Historical Fiction
Murder on Cold Street
Sherry (Sherry M.) Thomas
MYSTERY Thomas Sherry
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery
"Inspector Treadles, Charlotte Holmes's friend and collaborator, has been found locked in a room with two dead men, both of whom worked with his wife at the great manufacturing enterprise she has recently inherited. Rumors fly. Had Inspector Treadles killed the men because they had opposed his wife's initiatives at every turn? Had he killed in a fit of jealous rage, because he suspected Mrs. Treadles of harboring romantic feelings for one of the men? To make matters worse, he refuses to speak on his own behalf, despite the overwhelming evidence against him. Charlotte finds herself in a case strewn with lies and secrets. But which lies are to cover up small sins, and which secrets would flay open a past better left forgotten? Not to mention, how can she concentrate on these murders when Lord Ingram, her oldest friend and sometime lover, at last dangles before her the one thing she has always wanted?"--Provided by publisher.
The art of theft
Sherry (Sherry M.) Thomas
MYSTERY Thomas Sherry
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery
"As "Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective," Charlotte Holmes has solved murders and found missing individuals. But she has never stolen a priceless artwork--or rather, made away with the secrets hidden behind a much-coveted canvas. But Mrs. Watson is desperate to help her old friend recover those secrets and Charlotte finds herself involved in a fever-paced scheme to infiltrate a glamorous Yuletide ball where the painting is one handshake away from being sold and the secrets a bare breath from exposure. Her dear friend Lord Ingram, her sister Livia, Livia's admirer Stephen Marbleton--everyone pitches in to help and everyone has a grand time. But nothing about this adventure is what it seems and disaster is biding time on the grounds of a glittering French chateau, waiting only for Charlotte to make a single mistake."--
Added by Jessica
The hollow of fear
Sherry (Sherry M.) Thomas
MYSTERY Thomas Sherry
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery
"Under the cover of "Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective," Charlotte Holmes puts her extraordinary powers of deduction to good use. Aided by the capable Mrs. Watson, Charlotte draws those in need to her and makes it her business to know what other people don't. When the estranged wife of her dear friend Lord Ingram is discovered dead on his estate, all signs point to him as the murderer. With Scotland Yard closing in, Charlotte goes under disguise to find out the truth"--
Added by Jessica
A conspiracy in Belgravia
Sherry (Sherry M.) Thomas
MYSTERY Thomas Sherry
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Lady Ingram, wife of Charlotte's dear friend and benefactor, wants Sherlock Holmes to find her first love, who failed to show up at their annual rendezvous. Matters of loyalty and discretion aside, the case becomes even more personal for Charlotte as the missing man is none other than Myron Finch, her illegitimate half brother.
Added by Jessica
A study in scarlet women
Sherry (Sherry M.) Thomas
MYSTERY Thomas Sherry
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery
"USA Today bestselling author Sherry Thomas turns the story of the renowned Sherlock Holmes upside down... With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper class society. But she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London. When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She'll have help from friends new and old--a kind-hearted widow, a police inspector, and a man who has long loved her. But in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society's expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind"--
Added by Jessica
Hungerstone : a novel
Dunn, Kat, author.
FICTION Dunn Kat
Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror, LGBTQ+
It's the height of the industrial revolution and ten years into Lenore's marriage to steel magnate Henry, their relationship has soured. When Henry's ambitions take them from London to the remote British moorlands to host a hunting party, a shocking carriage accident brings the mysterious Carmilla into their lives. Carmilla, who is weak and pale during the day but vibrant at night. Carmilla, who stirs up something deep within Lenore. And before long, girls from the local villages fall sick, consumed by a terrible hunger. As the day of the hunt draws closer, Lenore begins to unravel, questioning the role she has been playing all these years. Torn between regaining her husband's affection and the cravings Carmilla has awakened, soon Lenore will uncover a darkness in her household that will place her at terrible risk.
This atmospheric, sapphic gothic tale is rife with feminine rage, insatiable desire, and a quest for meaning beyond life's mundane. Kat Dunn's latest novel is perfect for those looking to take a bite out of a modern, "Carmilla" retelling. -Madison C
The Starving Saints
Starling, Caitlin.
