So when I sat down to write the is post I was intending to do a couple of mini reviews of some historical fiction novels I've read over the last couple of months. However, it turns out that I have plenty to say about this book. The other mini reviews will just have to wait as this is a maxi review!

This the second Kate Quinn book I have finished over the last few months. The first book I read was The Diamond Eye and then I listened to the audiobook of The Briar Club. I already know that I will be reading more Kate Quinn as soon as I can find space in my reading schedule. It is easy to see why Kate Quinn is such a popular author.

In this book she bring together a house full of women who are all boarders at Briarwood House. The ladies all live very separate lives with most of their interactions being fights over the bathroom until Grace March moves into the small apartment on the top floor. Soon they are regularly gathering together every Thursday for a supper club and they are sharing their lives and their food. Also joining them are Pete and Lena who are the children of the crusty and judgemental landlady Doilies Nelson. I loved the way that all the boarders become involved in the lives of the young people, providing them with the care and attention that they don't get from their mother and their absent father.

Among the boarders there is Fliss who is a young British mum who is married to an American doctor who is serving in Korea. She is determined that she should be the perfect wife and mother to her baby girl, but that is a hard facade to maintain when you are falling apart. Also living in the house are Reka, an elderly German art professor who is now poverty stricken and who holds a long standing grudge, Claire who comes across as being very tough, Bea who is a former professional baseball player, and Nora who is a policeman's daughter and works at the National library but falls in love with an unsuitable man. Oh, and then there is Arlene, a young Texan woman who is desperate to find a husband.

I loved the way that Grace is able to break through the barriers that her housemates put up so that soon she knows all their secrets. We hear each of their stories, see them as they fall in love, find their direction, challenge society's restrictive norms, touch on many cultural and historical events and more. Yet, as someone points out, Grace manages to keep all of her own secrets in tact, until her past catches up with her.

Set in Washington in the 1950s, this is the McCarthy era and lots of people were scared of the Red Threat of communism but there is plenty of other ground covered here too including racism and domestic violence, art and food

One of the surprises in this book is that Briarwood House is a character in the book. As the boarders in the house grow together then the house too begins to come to life. It loves the way that Grace begins painting the walls. It is also the narrator for the shocking events that are unfolding as we hear each of the women's stories.

Given that one of the keys to this story is the Thursday night supper club, it is probably no surprise that food plays a big part in this story. I probably would have really liked to read this book as well as listen to it so that I could read the recipes. It was interesting how culturally varied the recipes were. Pretty sure I am not too worried about trying Arlene's Candlestick salad though! I did love Lena's story arc particularly in relation to her food journey.

It's fair to say I loved this book. When I finished it I was desperate to talk about it with someone who had read it, about books that one of the stories reminds me of, but I can't even say that now because it will then spoil the twist at the end!

The narrator was Saskia Maarleveld and she did a great job of telling the story. I was interested to hear the additional feature at the end of the book where the author and the narrator sat down to talk about the audiobook process. Kate Quinn even said that when she was writing she was thinking about the audiobook performance so that influenced some of the backstories for the women. This meant that it made it easier for the narrator to have different voices and intonations for each of the character.

This is another fantastic read from Kate Quinn, and I highly recommend it.

I am sharing this review with Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story and with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host.

Rating 4.5/5

“In a house full of secrets, every woman has something to hide…”
The Briar Club by Kate Quinn is a powerful, beautifully written novel set in 1950s Washington, D.C., following a group of women living in a boarding house, each with her own past—and her own reasons for being there. With rich historical detail, sharp dialogue, and unforgettable characters, Quinn masterfully weaves together personal and political tensions. It’s emotional, suspenseful, and deeply human. Every page draws you in. A standout read—10/10 for fans of historical fiction with heart, depth, and mystery.

Thank you for the ARC! Sadly unable to read as this was downloaded onto an old device I no longer have access to and the book has since been archived.

Briarwood house welcomes Grace March to a small green room in a female boarding house, run by a petty, spiteful woman. Gradually Grace draws all of the women together with tea and supper every Thursday; helping the landlady's kids, listening to woes about the boyfriends (whether they are mobsters or FBI agents). The sentient house is finally happy it's a home. Until four years later when there is a dead body in the small green room.

