A murder has occurred in the Briarwood House and everyone looks guilty but who is the real guilty party. Each chapter is about one of the ladies in the boarding house and I really enjoyed watching Grace bring out something in each one of the wonderful ladies even though she reveals nothing about herself. I had a feeling about her from the beginning and it was really fun to go through the year that she started in the house and to what was considered the present day of the story. All of this takes place during the Red Scare when everyone was on high alert for Soviet spies. I loved that after each chapter there was a small chapter sprinkled in from the perspective of the house who was brought to life by Grace’s administrations. I also love that people from her other novels make small appearances throughout her books!

Quinn gets all the stars on this one. A story can sometimes get lost in itself when there are multiple POVs. That however is not the case with this one. Quinn gives us five women who each provide readers a glimpse into 1950s America. Each woman is fully fleshed out so that readers are able to 100% connect with them as individuals. Their unexpected unity through their weekly dinner club gives each character a connection to each other that they didn't know they needed or wanted.

The Briar Club is set in a woman's boarding house in Washington DC in the 1950's.Opening with a murder, the reader is then swept back a bit to meet all the boarders and learn a bit about what led them to be living in the Briarwood House.
Grace, a secretive yet charming woman bring the previously lone woman together by beginning a supper club shortly after she moves and it is through her we start to learn more about the boarders and the landlady and her two children.
After the initial murder, it started off a bit slow and took some time to meet each boarder.. some I definitely connected with more than others, but it sure did come together with a bang!

The Briar Club offers a gripping glimpse into 1950s DC through five women in a boardinghouse, where secrets and suspicion mirror McCarthy-era paranoia. With rich characters, historical detail, and mounting tension, this novel perfectly blends period drama with psychological suspense. Perfect for fans of historical fiction and female-driven narratives.

One of my favorite books of 2024! The New York setting, cast of characters, and attention to detail within the time period was amazing. Highly recommend!!

I wasnt able to read and review this one before the publish date but now that I have I gave it 4.5 stars.

I had never read a novel by Kate Quinn, but my friends on Goodreads raved about it and I was overcome by the fear of missing out. Happily, I was not too late to get a review copy; my thanks go to NetGalley and William Morrow, along with my apologies for lateness. From the get go, I could tell this book was too good to speed read, and so I set it aside for a time when I could sink into it and appreciate it. This fall I was able to get the audio version from the library to help me along; narrator Saskia Maarleveld is outstanding, and those that enjoy hearing their books should strongly consider ordering that format.

Our story takes place just after World War II, and it takes place almost entirely within the confines of Briarwood House, a women’s boarding house owned by the selfish, odious Mrs. Nilsson. The book’s prologue comes to us from the point of view of the house, and for a brief spell I wonder whether the house itself will become the main character. It doesn’t, and that’s probably just as well, because the women that rent its rooms, along with Pete and Lina, Nilsson’s two children, fill the story quite nicely, and all are beautifully developed, some more than others, with Nilsson herself being the only truly static character. In fact, I could argue that even the house’s character is developed somewhat.

I seldom do this, but the prologue is so juicy that I’m going to reprint a considerable chunk of it here, because Quinn’s voice—and okay, the house’s—provide a more convincing incentive to read on, than anything I can offer:

If these walls could talk. Well, they may not be talking, but they are certainly listening. And watching…Now its walls smell of turkey, pumpkin pie, and blood, and the house is shocked down to its foundations. Also, just a little bit thrilled. This is the most excitement Briarwood House has had in decades. Murder. Murder here in the heart of sleepy white picket fence Washington, D.C.! And on Thanksgiving, too. Not that the house is terribly surprised by that; it’s held enough holidays to know that when you throw all that family together and mix with too much rum punch and buried resentment, blood is bound to be shed sometimes…This was a very enthusiastic murder, the house muses. Not one moment’s hesitation from the hand swinging that blade…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. It knows something the detective doesn’t. The killer is still very much in this room.

Now that the murder has been mentioned, I must caution you not to identify this story foremost as a murder mystery; it isn’t. The murder doesn’t come till nearly the very end, and the reason that it affects us so deeply is because of the author’s success in making every character here feel tangible and known to us. By the time anyone is enraged enough to swing anything, we know all of these women, or most of them at least, well enough to feel as if they are family. Boarder Grace March is revealed to us more slowly than the other women, but there are reasons for that, and by the end, I may love her best of all. No, this is first and foremost a stellar work of historical fiction.

