Here are 16 great genealogy-themed fiction books for your reading pleasure! The list includes a couple of genealogy mysteries as well.

Some of these family history novels are part of a series. In those cases, I’ve often linked to the first book to give you a place to start.

1) Genealogy by Mae Wood

Inspired by actual, 100-year-old love letters. Ali finds a box of love letters written to her great-grandmother by a man who wasn’t her great-grandfather. She soon sets out to find the letter writer and his descendants.

2) The Difference by C. D’Angelo

Rachel Granza is on a genealogy mission to discover childhood information about her grandfather, who hid his Italian immigrant past. What she discovers helps her to heal in more ways than one.

3) A Hundred Sweet Promises by Sepehr Haddad

Another award-winning family history novel, A Hundred Sweet Promises is based on a family secret revealed to the author by his grandmother. The story weaves the tale of the author’s grandfather, a famed Russian composer, on the eve of World War I.

4) Hiding the Past by Nathan Dylan Goodwin

This is the first book in the popular genealogical mysteries series, The Forensic Genealogist. The story follows forensic genealogist Morton Farrier on his toughest assignment to help a client discover his past.

5) The Foundling by Ann Leary

The Foundling is the story of two friends raised in the same orphanage and who share a childhood secret. Later, that friendship is tested when they meet later in life at an asylum for women, where one is an employee, but the other is an inmate. A true story about the author’s grandmother inspired this genealogy novel.

6) Honey Suckle Season by Mary Ellen Taylor

Libby, recovering from the end of her marriage and several miscarriages, begins a new life as a photographer. She’s soon hired by the owner of a historic estate to photograph its restoration. During the project, she discovers a letter in her father’s office that changes everything she knows about her parents, herself, and the estate.

7) The Lost Quilter: An Elk Creek Quilts Novel by Jennifer Chiaverini

Master Quilter Sylvia Bergstrom Compson treasures an antique quilt made by Joanna, a fugitive slave who traveled by the Underground Railroad to Elm Creek Farm. When returned by slave catchers, Joanna entrusts her son to the Bergstrom family, who raise him as their own, his true identity dying with them. Using diaries and Joanna’s quilt, Sylvia connects Joanna to present-day Elm Creek Manor.

8) The Storyteller's Secret by Sejal Badani

A Washington Post and USA Today bestseller, The Storyteller’s Secret takes Jaya to India to uncover her family’s past after a series of personal tragedies. There, she learns of the resilience, struggles, and secret love of her grandmother during the British occupation.

9) The Chester Creek Murders by Nathan Dylan Goodwin

Another popular series by Nathan Dylan Goodwin, this book follows Detective Clayton Tyler as he attempts to solve a cold case from the 1980s. Working with a genetic genealogy investigative team, the detective tries to bring the serial killer to justice.

10) The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate

This NYT bestseller uses real “Lost Friends” ads from Southern newspapers as its inspiration. The Book of Lost Friends shares the story of three newly freed slaves searching for lost family members, and a modern-day teacher who discovers their tale.

11) The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley

The first book in a series, The Seven Sisters tells of Maia and her five sisters learning of their father’s death. The sisters – all adopted as babies – are each given a clue about her true identity. Following that clue, Maia sets out on a journey to Rio de Janeiro, where she begins to learn about her family history.

12) A Spanish Sunrise by Boo Walker

A widowed father receives surprising DNA test results and travels with his daughter to Spain to connect to their roots. There, they find family – and family secrets – they never knew existed.

13) The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis

What could be better than a genealogy fiction book set in a library? In this NYT bestseller, a grandmother and granddaughter are both connected to the New York Public Library – and to a series of rare book thefts 80 years apart. Granddaughter Sadie’s investigation leads her to some “unwelcome truths about her family heritage. . .that shed new light on the biggest tragedy in the library's history”.

14) Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Gilead won not only the Pulitzer Prize but also the National Book Critics Circle for its depictions of the bonds between fathers and sons. In 1956, Reverend John Ames begins to record his family history for his young son. He tells his son of the rift between his father and grandfather, as well as his strained relationship with his best friend’s son, named after him.

15) The Island by Victoria Hislop

Alexis travels to her mother’s childhood home on the Greek island of Crete, hoping to learn more about her mom’s past, which she refuses to talk about. Before leaving, her mother gives her a letter to take to her friend, Fotini, and tells her she’ll learn more when she gets there. Through Fotini, she learns the story of her great-grandmother Eleni and her daughters, her family’s connections to the island, and long-buried family secrets.

16) The Blood Detective by Dan Waddell

The police bring in genealogist Nigel Barnes to help them solve the murder of a young man, where the killer has left a single clue. Nigel’s research takes him back over 100 years to a Victorian serial killer. Another body is soon found, and Nigel must work to stop a modern-day serial killer by exploring secret family histories.

Which one do you want to read first?