Book picks similar to
Wissahickon Souls by P.J. Devlin


historical-fiction
african
african-american-history
fiction

Outremer


Richard Allibone - 2012
    In this five year period, the Muslim world inflicted a major defeat on the Christian army of Jerusalem that resonated around the known world, and which directly resulted in the confrontation between two of the most celebrated figures in medieval history – Richard the Lionheart, renowned as the great warrior king and personification of the knightly chivalry, and Saladin, Sultan of Egypt, Syria, Arabia and Mesopotamia and consummate diplomat and strategist.The story unfolds through the reminiscences of Geoffrey de Moissac, who relates his incredible first-hand experiences fifty years after the main protagonists have perished. Geoffrey has been witness to all the dramatic events of that time, from the Christian disaster at Hattin, through a perilous journey to the west to solicit aid, and finally as part of the mighty Crusader army intent on the re-conquest of the Holy Land.

No Peace (Steve Dancy Tales Book 7)


James D. Best - 2019
    He can hardly remember his days of wanderlust, and he’s grateful to have left behind the violence of a raw frontier. In a celebratory mood, Steve invites his mother to a meet her new grandchild in a chic resort in Monterey, California. With the delivery of a handwritten note, his world suddenly reverts to the savagery of his bygone days. There will be no peace.

Forsaken


Ross Howell Jr. - 2016
    An uneducated black girl just five feet tall, Virginia Christian was tried for killing her white employer, a widow. "Virgie" died in the electric chair at the state penitentiary one day after her seventeenth birthday, the only female juvenile executed in Virginia history.Young Charlie tells the story of the trial and its aftermath. Woven into his narrative are actual court records, letters, newspaper stories, and personal accounts, reflecting the true arc of history in characters large and small, in events local and global. Charlie falls in love with Harriet, a girl orphaned by the murder; meets Virgie's blind attorney George Fields, a former slave; and encounters physician Walter Plecker, a state official who relentlessly pursues racial purity laws later emulated in Nazi Germany.There is much to admire in the pages of Forsaken, especially the wonderfully vivid sense of time and place, Hampton Roads after the Civil War and Reconstruction. The novel's premise is ambitious, its events striking and tragic, and fiction and reality are deftly blended. Yet despite the tragedy of this intriguing and well-crafted novel, its story is one of redemption and hope.

The Bordeaux Connection


John Paul Davis - 2015
    - KEITH HOUGHTON, international bestselling author of Killing Hope A clever, absorbing tale...The Templar Agenda grabs you right from the murderous beginning and takes you on a fast-paced, thoroughly researched thrill-ride... - DAVID LEADBEATER, UK #1 bestselling thriller author of The Bones of OdinFROM THE BACK PAGE     In Medieval England, the defence of the realm in times of need rested on the shoulders of twelve men - a secret brotherhood of knights, who answered only to the ruler of England. They were called The White Hart.As they are now...When a series of explosions rock the Scottish capital, The White Hart is once again called into action. While the attackers flee Edinburgh with a hoard of priceless historical manuscripts, in a lonely village in England recent intelligence photographs suggest a potentially shocking connection between the suspected culprits and the wife of the Deputy Prime Minister...For White Hart agents Mike Hansen and Kit Masterson, the new lead is just the first piece of a potentially explosive puzzle that threatens to tear a hole in the heart of government. As a new threat soon reveals itself, their only chance to bring to an end the recent chain of ruthless activities is to follow the trail to the bitter end. Right to the heart of its deadly conspiracy...Part one of a brand new series...

Harry Heron Midshipman's Journey


Patrick G. Cox - 2015
    Cox weaves the exciting, authentic tale of Harry Nelson-Heron, a young midshipman in the British Navy in the early 1800s. Born in 1789 during the Irish Rebellion, Harry must overcome the prejudice against the Irish and the usual hazards of an active and inquisitive youth to realise his dream of becoming an officer in Britain’s Royal Navy. When he and his childhood friend Ferghal make the treacherous journey to London to be commissioned to a ship, fate smiles on them. Harry is appointed a midshipman on the HMS Bellerophon, and Ferghal joins him as a seaman. Corsairs, diplomacy, and exploration challenge their skills as the seafaring life takes Harry and Ferghal across the seas to worlds they never imagined and engages their ship in sea fights with the French during the Napoleonic Wars.

