New England Historical Fiction

Murder on an Island is a captivating murder mystery set on a secluded island off the coast of New England during the vibrant 1920s. This novel by Maxwell Hastings immerses readers in the intriguing world of high society and hidden secrets. Laura Kitteredge, a once-celebrated actress now shunned due to her engagement to the infamous James Stephenson, is invited to perform in a charity play on the Island. The island, beautiful yet isolated, becomes the perfect backdrop for a series of mysterious events and simmering tensions among the cast. As rehearsals begin, underlying jealousies and ...

A historical fiction book set in Cape Cod during the early 20th century. "Whispers of Cape Cod" whisks readers away to the windswept shores of Big Wreck Cove, weaving a tale marked by resilience, redemption, and the unbreakable bonds of community. In this deeply moving saga, delve into the twilight days of Captain Ira Ball and his ever-concerned wife, Prudence. Their struggle with the ailments of old age and the pressing need for assistance is brought to life with vivid descriptions, making their world tangible. Enter Sheila Macklin, a young woman disguising herself as their lost niece. ...

A coming-of-age book set in New England and Labrador, Newfoundland during the early 20th century. Discover the captivating journey of one young man as he navigates the treacherous path from adolescence to adulthood in "Cold Fortune."In the early 20th century, Cabot Grant, a young man born into privilege in New England, finds himself at a pivotal crossroads. Despite graduating from a prestigious Technical Institute, Cabot wrestles with feelings of unfulfilled potential and societal expectations. Unlike his peers who secure distinguished positions, Cabot's path remains uncertain. Enter a ...

A man escaping from a hotel fire glimpses a woman standing beneath a tree. He approaches her and sets in motion a series of events that will change his life forever. Years later, traveling from New England to Florida by train, he reflects on his obsession with this unknown and ultimately unknowable woman, his courtship of her, his marriage to her, and the unforgivable act that ripped their family apart.

In 1950, a young, beautiful Polish refugee arrives in Hyannisport, Massachusetts, to work as a maid for one of the wealthiest families in America. Alicia is at once dazzled by the large and charismatic family, in particular the oldest son, a rising politician named Jack. Alicia and Jack are soon engaged, but his domineering father forbids the marriage.

A nearly perfect historical fiction book set in the quaint, deeply textured landscapes of New England during the emotional throes of the latter half of the 19th Century. "Angels We Never See" delicately balances the reality of human suffering and the enduring power of familial strength. The Story:Our narrative commences following the harsh aftermath of the American Civil War. Meet Stella Killingsworth, our strong yet heartbroken heroine, who finds herself inconsolable after the loss of her beloved brother, Thomas. With her brother's death casting a relentless shadow over her world, Stella ...

New Hampshire, 1865. Marion Abbott is summoned to Brawders House asylum to collect the body of her sister, Alice. She’d been found dead after falling four stories from a steep-pitched roof. Officially: an accident. Confidentially: suicide. But Marion believes a third option: murder. Returning to her family home to stay with her brother and his second wife, the recently widowed Marion is expected to quiet her feelings of guilt and grief. Just when the search for the truth seems hopeless, a stranger approaches Marion with chilling words: I saw her fall.

Echoing Hillsby Steven Detmers is a historical fiction novel set in the picturesque landscapes of 19th century New England. This evocative tale explores themes of ambition, faith, and the enduring strength of family bonds. Carlin, a determined young man, dreams of escaping the confines of his impoverished life through higher education. Supported by his loving grandmother and mentored by the kind-hearted clergyman Mr. Hays, Carlin's journey is fraught with obstacles. His inspiration comes from Karen, the clergyman’s gentle and introspective daughter, who faces her own struggles with ...

One mistake cost him everything. Building a new life might give him a second chance at love. Thomas Bray came to Gloucester to escape his disgrace in Plymouth Colony, not to find his future. The skilled carpenter seeks redemption through hard work until he meets Mary Wilson—a founding family's daughter who sees beyond his painful past. As Thomas builds a canal vital to the settlement's future, Mary challenges the barriers around his heart. But when a wealthy merchant pursues her and whispers from Plymouth resurface, Thomas must decide: retreat again or finally fight for the love he ...

Love breaks all the rules. Even those of the afterlife. Adele Monroe, recently widowed, loves her new home by the sea. At least until the overbearing, cantankerous spirit of the home’s former owner, a sea captain, makes himself known. The two must set a course for peaceful cohabitation, and Adele soon finds herself caring deeply for the unseen mariner. But how long can she carry on this association before the demands of the living force her to choose between life as she knows it and something far more mysterious? A retelling of R.A. Dick’s timeless classic, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, this...

