Historical Audiobooks | Fiction

"Brought to you by Penguin. 'It's dangerous to go alone at night...' Yana, a vampire hunter, rides into Koprivci promising salvation. The village’s curse has endured for many years and rumour has it that Anka – whose parents died on the night of her birth – is to blame. But enduring the villagers’ suspicion is the least of Anka’s worries; now she has reached womanhood, she can no longer avoid the odious marriage that seems to be her only option. When animal corpses start to appear in the village square and eggs filled with blood are found in the chicken coops, panic rises. The villagers look to Yana for hope. She knows all about the monsters that stalk the night, monsters that only she can vanquish. But Yana is a liar. And monsters come in all different forms. Yana and Anka become unlikely allies in hatching a plot to save both Koprivci and Anka from their fates. But then their plan takes on a horrifying life of its own... © Anna Kovatcheva 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026"

Anna Kovatcheva (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Sweetbitter Song

Rosie Hewlett (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

The House of Hidden Letters

"Brought to you by Penguin. For sale: Greek cottage. Price: One Euro. Skye doesn’t make impulsive decisions. But when she sees a derelict Greek cottage for sale by lottery, she enters with dreams of a fresh start. However, her heart sinks as she pushes open the tattered blue door weeks later. Can this wreck ever be her home? Then Skye finds a bundle of letters hidden in the fireplace, their faded pages drawing her in with a story of long-forgotten love, tragedy, and unbelievable bravery. But all the while, Skye’s own past is circling. No matter how far she goes, fate is never far behind… This gorgeously sweeping, escapist dual-timeline novel is perfect for fans of Karen Swan, Victoria Hislop and Lucinda Riley. ‘Whisk away to Greece… the perfect escapist read.’ Veronica Henry ‘Atmospheric, romantic and mysterious... perfect for fans of Victoria Hislop.’ Cesca Major ‘Absolutely loved it… Engaging characters, evocative setting, emotional journey. I was captivated from the first page to the last!’ Cathy Bramley ‘Absorbing, beautiful and devastating. A moving story of love and loss, of courage and kindness, of how the light of hope will shine through the darkest of times. I loved every page.’ Chris Whitaker © Izzy Broom 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026"

Izzy Broom (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

One Clear Call

"As D-Day approaches, an American spy is unmasked by Himmler’s Gestapo and must flee the Nazis, in this novel in the Pulitzer Prize–winning historical saga. In 1943, the once-unstoppable Nazi war machine is starting to falter. For a decade and a half, Lanny Budd’s cover as a fine-art dealer and Fascist sympathizer has held firm, earning him the confidence of Hermann Göring and other top officials, including Adolf Hitler himself. With the Allies preparing to retake Europe, Lanny must make certain that the location of the invasion remains hidden from the Nazi high command. But his mission is compromised and his life endangered when Heinrich Himmler, Hitler’s feared Gestapo chief, uncovers Lanny’s true loyalties. Now FDR’s most trusted spy must run for his life, escaping into the European countryside with Hitler’s executioners on his trail. His survival will require great courage, endurance, and ingenuity, but Lanny Budd is determined to live long enough to witness what he has waited so many years to see: the final collapse of the Third Reich. One Clear Call is the thrilling ninth installment of Upton Sinclair’s Pulitzer Prize–winning dramatization of twentieth-century world history. An astonishing mix of adventure, romance, and political intrigue, the Lanny Budd Novels are a testament to the author’s singular talents as a storyteller."

Upton Sinclair (Author), Bronson Pinchot (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Seven Daughters of Dupree

