©Kristee Mays
Books by Ariel Lawhon
Ariel Lawhon is a critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction. Her books have been translated into numerous languages and have been Good Morning America Book Club, Library Reads, One Book One County, Indie Next, Costco, Amazon Spotlight, and Book of the Month Club selections. She lives outside Nashville, Tennessee.
“The Frozen River is one of two books on the 2026 shortlist that also fall into the historical fiction category. The main character of The Frozen River is based on a real-life midwife, Martha Ballard, who lived in the 18th century along the Kennebec River in what is now Maine. What’s unusual about her is that she kept a diary, so we know many details about her daily life in a frontier town, including her appearance as a witness in a rape trial. Lawhon reimagines her life and thoughts, and adds a bit of mystery – who killed the person found dead under the frozen river.” Read more...
The Best Crime Fiction: The 2026 Gold Dagger Shortlist
Sophie Roell, Journalist
Interviews with Ariel Lawhon
The Best Historical Fiction Set in the 18th Century, recommended by Ariel Lawhon
It was the century of the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolution. In the Scottish Highlands, there were multiple rebellions in favour of the deposed Stuart dynasty. Ariel Lawhon, author of The Frozen River, recommends five of her favorite novels set in the 18th century, a tumultuous era that doesn’t always get the shelf space it deserves when it comes to historical fiction.
Interviews where books by Ariel Lawhon were recommended
The Best Crime Fiction: The 2026 Gold Dagger Shortlist, recommended by Sophie Roell
If you enjoy crime fiction, there can be a bewildering array of books to choose from. Fortunately, the UK has the Dagger Awards, awarded by the Crime Writers’ Association to standout books in the genre. The ‘Gold Dagger’ is given for the best crime novel by an author of any nationality, originally written in English and first published in the UK. Five Books editor Sophie Roell runs us through the six books that made this year’s shortlist.