Meleketh


Regulus Draak - 2015
    “Miles and miles across most of ancient Alexandria. There are an incredible number of tunnels and dwellings, many still to explore. Some Egyptian believe Alexander the Great lays buried down there.” “Ok, that sounds interesting!” Katarina said. “Alexandria once was a city of the World; superior to Rome or Jerusalem. Alexandria’s library, the most complete ever built was the center of worldwide data with thousands of manuscripts from all over the Globe. Huge in size and greater with Knowledge. Sadly set on fire during the Roman invasion, some say by mistake. Nevertheless, most of the precious literature turned to ashes and the remaining scrolls divided throughout the several empires of Earth.Some of them are in the Vatican archive… that you should know Theodor!” A lingering smile played on her eyes. She was beautiful. “You are correct, dear Katarina. I have studied some of it. Primordial Greek philosophical works, several African texts by unknown authors, even Chinese scrolls dating from 2600 BC during the Yellow Emperor ruling period.Many more are still to open. Often I think about all that invaluable information and beautiful tales of the past that no matter with short or long years I may live, I’ll never read.” “You know Theodor!? There are additional things in live besides reading.” “Everyone with its own pleasures, Peter.” We all laughed, it was a good idea keeping up moral high before our swift incursion into Egypt. We discussed a few other details and mentally warmed up for the mission. As we arrived at Alexandria’s Borg El Arab airport.

The Berlin Spy Trap: A classic espionage thriller


Geoffrey Davison - 2013
     How do you find the answers when they are locked in your own lost memories? Cold War Europe John Stack wakes up in a strange hotel room in Spain with his memory of recent events wiped. It is clear he has been attacked. But what did they want? Stack is a journalist by trade but under that façade he is also an undercover British agent. Stack needs to remember what his mission was in Spain – and what happened to his two partners. Aware his life is in imminent danger, he does not know who he can trust. The doctor who treats his injuries offers to help him, but in return Stack must help smuggle someone across the Berlin Wall from East Germany to the West. Stack finds himself in a race against time to recover his memory and complete his mission before his pursuers close in and silence him forever… THE BERLIN SPY TRAP is a heart-pounding espionage thriller, following one man navigating his way through the tensions of Cold War Europe – desperate to recover the secrets locked away in his mind.

Espionage - London


John Day - 2017
    A simple idea became the miracle Hitler needed, to bring Britain to its knees over night. Not only that, but it would save both German and British lives and leave the infrastructure of the English towns and cities intact. This character driven story of intrigue and guile will transport you back in time to Alderney and the back streets of London, on a suicide mission. Discover the details of Germany's plan and it’s execution, exposing the best kept secret of WW2. Timing is everything, and a cruel twist of fate changes history. A super-intense John Day Thriller.

Upon Destiny's Song


Mike Ericksen - 2013
    Ane Marie Madsen was only ten-years-old when she immigrated to Utah with her family. She was numbered in the ill-fated Willie Handcart Company of 1856, which saw the deaths of almost a third of the company when winter storms hit Wyoming. After settling in Utah, Ane Marie’s faith is tested once again as her path moves through the misadventures of colonizing a new territory ridden with danger and disease. Over 150 years later, descendent Mike Ericksen retells this epic journey and discovers lessons for his own modern sojourn.Ericksen has previously told the story of his ancestors harrowing trek through song and speaking engagements held across the country. Now the amazing story and its beautiful message is finally available in "Upon Destiny’s Song."

Sweet Sorrow


Millie Vigor - 2017
     She inherits her parents property and takes a job in the village, before meeting Garnet Plowman who she falls madly in love with. She cannot believe her luck when he falls for her as well. But it is 1939: Britain is at war with Germany. Garnet is called up to join the army and, in an emotional farewell, he begs Dorrie to wait for him. She volunteers for the army too and at her physical examination finds out that she is pregnant. In 1940 a son, Lucas, is born to Dorrie. Being a single mother is hard to deal with. There are unkind words, a predatory male to fight off , the prevention of a friends’ suicide and the accidental discovery of her mother’s wealthy family. Then, the worst news possible: a telegram tells Garnet’s mother that he is missing presumed dead. Freda Plowman is convinced that Garnet will come home - but will he? Even if he does their lives will have been altered by what happens to them. Will it bode good or ill for their futures? Praise for Millie Vigor ‘If the definition of a good book is being well-written, easy to read and hard to put down then Catherine of Deepdale is very good indeed.’ - Shetland Times. ‘The author evokes the wild, desolate landscape of the islands so vividly that it made me want to visit.’ - Historical Novels Review ‘The characters are so well rounded that I feel I must know them. The spirit of the piece is also vivid... Really good book’ - Hugh C Rae aka Jessica Stirling. Millie Vigor’s first book, Kippers for Breakfast, was an autobiographical account of her life in Shetland at the time of the North Sea oil boom. She has written several other books, including, Catherine of Deepdale, No Skylarks Sing, Paying Davy Jones, and The Winding Stair. Millie now lives in Somerset with a cat called Harriet.

