I enjoyed reading this book. The story differed from Katie Quinn’s other books as it is set in the 1950s in DC rather than the World War II era. The plot takes place in an all-women's boarding school, and we get to hear from every woman's perspective, including the house itself. The different viewpoints added an interesting twist to the story. Each woman living there has her uniqueness and backstory. Overall, I thought the story was great, but I found it a bit too detailed, and the chapters were a little lengthy for my liking. I did appreciate the recipes provided between the chapters to break up the story and learn more about life in the 1950s and the Red Scare.

Thank you to NetGalley and to William Morrow for giving me a copy of the book.

Ok Kate Quinn, how have I not read you before?? "The Briar Club" was just phenomenally written, rich in historical detail, captivating in diverse loveable characters, with a nice sprinkling of mystery. I really appreciated each character's viewpoint during the Second Red Scare in Washington D.C., their backstories, and how they ended up at an all female boardinghouse. Each of the ladies had their own set of secrets, and I felt like Quinn did a great job of transitioning from each woman before tying all their narratives together in the end. She also gives the reader a great feel for how scary it was for immigrants and people living in Washington D.C. at that time, who if accused of being Communist, could lead to criminal arrest and severe punishments. I cannot wait to read more of her books! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Briar Club by Kate Quinn.

I have to start off with that one of my favorite book is Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn. I came into this book with really high expectations. I hate that I am giving this book 3.5 stars out of 5.

This book is about events that happened at Briarwood house and the people that who there. You start off with a murder and the mystery of who were they, who killed them, and who is innocent. The story takes you through several of the boarders and their lives before living there and the present time.

I really struggled with this book. Unlike Diamond Eye, which I inhaled...this book took me two weeks to finish. There are so many characters and things going on that it became confusing at times.

I do love that one person can bring a whole group together even if they are polar opposites. Grace brought them together, listened to them and became friends with most of them. You learn about their hardships and victories. You grow to care for these characters. It is about racism, same sex relationships, abuse, going for what you want, finding your place in this world, taking care of others and standing up for yourself and others.

The Briar Club is not your typical Kate Quinn book but I loved it all the same. It did start out pretty slow and had long chapters but I ended up really enjoying it!

It follows a group of women who live in Briarwood House- a boarding house for women in 1950. Each chapter covers one woman’s perspective and I loved getting to know the characters on such a deep level. Intertwined with these stories were chapters set 4 years in the future when there is a murder. Even though this book had a slower pace for me, I was very interested in who it was that was murdered and how it happened. I came to love most of the characters and the ending was perfection.

I will continue to read anything Kate Quinn does- she has perfected historical fiction.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Set during the McCarthy Era in Washington DC, The Briar Club tells the story of an all female boardinghouse in the 1950s. It is broken into 8 chapters, with each one following the life of a woman living there (so yes long chapters). The boarders come from different background, which gives the book a unique perspective and sheds light on life in the US during in the 1950s. This book is different than Quinn’s WWII books. It is more character-driven and a slow-burn, but when the action hits at the end, and everything you leaned about the boarders connects, you really appreciate Quinn’s talent and meticulous research. I particularly loved seeing how the women grew, learned from each other and became a family despite their differences.

Read if you like:
-The McCarthy Era
-Women’s history
-Mystery side storylines

The all-female tenants of Briarwood House in Washington, DC, tend to stick to themselves. The rooms are barebones, their landlady is a tyrant, and McCarthyism has cast a pall on the city, making the desire to socialize low. Then Grace March moves into the smallest available room – more of a closet – and between her charming persona and the weekly dinners she hosts, things slowly begin to change.

The reader is introduced to each boarder through chapters dedicated to their stories, with interwoven vignettes told from the viewpoint of the house itself. Each resident has hidden depths, from a British housewife struggling to keep up a positive façade to the enigmatic Grace herself. Their lives intertwine, culminating in a violent act that threatens to tear them all apart.

Kate Quinn is a master of the historical fiction genre, and fans will be happy with her latest offering. It is a nice change of pace to focus on 1950s America rather than the more popular periods, and the characters are well-developed and interesting. It is obvious how much research she puts into creating her stories, and she also includes a helpful afterward where she addresses any changes she made regarding historical moments and figures.

Quinn does a great job of building tension, as the victims are not revealed until the last section of the book. She mentions this is her post-pandemic novel, one where she wanted to feel lighter and more hopeful, conveying the feeling of gathering around the table and eating and talking. There are even recipes for the dishes the boarders all make for their dinner parties throughout.

Overall, this is a lovely book with a compelling plot and intriguing characters. It would be a great option for a book club – especially if readers take advantage of the recipes provided.

