Historical Humor

Welcome to the Village of Ballybucklebo. Come and say hello to Dr. O'Reilly's odd-as-two-left feet patients, his housekeeper, Mrs. "Kinky" Kinkaid, and O'Reilly's pets, Arthur Guinness, the beer-swilling black Lab and Lady MacBeth, the demonically possessed white cat. And of course, to young Dr...

In this dual collection of short stories, Alexander McCall Smith brings his trademark humor and warmth to inventive tales of spying and vengeance. In one story, a spy dropped deep into enemy territory manages to disguise himself—quite convincingly—as a nun. In another, an invitation to join the Vatican Secret Service sends a prospective operative down a rabbit hole of controversy and confusion. A third story finds an author, on the brink of public ruin, seeing the error of his ways after an act of kindness saves the day.

He’s the man of her dreams—she just doesn’t know it yet. New York socialite Jane Cady is the envy of the season, and the supposed love of Graham Bank’s life, until news arrives that her father’s last merchant ship has sunk, costing them everything. To avoid scandal, the family disappears to manage a hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Determined to support her family, Jane sets aside her dream of marriage and joins her father in working for the Harvey House, as a waitress. But when her former fiancé strolls into the Castañeda Hotel, the weight of her sacrifice becomes all too real. ...

When I answered an ad for a caretaker at Saint Mark’s Sanctuary, I thought I’d be dusting chandeliers and polishing floors. I didn’t expect to be tricked into a curse, going into debt to a monster, and being forced to take a self-paced “let’s learn magic” course so I can fix a 2,000-year-old problem. And that monster? Not your ordinary, everyday beast. He has hooves, and horns, and fur on his legs. But you know where he doesn’t have fur? Yeah. There. Which is fine. Except he doesn’t wear pants.

Texas, 1889 - Daniel Honeycutt is no stranger to peril. His scars are proof. They frighten folks, which is why he prefers a solitary life on his ranch. His long days are a tad lonesome, but at least there’s no one around to judge him. When he sees a girl on a runaway horse, Daniel forgets his scars. His quick thinking saves Molly Collins, and the chance meeting draws Daniel from his solitude. Molly is unlike any other girl. Headstrong. Impossible. Aggravatingly beautiful. Daniel soon learns Molly is in danger, and he vows to protect her. Even if it means risking his stubborn heart.

Elizabeth Bennet is a lady of decided opinions—especially about a certain Mr Darcy. When Colonel Fitzwilliam reveals that gentleman as the cause of her sister’s romantic woes, Elizabeth does not become angry or distraught. Instead, the news offers some relief, because it allows her to finally understand everything that happened in Hertfordshire the previous autumn. With this new knowledge, she acts to remove herself from the disagreeable company at Rosings.

“I don’t just want to hear her laugh, I need to earn it. Every time I gain a little ground, I want more. I want to break out of the shade and back into her light. Without even realizing it, I’ve become addicted to it. To her.” From the author of the genre-breaking international TikTok...

Meet Amy, the daughter of the Earl of Northland. Her entire family has been reincarnated as the aristocratic Northland family. In an attempt to amicably remove herself as a candidate for the Third Prince’s fiancée–which would certainly cement her position as the game’s villainess—Amy has taken drastic measures: eating tons of food and just enjoying life (at her mother’s suggestion). With this reincarnation, Amy has been given a precious second chance at life, and this time, nothing—not even an otome game—is going to stop her from fulfilling her dream: Amy wants a cat!

This hilarious, heartfelt, and soaring adventure will delight fans of The Goonies and Indiana Jones. Performed as a 1930s radio drama, it’s bursting with humor for all ages, orchestral scoring, and some of the most talented voices on Broadway. When their ace pilot parents (and adorable puppy) mysteriously disappear over the Pacific, the Flamingo Sisters - Flo, Faye, and Franny - escape the clutches of their evil Uncle Freidrich (who believes girls should never pilot aeroplanes) and join a flying circus.

There’s a voodoo woman in New Orleans who knows your darkest secrets French Quarter paranormal investigator Wyatt Thomas learns he’s permanently linked to the spirit of a man with whom he’d fought a duel during another lifetime. The only person who can free Wyatt from his curse is long-dead voodoo queen Marie Laveaux. To seek her help, he must travel back to Antebellum New Orleans, succeed in his endeavor, or be trapped in the past forever. When Wyatt meets his former lover at the Mulatto Ball, he doesn’t know if he wants to return. While Wyatt is time traveling, detective Tony ...

