This is the third book I've read by Susan Meissner. Each one has involved a different era, but always features interesting female characters.

A Map to Paradise is set during the Red Scare of the 1950s and one of the lead characters is a young actress who has been blacklisted though she has no communist ties. She just had the unfortunate happenstance to star alongside a male actor who did have some possible communist ties. Back then (actually, probably still happens), studios liked for it to seem like their lead actress and actor were a real-life couple. While Melanie is hiding out in Malibu, she meets a reclusive screenwriter and his sister-in-law/caretaker.

June seems like your typical 1950s housewife, but she is a lot more than that. She was married to Elwood's brother, but was in love with Elwood the entire time. After Elwood's car accident that made him a recluse, June and her husband moved in with Elwood. It is basically the only home she has known as an adult.

The third female character is Ava. She is a displaced refugee. She is of German descent but was born and lived in Russia (in an annexed region that had once been part of Germany). When WWII broke out, she became stateless as the Germans viewed her family as Russian and the Russians viewed them as German.

The main theme of the book is displacement and what is "home". Each woman deals with her displacement (or potential displacement) differently, but each method comes at a cost.

It is interesting that there are very few male characters in this book. Actually, there are very few characters outside of the three women. It is a very tightly focused story, though it is expanded as we get each woman's backstory.

It took me a little bit to warm up to the characters. As their stories unfolded, I became more attached to them. I think this novel was more subtle and nuanced than Meissner's previous novels that I've read. It is an enjoyable read.

This would be another great book to read while relaxing. There is just a touch of tension as we worry whether the women's secrets will be found out, but it isn't like a thriller.

This would be a great book to read with your girlfriends or a book club.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Saturday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/07/2-historical-fiction-books-you-might.html

I'm a big fan of Susan Meissner. I hope to read everything she writes. This is one of my favorites so far. Evocative of the old Hollywood/McCarthy era.

I have read many of Susan's books but this one just fell flat for me. I really tried to understand this main character but I just couldn't sympathize with her. The one good thing I can say is that her research is always on point and I did learn a lot about the McCarthy era.

1956 in Hollywood at the height of the Cold War. Neighbors spot another neighbor with a new garden and the disappearance of another. This has all the flavor of the 50’s in America. It was great.

In 1956, the Red Scare is cooling off, but not quickly enough to save film star Melanie Cole from being blacklisted when her paramour is accused of being a communist. Hiding out in a rented Malibu home while she waits for the scandal to pass, Melanie’s only friends are her hired maid, Eva Kruse, and her shut-in neighbor, screenwriter Elwood Blankenship.

Eva is hiding too. Having immigrated to the United States four years earlier as a Displaced Person from Poland, she’s terrified that if the feds start looking into Melanie, they’ll discover her secret as well—which would end badly for both her and the star. But when Elwood stops coming to his window to talk to Melanie, the ladies worry that his sister-in-law, June, is abusing or harming him in some way. Melanie sends Eva over to the Blankenship home to check things out, and Eva uncovers much more than either she or Melanie could have possibly expected.

Once again, Meissner has delivered a tale of unexpected friendships and female strength in a male-dominated world. Seen through the eyes of Melanie, Eva, and June, the story casts a critical eye on the paranoia that sparks panics like the Red Scare. In a rare stumble, though, Meissner muddles the message by excusing a drunken-driving accident as unintentional, arguing that the driver wasn’t responsible for his passenger’s death because he hadn’t deliberately pulled a trigger. Meissner’s fans will likely forgive the blunder, but readers new to Meissner’s work might want to start with one of her older titles.

Susan Meissner never fails to get me excited about historical fiction. She always picks periods in history that are lesser known, and I always end up learning a lot. In A Map to Paradise, she takes us into the 1950s, at the beginning of the Cold War when the Red Scare was causing a panic among Americans. I loved each of the women’s stories and how they all intersected. The characterization of Ava, June, and Melanie was thorough, and even the side characters had fully fleshed out personalities. I would have liked a little more closure about Alex to round out what happened to him, but overall, I found everything wrapped up in such a perfect way. Another easy five star read for the queen of hisfic, Susan Meissner!

I haven't met a Susan Meissner book I didn't like, and her latest, A Map to Paradise, is no exception!