What a delightful read from Kate Quinn! It was refreshing to read such a well-researched historical fiction novel that was not set during WWII. I really enjoyed the DC setting and the time period. It took me a moment to get used to the many POVs, especially the house, but it was worth it. I became very attached to the many residents of Briarwood House and appreciated the sense of community that Grace formed through her weekly dinners. Quinn did a wonderful job weaving the stories together and bringing the novel to a satisfying end. Despite the teaser in the book's description, I did not see the big twist coming. Historical fiction readers who enjoy getting to know a large cast of characters will really enjoy this book.

A little wandering but overall a good read. I really enjoy reading about forgotten women in history, and this book delivers!

OMGosh... every time a I read a book by Kate Quinn, I swear it is her best work yet. This book is no different! The characters were memorable and well developed with strong females as the shining stars. I really enjoyed the way this story was told as each chapter was a different character with a different POV... all of which were being told at the same time period. I also really enjoyed that the house had a voice in this novel. It was so many things rolled into one... thriller, historical fiction, drama, mystery, etc. An amazing novel from my favorite author... I will never get enough of Kate Quinn's writing! Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishers for the ARC opportunity to read this book.

While I enjoyed this one somewhat, it is slow and meandering. I wish it had been pared down a fair amount because I found myself skimming sections.

4.5 ⭐

I love Kate Quinn. The Briar Club is about connection and finding family among friends but it's also about women in history and I love that about Kate Quinn's books.

There are a lot of characters in this book, but the author does such a great job of describing them and bringing them to life that I had no trouble telling them apart.

A boarding house for women that is run by a strict and crotchety women brings together an unlikely group of boarders. Her two children are also in the mix and the group take them under their wing.

The book opens with a dead body and the police on the scene. Each chapter tells us about a character and weaves a hard to put down tale about each one. If you like historical fiction, strong female characters, found family, and wonderful writing, this is for you! It has a bit of a mystery vibe as well and I really enjoyed that twist to her typical books.

Thank you to netgalley for an ARC to review.

This book grabs you right away. Love all the completely different characters/ages/and community they create at the Briar Club.

As a devoted fan of Kate Quinn’s historical fiction novels, I happily delve into them without concern for their length. Once I immerse myself in one of her works, I find myself captivated by her stories and deeply engaged with her characters, just as I did with her latest offering.

The opening was intriguing: the story begins in 1954, in Washington D.C., at a woman’s boarding house called Briarwood House on Thanksgiving Day, where a brutal murder occurs. One of the boarders may be the culprit, but the identity of the victim remains unknown, although we learn that the murder took place in the room of a boarder named Grace March.

We then quickly jump back four years earlier to follow thirteen-year-old Pete, who shoulders more responsibilities at a young age to help his mother as a handyman at the boarding house. He takes care of his sister, who suffers from lazy eye and a learning disorder. Through his perspective, we are introduced to the boarders, including Grace March, who moves into the attic's shoebox room. Grace is a mysterious widow, tight-lipped about her past, who easily befriends the other boarders: the beautiful young mother Fliss, whose doctor husband works in San Diego as the approaching Korean War affects the political climate; Nora, the youngest of them at only twenty, who works for the National Archives and is having a love affair with a gangster despite being the daughter of a police officer; Beatrice, an ex-baseball player whose career was cut short by WWII and her injuries; Reka, an elderly Hungarian immigrant; and Arlene, a secretary for HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) who becomes a devoted supporter of McCarthy’s Red Scare.

These women, each from different backgrounds and dealing with their own demons and regrets, gather around Grace’s attic room to heal their emotional scars with the sweet taste of Grace’s special sun tea, sharing their love, hate, and miseries under the tight bond of friendship. But Grace’s secrets threaten the sacred bond they've built, and unexpected violent tragedies may tear their lives apart. In the end, each of them must make a choice to differentiate between who is their real friend and who is the enemy hiding among them.

Overall, the characterization in this book is remarkable. You can easily connect with each of the women, embracing them with their flaws and mistakes without judgment. Though it may seem like a long journey, you never want it to end because the pacing is incredibly balanced, including the heart-throbbing action parts. Nothing feels rushed or overly repetitive or dragging. The trajectory of events is executed perfectly, and the conclusion is also very satisfying.

This is definitely one of my favorite historical fiction reads of the year, and I highly recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with this remarkable book's digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The Briarwood House is the site of a murder or two… and the found family that resides in it all have secrets.

Gosh what a great book. Opens with a murder and a sentient house and just gets better from there. Each character is a delight; each person’s story is compelling and well-rounded. So much of the complexity of the 50s is captured in this book.