"From the two-time Emmy Award-winning producer and host of the Black and Published podcast comes a sweeping multi-generational epic following seven generations of Dupree women as they navigate love, loss, and the unyielding ties of family in the tradition of Homegoing and The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois. It's 1995, and fourteen-year-old Tati is determined to uncover the identity of her father. But her mother, Nadia, keeps her secrets close, while her grandmother Gladys remains silent about the family's past, including why she left Land's End, Alabama, in 1953. As Tati digs deeper, she uncovers a legacy of family secrets, where every generation of Dupree women has posed more questions than answers. From Jubi in 1917, whose attempt to pass for white ends when she gives birth to Ruby; to Ruby's fiery lust for Sampson in 1934 that leads to a baby of her own; to the night in 1980 that changed Nadia's future forever, the Dupree women carry the weight of their heritage. Bound by a mysterious malediction that means they will only give birth to daughters, the Dupree women confront a legacy of pain, resilience, and survival that began with an enslaved ancestor who risked everything for freedom. The Seven Daughters of Dupree masterfully weaves together themes of generational trauma, Black women's resilience, and unbreakable familial bonds. Nikesha Elise Williams delivers a feminist literary fiction that explores the ripple effects of actions, secrets, and love through seven generations of Black women. 'Transcendent' ELIZABETH GILBERT, author of City of Girls"

Nikesha Elise Williams (Author), tbd (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Great South Sea

"Bloody Nick Turnhouse has returned from Mauritius to Bombay, where he is welcomed with orders received from London by the overland route. He is to frighten the Spanish by showing himself in a powerful ship of war off Manila and then along the Pacific coast of South America, lands which have not seen an enemy in a generation. Unfortunately, the expected ration carrier has failed to arrive and is presumed lost and there are no barrels of beef and bags of biscuit to fill his depleted hold. Nick sets off on a year-long voyage with less than six months of stores to hand. He has to scavenge food that his conservative crew will eat, from lands that do not grow wheat and where the beef cow is a rarity. The best hope, he suspects, must be to capture Spanish ships and garrisons and rob them of their rations. He makes sure that the spirits room is stacked high with rum."

Andrew Wareham (Author), Paul Fox (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Slow and Secret Poison

"Brought to you by Penguin. 'We are cursed, here at Harfold, whether you believe in it or not.' 1922, Wiltshire. When Vee Morgan accepts the job of gardener at a crumbling stately home, she's hoping for a fresh start where nobody knows her troubled history. But Harfold Manor is shadowed by grief and the memories of long-faded glory, its rooms haunted by the only surviving member of the family, Lady Arabella Lascy. Vee is fascinated by her enigmatic new employer, a woman obsessed with the curse she believes has killed her family one by one. A curse that is coming for her next. As Vee immerses herself in the world of Harfold, she finds herself increasingly entranced by Arabella and the secrets that poison her. But Vee has her own things to hide: secrets that caused her to flee Cardiff, secrets that estranged her from her own family, secrets that might finally catch up to her… © Carmella Lowkis 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Carmella Lowkis (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Gift of Sanctuary

"An act of kindness or unforgivable treason? Owen Archer investigates a murder in Wales with links to a controversial offer of refuge. Wales, 1369. Owen Archer is travelling to Wales on a mission for the Duke of Lancaster, recruiting archers in anticipation of King Charles of France's invasion of England. Joining him are Brother Michaelo, Geoffrey Chaucer and his father-in-law, Sir Robert D'Arby, who is on pilgrimage to the shrine of St David. A JOURNEY DEEP IN THE FOREST ENDS WITH A TERRIBLE DISCOVERY. When the body of John de Reine, one of the Duke of Lancaster's men, is found at the gate of St David's, the bishop asks Owen to return the corpse to John's father, Sir John Lascelles. TREACHERY. PASSION. MURDER. Could John's death be linked to his father's decision to grant sanctuary to a man accused of harboring a French spy and the wounding of a mysterious pilgrim? As Owen investigates, he uncovers betrayal, treason, acts of passion and dark secrets . . ."

Candace Robb (Author), Derek Perkins (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Star Society: A Historical Novel

