Kate

Quinn

Bestselling Historical Novelist

Reese’s Book Club Pick

Travels from: Baltimore, MD

“Readers should expect to give up weekend plans once they start any of Kate’s novels.” ― Library Journal

Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. She has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance, before turning to the 20th century with New York Times bestsellers The Alice Network and The Huntress. With authors Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie, E. Knight, Sophie Perinto and Heather Webb, Quinn contributed to an epic collaborative novel on the French Revolution, Ribbons of Scarlet.

In the summer of 2017, Reese Witherspoon selected The Alice Network for her book club, and it was also selected as an Amazon Best Book of the Month, a GoodReads Best Books of the Month, and an NPR Best Book of the Year. The Huntress has earned similar accolades, and was recognized as a February Library Reads pick, a March Indie Next Pick, and one of Marie Claire’s Best Women’s Fiction Books of the Year. The Rose Code, was published in March 2021. Her novel, The Briar Club, was released in July 2024 and was an Amazon #1 bestseller. Kate’s newest novel, The Astral Library (February 2026), is a gorgeously written fantastical adventure where books are not just objects, but doors to new worlds, new lives, and new futures.

Kate is a native of Southern California, and attended Boston University, where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in classical voice. She has always been a history lover, and seeks to show the life, laughter and humanity that runs through our common past. Kate has joined forces with fellow New York Times bestselling authors Kristina McMorris, Stephanie Dray, Allison Pataki, and Madeline Martin to co-host the biweekly video podcast The History Hive Five. Featuring renowned history experts and literary guests revered for in-depth research, the lively show explores secrets of the past—from daring heists and prison escapes to WWII codebreakers and the Soviet Night Witches—with insight, humor, and heart. Learn more at historyhivefive.com.

Kate's Featured Titles

The Astral Library

William Morrow |

February 17, 2026

Literary Fantasy

From New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn comes a gorgeously written fantastical adventure which poses the question: Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? Welcome to the Astral Library, where books are not just objects, but doors to new worlds, new lives, and new futures.

Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike people, books will never let you down. Working three dead-end jobs to make ends meet and knowing college is a pipe dream, Alix takes nightly refuge in the high-vaulted reading room at the Boston Public Library, escaping into her favorite fantasy novels and dreaming of far-off lands. Until the day she stumbles through a hidden door and meets the Librarian: the ageless, acerbic guardian of a hidden library where the desperate and the lost escape to new lives…inside their favorite books.

The Librarian takes a dazzled Alix under her wing, but before she can escape into the pages of her new life, a shadowy enemy emerges to threaten everyone the Astral Library has ever helped protect. Aided by a dashing costume-shop owner, Alix and the Librarian flee through the Regency drawing rooms of Jane Austen to the back alleys of Sherlock Holmes and the champagne-soaked parties of The Great Gatsby as danger draws inexorably closer. But who does their enemy really wish to destroy—Alix, the Librarian, or the Library itself?

Fantasy, Speculative & Science Fiction, Fiction, Romance & Romantasy

The Briar Club

William Morrow |

July 9, 2024

Historical Fiction

The New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye and The Rose Code returns with a haunting and powerful story of female friendships and secrets in a Washington, DC, boardinghouse during the McCarthy era.

Washington, DC, 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 room, 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; policeman’s daughter Nora, who finds herself entangled with a shadowy gangster; frustrated baseball star Beatrice, whose career has come to an end 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 the house apart, the Briar Club women must decide once and for all: who is the true enemy in their midst?

Capturing the paranoia of the McCarthy era and evoking the changing roles for women in postwar America, The Briar Club is an intimate and thrilling novel of secrets and loyalty put to the test.

Bestseller, Civil Discourse & Social Justice, Friendship & Community, Historical Fiction

The Phoenix Crown

William Morrow Paperbacks |

February 13, 2024

Historical Fiction

From bestselling authors Janie Chang and Kate Quinn, a thrilling and unforgettable narrative about the intertwined lives of two wronged women, spanning from the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake to the glittering palaces of Versailles.

San Francisco, 1906. In a city bustling with newly minted millionaires and scheming upstarts, two very different women hope to change their fortunes: Gemma, a golden-haired, silver-voiced soprano whose career desperately needs rekindling, and Suling, a petite and resolute Chinatown embroideress who is determined to escape an arranged marriage. Their paths cross when they are drawn into the orbit of Henry Thornton, a charming railroad magnate whose extraordinary collection of Chinese antiques includes the fabled Phoenix Crown, a legendary relic of Beijing’s fallen Summer Palace.

His patronage offers Gemma and Suling the chance of a lifetime, but their lives are thrown into turmoil when a devastating earthquake rips San Francisco apart and Thornton disappears, leaving behind a mystery reaching further than anyone could have imagined . . . until the Phoenix Crown reappears five years later at a sumptuous Paris costume ball, drawing Gemma and Suling together in one last desperate quest for justice.