Texas Sheriff turned Family Man Someone in Bethany Springs has a secret plot. Adam Kendall is plenty busy. He's the sheriff of Bethany Springs, and he runs his family ranch. It’s just him and his elderly grandfather, along with a couple of scrappy young ranch hands living on the Kendall ranch. Adam’s life is full and he’s sure that he’s content. Someone in Bethany Springs has plans for the bachelor sheriff. A surprise mail-order wife. When Adam gets his first letter from a woman claiming to be his bride, he’s certain someone is playing a trick on him. He’s a lawman, darn it! No ...

A Mystery Matchmaker in Bethany Springs has a plan for the single father, a plan that includes an unsuspecting Mail-Order Bride. Nick McCord never expects to settle down, much less take a mail-order bride. He’s used to figuring out matters by himself. Afterall, Nick’s a legendary bounty hunter, known for tracking down and outsmarting hundreds of villains. But when he inherits a generous sum of money along with his young, orphaned niece, he must learn to become a family man. Someone in Bethany Springs believes Nick is in need of a wife. That someone has sent for a mail-order bride. ...

This is the ultimate book of weird history! Combining Volumes 1 and 2 in the “Weird Things in History and Why the Heck They Happened” series, this is your opportunity to jump into a time machine and visit some of the overlooked, the peculiar, and definitely the most amusing things that have influenced our contemporary world. Brace yourself for amusement and astonishment as you explore not only the 50 tales from the first two volumes but 5 additional historical events that you most likely won’t find in any school textbook! “Weird Things in History and Why the Heck They Happened” ...

Limber up, ready the troops, and prepare your bowels: Rivals 3! Even More Frenemies Who Changed the World takes a hilarious look at the petty squabbles and bitter feuds that shaped history.

Eleanor Myers' contented life in the country is throw into turmoil when her new stepmother decides it's time she stopped being a tomboy and acquired all the accomplishments deemed necessary to catch a husband. Reluctantly despatched to her formidable godmother in London, Eleanor not only has to deal with the learning of tedious skills, but also with the irritating behaviour of two additional houseguests and her godmother's arrogant - but handsome - nephew, James. Her annoyance soon turns to suspicion however, when a serious of potentially fatal accidents occur. But with a bitter legal ...

Despite the title, Dickens's portrayal of early industrial society is less relentlessly grim than that in novels by contemporaries such as Elizabeth Gaskell or Charles Kingsley. Hard Times weaves the tale of Thomas Gradgrind, a hard-headed politician who raises his children Louisa and Tom without love and to have no empathy, their lives completely devoid of beauty, culture, or imagination. Only after a series of crises does their father realise that the manner in which he raised his children has ruined their lives.

Ezra McCord can handle tens of thousands of ornery, troublesome Longhorns. Caring for a newborn boy? Not a chance. And yet, he can’t turn his back on the poor, abandoned orphan. He’s certain the good Lord led him to care for little Harvey. Trouble comes when the folks of Bethany Springs start meddling. They insist the boy needs a mother. Determined to protect the boy, Ezra sends off for a wife. Isabelle Briggs' dull, orderly life is upended when her dastardly brother insists that she marry a wealthy but cruel man. She plans her escape, trading places with a mail-order bride who’s had ...

Texas, 1890 - Desperate but Determined When Daisy Muldoon’s uncle dies in a logging accident, he leaves behind a modest inheritance. The problem? He hid the money somewhere in their rented cottage, and no one knows exactly where. Without the money, Daisy and her two younger sisters have no means to escape the rough logging town where men outnumber women five to one. With the new sawmill owner intending to live in the cottage, Daisy must find the family money before time runs out. She prays the good Lord will provide an answer. Pineville is no place for three vulnerable girls. Loyal and ...

Simon’s a cowboy with a passel of trouble, and only one person can help. Virginia. The prim, fussy daughter of the Texas governor. The one girl he used to tease… endlessly. If she won’t help, Simon’s friend will go to prison, leaving him to raise his two godsons, a pair of unruly boys who might just be more trouble than he ever was. Simon hasn’t seen Virginia since they were both kids, playing chase at the county fair. With a little luck, and a lot of prayers, Virginia won’t remember his pranks. After all, plenty of time has passed. Surely, Virginia wouldn’t still hold a ...

From Boston's social underworld emerges Verena Tarrant, a girl with extraordinary oratorical gifts, which she deploys in tawdry meeting-houses on behalf of "the sisterhood of women". She acquires two admirers of a very different stamp: Olive Chancellor, devotee of radical causes, and marked out for tragedy; and Basil Ransom, veteran of the Civil War, with rigid views concerning society and women's place therein. Is the lovely, lighthearted Verena made for public movements or private passions?