The Briar Club

A Novel

by Chan, Vanessa

Downloadable Audiobook - 2024

Readers are transported back to 1945 Malaya (now Malaysia) in this rich, spellbinding saga that follows Cecily Alcantara, a mother who was also an unlikel...Show more Readers are transported back to 1945 Malaya (now Malaysia) in this rich, spellbinding saga that follows Cecily Alcantara, a mother who was also an unlikely spy for Japanese forces during WWII. Ten years prior, a chance meeting with General Fuijwara lured her into a life of espionage. Now, she’ll do anything to save her family. This captivating story shines a light on the dangers of war and the lengths to which we’ll go to save the ones we cherish. Show less

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The Lions of Fifth Avenue

A Novel

by Davis, Fiona

eBook - 2020

New York, 1913. Jack and Laura Lyons have spent the past two years living in an apartment on a mezzanine tucked inside the New York Public Library. Jack i...Show more New York, 1913. Jack and Laura Lyons have spent the past two years living in an apartment on a mezzanine tucked inside the New York Public Library. Jack is the library’s superintendent, while Laura raises their two children and studies journalism at Columbia. Tension builds when valuable first edition books start disappearing and Jack is the suspected thief. Davis then shifts to 1993, when Laura’s granddaughter Sadie is the library’s rare books curator, and a new wave of thefts begin. Davis illuminates the world of special books through keen descriptions of the library and rare book dealers, while leading readers through the twin mysteries of the missing books. Show less

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Broadway Butterfly

A Thriller

by DiVello, Sara

Book - 2023

Manhattan, 1923. Scandalous flapper Dot King is found dead in her Midtown apartment, a bottle of chloroform beside her and a fortune in jewels missing. Do...Show more Manhattan, 1923. Scandalous flapper Dot King is found dead in her Midtown apartment, a bottle of chloroform beside her and a fortune in jewels missing. Dot’s headline-making murder grips the city. It also draws a clutch of lovers, parasites, and justice seekers into one of the city’s most mesmerizing mysteries. Among them: Daily News crime reporter Julia Harpman, chasing the story while navigating a male-dominated industry; righteous NYPD detective John D. Coughlin, struggling against city corruption; and Ella Bradford, the victim’s Harlem maid, closest confidante, and keeper of secrets. Show less

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The House of Eve

by Johnson, Sadeqa

eBook - 2023

1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college, in spite of having a mother more int...Show more 1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college, in spite of having a mother more interested in keeping a man than raising a daughter. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the poverty and desperation that has been passed on to her like a birthright. Eleanor Quarles arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. When she meets the handsome William Pride at Howard University, they fall madly in love. But William hails from one of DC’s elite wealthy Black families, and his parents don’t let just anyone into their fold. Show less

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The Henna Artist

A Novel

by Joshi, Alka

eBook - 2020

1950s Jaipur. Lakshmi Shastri survives a harsh childhood in rural Ajar by running away from an abusive, arranged teenage marriage. Determined to make some...Show more 1950s Jaipur. Lakshmi Shastri survives a harsh childhood in rural Ajar by running away from an abusive, arranged teenage marriage. Determined to make something of herself, Lakshmi parlays her talent for original henna designs and herbal remedies into a successful business, offering henna to high-caste women and discreetly selling contraceptive tea to men with mistresses, including a man named Samir. After her estranged husband tracks her down years later, in 1955, with a sister she didn't know existed, Lakshmi's independence is threatened. Evocative descriptions capture India’s sensory ambience, drawing readers deep into this moving story. Show less

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Lady in the Lake

A Novel

by Lippman, Laura

eBook - 2019

Baltimore in the 1960s is the setting for this historical fiction about a real-life unsolved drowning. Lippman tells the story of Maddie Schwartz, an attr...Show more Baltimore in the 1960s is the setting for this historical fiction about a real-life unsolved drowning. Lippman tells the story of Maddie Schwartz, an attractive 37-year-old Jewish housewife who abruptly leaves her husband and son to pursue a long-held ambition to be a journalist. When the body of Cleo Sherwood, an African-American cocktail waitress, is found in a lake in a city park, Maddie becomes obsessed. The story unfolds from Maddie's point of view as well as that of Cleo's ghost, who seems to be watching from behind the scenes, commenting acerbically on Maddie's nosing around like a bull in a china shop. Added to these are a chorus of Baltimore characters who make vivid one-time appearances: a jewelry store clerk, an about-to-be-murdered schoolgirl, "Mr. Helpline," a bartender, a political operative, a waitress, a Baltimore Oriole, the first African-American female policewoman (these last two are based on real people), and many more. Show less

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Circling the Sun

A Novel

by McLain, Paula

Downloadable Audiobook - 2015

A fictionalized account of real-life aviator and author Beryl Markham in British Kenya in the early 20th century. Beryl marries young when her father's fo...Show more A fictionalized account of real-life aviator and author Beryl Markham in British Kenya in the early 20th century. Beryl marries young when her father's fortunes fall, but is determined to strike out independently as a horse trainer, even though there are no female horse trainers and she's only in her late teens. She succeeds, though her marriage suffers, and finds herself drawn into a love triangle with famed hunter Denys Finch Hatton and writer Karen Blixen. While her successes in the horse-racing business increase, the scandal around her makes her flee to England for a while. Upon her return to Kenya, her need for freedom has further personal consequences, but also leaves her as the first professional female pilot in the world at a time when flying was exceptionally dangerous, and a record-setter for crossing the Atlantic. McLain paints an intoxicatingly vivid portrait of colonial Kenya and its privileged inhabitants. Markham's true life was incredibly adventurous, and it's easy for readers to identify with this woman who refused to be pigeonholed by her gender. Show less

