Secrets in the Woods by Susan D Levitte

If you love historical fiction that shines a light on forgotten moments in history and the ordinary people who lived through extraordinary events, then this is a book well worth adding to your TBR list.

✔️ Inspired by real historical events

✔️ A lesser-known American tragedy

✔️ Richly atmospheric and immersive

✔️ Stories of courage, loss, and survival

✔️ A powerful reminder of human resilience

Check out the blurb:

On October 8, 1871, fire turned night into a living
hell. 

While Chicago's blaze claimed the headlines, a fiercer and more devastating inferno swept across Wisconsin's Green Bay peninsula-obliterating farms, forests, and families in its path.

Here, among immigrant settlers carving new lives from the wilderness, survival came down to split-second choices: to run, to hide, to fight the flames. Mothers shielded children with their bodies, fathers vanished into smoke, and neighbors faced the firestorm with nothing but faith and will.

Inspired by forgotten accounts and newspaper fragments, Secrets in the Woods brings to life the untold human drama of one of America's most harrowing nights-a story of resilience, loss, and the fragile hope that rises from the ashes.

If you enjoy historical fiction that uncovers overlooked history and focuses on the strength of ordinary people in the face of unimaginable disaster, this is a book that deserves your attention.

Secrets in the Woods is available on Kindle, paperback, and hardback — buy here.

Susan D Levitte was born and raised as the fifth generation to live on the family land in Northeast North Dakota (nearly Canada). She moved to Wisconsin in 1997, living in Door and Manitowoc County and now resides in the pastoral Kewaunee County. Married to Quentin, they share their home with Olive and Penny, their silly Labrador retrievers, and Gil, their ever-lazy cat. As a devoted reader of historical fiction and nonfiction, she brings her passion for history and desire to educate readers into her work. With twenty-five years of experience in global advertising and marketing, she holds a master’s degree in communications and currently contributes her expertise to the Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport.

Code of Honour (Soldier Spy, Book #3) by Rosemary Hayes

Code of Honour

(Soldier Spy, Book #3)

By Rosemary Hayes

Publication Date: February 2nd, 2026

Publisher: Sharpe Books

Pages: 251

Genre: Historical Fiction

'A first-rate historical thriller, full of period detail, fascinating characters, unexpected twists, mystery, intrigue and action.’
~ Peter Tonkin

1812

Britain’s war against Napoleon continues.

Will Fraser and Duncan Armstrong have served their country well as spies, exposing traitors and rescuing betrayed royalists.

Now they are asked to support military operations in the Peninsular War. The French are using a new code which is proving impossible to decipher. Will and Armstrong must work with Spanish guerrillas to intercept messages between French Commanders and pass them to Wellington’s codebreakers.

Will is reluctant, however. Portugal was where he was falsely accused of cowardice and desertion and forced to leave the army. And Captain Harcourt-Browne, the jealous and vengeful officer who caused his downfall, is still serving there.

But Will is given a compelling – and personal – reason to carry out the operation. If he does so, there’s a slim chance he could be reinstated.

Enemy agents are soon on their trail; agents who want them dead. Somehow Will and Armstrong must evade them and join the guerrillas in a daring attempt to uncover Napoleon’s battle plans.

But Will’s troubled past catches up with him. Four years ago he lied to protect the woman he loved. Now he must own up to that lie to save himself.

Rosemary Hayes has written over forty books across different genres, from historical fiction to chapter books for early readers and texts for picture books.

Praise for Rosemary Hayes:

‘Rosemary Hayes' Soldier Spy is a first-rate historical thriller, full of period detail, fascinating characters, unexpected twists, mystery, intrigue and action. It reminds me of Berrnard Cornwell's brilliant, Regency-set Gallows Thief. I am pleased to see that it is the first of a trilogy and look forward to reading more about the dashing Will Fraser.’
~ Peter Tonkin, author of The Richard Mariner thrillers

‘One of the very best historical novels I have ever read.’
~ Sandra Robinson, Huguenot Ancestry Expert

‘An absorbing tale told with sensitivity. The forgotten struggles of Huguenot refugees come to moving, heartrending life.’ 
~ Steven Veerapen, author of A Dangerous Trade

Soldier Spy Series Universal Buy Links:

Book 1 – Traitor’s Game

Book 2 – The King’s Agent

Book 3 – Code of Honour

This series is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Rosemary Hayes

Rosemary Hayes has written over fifty books for children and young adults. She writes  in different genres, from edgy teenage fiction (The Mark), historical fiction (The Blue Eyed Aborigine and Forgotten Footprints), middle grade fantasy (Loose Connections, The Stonekeeper’s Child and Break Out) to chapter books for early readers and texts for picture books. Many of her books have won or been shortlisted for awards and several have been translated into different languages.

