truth or fiction?

That's a trick question, it's both!

Who doesn't love a good historical mystery? Unsolved cases, theories on top of theories, and unreliable narrators abound in the genre--especially when it comes to historical fiction based on actual mysteries from the past. These fictional takes on real stories are exactly the sort of high-stakes, unputdownable reading perfect for summer.

The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex

This novel is inspired by a mystery from 1900 in which three lighthouse keepers at Eilean Mor disappeared, leaving behind only a series of mysterious clues: the door locked from the inside, a stopped clock, and a strange series of final entries about a terrifying storm. It's a tense, atmospheric read.

The Red Palace by June Hur

Not so much based on a mystery as a mysterious figure from Korean history, this book follows a young nurse working in the royal palace when a string of murders seem to implicate the dangerous Crown Prince. Hur wrote an incredibly interesting newsletter going into the background of Crown Prince Jangheon.

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Grace Marks was convicted for her involvement in the murder of her employer and his housekeeper in the nineteenth century. But did she really do it? Some believe she's guilty and rightfully imprisoned. Others say she's an innocent victim. Whatever might be true, a group of reformers looking to see Grace pardoned call in an expert in the burgeoning field of mental illness in Alias Grace to examine her and plead her case.

See What I have Done by Sarah Schmidt

This novel imagines the 1892 Borden axe murders from four different perspectives, including that of the real-life primary suspect, Lizzie Borden; her older sister, Emma; their housemaid, Bridget; and a stranger named Benjamin. Although Lizzie was acquitted in real life, the story of these gruesome murders has remained a much-speculated piece of American lore.

The Girls by Emma Cline

If you’ve ever even heard the name Manson, it shouldn’t take much for you to figure out what this one’s based on: it’s summer in the late 1960s, and 14-year-old Evie becomes infatuated with Suzanne, an enigmatic personality she encounters in a Los Angeles park. Soon, she follows Suzanne into a cult, whose sprawling but run-down ranch is hidden in the hills. Edie must decide if she’s willing to go through with what the cult and their charismatic leader ask of her.

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James

In December of 1976, just before the Jamaican general election and two days before Bob Marley’s scheduled performance at the Smile Jamaica Concert to ease political tensions, seven gunmen stormed the singer’s house in an attack that wounded Marley, his wife, manager, and several others. This Booker prize–winning novel explores this tumultuous period in Jamaica’s history and the rumors about the unnamed would-be-assassins’ fates.

The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani

In 2012, Yoselyn Ortega allegedly murdered two children under her care in New York City. It’s that gruesome real-life tale that inspired Ortega to write this award-winning best seller, in which the setting is moved to Paris, and focus is directed to the relationship between the grieving mother and the “perfect nanny” she trusted with her young children.

The Good People by Hannah Kent

In mid–19th century Ireland a woman called Anne Roche was tried for the murder of Michael Leahy, a young boy. Roche claimed that Leahy was a changeling and was eventually acquitted.

Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart

Constance Kopp was one of the first women to become a deputy sheriff in the USA. After becoming the victim of a crime herself Constance joined forces with her sisters to bring the perpetrator to justice, and ended up with a job on the New Jersey police force.

Arthur and George by Julian Barnes

1903 was the year of the ‘Great Wyrley Outrages’, when a number of cows, horses and sheep were “slashed”. Suspicion feel on George Edalji, a local man of Parsi-heritage who did three years hard labour for the crime before he was proved innocent by Arthur Conan Doyle. Yes, the Sherlock Holmes guy.

Red Joan by Jennie Rooney

For most of her life, Melita Norwood got away with treason. The British civil servant provided Russian intelligence with private information before retiring and going into hiding. But in 1999, at age 87, Norwood (alias: Red Joan) was found. A film adaptation based the novel has Judi Dench and Sophie Cookson playing the titular Red Joan through different eras of her life.

My Sister, My Love by Joyce Carol Oates

The mystery of what happened to JonBenet Ramsey has endured, largely because of its sensationalistic aspects, but also because it's been a cold case for several decades now. In 2008, the prolific Joyce Carol Oates utilized details of the unthinkable crime as plot points this novel.