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.

Very good. Enjoyed the suspense and the build up to the conclusion. Loved getting to know all the characters and their stories. Rich in details which makes you feel part of the story. Also loved how the house is a character all of its own which gives it an extra layer.

When I think of historical fiction in general, or the author in particular (The Alice Network by Kate Quinn) I do not think of happily-ever-afters or anything along those lines. This book is a mish-mash of emotions and the detailed historical notes at the end enhance the overall experience by not only getting us into the author’s head at the time of writing, but also gives us the relevant American historical context.

The plot has a back and forth narrative style. Each time we move backwards in time, it’s to a point closer to when the book opened and reveals just a little more about one more person. The scene is a boarding house and a dead body has been reported to the police. They are at the scene and are utterly confused as to the direction in which they should move their enquiries. With each visit back and forth in time we have more information than the police do.

Finally, as readers we know the truth before the book ends. Not everyone knows all the information we have, but several do. I will not go into the individual details, even that of Grace because the author’s choice in telling us a story in this manner only works if we go in blind.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the genre and a little tired of the standard dual timelines.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

A lovely book which shows how strangers become friends and how people aren’t always what you expect. Would recommend this book

Kate Quinn’s writing is impeccable! Her stories just flow and carry you along.

I adored the idea of a house as a narrator and loved the parts written in this way. Who would be more invested in solving a murder than the house where it took place?

A brilliant cast of characters all flawed, all well rounded and all who you will want to know more about.

A brilliant read that looks at the roles of women, children and spies. A unique and gripping tale with exceptional writing.

Another triumph of a book from Kate Quinn. I am in awe of this author, she writes so brilliantly on so many different topics and types of situation. Her stories are very much character - driven, which I love. . Even minor characters are fully rounded, and have their place in the narrative. I felt I knew every player by the end of the book.
I loved this book, set in 1950s USA in a boarding house, full of women and family. It gripped me from page one to the end. The murder mystery is so cleverly woven through it, but it is the women, and the dynamic amongst them that is central to the story. I can’t wait for the author’s next work. Highly recommended.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

This is a moving and superbly written story set in the backdrop of Washington in the 1950s. Cold War tensions are high with the paranoia of the McCarthy era at its peak. Into this historical context, the author gives us both a thriller and a beautiful story about a boarding house which breathes and feels alongside its inhabitants. The stories of Pete, Lina and their dad, the enigmatic, warm Grace, and the other women in the boarding house are skilfully woven throughout. I felt so many different emotions as I read this compelling novel.

What a beautiful book which has something for every type of reader.

I would strongly recommend this book for Kate Quinn fans or those lucky enough to only just be discovering her!