea Brandt is about to turn 18 and in the theatre she has met the love of her life. Except, her aunt Nella has other plans and is convinced she needs to find Thea a wealthy husband, in order to turn the family's dwindling finances around. And as the two women clash over their conflicting desires, miniature figurines begin to turn up on the door step, and someone else may just have plans for Thea's family.

Time period: 19th Century

Zadie Smith's first historical novel is set in 1873, and is based upon real life events surrounding the Tichborne Trial. Widowed Scottish housekeeper Mrs Eliza Touchet is captivated by the trial, and just like the rest of England is torn between whether the defendant is who he claims to be. Andrew Bogle, meanwhile finds himself the star witness and finds his future depending on his testimony.

Time period: 19th Century

This Other Eden begins in 1792 when previously enslaved Benjamin Honey and his Irish wife, Patience, discover an island where they can make a future for themselves. Skip forward a century and their descendants remain on the island, along with some eclectic neighbours. Their peaceful lifestyle is soon to be disturbed as one summer sees a prejudiced missionary land on the island and threatens to disturb the balance of their existence.