August 1901: A fundraiser for a new Rhode Island Audubon Society brings Emma to Vinland, the Viking-themed seaside home of her relative, Florence Vanderbilt Twombly, where the guest of honor is Edith Roosevelt, wife of Vice President Theodore Roosevelt. Emma's observation of harmless philanthropy is proven wrong the following morning when one of Mrs. Twombly's houseguests from the luncheon becomes mysteriously and dangerously ill. Accompanying police detective Jesse Whyte, Emma discovers a box of petit fours supposedly sent by Mrs. Roosevelt.

Five hearts, one colony, and the promise of a new beginning... In the shadow of Plymouth's harsh winters and fragile peace, five couples find something unexpected: love that strengthens both heart and settlement. As William Bradford, Miles Standish, John Alden, John Winslow, and Thomas Prence pledge their lives to the partners God has brought into their wilderness, a fledgling colony discovers that true prosperity comes not just from survival, but from bonds that endure. Tim Sawyer's meticulously researched second installment in the Plymouth historical romance series invites readers to ...

Taking a train full of currency or capturing a Spanish treasure ship is nothing compared to the greatest theft in history—when the captain of a company of English archers and his men stole the entire treasury and religious relics of the world’s greatest and richest empire and escaped to Cornwall with chests and chests of gold coins and priceless relics. This is part of the exciting and action-packed story of how it happened and, in particular, what happened afterward to affect the people involved.

The exciting saga of the serf who rose to be the captain of a company of English longbow archers in medieval England continues. Anne is avenged and the king and his barons are surprised as arrows fly, knights and barons go down, and kings and churchmen are gulled when William and his lieutenants attempt to sell the priceless religious relics the company "rescued" when Constantinople was being sacked by the crusaders.

In an era where the void of science is filled with superstition, some believe the “Night Waster” preys upon the blood of the living to keep the dead alive. Thomas Sullivan, a cabinetmaker’s apprentice in northeastern Connecticut, helps the Shaffer family confront the ravages of the Night Waster while dealing with his own father’s rejection of him. The lung disease, consumption, and the economic Panic of 1837 are making life a trial for his master’s family as well as stirring the town’s paranoia. The mystery deepens when a family Bible reveals two Spanish doubloons. With the ...

"Couldn't put it down"; "Excellent read"; "10 out of 10 stars!" Meeting Aphra Behn is Billie's wish come true -- and now she's trapped in the 17th century! Billie Armstrong has long wanted to give Aphra Behn, the first professional woman writer in English, the prominence she deserves. But when Billie accidentally activates the magical properties of a baroque mirror, propelling herself into the seventeenth century, she gets more than she bargained for. What develops is an unwilling masquerade, a tale of license, love and literature, as Billie does her best to survive in a strange era and ...

Late September 1957. Henry and Effie, very young newlyweds from Georgia, arrive in Cape May, New Jersey, for their honeymoon only to find the town is deserted. Feeling shy of each other and isolated, they decide to cut the trip short. But before they leave, they meet a glamorous set of people who sweep them up into their drama. The empty beach town becomes their playground, and as they sneak into abandoned summer homes, go sailing, walk naked under the stars, make love, and drink a great deal of gin, Henry and Effie slip from innocence into betrayal, with irrevocable consequences.

In stories that are more personal than any that she's written before, Alice Munro transforms her family's history into gloriously imagined fiction.

“This is a brilliant book written by a brilliant man who has no fear expressing his ideas.” Birmingham News This is the driving, compassionate story of a young man's coming of age, a well-born rebel who defies his family’s two hundred years of aristocratic tradition…and flees the horrors that churn beneath its tranquil surface. Avery Hollister grew up admiring his father, loving his gentle mother too much, and believing in the aristocratic Hollister tradition. And then he sees his family as it really is. His father, a faithless bully, is anxious to preserve appearances at any cost, ...

Miss Marigold Manners may be steeped in the etiquette of her old-money Boston family, but she is also an accomplished, modern woman and an avid student of archaeology who can handle any situation with poise. When the death of her parents leaves her too destitute to pursue her academic career and she receives a letter from a distant relative on Great Misery Island, Marigold decides she must do what any person of superior sense and greater-than-average curiosity would: she mounts her trusty bicycle and heads up the craggy, fog-shrouded coast of New England for a date with fate.