This story has a different feel from her past few novels, but also shows what a diverse writer she is. It has some of the feel of Stars Over Sunset Boulevard, which was my intro to her writing many years ago. It also reminds me of the TV series Why Women Kill. Although it takes place in the 1950s, it has a lot of relevance to present times. Especially with Melanie's situation of being blacklisted in Hollywood because she was associated with someone people believed to be a Communist. I felt really bad for her in her situation. Not only couldn't she get a job, but she was also being bullied and had to hide away in order to get any semblance of peace and privacy. And then her closest friend suddenly stops contacting her or responding to her outreach and she doesn't know why.

Eva also had an interesting situation, but I don't want to say much about it to avoid spoilers. Let's just say she's hiding something about herself that could impact Melanie even further if people found out.

At first, I didn't like June, but then I came to appreciate her more as the story went on and I cared about what she was going through too.

Overall, the story is well-told and flows well. It held my interest the entire time. I feel like the intensity level isn't as strong as it was in Susan's previous couple of novels, but the element of mystery carried things along. It's perfect for fans of The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis (who I think would pair up well with Susan if she were to ever write a book with someone).

I recommend checking it out, whether you are a long time fan of Susan Meissner or whether this is your first time reading her books. Either way, it will keep you turning the pages!

(Trigger warnings below.)

Movie casting suggestions:
Melanie: Rose Williams
Eva: Jeanne Goursand
June: Rosamund Pike
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TW: Domestic violence. Suicide. Agoraphobia. Death of spouse.

This was my first read by Susan Meissner and it definitely won’t be my last! I have always heard great things about her books and now I can see why. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and it is so refreshing to read about a time in history that isn’t often depicted. It’s clear Susan Meissner did her research, making the story very interesting. I really loved seeing how the lives of the three main characters are intertwined and the progression of their friendships.

Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner is an interesting read with many twists and turns. Three women have formed an alliance with each other even though they suspect each other of various crimes or situations. The book is set in the 1950s during the era of blacklists in Hollywood. People were not trusting each other and were selling out each other to avoid being in trouble with the government for being a ‘communist’ .

Melanie Cole is one of the blacklisted people, all because she went to a party with her boyfriend. She has a maid coming in daily, Eva. Eva is an immigrant from Europe who was displaced by WWII. She is obviously hiding something and it loath to put herself in the limelight. Really Melanie’s house doesn’t need that much attention, but it is job and she is safe. Next door to Melanie is a famous writer in Hollywood, Elwood, a recluse. Melanie is positive Elwood would help her if she could just get past his sister in law June, who is almost his gatekeeper. It is interesting that June is digging around Elwood’s roses. The three women help each other while attempting to keep their secrets their own. Different happenings make each one suspicious of the other one. Yet the world is a dangerous place in Hollywood.

The book is not a turn the page every minute to discover what is happening, as much as it is a slow reveal of the characters, their motivations and secrets. The ending does tie everything up nicely revealing a number of truths and reminding them the world is a dangerous place for them. Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner is an interesting read.

The writing is strong as usual, but I thought that three POV characters were too many to really get an in depth emotional connection to all of them. Still totally worth reading.

Melanie Cole is a Hollywood actress in the 1950s who has been put on the blacklist due to her ties with a supposed communist. She is biding her time in a house by herself waiting for it to pass so she can go back to work. Her only companions are her housekeeper Eva, reportedly from Poland, her reclusive agoraphobic neighbor, screenwriter Ellwood, and his widowed sister-in-law June. Each of the characters is holding onto secrets from their pasts, and when events of the present draw them together in unusual ways, they forge a unique bond with each other.

I wasn't the biggest fan of Melanie's character. Maybe it was because I was listening to the audiobook for most of it, but she comes across as hysterical and not level-headed at all. After a while it got better, but I thought it took a bit too long for her to cue in on the fact that she was not the center of the universe and that people might have reasons for doing what they do.

Although I thought there were too many characters and too much jumping back and forth in time with those characters, the overall story is mostly engaging and interesting. I love reading books set in this time period, I found the plot to be fascinating as it explores what it was like to be a woman during that era vs. being a man, and captures everyone's fear of the Soviets at that time.

Although this wasn't my favorite book by this author, I will still read more of her books and always look forward to an intriguing novel with interesting characters.

In 1956 Malibu, starlet Melanie Cole is effected by the Hollywood blacklist. When her reclusive neighbor, a screenwriter, goes missing, she becomes involved in an unexpected mystery.

I wanted to read A Map to Paradise because I love historical fiction and am interested in old time Hollywood. I've never read a novel about the Hollywood blacklist before!

