Book picks similar to
Gather the Bones by Alison Stuart


historical-fiction
romance
historical-romance
paranormal

The Good Knight


Sarah Woodbury - 2011
    But when the groom is murdered on the way to his wedding, the bride’s brother tasks his two best detectives—Gareth, a knight, and Gwen, the daughter of the court bard—with bringing the killer to justice. And once blame for the murder falls on Gareth himself, Gwen must continue her search for the truth alone, finding unlikely allies in foreign lands, and ultimately uncovering a conspiracy that will shake the political foundations of Wales.

Delia's Shadow


Jaime Lee Moyer - 2013
    But a dark secret colors her life, for Delia’s most loyal companions are ghosts, as she has been gifted (or some would say cursed) with an ability to peer across to the other side.Since the great quake rocked her city in 1906, Delia has been haunted by an avalanche of the dead clamoring for her help. Delia flees to the other side of the continent, hoping to gain some peace. After several years in New York, Delia believes she is free…until one determined specter appears and she realizes that she must return to the City by the Bay in order to put this tortured soul to rest.It will not be easy, as the ghost is only one of the many victims of a serial killer who was never caught. A killer who after thirty years is killing again. And who is now aware of Delia’s existence.

The Legend of Lady Maclaoch


Becky Banks - 2011
    Rowan MacLaoch does battle with wartime memories and a family curse that threaten to consume him—unaware that his life and that of the history of the clan will be changed forever by the arrival of an American woman.Cole Baker, a feisty recent graduate of a master’s program, stumbles upon the ancient curse while researching her bloodlines. Moved by the history of the MacLaoch clan and the mystery of its chief, she digs into the legend that had been anything but quiet for centuries.On their quest for answers, Cole and Rowan travel to places they have never before been and become witnesses to things they have never before fathomed. The legend—one started with blood—will end with more shed as its creator finally exacts her justice.

Salt Magic, Skin Magic


Lee Welch - 2018
    There are no bars or chains; he simply can’t leave. His sanity is starting to fray. When industrial magician John Blake arrives to investigate a case of witchcraft, he finds the peculiar, arrogant Thornby as alarming as he is attractive. John soon finds himself caught up in a dark fairytale, where all the rules of magic—and love—are changed. To set Thornby free, both men must face life-changing truths—and John must accept that the brave, witty man who’s winning his heart may also be about to break it. Can they escape a web of magic that’s as perilous as love?

The Midget's House


Anita Bartholomew - 2011
    What she doesn’t know is that another woman, Lucinda Lacey, a sideshow midget who died on the property in 1924, still inhabits it. And Lucinda has no intention of giving up her home to the new owner. Switching between the carnivals, circuses, and freak shows of the early twentieth century, and the boom-and-bust of today's Florida, Lucinda's life story unfolds as Marisa searches for answers about the strange presence in her new home. The diminutive Lucinda might not be as benign as she first seems. Did Lucinda murder her lover on the day she died? And, if so, is Marisa in danger? THE MIDGET’S HOUSE was inspired by the author's own house in Sarasota, Florida, that, if local legend is to be believed, was built for the little people of the Ringling Bros. Circus, and is haunted to this day by at least one of them.

Dark Desires


Eve Silver - 2005
    Damien Cole. Ignoring the whispered warnings and rumours that he's a man to fear, she takes her position at his eerie estate, where she quickly discovers that nothing is at it seems, least of all her handsome and brooding employer. As Darcie struggles with her fierce attraction to Damien, she must also deal with the blood, the disappearances ... and the murders.With her options dwindling and time running out, Darcie must rely on her instincts as she confronts the man she falling in love with. Is he an innocent and misunderstood man ... or a remorseless killer who prowls the East End streets?Note: All books in the Dark Gothic series can be read as stand-alone novels.

The American Heiress


Dorothy Eden - 1980
    In the rich New York household of the Jervis family all is bustle and preparation. Clemency Jervis and her mother are on their way to England where Clemency is to marry the dashing Lord Hugo Hazzard. Travelling with them is Clemency's personal maid who bears a strong physical resemblance to her mistress. Only a few miles off the Irish coast the ship is torpedoed. Hetty is to become one of the few survivors

House of Shadows


Nicola Cornick - 2015
    Once home to the daughter of a king, its secrets will unite three women across four centuries in a tangle of romance, deceit and destiny... 1662--A queen Bound by sex and birth to live for everyone but herself--and to love always in secret--Elizabeth Stuart entrusts a pair of arcane artifacts to her faithful cavalier to keep safe for her rightful heir. But fate will not be generous to the Winter Queen, throwing the question of succession into turmoil, the aftermath of which will resonate through the generations.1801--A courtesan Lavinia Flyte wanted so much more from life than to be a courtesan at the mercy of the cruel Lord Evershot. He has brought her to Ashdown, the home of his ancestors, for reasons he guards greedily. But the maids' whispers of hidden treasures--a pearl with the power to foretell the future--consume her with a curiosity she confides only to her diary, unaware of the misfortune that threatens.And the mystery that binds them Alarmed to hear her brother has gone missing at Ashdown Park, Holly Ansell is inexplicably drawn to the clues contained in the journal of a Regency courtesan who was living at the historic home when it burned to the ground two hundred years ago. Lured by the tragedy at Ashdown, Holly's search leads her not only to the truth about Lavinia, but deeper into her own connection with the Winter Queen. For fans of Kate Morton and Barbara Erskine comes an unforgettable novel about the power one lie can have over history.

