The Briar Club by Kate Quinn (Morrow; LJ starred review) is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

 Quinn’s (The Diamond Eye) compelling story of women’s friendships, set against the frightening days of McCarthyism, combines personal stories with real history. In 1954, a Thanksgiving gathering at a Washington, DC, women’s boardinghouse is disrupted. The result is two dead bodies and 17 suspects. The boardinghouse residents and their guests worry about what the police will uncover, because Briarwood House has harbored secrets for at least four years. Mrs. Nilsson, the owner and landlady at Briarwood House, is disliked by all the residents. However, beginning in 1950, when a widow named Grace Marsh moves in, the atmosphere slowly changes. Every Thursday, when Mrs. Nilsson is out, Grace invites everyone to dinner in her tiny room. Residents include a Hungarian refugee, a cop’s daughter who is dating the wrong man, and a secretary to a senator. The women all have a chance to talk about their past while still keeping secrets, but the lives they’ve made might come crashing down as friendships are tested by home invasion and murder. VERDICT This powerful, unforgettable historical mystery is for fans of Mary Anna Evans’s Justine Byrne series and stories with strong women characters.—Lesa Holstine

The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson (S. & S.)

Appeared on the February 2023 LibraryReads list

"Johnson’s latest historical features dialogue that snaps and settings that perfectly evoke 1950s Philadelphia and Washington, DC. Readers will be captivated by this story of two young women who struggle to overcome racism and misogyny to have a family and a meaningful future."—Jodi Prather, Bartholomew County Public Library, Columbus, IN

Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morris (Morrow; LJ starred review)

Appeared on the October 2022 LibraryReads list

“This fast-paced heart stopper is set in Jim Crow Mississippi, where two sisters are on the run after a murder in their town. And as they run, their secrets follow. With pulse-pounding suspense that’s also filled with empathy and hope, give this to fans of historical thrillers such as Lady in the Lake and American Spy.”—Carol Ann Tack, Merrick Library, Merrick, NY

Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman (Morrow)

Appeared on the July 2019 LibraryReads list

"Maddie Schwartz leaves her marriage in 1960s Baltimore and finds her true calling as a reporter after discovering the body of a murdered girl. Desperate for a byline, Maddie triggers a domino effect of tragic consequences when she becomes part of the story instead."—Linda Quinn, Fairfield Public Library, Fairfield, CT