This was a fascinating read. I loved the combination of historical storytelling and mystery. The characters in the book are memorable, and their interactions added a great deal of depth to the story. I enthusiastically recommend A Map to Paradise for other historical fiction fans, and especially for anyone interested in old time Hollywood.

3.5 TY to Net Galley and Berkley for the ARC. What I loved: the setting. I love books set in Cali and Malibu is a favorite. I was also drawn to the old Hollywood/movie industry theme. What I didn't love: I didn't get nearly enough of either one. The story had too many themes, one of which was WWII, for which I was not prepared nor enjoyed.

Thank you UpLitReads & Berkley Pub, #partner, for the finished copy of A Map to Paradise in exchange for my honest review. I borrowed the audiobook from the library.

I have been a fan of Susan Meissner’s books for quite some time and this latest one did not disappoint. A slow-burn mystery that takes us to the 1950s during the height of the McCarthy Era and the Red Scare, I found myself totally transported. This is at the beginning of the decline of Old Hollywood and we see actors & actresses being blacklisted, tensions high and everyone afraid. ⁣
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I loved how Meissner brought this piece of history to life but more importantly, I loved the female friendships she develops as she tells her story. This has always been such a strong part of her storytelling and it really shines here.

In her new novel A Map to Paradise (Berkley, 2025), Susan Meissner’s three protagonists each have reasons for avoiding unwanted attention. It’s late 1956 in Malibu, California. Melanie Cole, a 25-year-old film starlet, has isolated herself in a house rented by her lover and former co-star, an actor who landed on the Hollywood blacklist. Her presence in his life has deemed her guilty by association, and she despairs about her future career. One of the few people she sees is Eva Kruse, her housekeeper, who’s keeping her own secrets: she isn’t the displaced war refugee from Poland she claimed on her immigration papers.

Melanie had used to enjoy chatting with her agoraphobic next-door neighbor, Elwood Blankenship, a talented screenwriter who was in a terrible car accident years earlier. When Melanie and Eva glimpse his sister-in-law, June, digging up his rose garden, with Elwood nowhere to be found, they know something’s wrong.

See full author interview at: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/secrets-and-solidarity-susan-meissners-a-map-to-paradise/

Three women, all with secrets to keep and stories to tell find their lives intersecting in Malibu jay before Christmas 1956. Melanie is a blacklisted actress holed up out of sight dreaming of a comeback. Eva, her maid, is a WWII refugee whose true identity could get her sent back to Europe - and force her to face her actions during the war. June lives next door, caring for her housebound brother in law. One night will bring them together, forging friendship that can get them through anything.

I enjoyed this intriguing story of friendship and resilience set in Hollywood during the 1950s blacklist. With great female friendships, dual timelines, multiple POVs and a bit of a mystery, I was sucked in from the start. It's more of a character driven story but the twists are good and the ending nicely wrapped everything up.

Thanks to PRH Audio and Berkley for the copy to review.

Melanie is basically under house arrest without the actual ankle bracelet after being blacklisted by Hollywood. Her only acquaintance if her housekeeper Ava, and her neighbor Elwood who is agoraphobic. When she and Ava see June, Elwood’s sister in law digging in his rose garden, they question why Elwood is no longer answering.

I did this book on audio and really enjoyed it! I was really suspicious of June from the start when Elwood was suddenly not answering the phone or coming to talk to Melanie at all, something just did not seem right. I ended up becoming very fond all three of our main ladies, Melanie, Ava, and June. Everyone in this book was hiding something and I loved following along to find out what those secrets were. I loved the mystery, the backstory of all the characters, and the scenery throughout this story!

Thank you to @berkleypub for my gifted copy of this book!

I went into this expecting to love it so much. I wish the storylines dived deeper and gave me more substance but still enjoyed reading this historical fiction and would recommend it to all readers.

I really don’t like this writing style. The story is set in the 1950s in Malibu. Three women become friends and discover secrets about each other. I found this storyline to be flimsy and repetitive, with a whole bunch of backstory dumping. Not much in the way of narrative drive.

Fabulous story of three women, all adrift and missing out on life. Eva works as a maid after she comes to California in the post WWII time. She had been living at a displace person's camp and was finally granted a sponsor to go to the USA. Melanie is an actress on the blacklist which was common in the 1950s. June is a widow and pines for a man who doesn't share her longing. In Malibu the women's lives intersect.
This is a creative story which shows the lengths one will go to for love and true friendship.