Publishers Weekly
★ 05/27/2024
Bestseller Quinn follows The Diamond Eye with a stellar historical mystery centered on a group of women living together in a Washington, D.C., boardinghouse. The action opens on Thanksgiving 1956 at Briarwood House, where a corpse lies bleeding in one of the attic apartments, the police have just arrived, and the tenants have gathered in the living room to await questioning. The narrative then rewinds four and a half years, to when widowed 30-something Grace March arrives at Briarwood. She meets Fliss, a harried new mother; Bea, a former pro baseball player; Claire, a file clerk for Sen. Margaret Chase Smith; Nora, an employee of the National Archives; and Arlene, a secretary for the House Un-American Activities Committee who’s fully embraced the hysterical rhetoric of her boss, Sen. Joseph McCarthy. As the women bond, clash, and pursue various romantic entanglements, they remain committed to holding weekly dinner parties in Grace’s room. As Quinn gradually steers the narrative back toward the violent opening scene, she elegantly explores issues of race, class, and gender, and brings the paranoid atmosphere of McCarthy-era Washington to vivid life. For Quinn’s fans, this is a must. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary. (July)
From the Publisher
Quinn evocatively balances the outward cheerfulness of the 1950s with historical observations exploring racism, misogyny, homophobia and political persecution in this sharply drawn, gripping novel.” — People
"Compulsively readable, The Briar Club will find eager readers in those who love woman-led historical fiction with rich, appealing characters." — Booklist (starred review)
“[A] compelling story. This powerful, unforgettable historical mystery is for fans of Mary Anna Evans’s Justine Byrne series and stories with strong women characters.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“A stellar historical mystery Quinn elegantly explores issues of race, class, and gender, and brings the paranoid atmosphere of McCarthy-era Washington to vivid life. For Quinn’s fans, this is a must.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Quinn’s latest continues to uphold her reputation for grasping the complexities, nuances, and dynamism of the past. Really, this book is perfect.” — Literary Hub
“Kate Quinn’s The Briar Club not only presents a thrilling mystery, but also, and perhaps more importantly, a cast of characters readers will adore.” — ELLE.COM
Library Journal
★ 05/01/2024
Quinn's (The Diamond Eye) compelling story of women's friendships, set against the frightening days of McCarthyism, combines personal stories with real history. In 1954, a Thanksgiving gathering at a Washington, DC, women's boardinghouse is disrupted. The result is two dead bodies and 17 suspects. The boardinghouse residents and their guests worry about what the police will uncover, because Briarwood House has harbored secrets for at least four years. Mrs. Nilsson, the owner and landlady at Briarwood House, is disliked by all the residents. However, beginning in 1950, when a widow named Grace Marsh moves in, the atmosphere slowly changes. Every Thursday, when Mrs. Nilsson is out, Grace invites everyone to dinner in her tiny room. Residents include a Hungarian refugee, a cop's daughter who is dating the wrong man, and a secretary to a senator. The women all have a chance to talk about their past while still keeping secrets, but the lives they've made might come crashing down as friendships are tested by home invasion and murder. VERDICT This powerful, unforgettable historical mystery is for fans of Mary Anna Evans's Justine Byrne series and stories with strong women characters.—Lesa Holstine
