Books to Read if You Like Historical Suspense

15 Apr 2016

The genre of historical suspense has so many possibilities. From daring spies during World War II to corruption within old royal families, fiction inspired by historical events can reconnect us with our past and spark our imaginations. If you’re a fan of mysteries or historical fiction but have never read a book that could fall under both genres, the combination will thrill and excite you. Check out our list of books to read if you like historical suspense, it’s always great to try something new!

Not keen on thrillers, but love the history? We get it. That’s why we’ve written posts featuring historical mysteries, WWII historical fiction, and historical romances.

Books to Read if You Like Historical Suspense


 cover image

A Portrait of Perfection 

Vicki Hopkins

Release Date: April 3, 2016

A Portrait of Perfection


Buy on Amazon

Damon Thorburn’s one goal in life is to find the perfect wife, but that hasn’t been going so well for him. After two failed attempts, he becomes interested in Eve Seymour, who embodies everything that he loves in a woman. Mesmerized by his status and charm, Eve agrees to marry Damon. They will learn, however, that love isn’t easy when a relationship is built on a foundation of lies.


B005OCYRGW cover image

Mission to Paris

Alan Furst

Release Date: June 12, 2012

It’s late summer of 1938, and film star Fredric Stahl is headed to Paris to make a movie. The Nazis, who know he’s coming, think that he will be a perfect agent of influence in this time of political warfare. Little do they know, Stahl has become part of the informal spy service that is run out of the American embassy.

Buy on Amazon Buy Nook Book Buy iBook

B00AFKISKO cover image

The Art Forger

B.A. Shapiro

Release Date: May 21, 2013

25 years after one of the biggest unsolved art thefts in history, one of the stolen paintings is delivered to a young artist Claire Roth’s art studio. She makes a deal with a powerful gallery owner to forge the painting, but she soon begins to think that the painting itself is a forgery.

Buy on Amazon


B00RNI2U1O cover image

The Girl from Krakow

Alex Rosenberg

Release Date: September 1, 2015

In 1935, Rita Feuerstahl wants to enjoy her freedom at the university in Krakow. Alas, life doesn’t always go as planned. As war grows more and more inevitable, Rita is forced to deal with marriage, a love affair, and a child. She has a secret that could cost the Allies everything, and she must try to keep it while coping with the stresses of wartime.

Buy on Amazon

B00TY3ZS1K cover image

The Other Side of Silence

Philip Kerr

Release Date: March 29, 2016

World War II has ended, and Bernie Gunther is now working at the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat in the French Rivera. He gives great touring tips, and one of the richest and most famous writers in the world may need just that. The writer, W. Somerset Maugham, is being blackmailed for his unorthodox style and needs professional advice to help him survive.

Buy on Amazon Buy Nook Book Buy iBook

B00INIQUOQ cover image

The Paying Guests

Sarah Waters

Release Date: September 16, 2014

It’s 1922 in London, and things are tense. People are out of work, hungry, and desperate for change. But life is about to change for a house of bereft brothers, husbands, and servants as impoverished widow Mrs. Wray and her spinster daughter start to take in lodgers. Their new tenants will shake up their lives, and the disturbances may be more far-reaching than they originally thought.

Buy on Amazon Buy Nook Book Buy iBook

Sign up for our email and we’ll send you the best new books to read in your favorite genres weekly. 


Sarah Pannenberg