I love that this story is about women, about friendships around truly difficult lives and personalities, and about making sense of a world that is much bigger than “us vs them.”

There’s a broad swath of people I would recommend this book to. It will appeal to strong teen readers, folks who love mysteries, those who love historical fiction, those who want books about friendships, people who like a good female main character(s), etc, etc.

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Random House Publishing for an early copy of The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

Author Kate Quinn has masterfully recreated 1950's American life through the narratives of several women in a Washington, D.C. boarding house. The collective result is a one-two punch conclusion that questions the idealism of life during the time period and opens the door to celebrating the differences in people.

From McCarthy-era tactics to the women's professional baseball league, from mafia controls to Soviet spies, from the Korean War to the dawn of birth control, Quinn's mosaic of lives brought together in post-World War II demonstrates just how far people will go in order to be heard and in control of life's choices.

With food and recipes abounding in this novel, Kate Quinn has clearly brought elements to this latest writing that educate and entertain start to finish.

This novel was so good! It had everything I enjoy: romance, found family, mystery, overlooked women from history. I was slightly hesitant going in only because I am not super interested in American historical fiction but Quinn did not let me down.

The Briar Club tells the story of a boardinghouse in 1950s Washington D.C. and the people (mostly women) who live there. Each chapter focuses on a different person. We have Nora, the daughter of a corrupt police officer trying to make a name for herself working at the National Archives, Fliss the perfect English mother who is maybe not so perfect. Reka the old lady with a secret talent, Bea a former baseball player struggling with the expectations for 50s women. Arlene the Texas belle who works for HUAC, Claire the hustler with a secret lover. And of course Grace the mysterious, unflappable widow who always knows more than anyone else.

The women are very different but they all come together for their Thursday night supper club and slowly they begin to share their secrets with each other. Of course some of their secrets are more dangerous than others.

I really liked how each chapter focused on a different person (the first chapter is from the pov of son of the boardinghouse matron) and we got glimpses into their past and their secrets were slowly revealed through their chapters. Focusing on each women so heavily made it so cathartic when they were able to come together for the Thursday night suppers.

I also loved the sprinkling of romance throughout especially Nora and her friend and Claire and Sid.

I do think some of the secrets were a little predictable but it may just seem predictable to me because I'm familiar with Quinn's novels. Overall though I really enjoyed and I highly recommend.

I was provided a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

I am a huge Kate Quinn fan. The Briar Club is not as heavy as some of her other titles, but do not discount that here! The threads weave together a strong plotline and leave you rooting for all of the characters. This was truly an original take on McCarthyism, DC and the social situations of the times. I thouroughly enjoyed this book. Thank you, Kate Quinn!

Love Kate Quinn and have read most of her books. She does great research and provides terrific characters that really make you empathize with them. You feel like you are living what they lived. Loved this book

The Briar Club
by Kate Quinn
Pub Date: July 9, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
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.
I have read most of Quinn's books and I was so excited to get a chance to read this one early as well.
Thanksgiving 1954. Washington, DC. A women’s boarding house. A body. And blood — lots of blood. That’s how Kate Quinn’s latest book gets started. And yes, once I started, I never put it down as per usual with her books. She can really write!
Each of the characters experience different aspects of living in the 1950s, and Quinn does a great job showing a wide variety of lived realities. Kate Quinn novels are always full of romance, suspense, and history, and "The Briar Club" is no exception.
I highly recommend!

Another great historical fiction novel from Kate Quinn. This time the setting is Washington DC in the early 1950's when McCarthyism was taking over the country and anybody who had a foreign accent could be a communist. Briarwood House, an impoverished female boardinghouse, contains the secrets of the women who live there. In 1950, mysterious widow, Grace March moves in and befriends the rest of the boarders through her Thursday night gatherings. Each boarder is very different-Nora is involved with a gangster; Bea, who was in a female baseball league during WWII; Fliss, who outwardly is the perfect wife and mother but is very lonely and insecure. And then there is Arlene who is nasty and a disciple of McCarthyism. As the years fly by, more characters are included in Grace's Thursday night gatherings until something horrific happens on Thanksgiving 1954 and they need to rely on each other to figure out what to do.
Interestingly, the story briefly starts on Thanksgiving, 1954 and then goes back to 1950 until that fateful night on Thanksgiving 1954. During those 4 years, friendships are made that become unbreakable when terrible things happen.

Kate Quinn shares with the reader how difficult it was in those days form women to be taken seriously and be respected for their intellect. They weren't paid well and did not get the promotions they deserved. The sexism was rampant in DC.

I highly recommend this book.
Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.