Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




Recent Historical Fiction


Cover art for THE MARLOWE PAPERS
FICTION
Released: Jan. 29, 2013

"Lush, inspired and provocative, this spellbinding dossier conjures up a bewitching Marlowe."
What if Kit Marlowe wasn't really killed in a tavern brawl? What if he escaped and became the secret scribe of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets? Read full book review >
Cover art for MRS. LINCOLN'S DRESSMAKER
FICTION
Released: Jan. 15, 2013

"While the backdrop is strikingly vivid, Chiaverini's domestic tale dawdles too often in the details of dress fittings and quilt piecings, leaving Elizabeth's emotional terrain glimpsed but not traveled."
From the intimate domestic circles of the political elite, a dressmaker witnesses the upheavals of 19th-century America. Read full book review >
Cover art for SEVEN LOCKS
FICTION
Released: Jan. 1, 2013

"Still, a spellbinding depiction of the hardships faced by a woman fighting her own war of independence."
As the Revolutionary War looms, a colonial wife struggles to survive after her husband wanders away. Read full book review >
Cover art for KING'S MAN
FICTION
Released: Nov. 13, 2012

"A fast-moving, thoroughly enjoyable yarn."
The rip-roaring tale of a young follower of Robin Hood and their mission to rescue King Richard from captivity in A.D. 1192. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE GENERAL'S MISTRESS
FICTION
Released: Oct. 23, 2012

"Sexy and dashing."
Liberty and libertinage, reason and magic--the conflicting passions of the French Revolution swirl throughout the adventures of Elzelina van Aylde-Versfelt. Read full book review >
Cover art for LIVE BY NIGHT
FICTION
Released: Oct. 2, 2012

"Power, lust and moral ambiguity combine for an all-American explosion of fictional fireworks."
The acclaimed mystery writer again tries his hand at historical fiction, combining period detail from the Prohibition era with the depth of character and twists of plot that have won him such a devoted readership. Read full book review >