The Briar Club

The New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye and The Rose Code returns with a haunting and powerful story of female friendships and secrets in a Washington, DC, boardinghouse during the McCarthy era.

Washington, D.C., 1950

Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, an all-female boarding house in the heart of the US capital, where secrets hide behind respectable facades.

But when the mysterious Grace March moves into the attic room, she draws her oddball collection of neighbours – a poised English beauty, a policeman’s daughter, a frustrated female baseball star, and a rabidly pro-McCarthy typist – into an unlikely friendship.

Grace’s weekly attic-room dinner parties and window-brewed sun tea become a healing balm on all their troubled lives, but she hides a terrible secret of her own. And when a shocking act of violence tears the house apart, the Briar Club must decide once and for all: who is the true enemy in their midst?

Capturing the paranoia of the McCarthy era and evoking the changing roles for women in postwar America, The Briar Club is an intimate and thrilling novel of secrets and loyalty put to the test.

'This powerful, unforgettable historical romance is for fans of Mary Anna Evans's Justine Byrne series and stories with strong women characters' Starred Library Journal Review

'Compulsively readable, The Briar Club will find eager readers in those who love woman-led historical fiction with rich, appealing characters' Starred Booklist Review

Reviews

Praise for Kate Quinn:

‘Recommend it to all lovers of smart historical fiction’ Booklist

‘Exciting . . . historical fiction fans will be riveted’ Publishers Weekly

‘Readers looking for a new and unique viewpoint of World War II with a mystery to solve and a light touch of romance will dive deep into this story’ Library Journal

‘A fascinating read . . . if you’re a fan of 20th-century history then look no further’ Altrincham Today

‘A remarkable story filled with heart, intrigue [and] breathtaking drama’ Allison Pataki

‘Quinn weaves humanity and emotional depth through the narrative’ Sarah Penner

‘Beautifully rendered . . . utterly absorbing’ Natasha Lester

‘Kate Quinn takes expert aim at one of history’s forgotten heroines to bring us a story that will pull you in from the very first sentence’ Alix Rickloff

‘Kate Quinn is a master at crafting and intoxicating, well-balanced blend of immersive period details and deft character work … a remarkable combination of immersive wartime storytelling, rich detailing and wonderful pacing’ BookPage

‘Kate Quinn is an excellent storyteller … Don’t miss this timely story about the immense power, strength and resilience of a Ukranian woman!’ BookReporter.com