* "El crimen de Cuenca" (1982), a historical novel about a miscarriage of justice in the early 20th century.
* "La hija de la española" (1994), a historical novel about the life of a Spanish woman who emigrates to Argentina in the 19th century.
* "El caballero del jubón amarillo" (2001), a historical novel about the life of Juan de la Cruz, a 16th-century Spanish mystic.
* "El sueño del Inca" (2006), a historical novel about the life of Tupac Amaru II, an 18th-century Inca leader who led a rebellion against the Spanish.
* "La vida amorosa de Federico García Lorca" (2011), a biography of the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca, focusing on his relationships with men.
In addition to his novels, Ballesteros has also written several non-fiction books, including:
* "La historia del Madrid" (1989), a history of the Spanish capital.
* "La España del descubrimiento" (1992), a history of Spain during the Age of Discovery.
* "La América española" (1995), a history of Latin America.
Ballesteros's work has been translated into more than 20 languages, and he has won numerous awards for his writing, including the Premio Nacional de Narrativa (1982), the Premio Planeta (1994), and the Premio Alfaguara (2006). He is a member of the Real Academia Española, the Spanish Royal Academy.