Historical Fictionistas discussion

It's time to select a book to read for our October 2023 Group Read.

In honor of Al Capone being found guilty of various federal offenses in October of 1931. Our theme for October is going to be Bad Guys/Girls. Any books nominated for the October group read have to be historical fiction that features a "bad guy/girl" as the main character. Debatable historical figures may be subject to moderator approval.

NO SELF NOMINATIONS - Any member who self nominates a book will have their nomination deleted and they will be removed from the group.
ALL NOMINATION POSTS MUST INCLUDE - 1.) BOOK TITLE 2.) AUTHOR 3.)A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF HOW IT FITS THE THEM (In this case list the main character who is the bad guy.)
ALL MEMBERS GET ONE NOMINATION AND ONE SECOND - Please make sure you are clearly marking if your post is a nomination post or a second post. Busy threads get difficult for mods to keep track of.
For the full nomination process and procedure breakdown, please see the rules thread - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

We have read so many books as a group. Please make sure you are double checking the read shelf before nominating a book - https://www.goodreads.com/group/books...

As this thread has a potential for some debate among members, mods would like to remind everyone to keep it civil. Discussion about any mentioned historical figures should be kept to the appropriate threads.

This thread will remain open until Friday.

I am nominating The Blood Countess by Andrei Codrescu.

It features Elizabeth Bathory as a main character.

Not certain you would regard this as qualifying for the theme, but I’d like to nominate Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris.

It’s about two of the men involved in the execution of British King Charles I—Edward Whalley and William Goffe—fleeing across the American continent, pursued by Richard Nayler. Were they villains? Not perhaps at the time King Charles was executed and Oliver Cromwell took power, but after King Charles II took the throne, they were regarded as such. I like the ambiguities inherent in the question.

I'd like to nominate Alias Grace

Margaret Atwood is most well-known for her dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, but she also penned a historical novel about a young woman in Canada convicted in the 1840s of killing her employer and his housekeeper. Alias Grace follows Grace Marks in prison where she is seen by a fictional psychologist hired to determine whether Grace’s life sentence should be commuted. Atwood is known for her exquisite prose and Alias Grace doesn’t disappoint.

I nominate The Poison Keeper by Deborah Swift.

It is a book about Giulia Tofana, a female Italian professional assassin of the 1600, the daughter of Thofania d'Adamo. She is said to have killed over 600 men with the use of a poison... A recipe of her mother's over a course of 50 years without being caught.

Laurel wrote: "Did you mean Charles I? James I wasn't executed."

Yes, sorry, I meant Charles. I always get Charles and James confused. Will edit my post.

I second The Blood Countess by Andre Codrescu.

I second Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris.

I second Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris

Abigail wrote: "Not certain you would regard this as qualifying for the theme, but I’d like to nominate Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris.

It’s about two of the men involved in the execution of Br..."

Having read this book earlier this year, I'm going to say it meets the bad guy criteria.

Thanks, Gretchen!

I second The Blood Countess.

Act of Oblivion

The Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett - Henry Faber is a German spy living in London during World War Two. Ruthless, resourceful, and charming all the qualities necessary to be evil and effective.

Alias grace

Nominating Mademoiselle Revolution by Zoe Sivak - our main character, Sylvie, escapes the Haitian Revolution only to arrive in Paris and fall in with Maximilien Robespierre during the French Revolution (and, eventually, his Reign of Terror).

I second The Poison Keeper.

I second Mademoiselle Revolution by Zoe Sivak

Laura wrote: "I nominate The Poison Keeper by Deborah Swift.

It is a book about Giulia Tofana, a female Italian professional assassin of the 1600, the daughter of Thofania d'Adamo. She is said to have killed o..."

I will second The Poison Keeper

I second Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett

I nominate True History of the Kelly Gang

“In True History of the Kelly Gang, the legendary Ned Kelly speaks for himself, scribbling his narrative on errant scraps of paper in semiliterate but magically descriptive prose as he flees from the police. To his pursuers, Kelly is nothing but a monstrous criminal, a thief and a murderer. To his own people, the lowly class of ordinary Australians, the bushranger is a hero, defying the authority of the English to direct their lives.”

I would like to nominate The Pirate Queen: The Story of Grace O'Malley, Irish Pirate by Alan Gold . The title says it all :-)

I would like to nominate Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood.

I second the Blood Countess

I second The Blood Countess. Though gore isn’t usually my thing, the twist of the author having to come to grips with his family history makes for a fascinating read!

I'm nominating Empress by Shan Sa

The bad girl: Empress Wu Zetian. This novel presents the life of Empress Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history. It explores her ascent to power, her tactics, and the ruthless decisions she makes to maintain her rule.

André Felipe wrote: "I'm nominating Empress by Shan Sa

The bad girl: Empress Wu Zetian. This novel presents the life of Empress Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history. It ex..."

I second Empress, I've been meaning to read this one for a while.