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For my money any lover of the historical novel can't go wrong with Jeff Shaara. He picked-up over ten years ago by finishing the Civil War Trilogy that his Dad, Mike, began with "The Killer Angels."
Since then he has written about a dozen or more historical novels, on subjects ranging from the Civil War to the Revolutionary War to WWII. I believe he has a WWII Trilogy (or quartet) which covers all aspects of the global conflict, from Europe to the Pacific.
He really brings history alive, I think. His books read like thriller or action novels, but are painstakingly-researched and I believe are very historically accurate. I have never heard of any of his works being disparaged for inaccuracies from other historians.
Shaara has a habit of showing you the particular war from all sides. That is, he will, say, for WWII have chapters on Stalin and Ike and Patton, but then will also have at least one "common soldier" in the mix; like a private storming the beach at Normandy in the D-Day Invasion.
Let's not forget Ken Follet's many excellent historical novels like Pillars of the Earth to his most recent, the Century trilogy. I just finished the third book in the series which brought the story and the families to present time from the beginning of World War 1 in the first book. Excellent writing.
Also, Wilbur Smith ranks high on my list for enjoyable historical fiction with his many books set in Africa from the time of the Pharaohs in the River God series to the Siege of Khartoum in The Triumph of the Sun
Though the OP narrowed the field to mystery, many of the other posters have included works that are not mysteries. I love historical fiction and am surprised that two of my favorites have not been mentioned by anyone:
R. F. Delderfield - Many of his works deal with soldiers returning home from the Edwardian era to the 1960's. I loved the Swann saga and his other works. Some of his works were adapted as British TV series.
Susan Howatch - I feel in love with Cashelmara and Penmarric and read her Wheel of Fortune series. Several years ago, I tried her Starbridge series. I was hesitant due to the religious nature (Church of England), but I am glad that I read them. The wiki says:
Quote:
the main protagonist of each book also appears in the other books, allowing the author to present the same incidents from different viewpoints.
I truly enjoyed reading the differing viewpoints and feel her works are very well done.
A new mystery/historical fiction series caught my attention recently. It is set in San Francisco, and is of the "Victorian Mystery" category. The author is M. Louisa Locke, and the first book in the series was Maids of Misfortune. Locke is an indie author, and apparently her stories are doing really well. She is a historian, and you've got the perfect mix of a good storyteller plus a trained researcher. I think vol.4 is out now. You can buy the books in print on Amazon, or on Kindle, but they aren't available in bookstores.
Sharon Kay Penman has written a number of excellent works set in medieval Britain.
The Sunne In Splendour is the story of Richard III, a sprawling 944-page epic. It was her first book, written in the early 1980s. When she completed it, the manuscript - her only copy - disappeared when her car was stolen. She rewrote it.
Her first trilogy consists of Here Be Dragons, about the shifting relationship between the Welsh Prince Llewelyn the Great and King John, Falls The Shadow is about King Henry III (John's successor) and the rebellion led by Simon de Montfort, and the concluding The Reckoning is about the final years of struggle between the Welsh princes and the English crown before the Conquest of Wales.
Her five-book Plantagenet series begins during the Anarchy, follows the reign of King Henry II, and concludes during the reign of Richard the Lionheart. Though I have not read it, I have no reason to think it is not as good as the previously mentioned books. The author is meticulous in detail, and concludes her books by pointing out the facts she changed from known history for the sake of the narrative.
Highly recommended.
I would also suggest checking out some of Edward Rutherford's fiction. He writes long series of stories spanning thousands of years, all set in one place. For example, Sarum is set outside what is now the city of Salisbury and begins when the glaciers were receding over ten thousand years ago and proceeds through the building of nearby Stonehenge, the Roman Conquest, the Norman Conquest, the Black Death, the Reformation, the 20th Century (and many eras I do not mention here), with all these tales connected in a certain way. He has written in similar ways about London, the New Forest, Dublin, Moscow, New York, and other places.
I really liked her Ride The Wind, about Cynthia Ann Parker, Quanah Parker, and the Comanche Indians, and The Tokaido Road, about feudal Japan. She has several other historical fiction books.
Funny, sad, heart-breaking coming-of-age story set during the seige of Leningrad by the Germans.
And yes, David Benioff is one of the co-creators and writers of HBO's Game of Thrones. <3
This is one of my favorite books ever.
I also agree that anything by Geraldine Brooks is worthwhile. March is also one of my favorite books ever, and Caleb's Crossing is good (it's short).
Has anyone else enjoyed the First North American series written by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear? I love how many of the books have prologues of archaeological sites and then the book is based on what might have happened during the times and lives of those who used the items found.
Good recounting of the fight at Chancellorsville, and the events directly preceding it.. Stonewall Jackson is mentioned by name in it's subtitle, but he's not really featured any more prominently than all the other generals present..
My opinion, the book's strength is the way Peters imagines their slice of life thinking & manner of speaking.. it's weakness, it's kinda long & monotonous. All things considered, a cool read w/nice cover art & some helpful, chronological maps.
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