We’re clearly getting closer to spooky season by the day, because the amount of horror infiltrating new historical fiction releases keeps increasing exponentially. Last month, there were no historical horror books. For September, half of the featured books have a horror tilt. At this rate, there will be nothing but historical horror by October. I may be exaggerating a little here, but it’s true that this kind of increase in horror across all genres is usually the trend this time of year.
But even if historical horror isn’t your preferred reading genre, the other new historical fiction books coming out feature all the intrigue, spies, and stories based on real life you could want on offer. That leaves a little something for everybody.
The Eye of Goliath by Diego Muzzio, translated by Rahul Bery (September 1, 2026)
In this reimagining of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde set in 1920s Scotland, a psychiatrist who takes on the patients no one else will treat finally meets his match. When David Bradley is brought to Dr. Edward Pierce in the hopes that his experimental therapies will be able to cure the man’s strange symptoms—he is unable to stop swimming, whether in water or on land. The man’s diary of his experiences as an engineer sent to examine an Argentinian lighthouse sheds some light on what led to his current situation. But the deeper Dr. Pierce digs to find a possible cure, the more disturbing his scientific experimentation becomes.
The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies by Kate Westbury (September 1, 2026)
In 1950s England, Gin and Sidney have little in common aside from studying at Oxford University and their hopes of forging a new beginning. But the British Security Service has other plans. They believe there’s a Soviet spy in their midst, and they want to bring together Sidney’s espionage experience from the war with Gin’s debutante charm. Now, they’ll have to follow the trail of clues toward the informant before they’re either discovered or the sparks between them jeopardize the entire mission.
All access members continue below for more of the best historical fiction out in September.
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