Twelve historical mysteries that make the past feel dangerously alive

Oprah Daily tagged historical fiction titles that "use mystery not merely to decorate history, but to interrogate it, asking whose secrets were protected, whose stories were suppressed, and what the past can reveal when someone finally starts asking the right questions." One novel on the list:

Hall of Mirrors, by John Copenhaver

The “Lavender Scare” of the 1950s, during which gay men and women were targeted by J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI as un-American, led to countless tragedies, lost jobs, lost loved ones, and lost lives. Copenhaver employs the noir atmosphere of the time to great effect in his second installment in his Nightingale and Watson series. Lovers Philippa and Judy struggle to find out who set the fire that killed their friend Roger, while also struggling to keep their relationship strong and loving in the face of government and societal threats, including the danger Philippa’s Black family faces due to her ability to pass as white.
—Bethanne Patrick

Read about the other historical mysteries on the list.

-Marshal Zeringue