A jam packed historical novel of 1950s Washington - senators waiting on the brink of history, Communist spies imagined on every street, immigrants still reeling from their pasts and a group of women all trying to live their lives however they can.

This was an amazing read! I absolutely loved all the characters so well betrayed, the camaraderie and support amongst the boarders at the lodging house. This was an unusual take on a spy story embedded in the anti Communist of the McCarthy era. You knocked it out of the ball park, Ms Quinn! Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book

Another excellent historical fiction from this author, she makes everything so real and interesting with great characters that it’s a pleasure to read and so sad when you have finished and you have already read her previous books.

Briarwood House, a boarding house for ladies, is run by mean spirited Mrs Nilsson, along with her two children (an impressionable teenage boy and a younger girl with eyesight issues) who she rules with an iron fist. Set in Washington in the 1950s during the McCarthy era, Briarwood House itself plays a large part of the story.

The residents of Briarwood House go about their daily business, keeping themselves to themselves. That is until the enigmatic Grace March becomes a resident. She brings the place to life from her tiny attic room, where she paints a mural to brighten up the drab room, and with weekly dinner parties and her home brewed sun tea everyone becomes friends. Well, mostly everyone.

'Briarwood House doesn’t like Mrs Nilsson. Hasn’t liked her since she first crossed the threshold as a bride, complaining before she’d even shaken the rice out of her hair that the halls were too narrow (My halls, too narrow!), and still doesn’t like her twenty years down the road. No one else in this kitchen does, either, the house knows perfectly well. People aren’t that hard to read.'

The Briar Club is much more than a who-done-it, or murder mystery, despite that fact it might give that impression initially. The story is fascinating, with the differing characters (including ex baseball star Bea and Nora who is involved with a gangster) and their respective back stories. Also addressed are the societal and cultural issues of the time, highlighted by references to the McCarthy era, racism, politics, women’s rights and their equality in society to name a few. Not to mention the quirkiness of the house as a character which adds a lighthearted touch.

The dynamics between the women, particularly when they meet for their weekly dinners, isn’t always without disagreements, as each of them take turns to cook a meal. There are secrets, tensions and vulnerabilities percolating in the background as the story progresses and we learn more about the well developed characters’ lives.

The Briar Club is a character driven tale, with a cast of strong female leads and chapters alternating between each of the women’s backgrounds, slowly building to a surprising and explosive ending. I listened to this book and Saskia Maarleveld, as always, does a great job in giving the characters their individual voices and characterisation.

This is an amazing outing from Kate Quinn that feels a subtler narrative and a cast of interesting and well thought out characters, fully recommend

Absolutely brilliant! I started this book with high hopes as I am such a fan of Kate Quinn’s writing and narrative. This book, however, is very different to her others. And at first I wasn’t so sure. It wasn’t what I expected but as I read on I quickly became invested and found I couldn’t put it down. I was given an arc of this book but I also started listening to it on audio. The audiobook is read well and I was able to move between reading and listening easily. The Briar Club tells the stories of the women who reside at a boarding house with little in common other than their residence. When a new boarder arrives she changes the lives of the Briar House residents and brings them together through her charismatic character and her weekly suppers which she calls The Briar Club. Each chapter is dedicated to one of the main women, we gain insights into the various members of the Briar Club and their lives, loves, and struggles. The present timeline is narrated by the house itself, this focuses on a police investigation of two dead bodies at the boardinghouse. while at various points in the past we learn about each of the women and then about how the evening of thanksgiving 1954 ended the way it did.
A subtle character driven historical fiction, set during Cold War anxieties and racial segregation, where women were largely expected to stay home and raise children.

I enjoyed this read exploring a part of history I wasn’t as familiar with. We meet chapter by chapter the residents of Briar House and learn about their lives and the impact of current events on them. The book starts with a shocking event and then jumps back in time and works through the Briar Club members lives to unfold the mystery. A great historical read for anyone that likes this genre. Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction for the ARC

Set in 1950s USA, this is the story of a boarding house for women, and how one of the residents brought it to life with her supper parties and sun warmed tea. I love Kate Quinn's writing style - The Rose Code was excellent - and this is that perfect mixture of warmth and sorority. I found the start a little difficult with the voice of the boarding house narrating but this doesn't last long and the story unfolds with each resident's tale being told. It's very good, I highly recommend it.

