Books like 'The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger: absolutely heartbreaking World War 2 historical fiction'
Readers who enjoyed The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger: absolutely heartbreaking World War 2 historical fiction by Suzanne Fortin also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical suspense mystery heroine sleuth military 20th century victorian
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A Fire Sparkling by Julianne MacLean
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsAn Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestseller. From the USA Today bestselling author of A Curve in the Road comes a spellbinding novel about one woman’s love, loss, and courage during wartime... -
![The Comfort of Ghosts by Jacqueline Winspear]()
The Comfort of Ghosts by Jacqueline Winspear
A milestone in historical mystery fiction as Maisie Dobbs takes her final bow! Psychologist and investigator Maisie Dobbs unravels a profound mystery from her past in a war-torn nation grappling with its future. London, 1945: Four adolescent orphans with a dark wartime history are squatting in a vacant Belgravia mansion—the owners having fled London under heavy Luftwaffe bombing...Categorized as:
mystery 20th century suspense heroine sleuth historical war length-medium glimpses-kisses -
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![The Dance Teacher of Paris by Suzanne Fortin]()
The Dance Teacher of Paris by Suzanne Fortin
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 24 ratings'But how will I look after them? Where can I hide them?' She looked up at me and didn't try to stop the tears from falling. 'I'm begging you. Please, save our children.'Paris, 1942. As the Germans occupy the city she calls home, Adele Basset is determined to keep her pupils' spirits up. Their dance class offers a moment of solace in the dark days of occupation... -
![The Lantern's Dance by Laurie R. King]()
The Lantern's Dance by Laurie R. King
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsMary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are caught up in a case that turns intensely personal, shining light on a past that even Holmes himself did not suspectAfter their recent adventures in Transylvania, Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes look forward to spending some time getting to know Holmes' son, the artist Damian Adler, and his family... -
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![The Girl from Guernica by Karen Robards]()
The Girl from Guernica by Karen Robards
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsInspired by Picasso’s great masterpiece Guernica, New York Times bestselling author Karen Robards returns with a riveting story of love, intrigue, deception and bravery in the face of war…On an April day in 1937, the sky opens and fire rains down upon the small Spanish town of Guernica. Seventeen-year-old Sibi and her family are caught up in the horror... -
![The Art of Inheriting Secrets by Barbara O'Neal]()
The Art of Inheriting Secrets by Barbara O'Neal
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 48 ratingsWhen Olivia Shaw’s mother dies, the sophisticated food editor is astonished to learn she’s inherited a centuries-old English estate—and a title to go with it. Raw with grief and reeling from the knowledge that her reserved mother hid something so momentous, Olivia leaves San Francisco and crosses the pond to unravel the mystery of a lifetime... -
![All My Tomorrows by Ellie Dean]()
All My Tomorrows by Ellie Dean
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe compelling new Second World War novel from the author of Always in My Heart. In defending herself against her brutal husband, eighteen-year-old Ruby Clark is forced to flee London. She has no idea where Cliffehaven is, or what she will find there, but she knows that she will never be able to return home again. At first it seems she's fallen on her feet... -
![Where the Sky Begins by Rhys Bowen]()
Where the Sky Begins by Rhys Bowen
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsA woman’s future is determined by fate and choice in a gripping WWII novel about danger, triumph, and second chances by the New York Times bestselling author of The Venice Sketchbook and The Tuscan Child.London, 1940. Bombs fall and Josie Banks’s world crumbles around her. Her overbearing husband, Stan, is unreachable, called to service. Her home, a ruin of rubble and ash... -
![Shelter from the Storm by Ellie Dean]()
Shelter from the Storm by Ellie Dean
Rated: 4.66 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNineteen-year-old April Wilton has just enlisted in the WRENs in Portsmouth, where she works servicing engines on ships. She finds herself immersed in dockyard life and surrounded by soldiers - from England and America. The atmosphere is one of spontaneity and impulsiveness, brought on by the unpredictability of war... -
![Finding Friends on Beamer Street by Sheila Riley]()
Finding Friends on Beamer Street by Sheila Riley
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe start of a brand new series from Sheila Riley, bestselling author of the Reckoner's Row saga series!Liverpool 1921 Pregnant, Mary Jane Starlings secret wedding to Paddy Redfern ends in disaster when her fiancé is murdered on the way to the church. Paddy’s wayward twin ‘Red’ intercepts Mary Jane and warns that they must flee Ireland for fear of reprisals from her family, never to return... -
![Locked Rooms by Laurie R. King]()
Locked Rooms by Laurie R. King
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsBONUS: This edition contains excerpts from Laurie R. King's The God of the Hive and Pirate King.En route to San Francisco to settle her family’s estate, Mary Russell, in the company of husband Sherlock Holmes, falls prey to troubling dreams—and even more troubling behavior. In 1906, when Mary was six, the city was devastated by a catastrophic earthquake... -
