From Silvia Moreno-Garcia, the bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes Velvet was the Night, a stylish noir about crime, passion, and murder set against the backdrop of protest and political drama in 1970s Mexico. When the neighbor of a daydreaming secretary disappears under suspicious circumstances, she finds herself searching for the missing woman, meeting up with a lonesome gangster, and journeying deeper into Leonora’s secret life of student radicals and dissidents. Kirkus calls Velvet was the Night “a noir masterpiece.” If you are newer to the historical thriller genre and looking to dip your toe into these murky waters, you may be wondering what sets a historical thriller apart from a historical mystery or a historical suspense novel. Naturally, all three take us to the past. A mystery follows a protagonist trying to find out the truth behind a murder or a crime; the danger levels they’re in are usually mild. A suspense will gradually reveal the danger and rely on tension and uncertainty to unsettle both the protagonist and the reader. A thriller, ahh…therein lies the danger. The gloves have been removed, dear reader, and our protagonist is in grave danger from the offset. This list is dedicated to the historical thrillers that bring us protagonists with unusual skill sets, unseen motivations, and an unrelenting drive for answers. Let us take you across four centuries in five different cities: London, New York, Boston, Vietnam, and Venice. I hope this list satisfies your thirst for something dangerously thrilling, with enough twists and intrigue to keep you guessing until the very last page. Want more historical thrills? You came to the right place. Keep traveling down that rabbit hole, reader, and see what you find:
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