Historical Fiction, Military & War

A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii

William Morrow Paperbacks |

August 8, 2023

Historical Fiction

From six bestselling authors, including New York Times bestseller Kate Quinn, comes a vividly imagined novel following the lives of those in ancient Pompeii on the fateful day Mount Vesuvius erupts.

Pompeii was a lively resort flourishing in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius at the height of the Roman Empire. When Vesuvius erupted in an explosion of flame and ash, the entire town would be destroyed. Some of its citizens died in the chaos, some escaped the mountain’s wrath . . . and these are their stories:

A boy loses his innocence in Pompeii’s flourishing streets.

An heiress dreads her wedding day, not knowing it will be swallowed by fire.

An ex-legionary stakes his entire future on a gladiator bout destined never to be finished.

A crippled senator welcomes death, until a tomboy on horseback comes to his rescue.

A young mother faces an impossible choice for her unborn child as the ash falls.

A priestess and a prostitute seek redemption and resurrection as the town is buried.

Six authors bring to life overlapping stories of patricians and slaves, warriors and politicians, villains and heroes who cross each other’s paths during Pompeii’s fiery end. But who will escape, and who will be buried for eternity?

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Short Stories

The Diamond Eye

William Morrow |

March 29, 2022

Historical Fiction

New York Times Bestseller

The bestselling author of The Rose Code returns with an unforgettable World War II tale of a quiet bookworm who becomes history’s deadliest female sniper. Based on a true story.

In 1937 in the snowbound city of Kiev (now known as Kyiv), wry and bookish history student Mila Pavlichenko organizes her life around her library job and her young son—but Hitler’s invasion of Ukraine and Russia sends her on a different path. Given a rifle and sent to join the fight, Mila must forge herself from studious girl to deadly sniper—a lethal hunter of Nazis known as Lady Death. When news of her three hundredth kill makes her a national heroine, Mila finds herself torn from the bloody battlefields of the eastern front and sent to America on a goodwill tour.

Still reeling from war wounds and devastated by loss, Mila finds herself isolated and lonely in the glittering world of Washington, DC—until an unexpected friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and an even more unexpected connection with a silent fellow sniper offer the possibility of happiness. But when an old enemy from Mila’s past joins forces with a deadly new foe lurking in the shadows, Lady Death finds herself battling her own demons and enemy bullets in the deadliest duel of her life.

Based on a true story, The Diamond Eye is a haunting novel of heroism born of desperation, of a mother who became a soldier, of a woman who found her place in the world and changed the course of history forever.

Fiction, Historical Fiction

The Rose Code

William Morrow |

March 9, 2021

Historical Fiction

“The reigning queen of historical fiction” — Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network returns with another heart-stopping World War II story of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park and the spy they must root out after the war is over.

1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of east-end London poverty, works the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart.

1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter–the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together. But each petal they remove from the rose code brings danger–and their true enemy–closer…

Community Reads, History & Biography

Ribbons of Scarlet: A Novel of the French Revolution’s Women

William Morrow Paperbacks |

October 1, 2019

Historical Fiction

“The French Revolution comes alive through the eyes of six diverse and complex women, in the skilled hands of these amazing authors.”—Martha Hall Kelly, New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls

A breathtaking, epic novel illuminating the hopes, desires, and destinies of princesses and peasants, harlots and wives, fanatics and philosophers—seven unforgettable women whose paths cross during one of the most tumultuous and transformative events in history: the French Revolution.

Ribbons of Scarlet is a timely story of the power of women to start a revolution—and change the world.

In late eighteenth-century France, women do not have a place in politics. But as the tide of revolution rises, women from gilded salons to the streets of Paris decide otherwise—upending a world order that has long oppressed them.

Blue-blooded Sophie de Grouchy believes in democracy, education, and equal rights for women, and marries the only man in Paris who agrees. Emboldened to fight the injustices of King Louis XVI, Sophie aims to prove that an educated populace can govern itself–but one of her students, fruit-seller Louise Audu, is hungrier for bread and vengeance than learning. When the Bastille falls and Louise leads a women’s march to Versailles, the monarchy is forced to bend, but not without a fight. The king’s pious sister Princess Elisabeth takes a stand to defend her brother, spirit her family to safety, and restore the old order, even at the risk of her head.

But when fanatics use the newspapers to twist the revolution’s ideals into a new tyranny, even the women who toppled the monarchy are threatened by the guillotine. Putting her faith in the pen, brilliant political wife Manon Roland tries to write a way out of France’s blood-soaked Reign of Terror while pike-bearing Pauline Leon and steely Charlotte Corday embrace violence as the only way to save the nation. With justice corrupted by revenge, all the women must make impossible choices to survive–unless unlikely heroine and courtesan’s daughter Emilie de Sainte-Amaranthe can sway the man who controls France’s fate: the fearsome Robespierre.

