Historical Fiction Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: A New York Haunting by C.L. Nightjar

A sprawling and deliciously disturbing historical thriller that begs to be savored, A New York Haunting by C.L. Nightjar unveils a guilty conscience made flesh, right on the page.

A promising young medical student named Anders becomes dangerously tangled in the thrilling intimacy of psychoanalysis through a new mentor, Dr. Schuller. Unexpectedly bound to a beautiful new patient of the doctor with a troubling pattern of behavior, Anders’ seemingly certain future is shaken by his undeniable attraction to her mysterious anguish.

Observation, interpretation, and obsession blur as her knot of mysteries deepen. Not only does she wish to become a […]

Perpetual Gloom by Shelah A. Johnson

The start of an epic saga of one American family, Perpetual Gloom by Shelah A. Johnson is a vivid portrait of Depression-era history, and the launch pad for The Boloney Trail trilogy.

Detailing the struggles of the Hornbeck family as they navigate treacherous years of poverty and desperation, JC and Martha are the family’s resilient backbone, while Monroe and Wyatt are the wily young ones learning the meaning of survival. From Arkansas, Louisiana, and Denver to Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, the interwoven stories of these characters are snapshots of wandering lifestyles and the sheer willpower to keep going. Peppered […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-08-04T02:38:32+02:00August 4th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Tattered Coat by Mike H. Mizrahi

A tense Tennessee drama set in the early 20th century, Tattered Coat by Mike H. Mizrahi is a powerful tale of Southern justice, racism, truth, and courage.

A ten-year-old already scarred by too much trauma and loss, Hickory Crabtree is the only witness to the violent murder of a young white woman in the woods. To save a wrongfully accused black musician from an inevitable lynching, Hickory must find his voice, speak truth to power, and overcome a lifetime of fear. Exploring not only the twisted tools of injustice that define America’s past, this book also strikes a contemporary chord, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-06-13T06:23:05+02:00June 10th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Myers by Jeff Lee

A gripping mystery that reveals its villain long before the final page, Myers by Jeff Lee is a character-driven thriller that exposes the grim repercussions of trauma and war, showing how the severe residual trauma and haunting memories of survivors can have their own terrible repercussions.

Plunging readers into a wind-blown, easily forgotten part of America, this novel is an exposé of violence, history, and family. The story pits two such souls against each other, the town’s police chief, Karl Myers, and Jerry Peterman – a soldier who never really stopped fighting, and who has forgotten any language but domination. […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-07-15T04:47:13+02:00June 7th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Dead Beckoning by Mike Cobb

Steeped in the charm, pace, and painful realities of a bygone era, Dead Beckoning by Mike Cobb is a stunning peek into late 19th century America, and the lives embroiled in a tragic mystery.

Baker Bass is a Georgia country boy with the heart of a gentleman, who finds himself in small-town high society thanks to the love of his life, Ella. His ambitions take their family to Atlanta, where they shift to being small fish in an ever-growing pond. Running a successful sundry shop in a Southern city is no easy feat, but when he is falsely fingered in […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-09-15T10:48:58+02:00May 16th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: A Hittite and a Shaman by Naveen Sridhar

Plunging readers into the royal heart of one of the most epic empires in history, A Hittite and a Shaman: At Queen Nefertari’s Secret Service by Naveen Sridhar is an insightful peek into the ancient world.

The empires of Kemet and Hatti are already on the brink of war when the leader of the Hittites asks for extradition of a political rival seeking asylum in the kingdom of Ramses II. However, Ramses II was not always bold and decisive, and his wife Nefertari chooses to take the fate of peace into her own hands. Upon learning that her handmaid’s daughter […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-06-01T03:07:48+02:00May 11th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Sitting on Top of the World by Cheryl King

A novel straddling middle grade and young adult fiction, Cheryl King’s Sitting on Top of the World tells the story of the Great Depression through the eyes of a spunky young girl from Tennessee, magnificently blending a story of misfortune with an inspiring tale of human ingenuity.

June Baker is twelve years old when the stock market crash hits the small town of Maynardville in 1930. All of a sudden, banks are out of money, store shelves are practically empty, and men who’ve lost their jobs are traveling west to find paying work. June’s family starts having a tough time […]

Michelle Hogmire2022-04-20T09:34:08+02:00March 23rd, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews, Middle Grade Fiction Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: On the Precipice of the Labyrinth by Brian Snowden

1930s Charlottesville graduate William Benning embarks on an inspired mission to reach Spain in On the Precipice of the Labyrinth by Brian Snowden, an ambitious road story exploring romanticism versus reality.

Like many Americans, Benning is connected to Spain by ancestry, and is taken with the language. He secures passage to Spain by taking menial work on the ship across the Atlantic. A series of fortuitous encounters with friendly locals sees him landed in various lodgings and gigs, leading Benning to find himself in Civil War-era Spain, across the Pyrenees into beleaguered Basque country, hitching rides and trying out various […]

Cate Baum2022-04-11T04:13:11+02:00March 15th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews, International Fiction Book Reviews|