Ten more recent indie-published historical novels to check out

Here are ten more indie-published historical novels worth investigating. It was great to see so much interest in my initial list of ten titles - thanks for all the feedback and shares.  Because of a Blogger quirk, the cover images below got uploaded in reverse alphabetical order by author, which I'm keeping in order to switch things up a bit. These novels feature many historical settings you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in fiction.

Peter Young, the title character in Tvordi's debut, was a highly respected scholar who sounds like he was a decent overall fellow, too. As tutor to the young Scottish king, James VI, Peter's political skills and patience are tested when James's attractive French cousin, Esmé Stewart, arrives at court. June 2024. 

Australian writer A. M. Stuart's Harriet Gordon mystery series, set in early 20th-century Singapore, began with Berkley and is continuing via indie publishing. This fifth entry has her looking into a schoolgirl's death, complicating her relationship with her beau, a police inspector. Oct. 2024.

I've read and reviewed all of Elizabeth St.John's full-length historical novels, so I preordered The King's Intelligencer as soon as it went online. They're all well-researched, beautifully told stories based on people from her own family tree; many of the St.Johns played prominent roles in English history, though you may not recognize their names. This entry, standalone but connected to her earlier The Godmother's Secret, takes place in the 1670s as bones of young children (the lost princes?) are discovered in the Tower. October 2024.

S. K. Rizzolo has contributed guest essays here before, so you may recognize her name from that as well as from her Regency mystery series from Poisoned Pen Press. Safe in Death begins a new series featuring Esther Hardy, who turns amateur sleuth in Victorian England after a young woman's terrible murder. November 2024.

 

The Pirate's Physician is a companion standalone novella to Maroney's Sea and Stone Chronicles, set in the 15th-century Mediterranean world. A female medical student boards a ship to escape an unwanted marriage. Pirates and romantic intrigue in a setting you don't often see in fiction. I first discovered Maroney's work via the Historical Stories of Exile anthology. September 2024.

Described as "Gangs of New York for women," Battle Annie is based on Annie Walsh, a brick-hurler and gang leader active in the gritty world of railroad strikes on the streets of NYC's Hell's Kitchen in the late 19th century. She sounds like quite a character!  Annie and her ward, an orphaned guttersnipe, go on the run after a false murder accusation. I'd interviewed the author about her excellent novel Cinnamon Girl last year. Sept. 2024.

Susan Higginbotham always chooses interesting subjects for her biographical novels, and her research is thorough; so much so that in this case, a peer-reviewed journal article resulted from her new discoveries about the title character and her family. The Queen of the Platform stars Ernestine Rose, a Polish woman of Jewish heritage whose surprising path led her to become a noted public speaker and early women's rights activist in early America. I've read it and recommend it.  March 2024.

Any Hamilton fans here?  American Harlot reveals the backstory of Maria Reynolds, whose affair with Alexander Hamilton became early America's first major political sex scandal. Her tale is one of resilience and survival. I first read about this novel in Stephanie Dray's author newsletter. Sept. 2024.

Opening in France in 1793, The Greatest Thing evokes the first-person voice of a historical person who deserves more attention. Louis-Benoît Zamor was enslaved as a child and given as a "gift" to Madame du Barry, the last official mistress of Louis XV, King of France. This is the first in a trilogy; one additional novel has been published so far. November 2023.

Lexie Conyngham is an indie author from the Scottish Highlands whose books have been recommended on the CrimeThruTime e-list often. She has multiple historical mystery series, set between early medieval times and the 20th century, incorporating detailed research and dry wit. This first series entry follows Dr. Robert Wilson on his travels throughout Europe during the Regency era, where he encounters crimes. November 2023.