Stephanie Sullivan: Review

October 20, 2024

TITLE: The Briar Club (audiobook)

RATING: ★★★★

Summary (from Goodreads): A haunting and powerful story of female friendships and secrets in a Washington, D.C. boardinghouse during the McCarthy era.

Washington, D.C., 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, 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; police officer’s daughter Nora, who is entangled with a shadowy gangster; frustrated baseball star Bea, whose career has ended 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 apart the house, the Briar Club women must decide once and for all: Who is the true enemy in their midst?

REVIEW: Kate Quinn has weaved yet another wonderful story, and Saskia Maarleveld has once again done an amazing job as narrator. I hope these two never part ways, because a Kate Quinn novel just wouldn't be the same without Saskia's narration. This novel has so many incredible aspects to it. Firstly, the many characters were all unique in their own way, and it was so much fun getting to know them. Everyone has their own chapter in the book, and you couldn't pick a more varied bunch of people if you tried. I adore how they all bonded in this book and the lasting friendships that were made. Secondly, the addition of the Briarwood House as a "character" was a lovely twist and very interesting. (I mean, how often do you get the viewpoint of a house in a story?) I also love how Kate included recipes from the Briar Club Thursday night dinners. You get it all with this book - mystery, romance, suspense, etc. I laughed. I cried. I sighed. I was even shocked a couple of times and had to pick my jaw off the floor. As always, Kate's writing is superb and unmatched, and Saskia does another extraordinary job bringing all of the characters to life. I'm forever amazed at how she can give a whole cast of characters their own individual voice and sound. I highly recommend The Briar Club to everyone.