At the outset, no one knows anyone else. Some are married, waiting for spouses to return from the conflict; some are single; some are professionals. Almost everybody has at least one serious secret. But as they grow to know one another, bonds are established that in some cases are stronger than those of blood relatives.

I won’t go through the plot or describe individual characters; as far as I’m concerned, that would be gilding the lily. Instead, I urge you to get a copy of this outstanding novel in whatever form is your favorite, with a slight nudge toward audio if you’re undecided. Highly recommended!

I have loved Kate Quinn books in the past. This one was interesting and I loved the back story/deep dive into each of the characters, but thought there were too many of them. There were a LOT of issues of the time talked about in this book and because there were so many it felt like none of them really got their full amount of time. Also after we spent a lot of time with each person in their chapter they kind of fell off the page for the rest of the book. Overall it didn't flow very nicely. I did like the found family aspect of all the women at Briarwood House and how they all stuck together at the end. This one gets a 3.5 from me.

Each women at a boarding house takes a chapter or two in this novel about the 1950s. I enjoyed the story, but why were the recipies included? They were out of place and filler.

I recently finished The Briar Club by Kate Quinn, and it completely captivated me. Set in 1950s Washington, D.C., during the height of the McCarthy era, this novel beautifully intertwines suspense, history, and the complexities of female relationships. From the very first scene—a murder at Briarwood House on Thanksgiving Day, 1954—I was hooked.

The story revolves around Briarwood House, a boardinghouse for women, and its residents, each with their own secrets and struggles. There’s Grace March, a mysterious widow and the glue holding the house together; Fliss, a glamorous Englishwoman hiding scars from her past; Nora, whose entanglement with a gangster adds a layer of danger; Beatrice, a former baseball player wrestling with her future; and Arlene, a staunch supporter of McCarthy’s Red Scare. As their lives intertwine, secrets unravel, friendships are tested, and the tension builds toward an unforgettable conclusion.

What I loved most about this novel was Kate Quinn’s ability to bring each character to life. These women are complex, flawed, and utterly relatable, and their individual narratives weave together seamlessly. The book doesn’t just tell a story—it immerses you in the paranoia and societal shifts of the 1950s, offering a richly detailed portrait of a transformative period in history.

The added touch of recipes for the dishes served at Grace’s intimate dinner parties was a charming detail, grounding the suspense with moments of warmth and connection. Quinn’s writing is both evocative and razor-sharp, making the historical setting feel alive while keeping the mystery gripping until the very end.

The Briar Club is a perfect blend of historical fiction and suspense, with a cast of unforgettable characters. I can’t recommend it enough!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In this incredible novel from all-star Kate Quinn, readers join a fascinating cast of characters at a boarding house in Washington, D.C., in 1950, called Briarwood House. Following Grace March, Fliss, Nora, Beatrice, Arlene, and the family running the boarding house at the height of McCarthyism and the changing world for women in postwar America, readers explore these social changes along with these women who form a weekly dinner party in Grace’s room and discover the secrets that each woman is hiding from themselves and from each other. With alternating perspectives, these complex, secretive, and daring women all have the chance to tell their stories and readers can live in their shoes just for a moment -- but a very particular one. With twists and turns and secrets revealing themselves at inopportune times, Quinn has crafted a marvelous historical fiction thriller that fans of her previous books and other historical thrillers will absolutely devour. Impossible to put down because of the incredible characters and the fascinating, interconnective narrative, these characters are complex and well-written, interacting with the world and the social restrictions in fascinating and different ways which only add to their fascinating dynamic in this exciting and thrilling new release.

The Briar House offers a compelling premise set in 1950s Washington, D.C., where a quirky group of women living in a dilapidated boardinghouse form unlikely friendships amidst their personal struggles and secrets. The narrative is framed around Grace March, a mysterious widow who hosts weekly dinners in the attic, slowly drawing in her fellow residents—a troubled cast of characters each dealing with their own pasts and secrets.

The prologue, written from the point of view of the house itself, sets an intriguing tone, adding a layer of suspense and foreboding that hooked me. However, the book's structure, with long chapters dedicated to individual characters, ultimately felt a bit disjointed. While each character’s arc is engaging on its own, the lack of cohesive storytelling left me struggling to see how their stories connected or propelled the larger narrative. It felt more like a series of standalone vignettes rather than a unified story.

Kate Quinn is still an auto-buy author for me even though this wasn't my favorite book of hers.
Rating 3.5 stars (liked it) - rounded down for goodreads.