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The Secrets We Kept

A Novel

by Prescott, Lara

Book - 2019

Irina is a Russian-American secretary recruited by the CIA in 1956 for a single purpose: Travel to the USSR and smuggle out the manuscript of Boris Paster...Show more Irina is a Russian-American secretary recruited by the CIA in 1956 for a single purpose: Travel to the USSR and smuggle out the manuscript of Boris Pasternak’s Doctor Zhivago so that it can be published worldwide. Her mentor is veteran spy Sally Forrester, who has much to teach Irina about how to manipulate men. But that’s not all that Irina learns from Sally as they undertake their daring and dangerous mission. Show less

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Lavender House

A Novel

by Rosen, Lev AC

Book - 2022

San Francisco, 1952. Former police inspector Evander "Andy" Mills, bounced from the SFPD for being gay, sits alone at a bar nursing his fifth ma...Show more San Francisco, 1952. Former police inspector Evander "Andy" Mills, bounced from the SFPD for being gay, sits alone at a bar nursing his fifth martini and planning to kill himself; then a woman sits on the bar stool next to him. She introduces herself as Pearl Velez and offers him a job investigating the death of her wife, Irene Lamontaine, of the Lamontaine soap fortune. Intrigued, Andy is introduced to the Lamontaine family and their three servants. He begins his investigation and determines that Irene’s death was murder and that someone in the house is the murderer. Ah, but who? Show less

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The Roaring Days of Zora Lily

A Novel

by Salazar, Noelle

eBook - 2023

In 1924, living in a poor neighborhood of Seattle, Zora Lily Hough is the second oldest of seven children. Her seamstress skills and eye for design ar...Show more In 1924, living in a poor neighborhood of Seattle, Zora Lily Hough is the second oldest of seven children. Her seamstress skills and eye for design are often sought by wealthier women in town, and she dreams of owning a boutique where she can sell her own creations. Zora's childhood friend Rose introduces her to the local nightlife, where Zora discovers great music, makes good connections for her chosen career, and finds love, but not before dealing with many obstacles along the way. Many ideas are touched on, from interracial dating to unjust labor practices to Hollywood glamour, giving the story a fast-paced feeling. Show less

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China Dolls

A Novel

by See, Lisa

Downloadable Audiobook - 2014

San Francisco, 1938. Grace, Helen, and Ruby meet and become instant friends while auditioning as showgirls at the Forbidden City, a Chinese nightclub and ...Show more San Francisco, 1938. Grace, Helen, and Ruby meet and become instant friends while auditioning as showgirls at the Forbidden City, a Chinese nightclub and cabaret. But then the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor happens, and everything changes. The girls soon discover that they each carry secrets that will shake one another to the core. As the world slips further into war and tensions regarding Asian Americans rise, each woman's livelihood, heart, and strength will be tested. Show less

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The Beach at Summerly

A Novel

by Williams, Beatriz

Book - 2023

In 1954 in Massachusetts, Emilia Winthrop receives an unexpected phone call. An imprisoned Soviet spy, convicted years earlier, thanks to Emilia’s testimo...Show more In 1954 in Massachusetts, Emilia Winthrop receives an unexpected phone call. An imprisoned Soviet spy, convicted years earlier, thanks to Emilia’s testimony, has asked to meet with her. The dramatic request brings readers back to 1946 and a tumultuous summer on Winthrop Island, where her family has long served as caretakers for the affluent Peabodys' estate. Emilia is thrilled when childhood friend Nathaniel Peabody, affectionately called Shep, returns after the war. As the two navigate the slow-burn shifts in their now-adult relationship alongside the aftereffects of wartime trauma, Emilia is introduced to Shep’s spirited aunt, who quickly takes Emilia under her wing and encourages her to explore the possibilities of a life beyond the island. Then everything changes when the mysterious Sumner Fox arrives for the summer and seeks Emilia’s help on a research project, drawing her into an intricate, shocking web of espionage. Show less

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The White Lady

A Novel

by Winspear, Jacqueline

eBook - 2023

In 1947, Elinor White lives a quiet life in a village in a cottage in Kent, provided to her for services to her country. She was only 12 in 1916 when she ...Show more In 1947, Elinor White lives a quiet life in a village in a cottage in Kent, provided to her for services to her country. She was only 12 in 1916 when she was trained as a WWI resistance fighter, sabotaging trains and having to kill several German soldiers to protect her sister. She tried to put the past behind her when she taught languages in England years later but was recruited to help the Allies in the next war. Now, she is approached by a neighbour to help his family who is in danger and she resurrects her undercover skills and former intelligence contacts resulting in unexpected personal repercussions. Show less

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