Rosemary has travelled widely but now lives in South Cambridgeshire. She has a background in publishing, having worked for Cambridge University Press before setting up her own company Anglia Young Books which she ran for some years. She has been a reader for a well known authors’ advisory service and runs creative writing workshops for both children and adults.

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The Women in the Shadows by Harriet Fox

 

Step into the dark, gaslit streets of 1888 London with The Women in the Shadows. When the police fail to catch a killer, three extraordinary women take matters into their own hands—uncovering secrets, defying expectations, and risking everything to bring justice to a city that refuses to listen.

✔️ 1888 London setting – dark, atmospheric, and dangerous
✔️ A Jack the Ripper-inspired mystery
✔️ Strong female leads challenging a male-dominated world

✔️ A gripping alliance to hunt a killer

✔️ Twists through London’s underworld – slums, brothels, and parlours

✔️ A story of courage, justice, and defiance

Check out the blurb:

London, 1888. 

A monster prowls the gaslit streets, and the police are looking in all the wrong places, at all the wrong suspects. But three women refuse to stay silent.

Emma, the chief detective’s sharp-witted wife, sees the investigation failing. Maggie, a private investigator, exposes men’s darkest secrets. Bet, a police station cleaner, overhears what others ignore.

Together, they form an alliance to hunt down the killer dubbed Jack the Ripper. But as the women weave through the slums, brothels, and smoke-filled parlours of London’s underworld, they uncover corruption more sinister than they ever imagined.

The city belonged to men – until now.

Start your reading adventure today… 

Grab your copy HERE and step into the shadows of Victorian London.

Harriet Fox is a writer and journalist. She writes dark and twisty crime novels bringing women's stories out of the shadows of history. Harriet is obsessed with crime fiction, horror films and ghost stories as well as history podcasts and cryptic crosswords. 

She also writes historical fiction as Kerry Barrett.

The Twisted Road by A. B. Michaels

 

Today, in the spotlight is A. B. Michaels' fabulous novel, The Twisted Road

As the city rebuilds itself after disaster, tensions simmer beneath the surface, and one man’s determination to do what is right may cost him everything…

✔️ A richly atmospheric historical mystery

✔️ Set in post-earthquake San Francisco, 1907

✔️ A principled English barrister navigating a hostile new city

✔️ Murder, labour unrest, and a justice system under pressure

✔️ Perfect for readers who enjoy history with intrigue and heart

Check out the blurb:

Jonathan Perris Can't Save His Clients

1907

Rising from the devastation of a massive earthquake and fire, San Francisco is once again on the move. But a strike by streetcar drivers threatens to halt the Golden City in its tracks. Protests turn to violence and violence leads to death. Soon a young guard is convicted of willfully killing a protester and the public is out for blood.

Jonathan Perris, an immigrant attorney from England, has opened a law firm with an eye toward righting wrongs, and the guard's conviction may fall into that category. But the talented barrister soon finds his newfound career shaken by a tragic event: the gruesome murder of the beautiful and mysterious Lena Mendelssohn-a woman he's been squiring around town. It's difficult to run a law firm when you've been arrested for murder.

Praise

Pick up your copy HERE and be among the first to step into the world of The Twisted Road.

#Kindle edition available for a limited time at 0.99.

A native of California, A.B. Michaels holds masters’ degrees in history (UCLA) and broadcasting (San Francisco State University). After working for many years as a promotional writer and editor, she turned to writing fiction, which is the hardest thing she's ever done besides raising two boys. She lives with her husband and two spoiled dogs in Boise, Idaho, where she is often distracted by playing darts and bocce, learning pinochle, and trying to hit a golf ball more than fifty yards. Reading and travel figure into the mix, leading her to hope that sometime soon, someone invents a 25+ hour day. Her historical fiction series, “The Golden City,” explores America’s Gilded Age and its effect on characters, both actual and fictional, while her contemporary series, “Sinner’s Grove,” follows descendants of The Golden City as they navigate today’s equally treacherous waters. She is currently expanding both series.

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