Roanoke Vanishing


Auburn Seal - 2013
    Now it's 2013 and Avery Lane, an over-zealous master's student, is determined to find out what happened to those who disappeared from England's first colony. The Descendants have discovered her interest and will stop at nothing to ensure the secret remains buried. Elinor, her spirit having lingered for more than four hundred years, is Avery's only chance to evade the Descendants and solve one of America's most intriguing mysteries.

A Laird for all Time


Angeline Fortin - 2011
    Emmy MacKenzie feels the time is long overdue for a vacation. A little “me” time. A little alone time. But when traveling the British Isles, a twist of fate at the gates of the ancient castle of Duart hurls Emmy more a hundred years into the past and into the arms of a magnificent highlander who thinks she is his long-lost wife, Heather MacLean! The ten years since his new bride abandoned him on his wedding day had brought Connor MacLean, earl Strathclyde, nothing but misery and bitterness but that is nothing compared to the anger he feels when she shows up at his front gates on the 10th anniversary of that day. Determined to punish her for the humiliations she dealt him, he is shocked when his wife claims mistaken identity and insists that she is not his wife at all! Endeavoring to cling to his anger, Connor finds he cannot deny the new attraction he feels for his mysterious wife and soon he is wanting nothing more than to take her in his arms and make her his. With no choice but to play the part of the long lost Heather MacLean, Emmy cannot help but wonder how any woman could ever leave Connor MacLean, a man unlike any she had ever known. A man who thrills and challenges her. A man to love forever. Questions of destiny plague Emmy making her question her very life as she wavers between the desire to return to her own time and the hope for a life with her earl. She begins to question what she really wants out of life. And who can give it to her. But Emmy’s isn’t the only secret lurking in Duart Castle. Painful secrets will be revealed. Not only hers but that of another. When the truth of Heather MacLean’s disappearance comes to light more than Connor’s life might be destroyed. Choices will have to be made. Forgiveness begged. Second chances taken not just for the people of Duart, but for Emmy herself. But will she risk it all to have her laird for all time?

Love Beyond Time


Bethany Claire - 2013
    The Conall clan and all their people were murdered in a surprise attack, their beloved castle and all evidence of who destroyed them burned to the ground with their bodies. In the centuries following, archaeologists searched through the ruins looking for any evidence of what or who had caused the untimely demise of such a powerful Scottish clan. All efforts were fruitless, until a spell put in place by an ancient Conall ancestor finally began to work its magic...Texas kindergarten teacher, Brielle Montgomery, finds comfort in the mundane routines of her life, but when her archaeologist mother asks her to accompany her on a dig in Scotland, she decides to step out of her comfort zone. Once in Scotland, they discover a secret spell room below the castle ruins, and Bri finds herself transported back in time and suddenly married to the castle's ill-fated Laird. Now, she must work to change the fate of his people, all while trying to find a way to return to her home and century. But with each passing day, Bri finds herself falling more deeply in love with her new husband. If she can find a spell to bring her home, will she use it? And if she stays, will it ultimately mean her own death as well?

Yellowstone Heart Song


Peggy L. Henderson - 2012
    She encounters a patient who tells her he can send her two hundred years into the past to spend three months in the rugged Yellowstone wilderness at the dawn of the mountain man era. The only requirement: she cannot tell anyone that she’s from the future.How did a white woman suddenly appear in the remote Rocky Mountain wilderness? Trapper Daniel Osborne’s first instinct is to protect this mysterious and unconventional woman from the harsh realities of his mountains. While he fights his growing attraction to her, he is left frustrated by her lies and secrecy.Daniel shows Aimee a side of Yellowstone she’s never experienced. She is torn between her feelings for him, and exposing a secret that will destroy everything he holds as truth. As her three months come to an end, she is faced with a dilemma: return to her own time, or stay with the man who opened her eyes to a whole new world. When the decision is made for her, both their lives will be changed forever.

Dragonwyck


Anya Seton - 1944
    A classic gothic romance, the story features an 18-year-old Miranda Wells who falls under the spell of a mysterious old mansion and its equally fascinating master. Tired of churning butter, weeding the garden patch, and receiving the dull young farmers who seek her hand in marriage, Miranda is excited by an invitation from the upstate New York estate of her distant relative, the intriguing Nicholas Van Ryn. Her passion is kindled by the icy fire of Nicholas, the last of the Van Ryns, and the luxury of Dragonwyck, and a way of life of which she has only dreamed. Dressed in satin and lace, she becomes part of Dragonwyck, with its Gothic towers, flowering gardens, acres of tenant farms, and dark, terrible secrets. This compelling novel paints a marvelous portrait of a country torn between freedom and feudal traditions; a country divided between the very wealthy and the very poor. Poor tenant farmers at Dragonwyck, the European royalty who visit, and American icons such as Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville, and the Astors are vividly brought to life. This is a heart-stopping story of a remarkable woman, her breathtaking passions, and the mystery and terror that await her in the magnificent hallways of Dragonwyck.

Rawblood


Catriona Ward - 2015
    She dares to fall in love.And only then do they discover the true horror of the Vallarca curse.

Ghost Memories


Heather Graham - 2010
    Bartholomew Miller had been one of them. After years of plying the seas for England as a privateer, he finally found a home and love on Bone Island off the Florida coast.But Bartholomew also made enemies in his time--enemies that would take everything Bartholomew loved and create a curse to haunt Bone Island for centuries....