ON ORDER BOOK
Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror, LGBTQ+
"Aymar Castle has been under siege for six months. Food is running low and there has been no sign of rescue. But just as the survivors consider deliberately thinning their number, the castle stores are replenished. The sick are healed. And the divine figures of the Constant Lady and her Saints have arrived, despite the barricaded gates, offering succor in return for adoration. Soon, the entire castle is under the sway of their saviors, partaking in intoxicating feasts of terrible origin. The war hero Ser Voyne gives her allegiance to the Constant Lady. Phosyne, a disorganized, paranoid nun-turned-sorceress, races to unravel the mystery of these new visitors. And a serving girl, Treila, is torn between her thirst for a secret vengeance against Voyne and the desperate need to escape from the horrors that are unfolding. To save the castle, and themselves, will take a reimagining of who they are, and a reorganization of the very world itself."
If unsettling horror with a medieval gothic flair sounds like your kind of read, then Caitlin Starling's most recent novel is perfect for you. Blending faith, gluttony, and the power of manipulation, "The Starving Saints" explores what happens when devotion takes a deadly turn, leaving any reader hungry for more. -Madison C
Blood on Her Tongue (Standard Edition)
Veen, Johanna van.
ON ORDER BOOK
Historical Fiction, Horror
"I'm in your blood, and you are in mine…" The Netherlands, 1887. Lucy's twin sister Sarah is unwell. She refuses to eat, mumbles nonsensically, and is increasingly obsessed with a centuries-old corpse recently discovered on her husband's estate. The doctor has diagnosed her with temporary insanity caused by a fever of the brain. To protect her twin from a terrible fate in a lunatic asylum, Lucy must unravel the mystery surrounding her sister's condition, but it's clear her twin is hiding something. Then, the worst happens. Sarah's behavior takes a turn for the strange. She becomes angry… and hungry. Lucy soon comes to suspect that something is trying to possess her beloved sister. Or is it madness? As Sarah changes before her very eyes, Lucy must reckon with the dark, monstrous truth, or risk losing her forever.
Johanna van Veen's novel is one any vampire fan will want to sink their teeth into. A dark, gothic tale of horror, this book will capture any reader who enjoys chilling reads, historical mysteries, and exploring the lengths two sisters will go to keep monstrous forces at bay. -Madison C
The Paris express : a novel
Emma Donoghue
FICTION Donoghue Emma
Fiction, Historical Fiction
Based on an 1895 disaster that went down in history when it was captured in a series of surreal, extraordinary photographs, The Paris Express is a propulsive novel set on a train packed with a fascinating cast of characters who hail from as close as Brittany and as far as Russia, Ireland, Algeria, Pennsylvania, and Cambodia. Members of parliament hurry back to Paris to vote; a medical student suspects a girl may be dying; a secretary tries to convince her boss of the potential of moving pictures; two of the train's crew build a life away from their wives; a young anarchist makes a terrifying plan, and much more.
Emma Donoghue brings imaginative storytelling to a famous photograph: the Montparnasse derailment, the one with the steam engine hanging out of the station. Donoghue wonders who was on that train, what were their lives like, what did their interactions look like. What she creates is riveting. -Anne M
The reformatory : a novel
Due, Tananarive, 1966- author.
FICTION Due Tananari
Historical Fiction, Horror
Gracetown, Florida. June 1950. Twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr., is sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys, a reformatory, for kicking the son of the largest landowner in town in defense of his older sister, Gloria. So begins Robbie's journey further into the terrors of the Jim Crow South and the very real horror of the school they call The Reformatory. Robbie has a talent for seeing ghosts, or haints. But what was once a comfort to him after the loss of his mother has become a window to the truth of what happens at the reformatory. Boys forced to work to remediate their so-called crimes have gone missing, but the haints Robbie sees hint at worse things. Through his friends Redbone and Blue, Robbie is learning not just the rules but how to survive. Meanwhile, Gloria is rallying every family member and connection in Florida to find a way to get Robbie out before it's too late.
This Tananarive Due novel is a haunting work of historical fiction based on the real-life story of her Great Uncle, killed with so many others at the notorious Dozier School for Boys. "The Reformatory" will possess any reader who appreciates historical fiction, horror, and novels that take a hard look at the often-hidden truths of racism in America. -Madison C
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