One of the breakout best-sellers of the year has been Lisa Barr's Woman on Fire. Readers have thrilled to the adventures of journalist Jules Roth as she becomes embroiled in an international scandal involving an art masterwork that Nazis looted. If Woman on Fire is also one of your favorite recent books, here are ten more titles you will like.
Barr has established herself as a premier historical fiction author. One of the best books in that genre in recent memory is Markus Zusak's The Book Thief. The story concerns life in a small town outside of Munich under Nazi rule. It's a dark setting, to be sure, but ultimately The Book Thief is a love letter to books
and the resilience of the human spirit. Read here.
Lisa Barr first came to international attention with her 2014 debut novel, Fugitive Colors. If you loved Woman on Fire but missed Barr's first book, you're in for a treat. Fugitive Colors concerns spies and art in a Nazi Germany setting. Julian, a young American artist, leaves his conservative upbringing behind for the
glamour of 1930s Paris. Against the backdrop of Hitler's rise to power, the plot thickens with espionage, intrigue, betrayal, and a passion for the arts. Like Barr's recent hit, you'll be hooked from the first page. Read here.
Several authors have used World War II as a backdrop for grand and sweeping epics, but few are as fascinating as Leila Meacham's Dragonfly. Meacham's gift for wonderfully detailed character development makes Dragonfly stand out from the pack. At the height of the war, a group of young Americans receives
mysterious letters calling on them to serve their country in a secret group code-named Dragonfly. A cat-and-mouse spy story like no other, Dragonfly is both an epic saga and a quick read. Read here.
Woman on Fire is one of many books highlighting Nazi plundering and looting of precious artworks. The Lover's Portrait is one of the better thrillers of recent times to explore this milieu. In the present day, American art history student Zelda Richardson discovers clues to the whereabouts of an art collection
stashed away in 1942. Zelda soon finds she's not only the one on the hunt for these lost works, setting off an intriguing thrill ride. Read here.
World War II historical fiction doesn't get much more gripping than Kate Quinn's The Huntress. The eponymous character is a Nazi war criminal who has escaped justice by fleeing to America. A reporter who chronicled the war through the Nuremberg Trials teams up with the rare victim of The Huntress who
survived to track her down. An immersive story full of action and romance, The Huntress will appeal to readers who love Woman on Fire's international intrigue. Read here.
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Readers who fell in love with Woman on Fire protagonist Jules will want to get to know Katharina Edgeworth, the title character in A Woman of Intelligence. In post-war New York City, Karin Tanabe's novel is full of rich characters and a vivid atmosphere from a different time in America. Unsatisfied by domestic life,
Katharina is happy to oblige when the FBI reaches out to her for help. That is until a man from her past re-enters her life and is revealed to be a Soviet spy. A Woman of Intelligence is both a spy thriller and an incisive look at mid-century America. Read here.
Moving the setting to 1963, A Most Clever Girl is author Stephanie Marie Thornton's take on a young American woman being thrown into the world of espionage. What sets this thriller apart is that it's based on a true story. Elizabeth Bentley was a Cold War double agent for the United States and the Soviet
Union. Set partly in flashback to Bentley's spy origins during World War II and partly in the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination, A Most Clever Girl is a gut-wrenching story of love and loyalty. Read here.
Also based on true stories of women recruited for World War II espionage, Sisters of Night and Fog is the latest novel from bestselling author Erika Robuck. The story is of a young American wife, Virginia, and a British spy, Violette, who are brought together at a concentration camp. What follows is a pulse-pounding
spy tale that would be unbelievable if it wasn't based on reality. Read here.
Fans of Woman on Fire's mix of historical fiction and a strong woman protagonist looking for a book set outside of war will enjoy Such a Pretty Girl. The story starts in the present day when former actress Ryan Flannigan is living a peaceful life in Vermont. After a suggestive photo of her as a pre-teen resurfaces, Ryan is
thrust back into the spotlight. This thrilling novel from author T. Greenwood takes the reader back to 1976 New York City, as Ryan recalls repressed memories from her youth when her mother tried to break into acting. Read here.
For a mix of espionage, romance, and science, Atomic Love is a one-of-a-kind novel. Rosalind Porter, author Jennie Fields's heroine, is a physicist in the 1940s, a rarity for women at the time. Her brilliance finds her recruited to work on the Manhattan Project, which she later regrets. When the FBI gets in touch to
ask her to spy on a former flame in 1950, Rosalind finds herself embroiled in a complex plot. Read here.
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Bonus Picks! Watch and Listen to These Titles Similar to Woman on Fire
1. The Best of Women's Fiction
If you enjoy any of the authors on this list, you'll love The Best of Women's Fiction podcast. Hosts Lainey Cameron and Ashley Hasty welcome a new best-selling author each week. Lisa Barr was even a guest at the time of Woman on Fire's release. The show is available on Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts.
2. The Americans
Fans of Woman on Fire and its intriguing wartime setting will love the Cold War espionage drama The Americans. Starring Keri Russel and Matthew Rhys, the show ran for six seasons on FX and can now be streamed on Hulu.
