December 2025 Historical Fiction Releases You’ll Love: Cozy Reads, Mysteries, and Holiday Favorites
There’s something about December that invites us to slow down — to cozy up with a cup of tea, a soft blanket, and a story that warms from the inside out. While the year winds to a close, it’s also a wonderful time to discover new reads that remind us why we love historical fiction in the first place: its ability to transport us across eras, uncover forgotten voices, and connect us through shared emotion.
This month’s historical fiction releases may be few, but they are mighty. From the rebellious heartbeat of 1970s New York to the glittering salons of the French Riviera, and from Gilded Age intrigue to Christmas castles draped in mystery, December brings a lineup of books that are as atmospheric as they are unforgettable.
In this post — and in this week’s Author Notes episode — I’m sharing my top picks for December historical fiction releases. You’ll find stories of resilience, reinvention, and the quiet kind of courage that defines the women who shape them.
So settle in, grab that blanket (and maybe a gingerbread cookie or two), and let’s explore the stories waiting to carry you through the season.
1. The CBGB Conspiracy by Gabriel Rotello
Release Date: December 1, 2025
It's New York's hellacious summer of '77. Rampant crime, a city-wide blackout and the Son of Sam murders have knocked Gotham on its ass. When Lucien Lowe, a young poet on the downtown scene, is found dead in his East Village tenement with a heroin needle in his arm, overworked cops rule it an accidental overdose. But Ike's wealthy girlfriend Julie Baroda suspects murder and urges Ike's best friend, the artist and punk rock fashion designer Finn Burdon, to investigate.
Despite Finn's own issues with heroin, he shows an uncanny talent for detective work. As Julie, Finn and police detective Benny Cherin dig deeper, their investigation ultimately encompasses some of the most famous names of 1970s New York, including William S. Burroughs, Jean-Michel Basquiat, CBGB owner Hilly Kristal, Allen Ginsberg, Lou Reed, Truman Capote, Roy Cohn, Fat Tony Salerno, Holly Woodlawn, Steve Rubell, Andrew Crispo, Bella Abzug, Leonard Cohen and many others. In the process, they begin to glimpse the outlines of a violent plot to sabotage the opening night of Hilly Kristal's highly anticipated new venue, The CBGB 2nd Avenue Theater, when Patti Smith is playing and it's packed with thousands.
Set during the glory days of New York's downtown music, art, literary and fashion scenes, The CBGB Conspiracy mixes fiction with a host of real events and historical figures. Behind them all looms a character just as visceral and ultimately doomed: the crumbling New York of 1977.
2. My Fair Frauds by Lee Kelly & Jennifer Thorne
Release Date: December 2, 2025
A high society fraud and a scrappy swindler team up to take down Gilded Age New York in this tale of intrigue, drama, and female friendship.
The Grand Duchess Marie Charlotte Antonie of Würrtemberg--a turmoil-plagued Germanic nation with closely guarded emerald mines--has taken Gilded Age high society by storm. Little does the upper crust know that Würrtemberg's mines are a sham and its "deposed duchess" is actually a con woman named Alice, a fallen woman out for revenge against the five ruthless robber barons who destroyed her father and left her family in shambles.
Alice's long investment con finally clicks into place when she meets a scrappy magician's assistant named Cora, a drifter who has lofty aspirations of her own, a malleable young lady who proves the perfect debutante pawn to lure in Alice's final, and otherwise unattainable, target.
With the help of insider and society maestro Ward McAllister, among others, Alice and Cora launch into the social season of 1884, scheming their way through grand balls, private dinners, and opera nights, ensnaring Alice's targets one by one. But as they hurtle toward their ultimate swindle, a sprawling orchestrated scheme at their fabricated embassy to rob their targets blind, pressures close in from all sides. Mutiny within the ranks, hidden moles, crises of conscience . . .
This sting is sure to be the event of the season. Or else ruin Alice and Cora both.
3. The Riviera Secret by Sarah Steele
Release Date: December 4, 2025
The captivating new novel from USA Today bestselling author Sarah Steele is a spellbinding book club read set in the glittering French Riviera, sweeping from the Roaring Twenties through to the dangerous days leading up to the outbreak of war.
Nestled into the pine-dusted coastline of the Cap d'Antibes is the dazzling white Château Violette. When British diplomat Lord Sinclair Castlemere, his young Jewish wife Daisy and their four-year-old son move into the château in the summer of 1938, their home becomes a beacon for the glamorous expat set - rife with gossip about the Windsors, and everyone in denial about the grumblings across the border in Italy and northern Europe.
But as Germany tightens its grip on Europe, Daisy discovers the château holds a dark past that could threaten her future. While she unravels the tragic secrets of the previous mistresses of Château Violette, war begins to rage across the continent, and soon, no one is safe - least of all Daisy...
4. Murder in Manhattan by Julie Mulhern
Release Date: December 9, 2025
Inspired by one of the first real-life female columnists at the New Yorker, this enticing historical mystery follows Freddie Archer as she solves crimes while reporting on the glamorous world of the rich and famous in 1920s Manhattan.
This writer just found her next scoop . . . and it’s deadly.
New York, 1925 - Freddie Archer frequents speakeasies and wild parties with her friends Dorothy Parker and Tallulah Bankhead. And the best part is that it’s all in a day’s work. Freddie loves her job writing the nightlife column for Gotham Magazine.
But Freddie’s latest piece just won her a bit more attention than she bargained for—from the police. A man mentioned in her column has been murdered. And Freddie is asked to keep an eye out for his fashionable female dinner companion. She’s told in no uncertain terms to stay out of the case herself.
5. Death in a Red Suit by CM Rawlins
Release Date: December 25, 2025
When Father Christmas falls, secrets start to rise!
It’s Christmas at Strathfulton Castle, and the halls are decked with holly, laughter, and more than a few secrets. Countess Maeve Morgan—former police sergeant and reluctant aristocrat—has her hands full with party plans, snowdrifts, and a castle full of eccentric guests. But when Father Christmas himself turns up dead beside the mince pies, the season of goodwill takes a chilling turn.
With the local constabulary more interested in their sherry than their suspects, Maeve must once again step into the role of sleuth. From Lancashire’s coal-stained past to a snowbound Scottish manor, she and her spirited household unravel a tangle of greed, deception, and holiday intrigue.
But as Christmas Day draws near and the snow deepens around Strathfulton Castle, Maeve realizes that if she doesn’t catch the killer soon, there’ll be no peace on earth—only a deadly Christmas none of them will ever forget.
A crumbling estate, a reluctant detective, and murders that turn high society upside down—The Maeve Morgan Cozy Murder Mysteries is a spinoff of the bestselling Lady Darriby-Jones Mystery series that promises intrigue, laughter, and plenty of twists!
Now, I can’t wrap up a December list without mentioning a book that holds a very special place in my heart. Last Christmas in Paris first came out in 2017, but it remains one of my favorite holiday reads — and I’ve read it three times, which says a lot because I am not a re-reader!
Told through letters between Evie and Thomas during World War I, it’s tender, emotional, and beautifully written. It’s a story about love, resilience, and hope — everything the holiday season should remind us of.
If you’ve never read it, this December is the perfect time to curl up with it. Trust me, it’s pure comfort reading.
Whether you’re drawn to mysteries set against snow-covered manors, glamorous tales of deception, or sweeping wartime love stories, December’s historical fiction lineup has something special for every reader.
Until next time — happy reading, and happy holidays.