The Briar Club

A Novel

By: Kate Quinn

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

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, DC, 1950. Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boardinghouse in the heart of the nation’s capital where secrets hide behind white picket fences. But when the lovely, mysterious widow Grace March moves into the attic room, she draws her oddball collection of neighbors into unlikely friendship: poised English beauty Fliss, whose facade of perfect wife and mother covers gaping inner wounds; policeman’s daughter Nora, who finds herself entangled with a shadowy gangster; frustrated baseball star Beatrice, whose career has come to an end along with the women’s baseball league of WWII; and poisonous, gung-ho Arlene, who has thrown herself into McCarthy’s Red Scare.

Grace’s weekly attic-room dinner parties and window-brewed sun tea become a healing balm on all their lives, but she hides a terrible secret of her own. When a shocking act of violence tears the house apart, the Briar Club women 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.

Includes a bonus conversation with Kate Quinn, Saskia Maarleveld, and Tessa Woodward, editor of The Briar Club.

©2024 Kate Quinn (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

Page Turner

One of those stories you click in to at any opportunity. Clever format and engaging characters, lots of surprises, twists and turns. The ultimate foodie book where people share meals and foods they love back when home cooking was a thing. And the cooking makes the drama richer.

Exceptional!

This book, “The Briar Club” was exceptional, along with the author and narrator. Bravo! I absolutely loved everything about it. From the beginning to the end it drew you in. I learned so much about the 1950’s and prior years that I wasn’t aware of. I loved the idea that a house was aware of the people that lived there; and the different characters and how they were introduced and merged together. I did not want the story to end. Kate never disappoints and Saskia should win an award for best narrator. Finally, I hope my house is happy with the family that occupies it.

A gumbo stew of flavored characters and spicy twist !

So worth the wait for a Quinn and Maarleveld combo that hit it out of the ballpark. The rich background of characters interwoven with historical fiction and surprising twist , another that I sit in the driveway and listen to as I don’t want it to end ! Also loved hearing from some of my beloved Quinn characters .. like Rose Code Beth ! Already missing the Briar Club bunch and know I will listen to again and again for more tasty crumbs !

Excellent

This book deserves more than 5 stars, perfect character development and incredibly written as related to the time period. Love, love, love!!!!

didn't know much of what went on in early 50's

always like a group of strangers getting together and how thier lives intertwine in a great story!

Loved Every Second

I'm highly critical of long books being engaging 100% of the time - this one takes the cake. So we'll done with historical references embedded throughout. I have already bought a hard copy for my classroom library for those students who drink up real writing to borrow!

Capturing the US in the 50s

Kate captured the dynamics of the US in the fifties while telling a compelling story. Characters were rich enough, story progressed smoothly and ending was very effective.

Quinn did it again!!

I enjoyed this story immensely. I’m a Kate Quinn fan and I always finish her story’s wanting more.

Fantastic charter development

I always like how Kate gives me charters I care about and developers. I also love the wat Sasha brings those characters to life. I had a little hard time getting into this book because how the characters move back and forth in time. I stuck with it though and pretty soon I was really liking it. I also enjoyed her depiction of the 1950s. Just a wonderful audible book.

Brilliantly written

Cleaver, historically correct with a fictional spin. The reader is not persuaded by any ONE thing. Each character has a story that everyone today can empathize with, if not share totally.
The recipes were a delightful addition that is wholly original.
I’m impressed completely and appreciate totally the whole of this piece of artful literature. Thank you. It was truly a breath of fresh air. An intriguing perspective from an otherwise (of late) boring and predictive host of readings I’ve had. Did I say it was a breath of fresh air?! It is and brilliant!