’ A man steps forward, marked out less by his khaki uniform than his frame, not weighty as such, but well-covered, sphere (www.depher.co.uk) his webbing belt snug against his waist. In comparison, the clusters of people gathered outside Hamburg’s military airport waver like blades of grass – even those whose clothes are not rags, but still hang loosely over shoulders that have little more substance than a wire coat-hanger. The Hidden Storyteller by Mandy Robotham unfolds amidst the ruins of post-World War II Hamburg, a city haunted by the ghosts of its recent past. Thanks for joining the Jericho Writers’ community. The Great Divide lays bare the human cost behind the grand engineering feat of the Panama Canal, following lives caught in its shadow. Sixteen-year-old Ada Bunting stows away on a ship of West Indian laborers, while Francisco, a fisherman wary of outsiders, watches his son Omar trade the sea for the canal’s dangerous trenches. Scientist John Oswald arrives with a mission to fight malaria, but finds himself entangled in the canal’s deeper toll. Sweeping and intimate, the novel gives voice to those history too often forgets. History—when filtered through good fiction—offers not just perspective but provocation. Historical fiction and horror don’t hold hands as often as you might expect. Lampedusa’s poetic prose explores themes of decay, change, and nostalgia, painting a nuanced picture of a society in transition. The Leopard is a deeply reflective novel that speaks to the inevitability of change and the passage of time. This historical novel is presented as the autobiography of Roman Emperor Claudius, recounting his life and the intrigues of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Graves masterfully combines historical facts with his imagination to create a vivid portrayal of ancient Rome’s political machinations, family betrayals, and imperial life. Set against the tumultuous backdrop of post-Napoleonic France, The Count of Monte Cristo is a gripping tale of betrayal, revenge, and redemption. Following the journey of Edmond Dantès, a man wrongfully imprisoned, the novel explores themes of justice and human resilience. New historical fiction books to read in 2025 Many biographical authors take a real historical figure, or a time in their own life, and weave stories amongst the facts. Although the setting and descriptions of that time should remain historically accurate, the fictional elements can include the events that take place and (most certainly) the characters. Dumas intricately weaves real historical events with personal drama, making it not only a thrilling story but also a reflection of the social and political atmosphere of 19th-century Europe. Historical fiction is concerned with fusing real places, events, and people with fictionalized accounts of those features.
Through the eyes of Georgie Young, a determined reporter sent to Allied-run Germany, and Harri Schroder, a steadfast detective, we travel through the rubble-strewn streets where hope and despair intermingle. When the pair are tasked with catching a killer, they are drawn into the deep underbelly of the city; and discover that not all secrets of the war died with Hitler. Robotham masterfully captures the complex tapestry of a city—and its people—struggling to rebuild, while exploring the profound impact of war's unseen scars on the collective and individual psyche. ‘The candle, Mr Larson,’ she said, and her candle-snuffer extraordinaire leapt from his seat at the end of the front row, docking the final flame and plunging the room into a darkness as absolute as death. That evening, as the last candle wavered on the sideboard in the smart Notting Hill villa, London’s most influential and affluent believers held their breath.