The Women of Crooked Creek (Emma/Hattie/Briley/Clara): A Western Story Collection


M.K. McClintock - 2016
    Casey Latimer is a wounded soldier in search of a new home and a new beginning. When Casey, battered and bruised, quite literally falls at Emma's feet, she is duty-bound to help him. What happens next is something Emma never expected."Hattie of Crooked Creek"Married three months before the war and now a widow, Harriett McBride can either give up and sell her ranch or fight for the life she and her husband came west to build. With the help of a friend and a stranger, she must stop the one who threatens all she holds dear. When Hattie is faced with an unexpected choice, will she bury her heart on the battlefield forever or find a way to love again?"Briley of Crooked Creek"Far from home and with no family left, Briley Donaghue answers an advertisement from a rancher seeking a wife in Montana Territory. She arrives in Crooked Creek to find an empty cabin, a letter from her fiancé, and too many unanswered questions. Alone and uncertain, Briley forges a new life in an unfamiliar land."Clara of Crooked Creek"No longer willing to allow society's opinion to influence her life, Clara Stowe sought a change, and what better place than the frontier. With her young daughter by her side, she embarks on an unexpected undertaking to the Montana Territory. With grit and determination, they arrive in Crooked Creek to shape the life Clara had always dreamed of and honor the memory of the one they lost.The war is over between the North and the South, but the battles at home are just beginning. If you love stories of bravery and courage with unforgettable women and the men they love, you'll enjoy The Women of Crooked Creek. MK McClintock delivers another extraordinary western series with more to come.

Ghost Train


C.J. Petit - 2021
    The scheduled train from Granger was overdue by three hours. He’d suspected a mechanical breakdown or maybe even a derailment. But the engineer of the next train to use that track had just reported that he hadn’t found any signs of the train.He had no idea how an entire train could simply vanish, but as he pondered the mystery, the head telegrapher came to his office and showed him a telegram that had been sent to Union Pacific headquarters. It was a ransom demand for a hundred thousand dollars. If it wasn’t paid within a week, the train and its thirty-four passengers would be blown up.He hurried out of his office and rushed through the early morning streets to tell the resident Union Pacific special agent of the kidnapped train. It was Nelson Cook’s problem now.

Secrets of the Heart


Gilda O'Neill - 2008
    They hoped it would be over by Christmas... Britain is at war and the proximity of the docks means that life in and around London's Turnbury Buildings is hard and dangerous. Chances are taken, people have secrets, hearts are broken. And feelings about foreigners are running high. Sixteen-year-old Freddie Jarrett is secretly seeing a girl from the local Chinese community - a relationship that would be frowned on by both families, despite the fact that they all support the fight for freedom from oppression. And his sister Grace has her own secret to hide. A secret that no one outside the immediate family must ever know. As the threat of the Luftwaffe looms over the docks, the community is threatened with being torn apart by prejudice, fear and separation, and the disturbing loss of stability that brings with it the feeling that it is only what happens today that counts for anything...

Plantation Restored (Azalea Plantation #3)


B.J. Robinson - 2017
    The war ends, and Lexie awaits his return. Other soldiers are making it home, but Reese is missing. She leaves New Orleans and travels back to Azalea Plantation in Vicksburg, Mississippi, to await his return, busying herself with restoring the plantation after the war. Lexie clings to faith and hope and refuses to give up on Reese even though she's heard the stories about prisoners-of-war and the explosion of the Sultana. The family decides to visit Azalea Plantation. Will it be for a funeral or a wedding? Reese has still not shown when they are all gathered together. Is it possible for a country to be restored like a plantation home?