Merry old England in historical fiction

If you went into a bookstore and examined their historical fiction offerings, it'd be a safe bet that over half the books would be set in Great Britain. The country seems to hold an irresistable fascination for writers, whether it's the rowdy world of the Restoration, the alternately repressed and sordid Victorian period or even the exaggeratedly romantic image of a kilted Scotsman striding across the moors. Here are three novels, each set in a different century of British history, that all offer a riveting, unique version of history.

"Wolf Hall" (2009) by Hilary Mantel: Yes, it was a stage play and a BBC mini-series and will probably soon get some deserving British actor an Oscar for the inevitable movie version. Yes, it won the Man Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award and was heaped with praise from every corner. But this book is actually worth every bit of its acclaim. "Wolf Hall" is a very modern novel embedded in a vividly portrayed historical setting with political maneuverings that ring as true as any political struggle today. Its characters, especially Thomas Cromwell, the butcher's son and consummate politician who rises to become Henry VIII's most trusted adviser, feel like real people first and historical figures second. This book is truly one of the most readable pieces of literary historical fiction I've encountered and a wonderful introduction to the genre.

"Viper Wine" (2014) by Hermione Eyre explores the life of one of the notable women of English history: Venetia, Lady Digby, a famous beauty of the Stuart period and the talk of the town until her mysterious death at the age of 32.Venetia was painted by Van Dyck, serenaded by Ben Jonson and may have been killed by her own desperate need to restore her beauty. With "Viper Wine," Eyre flips effortlessly between past and present and crafts a stunning blend of historical fiction and fantasy as Sir Kenelm Digby, Venetia's husband, time travels. Everything from British tabloidsto Andy Warhol make cameo appearances. It's a critique of society's impossible beauty standards, drawing a direct line between the lead-ravaged faces of the women in Charles I's court and the over-Botoxed, starved women of today. "Viper Wine" is an eerily visceral tale of a scheming apothecary. A surprisingly romantic story, it's a portrait of a society close to tipping over the edge into civil war and it's chaotic in the best way possible.

Finally, "Fingersmith" (2002) by Sarah Waters offers a Dickensian tale of cons and double-crosses, seasoned with a dash of the Gothic and a love story between two women. Sue Trinder, a petty thief from the slums of London, is enlisted to act as a maid to heiress Maud Lilly and aid Gentleman in his plan to seduce her. She slowly comes to care for Maud Lilly instead. It's a marvelously atmospheric novel, written in a period style that manages to be both authentic and engaging. The book is packed with twists and turns that even experienced readers won't see coming. The romance is touching and emotional, the characters deliciously complex and the book quite unlike any other historical fiction novel out there.