![Dragonfly by Leila Meacham]()
Dragonfly by Leila Meacham
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Roses comes a gripping new novel about five young spies embedded among the highest Nazi ranks in occupied Paris At the height of World War II, a handful of idealistic young Americans receive a mysterious letter from the government, asking them if they are willing to fight for their country... -
![The Girl From the Island by Lorna Cook]()
The Girl From the Island by Lorna Cook
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA world at war.One woman will risk everything.Another will uncover her story.1940: When the island of Guernsey is invaded by the Nazis, two sisters are determined to rebel in any way they can. But when forced to take in a German soldier, they are shocked to find a familiar face on their doorstep – a childhood friend who has now become their enemy... -
![Warleggan by Winston Graham]()
Warleggan by Winston Graham
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsRoss Poldark plunges into a speculative mining venture which threatens his financial security and his stormy marriage to Demelza. When the old attraction between Ross and Elizabeth begins to rekindle itself, Demelza retaliates by becoming dangerously involved with a Scottish cavalry officer... -
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![On a Turning Tide by Ellie Dean]()
On a Turning Tide by Ellie Dean
Rated: 4.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCliffehaven, October 1944 As the Allied troops draw closer to victory, life at Beach View Boarding House is still full of uncertainty. Rosie’s plans for her wedding to Ron Reilly are plagued with misunderstandings. And when Ron takes on a secret assignment just days before they are due to say their vows, it seems their plans for a future together may be doomed... -
![A Deadly Affair by Carla Simpson]()
A Deadly Affair by Carla Simpson
London 1889 — Murder, mystery, and two people in a most unlikely partnership.She's an unconventional lady who has traveled the world, practices the art of self defense most excellently, and has an interesting tattoo in, ahem... a very unusual place... -
![Sealed With a Loving Kiss by Ellie Dean]()
Sealed With a Loving Kiss by Ellie Dean
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe gripping new Second World War novel from Sunday Times Top Ten bestselling author of While We're Apart.After the death of her parents in a bombing raid, Mary Jones discovers a secret in the pages of father’s diaries. Her search for the truth brings her to Cliffehaven on the south coast... -
![Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers]()
Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsAn alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.The great Dorothy L. Sayers is considered by many to be the premier detective novelist of the Golden Age, and her dashing sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey, one of mystery fiction’s most enduring and endearing protagonists... -
![Taken to the Grave by Cara Devlin]()
Taken to the Grave by Cara Devlin
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe Bow Street Duchess Mystery series comes to a thrilling conclusion in the seventh and final book, Taken to the Grave.As Audrey Sinclair reaches the end of her mourning period, she and Hugh Marsden, the Viscount Neatham, are at long last looking toward their future together — and hoping for a respite from the dangerous criminal investigations they’ve found themselves entrenched in... -
![The Stationmaster's Cottage by Phillipa Nefri Clark]()
The Stationmaster's Cottage by Phillipa Nefri Clark
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsChristie is happy in her life... or so she tells herself. Despite the tragedy in her childhood, she has a satisfying career, a city apartment, and a long-term relationship. But deep down she yearns for a simpler life. Family. A garden. And a place to heal her heart.The decision to attend a funeral in a town she's never heard of throws her safe world into disarray, exposing the holes in her life... -
![A Singular Woman by Sarah F. Noel]()
A Singular Woman by Sarah F. Noel
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsWolf had hoped he could put his thief-taking life behind him when he unexpectedly inherited an earldom. Wolf, the new Earl of Pembroke, against his better judgment, finds himself sucked back into another investigation. He knows better than to think he can keep Tabitha out of it... -
![Justice Hall by Laurie R. King]()
Justice Hall by Laurie R. King
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsBONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Laurie R. King's Pirate King.Only hours after Holmes and Russell return from solving one murky riddle on the moor, another knocks on their front door...literally. It’s a mystery that begins during the Great War, when Gabriel Hughenfort died amidst scandalous rumors that have haunted the family ever since... -
![Something Dangerous by Penny Vincenzi]()
Something Dangerous by Penny Vincenzi
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe dazzling Lytton twins, Adele and Venetia, are born into the great Lytton publishing empire. In 1928, on their eighteenth birthday, they are rich and admired, with a confidence verging on arrogance. But the spectre of Nazi Germany is growing... Gradually their privileged world darkens in unimaginable ways - but it is not just the twins whose lives have been irrevocably changed... -
![Courage of the Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell]()
Courage of the Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSunderland, 1942: Polly's heart and her future are hanging in the balance… Polly’s sweetheart Tommy has been declared missing while serving overseas, and although there is no certainty that he is dead, there is no guarantee that he will return home. Now Polly needs her friends more than ever, and the other women welders are ready to rally around her while she waits for news... -
