This week Michael Popple checks out three terrific historical fiction novels. You can find more of Michael’s book reviews on his blog, unseenlibrary.com
Hidden in Plain Sight by Jeffery Archer
Pan Macmillan, $39.99
London, 1986. After being promoted to Detective Sergeant, William Warwick and his team have a new focus, drugs. Tasked with stopping a mysterious South London drug kingpin, William needs to come up with an ambitious plan to arrest him. However, William is also determined to take down his nemesis, art thief Miles Faulkner, and soon has an opportunity to trap both of his targets.
Hidden in Plain Sight is the fast paced second entry in Archer’s William Warwick series. This is an intriguing and compelling historical crime fiction novel and readers will love this entertaining and exciting story.
The Champagne War by Fiona McIntosh
Michael Joseph, $32.99
At the start of World War I, Frenchman Jerome Méa heads off to fight and is soon felled by gas. Believed dead, he leaves behind his beloved wife Sophie, a famed champagne maker. As the war rages, Sophie takes in wounded British solider, Charles Nash. As the two bond in the cellars, news from the front will rock Sophie and change everything.
This is a touching and emotional standalone novel from acclaimed Australian author Fiona McIntosh. Combining powerful drama and moving romance with dark snapshots of the war, McIntosh crafts together an excellent narrative that is worth checking out.
The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett
Pan Macmillan, $44.99
In England, a Viking raid will have unexpected consequences for three people. A young boat builder loses everything and must rebuild his life. A Norman noblewoman accompanies her new husband to a different life in England, while a clever monk seeks to transform his abbey into a centre for learning. All three will come into conflict with a corrupt bishop as England enters a new age.
This is an epic novel, which serves as a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth. With an exceptional story, compelling characters and an impressive historical setting, this is one of the best historical fiction novels of 2020.
