Les Anciens Canadiens by Philippe Aubert de Gaspé (1863) — The first French-Canadian novel, written by a man who lived in the oldest house in the Old City. Set in Québec before and after the 1759 Conquest, it captures the loss of French Canada with elegance and melancholy. A good starting point for understanding the cultural wound that still shapes Québec.
Kamouraska by Anne Hébert (1970) — A dark, dreamlike novel set in 19th-century Québec, following a woman's memories of passion, murder, and the suffocating constraints of colonial Catholic society. Hébert is one of the great writers of French Canada; this is her masterpiece.
A Strange Habit of Mind by Andrew Klavan — One of several thrillers set partly in Québec City, making good use of the Old City's atmospheric winter streets and the specific claustrophobia of a walled city in deep snow.
Two Solitudes by Hugh MacLennan (1945) — The defining Canadian novel of the French-English divide, following two families through the early 20th century. Set largely in Montréal, but the tensions it describes are rooted in Québec City's history and the politics of New France.
The French Canadians by Mason Wade — A comprehensive history of the French-speaking people of Canada from their origins to the mid-20th century. Dense but authoritative — the best single account of how Québec arrived at where it is.