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![The Orphan Daughter by Sheila Riley]()
The Orphan Daughter by Sheila Riley
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsWinter, Liverpool 1947. Evie Kilgaren is a fighter. Abandoned by her mother and with her father long gone, she is left to raise her siblings in dockside Liverpool, as they battle against the coldest winter on record. But she is determined to make a life for herself and create a happy home for what's left of her family... -
![A Corruption of Blood by Ambrose Parry]()
A Corruption of Blood by Ambrose Parry
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsSHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER 2022A Raven and Fisher Book 3Edinburgh, 1850. This city will bleed you dry.Sarah Fisher is keeping a safe distance from her old flame Dr Will Raven. Having long worked at the side of Dr James Simpson, she has set her sights on learning to practise medicine herself. A notion everyone seems intent on dissuading her from... -
![No Stone Unturned by Pam Lecky]()
No Stone Unturned by Pam Lecky
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsLucy Lawrence stared down at her husband, his once handsome face now a twisted mask of death. She shivered and pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders. His life had held so many secrets, and now his sins were hers to bear… England, 1886. In the flickering gaslights of Victorian London, 28-year-old Lucy Lawrence's future hangs in the balance... -
![The God of the Hive by Laurie R. King]()
The God of the Hive by Laurie R. King
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsIn Laurie R. King’s latest Mary Russell–Sherlock Holmes mystery, the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author delivers a thriller of ingenious surprises and unrelenting suspense—as the famous husband and wife sleuths are pursued by a killer immune from the sting of justice... -
![The Whisper Sister by Jennifer S. Brown]()
The Whisper Sister by Jennifer S. Brown
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe author of Modern Girls delivers an atmospheric coming-of-age story set in Prohibition-era New York, tracing one immigrant family’s fortunes and a young girl’s journey from the schoolyard to the speakeasy.The streets of New York in 1920 are most certainly not paved with gold, as Minnie Soffer learns when she arrives at Ellis Island... -
![Deadly Betrayal by Carla Simpson]()
Deadly Betrayal by Carla Simpson
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"Ghosts of the past…The very case that made Brodie leave the Metropolitan Police returns to jeopardize his private inquiry business, his relationship with Mikaela Forsythe, and perhaps even his life.Ten years earlier, after Brodie refused to divulge the name of his source in a murder case, Chief Inspector Abberline threatened to have charges brought against him for withholding evidence... -
![The Gang of St Bride's by Emily Organ]()
The Gang of St Bride's by Emily Organ
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsLondon 1885. A gang of lady thieves is targeting Piccadilly’s wealthy shoppers and no one seems able to stop them. As frustrations build, the body of a young woman is pulled from the River Thames. Reporter Penny Green has a lot to write about, and she faces a new challenge when a stranger approaches her with a riddle... -
![Murder in Mayfair by Verity Bright]()
Murder in Mayfair by Verity Bright
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTea and cake at The Ritz, a stolen pearl necklace and a missing dead body… Lady Swift is back on the case!Lady Eleanor Swift has been eagerly awaiting her trip in a hot air balloon to take in London’s amazing sights... -
![An Artless Demise by Anna Lee Huber]()
An Artless Demise by Anna Lee Huber
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsLady Darby returns to London with her new husband, Sebastian Gage, but newlywed bliss won't last for long when her past comes back to haunt her in the latest exciting installment in this national bestselling series.November 1831. After fleeing London in infamy more than two years prior, Lady Kiera Darby's return to the city is anything but mundane, though not for the reasons she expected...Categorized as:
mystery victorian suspense heroine sleuth historical regency pregnancy length-medium -
![The French Photographer by Natasha Lester]()
The French Photographer by Natasha Lester
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsInspired by the incredible true story of Lee Miller, Vogue model turned one of the first female war photojournalists, the new novel by the bestselling author of The Paris SeamstressManhattan, Paris, 1942: When Jessica May's successful modelling career is abruptly cut short, she is assigned to the war in Europe as a photojournalist for Vogue... -
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![A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas]()
A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas
Charlotte Holmes’s brilliant mind and deductive skills are pulled into a dangerous investigation at sea in the new mystery in the bestselling Lady Sherlock series.After feigning her own death in Cornwall to escape from Moriarty’s perilous attention, Charlotte Holmes goes into hiding...Categorized as:
mystery heroine sleuth victorian suspense historical friends to lovers behind-doors length-medium -
![The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay]()
The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsNear the end of the Cold War, a CIA code breaker discovers a symbol she recognizes from her childhood, which launches her across the world to the heart of Berlin just before the wall comes tumbling down... -
![Nature of the Crime by Cara Devlin]()
Nature of the Crime by Cara Devlin
