Real Life Mysteries Answered in Historical Fiction

This novel is inspired by a mystery from 1900 in which three lighthouse keepers at Eilean Mor disappeared, leaving behind only a series of mysterious clues: the door locked from the inside, a stopped clock, and a strange series of final entries about a terrifying storm. In The Lamplighters, Emma Stonex shifts the events forward in time from 1900 to the 1970s, alternating between the experiences of the men in the lighthouse and an interview with their wives and girlfriends several decades later that brings new information to light. It’s a tense, atmospheric read.

Not so much based on a mystery as a mysterious figure from Korean history, this book follows a young nurse working in the royal palace when a string of murders seem to implicate the dangerous Crown Prince. Hyeon is drawn into a web of secrets and lies within court as she searches for answers. But coming this close to the truth will also put her directly in the path of danger, from both the prince and others.

Hur wrote an incredibly interesting newsletter going into the background of Crown Prince Jangheon that I highly recommend checking out whether you’re interested in reading this historical crime novel or not.

Grace Marks was convicted for her involvement in the murder of her employer and his housekeeper in the nineteenth century. But did she really do it? Some believe she’s guilty and rightfully imprisoned. Other’s say she’s an innocent victim. Whatever might be true, a group of reformers looking to see Grace pardoned call in an expert in the burgeoning field of mental illness in Alias Grace to examine her and plead her case. You may not know the truth of whether Grace was or wasn’t complicit by the end of this novel, but you’ll realize that might not even be the most interesting question this book is trying to answer.