"Uncover the captivating tale of two extraordinary sisters in The Star Society, a thrilling historical novel that transports readers from the shadows of the Dutch Resistance to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Inspired by the indomitable spirit of Audrey Hepburn, this gripping story follows Ada and Ingrid as they reunite after World War II, embarking on a journey of justice, survival, and secrets amid the backdrop of the Red Scare in Hollywood. A new name, a new country, and a coveted title as Hollywood's newest rising star: by 1946, actress Ada Worthington-Fox has discarded the life she left in war-torn Arnhem, where she worked for the Dutch resistance before Gestapo imprisonment prompted her to flee after release. But that life is thrust back into the spotlight when Ingrid--the sister she believed dead--shows up on her doorstep. Politically-minded Ingrid escaped the Nazi invasion of Arnhem and fled to Washinton, D.C. where she became a private investigator. Now, she has been sent to root out communist influences in Hollywood. Her target: Ada Worthington-Fox, the sister she long thought lost to her. Ingrid must hide her true purpose as she shields Ada from sneaky reporters, damaging rumors, and increasing threats, all while fighting to uncover which side her sister is truly on before Ingrid's efforts to help her are too late. Yet, Ada has her own mission: locating the Gestapo agent who terrorized her hometown and bringing him to justice. But delving into her past would risk alerting the press to a life too personal to expose. As the rising fear of communism threatens everyone, she turns to her sister, believing Ingrid's ties to Washington may be her only hope for success. But the connections between Ada's elusive Nazi and Ingrid's communist witch hunt might be stronger than they realize. Both sisters share the darkest secret of all, one that risks their very lives if ever exposed. As they come closer to identifying Ada's target and as Ingrid's investigation intensifies, they will need to decide what is more important: justice or safety, keeping silent or taking a stand, and, above all, if their loyalty to one another is worth risking the post-war lives they've fought to build."

Gabriella Saab (Author), Saskia Maarleveld (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Liars' Gospel

Naomi Alderman (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Fire Sword and Sea: A Novel

"The real Pirates of the Caribbean were Black, and women! From Vanessa Riley, acclaimed author of Queen of Exiles, comes a sweeping, immersive saga based on the life of the legendary seventeenth-century pirate Jacquotte Delehaye. The Caribbean Sea, 1675. Jacquotte Delahaye is the mixed-race daughter of a wealthy tavern owner on the island of Tortuga. Instead of marriage, Jacquotte dreams of joining the seafarers and smugglers whose tall-masted ships cluster in the turquoise waters around Tortuga. She falls in love with a pirate, but when he returns to the sea, Jacquotte decides to make her own way. In Haiti she becomes Jacques, a dockworker, earning the respect of those around her while hiding her gender. Jacquotte discovers that secret identities are fairly common in the chaotic world of seafaring, which is full of outsiders and misfits. She forms a deep bond with Bahati, an African-born woman who has escaped slavery and also disguises herself as a man to navigate the world. They join forces with Dirkje De Wulf, a fearless adventurer who also lives as a man at sea. As Jacques, Jacquotte falls in love with Lizzôa d'Erville, a beautiful courtesan who deals in secrets and sex. While others see their work clothes as a disguise, Lizzôa’s true self is as a woman. For the next twenty years, Jacquotte raids the Caribbean, making enemies and amassing a fortune in stolen gold. When her fellow pirates decide to increase their profits by entering the slave trade, Jacquotte turns away from piracy and the pursuit of riches. Risking her life in one deadly skirmish after another, she instead begins to plot a war of liberation."

Vanessa Riley (Author), Robin Miles (Narrator)

Audiobook

When We Were Brilliant

"They were an unlikely pair-a blond bombshell and a photographer determined to be taken seriously-but Marilyn Monroe and Eve Arnold would make a deal that would change their lives in this dazzling new novel from the national bestselling author of Mrs. Poe and The Woman with the Cure. In 1952, Norma Jeane Baker follows documentary photographer Eve Arnold into a powder room on the night they first meet. She has a proposition for her. Norma Jeane created Marilyn Monroe to be photographed, and she wants Eve to do it. Eve is better than anyone she's seen at revealing a person's inner truth. Together they can help each other. Together, she says, they can make something brilliant. Skeptical of this cipher of a young woman, Eve demurs. She's looking for more serious subjects than this ambitious starlet. But she keeps getting drawn back into Marilyn's orbit, and the women come to recognize something in each other-something fundamental. Nothing will get in the way of what they want, and when Marilyn's star takes off to teetering heights, neither will ever be the same. A lavish and transporting novel, When We Were Brilliant captures the halcyon days of an icon and the grit of women determining their own futures as it explores the exceptional and complicated friendship between Marilyn Monroe and Eve Arnold."

Lynn Cullen (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Historical Audiobooks in Fiction