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Bow Street Duchess Mystery series continues in January 2024 with the sixth Audrey Sinclair and Hugh Marsden investigation...When a fellow passenger is found dead on Audrey’s packet ship from France, a mysterious note on the body points to her as the killer... -
![Murder Makes Waves by Anne George]()
Murder Makes Waves by Anne George
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThose hilarious southern sisters, who prove that sibling rivalry never ends, are heading for a vacation at the beach... -
![You'll Never See Me Again by Lesley Pearse]()
You'll Never See Me Again by Lesley Pearse
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND WOMAN & HOME BEST BOOKS OF SUMMER 'Compelling, rich in detail and vividly told. Storytelling at its best' Daily Express Betty is running for her life.When Betty's husband returns from the war broken and haunted, she knows her marriage is doomed.Taking a fleeting chance to escape, she goes on the run armed with a new identity... -
![Island in the East by Jenny Ashcroft]()
Island in the East by Jenny Ashcroft
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSet in 1890s and 1940s Singapore, the stunning Island in the East is a story of love, sisterly rivalry and the true cost of betrayal. Vivid, authentic and utterly beautiful, it's the perfect read for fans of Victoria Hislop, Fiona McIntosh and Kate Morton. 1897: twenty-year-old identical twins, Harriet and Mae, born from a scandalous affair, have spent their lives slighted by gossips... -
![Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams]()
Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsThe beloved author returns with a remarkable novel of both raw suspense and lyric beauty— the story of a lost pilot and a wartime photographer that will leave its mark on your soul... -
![Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers]()
Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsThe ad men at Pym’s can sell anything—even murder...The iron staircase at Pym’s Publicity is a deathtrap, and no one in the advertising agency is surprised when Victor Dean tumbles down it, cracking his skull along the way. Dean’s replacement arrives just a few days later—a green copywriter named Death Bredon... -
![The Marriage of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King]()
The Marriage of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsLaurie R. King takes readers way back in her bestselling series with this exclusive ebook short story, as Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes embark upon the riskiest adventure of their their wedding. Includes a special preview of the highly anticipated new mystery from Laurie R... -
![A Brush with Shadows by Anna Lee Huber]()
A Brush with Shadows by Anna Lee Huber
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsSebastian Gage returns home to battle the ghosts of his past and prevent them from destroying his future with Kiera in the latest exciting installment in this national bestselling series.July 1831. It's been fifteen years since Sebastian Gage has set foot in Langstone Manor... -
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![Christmas with the Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell]()
Christmas with the Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTHE SEVENTH NOVEL IN THE BESTSELLING SHIPYARD GIRLS SERIES. ‘Nancy Revell knows how to stir the passions and soothe the heart!’ Northern Echo____________________________________________________________Sunderland, 1942: Christmas is fast approaching and with it comes a flurry of snow and surprises… Against all odds, Polly’s fiancé has finally returned home from the front line... -
![The Game by Laurie R. King]()
The Game by Laurie R. King
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsIt’s only the second day of 1924, but Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, find themselves embroiled in intrigue. It starts with a New Year’s visit from Holmes’s brother Mycroft, who comes bearing a strange package containing the papers of an English spy named Kimball O’Hara—the same Kimball known to the world through Kipling’s famed Kim... -
![Lethal Remedies by M. Louisa Locke]()
Lethal Remedies by M. Louisa Locke
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAnnie has a problem. She has a beautiful child, a loving husband, a well-run boardinghouse with a supportive circle of friends and family, but she’s feeling restless and unhappy.Dr. Charlotte Brown, the doctor who delivered Annie’s baby, has a different problem... -
![An Independent Woman by Sarah F. Noel]()
An Independent Woman by Sarah F. Noel
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSummoned to Edinburgh by the Dowager Countess of Pembroke, Tabitha and Wolf reluctantly board a train and head north.The dowager's granddaughter Lily refuses to participate in the preparations for her first season unless Tabitha and Wolf investigate the disappearance of her friend, Peter... -
![The Waiting Hours by Ellie Dean]()
The Waiting Hours by Ellie Dean
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTHE NEW CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEAN'Ellie Dean’s loyal readers will be thrilled with this new novel.' Helen Carey*******Slapton Sands, 1943 War has not been kind to Carol Porter. It took her husband and baby, and with them her heart. At last she’s found some peace, working as a land girl at Coombe Farm... -
![The Orphan in the Peacock Shawl by AnneMarie Brear]()
The Orphan in the Peacock Shawl by AnneMarie Brear
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsYorkshire Dales 1850As a terrible storm rages, Annabelle Wallis is shocked to find a distressed young woman at her cottage door, heavy with child. Moments later a baby girl is born. But by dawn, the mother has vanished, leaving behind the helpless child wrapped only in a silk peacock shawl...
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