There were elements of this book that I really enjoyed but ultimately it wasn’t quite gripping enough. The scene was set that there was a murder and then each residents lives and tribulations were explored. It was interesting but just a bit long without much pace for me. Thanks for the read

THIS BOOK! My first read of 2025 was an epic.

Part murder mystery, but SO much more, we get the stories of the women living in Briarwood House. I loved every single one of the sections on each woman, I got so engrossed in their lives and loved how character driven it all was.

Right from the beginning we know there’s a dead body in Briarwood House but boy I was not ready for that bombshell as we got to the end.

Also loved the notes at the end of the book, it all blew my mind and I learned so much from the whole book. Although as the author says - don’t read the notes before reading the book otherwise there’s serious spoilers!

Can’t wait to read my next Kate Quinn book! Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

A fabulously written 1950s murder mystery set in a guest house. Every single character has their own compelling back story and you get to know each one of them behind the facade they present to each other. It's an excellent read as you would expect from the brilliant Kate Quinn.

Set in the 1950 Washington. Kate Quinn waves (as always) a wonderful tale of women's stories. She brings to life each character, flaws and all. A character driven, more than a plot driven book, this is Kate Quinn at her best.

In this remarkable work of historical fiction, we meet a group of very different women in a boarding house in 1950s Washington, DC. The book begins with the revelation that a murder has taken place, and we then jump back in time to learn more about each of the residents of the boarding house and see what led up to this crime taking place.

As ever with Kate Quinn’s work, this is a perfect combination of plot, pace, and characters. The details are incredible and, although there are a lot of characters, each person sings off the page and feels completely realised. I loved the sense of time and place, with the ever-present tension of the McCarthy era hanging over each of the residents in different ways.

The reveals are satisfying, and the conclusion of the book is masterfully told. Highly recommended to any fans of historical fiction.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Kate Quinn is one author who never disappoints!
In so so glad I requested this one and a special thanks to NetGalley for the approval request. It has to be one of my top reads of the quarter!
The storyline, the characters and the plot twists...all bang on. Can't wait to see what she churns out next.

I really enjoyed this book.

A group of very different women are brought together in a shared house in Washington DC. The landlady is strict and unwelcoming, but the women she rents to slowly develop strong bonds of friendship.

The book begins with a murder at the boarding house. Who has been killed and who has committed the crime are not revealed. It takes place in Grace Marsh’s room.

The story jumps back to the past with the arrival of Grace at the boarding house. Glamorous and friendly, Grace brings all the other boards together despite their differences.

Among them are Fliss is a young mother, struggling to maintain a perfect domestic life while her husband is serving in the army. Nora works at the National Archives . Her family are all involved in the police force, yet she is falling in love with a very charming gangster. Beatrice is a former baseball player, forced out of the game because of injuries and is now a PE teacher.

Along with Reka, Claire and Arlene, the women begin to get to know and support each other. Brought together by food and companionship, the individual stories are revealed and explored.

This book explores some really big themes – gender expectations for women the 1950s being among them, as well as Macarthyism, racism and domestic violence. The unlikely friendships are interesting and heartbreaking warming.

I really enjoyed the book. It’s definitely a character driven slow burn and some of the women’s stories are more interesting than others. It’s beautifully written. I also enjoyed the omniscient narrative voice of the house itself that comes alive as the women thrive with love and friendship.

Thank you NetGalley for the gifted copy of The Briar Code.

2.5 stars - This is definitely more character driven, compared to plot driven, which is why I sadly didn’t love it. Each section of the book focuses on a different character, I liked being able to learn more about them but this felt disconnected from the present day plot. It also appeared disjointed, moving on from one woman to the next, and the mystery element lacked atmosphere.

Each of the women’s lives were all heartbreaking in their own way and I was pleased that each voice was distinguishable. I also enjoyed reading about this time period and the connections to social and political history.

I was so happy to have received an early copy of this book in exchange for a review as The Rose Code is one of my favourite books! Sadly I couldn’t connect to the characters, I definitely think I’m a plot girl rather than characters, even though likeable characters are super important.

A huge thank you to Harper Collins for gifting me this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this! Actually listened to the audiobook and the narration was brilliant.
A wonderful book told from multiple perspectives - I was left wanting more from each of the characters.
Will be searching out more from this author as a result.