17th Century
Doubting Thomas
On 8 January 1697, a young student at Edinburgh University, 20-year-old Thomas Aikenhead, was executed for blasphemy. This was the…
Lord of Formosa
This story moves between the new Dutch colony on Formosa (Taiwan), and China, as the invading Manchus destroy the Ming…
The Fire Court
In this sequel to The Ashes of London, Taylor returns to London, rebuilding after the 1666 fire that destroyed much…
The Dark Side of Samuel Pepys: Society’s First Sex Offender
Samuel Pepys was a high-ranking, hard-working civil servant, music lover, bibliophile, theatre goer and persistent sex offender, ranging from extreme…
The Poison Bed
At the heart of one of the most notorious murder cases in the reign of James I lurks the ultimate…
The Coffin Path
Editors' choice
The Coffin Path is a gothic historical novel, reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier and as good as Sarah Waters. It…
Crimes & Criminals of 17th Century Britain
17th-century Britain was an extremely lawless place. All Europe was lawless. Some historians attribute this to climate change (‘The Little…
The Glovemaker’s Daughter
The novel opens with an account of the persecution of Quakers in 17th-century England, set out in the journal of…
Daughters of the Winter Queen: Four Remarkable Sisters and the Enduring Legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots
Elizabeth, Louise, Henrietta, and Sophia were the four daughters of Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia, daughter of James I of…
The Judge Hunter
Editors' choice
Balthasar de St. Michel (Balty) is the shiftless brother-in-law of Samuel Pepys and is sent off by him to the…
About our Reviews
Over the last 20 years The Historical Novels Review (the society’s print magazine for our members) has published reviews of some 15,000 historical fiction books.