Quinn's book are always good and this was no exception. Thrilling, mysterious and fun. Loved all the characters and the story Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher!

The Broad Club is a slow burn set in 1950s Washington DC. Its a boarding house where many women live as well as Peter and Linda the children of the grumpy owner. All the historical talks, love affairs and new friendships were especially endearing and kept this reader turning pages. One evening in 1954 there is a murder at the house and you get a narrative fro.m the boarding house. There are seventeen suspects and the mystery slowly unfolds.
I thought this was another example of Kate Quinn's writing abilities. This was incredible.

I enjoyed the different time period of this book as I feel like it is one that is not discussed. Like with most Kate Quinn stories, it really focuses on women and what they went through during this time of the McCarthy era/ Red Scare. I did have a bit of a difficult time really getting into this one primarily because of the long chapters and sections and I felt there wasn't a ton of action happening as compared to her other books. Overall not my favorite from this author, however would still read what she writes!

4.5 stars
Step back to 1954 Washington D.C. Thanksgiving.
Turkey, pumpkin pie and murder. Will one of the characters end in handcuffs?
The house knows…..
Let's meet the Characters:
-Fliss, is a British mother who awaits the return of her doctor husband serving overseas.
-Nora, comes from a family of policemen, is career-driven and works for the National Archives.
-Bea, is a former women's baseball player.
-Claire, a loner saving up to be able buy her own house.
-Arlene, is an unhappy, unlikeable woman, fearful of the threat of communists.
-Reka, an older woman who is a Hungarian refugee.
-Mrs Nilsson's is the boarding house owner and son Pete, along with his sister Lina
-Grace March, a widow who rents the very small apartment 4B. Grace’s weekly attic dinner parties and sun tea become The Briar Club. However, Grace hides a terrible secret of her own.
As details of the Thanksgiving event are revealed, it becomes clear that anyone in the house could be a murderer.

What makes this book a delight is how it captures the era’s societal changes, particularly the evolving roles of women. It's simply fantastic. I love the way that Kate Quinn writes, she pulls you into a well researched saga and keeps you riveted.
The character development is outstanding and I found myself caught up in each one of the character's lives. There are quite a lot of characters but each has their own distinctive voice, so it’s not as hard as you would imagine to keep track of them.
I enjoyed how the mystery of who has been murdered and who is guilty, is an important and intriguing part of the story but it doesn't overshadow the stories of the unique characters and their relationships

Over all: The Briar Club is full of interesting characters, humor, mystery, suspense, friendship, a touch of romance, recipes, intrigue, and an unexpected twist. It's a thought-provoking mystery about friendship in D.C at the height of the McCarthy era.

Quinn is the queen of historical fiction and I always look forward to her novels.
I HIGHLY recommended this book.
Kate Quinn is an auto-buy for me!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Kate Quinn has done it again! All of her books are so detailed and lovely. The Briar Club consists of Grace, Fliss, Nora, Bea, Claire, and Arlene who are all boarders at the Briarwood House in the 1950's. The story opens up with a murder and then goes back and forth between a few years time and each lady gets section of the story so you learn more about their lives and what has led up to the crime.

Whether you've read previous books by Ms. Quinn or if you've just heard of this one, you'll want to give it a try because it's so, so good!

Saskia Maarleveld is marvelous as always! She'll always be one of my all-time favorite narrators!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

The Briar Club dives into the world of 1950s Washington DC set in a cozy mystery. The story starts with a shocking murder at a women's only boardinghouse, Briarwood House. Newest tenant, Grace March helps to bring the house together with her dinner parties. She also helps her fellow neighbors heal from their troubling lives before coming to the Briarwood House. However, she is hiding a terrible secret of her own. A shocking act of violence starts a ripple effect where the Briar Club women start to decide who they can trust and who actually have evil intentions.

All the characters are well established with fascinating backstories with one or two surprises. The book is a fantastic slow burn mystery that cleverly keeps us in suspense.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read this book early!

These are the author's best characters since The Alice Network, in my opinion. Cinematic, intriguing, and a blockbuster ending.

The Briar Club feels like a bit of a departure for Kate Quinn. It's much more in line with her later works than the earlier ones that sparked so many readers to begin following her. I think this is a strong evocation of the McCarthy era and of the place of women in the hunt for communists. That said, I just couldn't connect. I kind of think Quinn needs to take a little break and refocus. She's been putting out new titles at harrowing speed; it may be time to regroup a little. Still enjoyed and will still recommend.