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Military & War

The Huntress

William Morrow Paperbacks |

February 26, 2019

Historical Fiction

Instant New York Times Bestseller!

“…compulsively readable historical fiction…[a] powerful novel about unusual women facing sometimes insurmountable odds with grace, grit, love and tenacity.” – Kristin Hannah, The Washington Post

One of Marie Claire‘s Best Women’s Fiction Books of the Year

One of BookBub’s Biggest Books of the Year

“If you enjoyed “The Tattooist of Auschwitz,” read “The Huntress,” by Kate Quinn.” The Washington Post

From the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel, THE ALICE NETWORK, comes another fascinating historical novel about a battle-haunted English journalist and a Russian female bomber pilot who join forces to track the Huntress, a Nazi war criminal gone to ground in America.

In the aftermath of war, the hunter becomes the hunted…

Bold and fearless, Nina Markova always dreamed of flying. When the Nazis attack the Soviet Union, she risks everything to join the legendary Night Witches, an all-female night bomber regiment wreaking havoc on the invading Germans. When she is stranded behind enemy lines, Nina becomes the prey of a lethal Nazi murderess known as the Huntress, and only Nina’s bravery and cunning will keep her alive.

Transformed by the horrors he witnessed from Omaha Beach to the Nuremberg Trials, British war correspondent Ian Graham has become a Nazi hunter. Yet one target eludes him: a vicious predator known as the Huntress. To find her, the fierce, disciplined investigator joins forces with the only witness to escape the Huntress alive: the brazen, cocksure Nina. But a shared secret could derail their mission unless Ian and Nina force themselves to confront it.

Growing up in post-war Boston, seventeen-year-old Jordan McBride is determined to become a photographer. When her long-widowed father unexpectedly comes homes with a new fiancée, Jordan is thrilled. But there is something disconcerting about the soft-spoken German widow. Certain that danger is lurking, Jordan begins to delve into her new stepmother’s past—only to discover that there are mysteries buried deep in her family . . . secrets that may threaten all Jordan holds dear.

In this immersive, heart-wrenching story, Kate Quinn illuminates the consequences of war on individual lives, and the price we pay to seek justice and truth.

Historical Fiction

The Alice Network

William Morrow Paperbacks |

June 6, 2017

Historical Fiction

New York Times and USA Today Bestseller

An NPR’s Best Book of the Year

A Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick!

The 2017 Girly Book Club Book of the Year!

A Summer Book Pick from Good Housekeeping, Parade, Library Journal, Goodreads, Liz and Lisa, and BookBub

In this enthralling novel from New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.

1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She’s also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie’s parents banish her to Europe to have her “little problem” taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she’s recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she’s trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the “Queen of Spies”, who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy’s nose.

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn’t heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth…no matter where it leads.

“Both funny and heartbreaking, this epic journey of two courageous women is an unforgettable tale of little-known wartime glory and sacrifice. Quinn knocks it out of the park with this spectacular book!”—Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of America’s First Daughter.

Community Reads, Historical Fiction

Wings, Women and War Criminals: The History Behind The Huntress

The Alice Network and the Queen of Spies: The Forgotten Female Agents of World War I

The Original Women's March: Celebrating The Women of the French Revolution (Ribbons of Scarlet talk)

Unsung Heroines: Bringing Brave Women of the Past to Life

Shopgirls, Students, and Debutantes: The Female Codebreakers Who Brought Down Hitler

THE DIAMOND EYE: How A Library Researcher Single Mother Became History's Most Effective Female Sniper

THE BRIAR CLUB: Life For Women In The 1950s, From Pillsbury Bake-Off to Red Scare Witch Hunts

“Kate Quinn was a dream to work with. She is kind, funny, and authentic and we had nothing but positive feedback from those who attended online and in person.” — Community College of Baltimore County, 2026

“One attendee remarked that Kate Quinn was “one of the best speakers I’ve ever heard.” Her presentation was thoughtful, engaging, and highly interactive, drawing the audience in with her expertise, wit, and ability to make every attendee feel connected to the conversation.” — West Virginia Book Festival, 2026

“Kate was a fantastic speaker -personable and funny, so engaged with the audience, and generous with her time answering questions and signing books. It was a fantastic event that our audiences absolutely loved.” — Fall for the Book, 2026

“Hosting Kate Quinn for our author visit was truly a highlight for our community. From the moment she arrived, she was warm and approachable. Her talk was insightful, entertaining, and thoughtfully tailored to our community. She spoke about her research process, her inspirations, and the craft of writing, offering both humor and depth. Patrons especially appreciated how generous she was with her time— posing for photos, and personalizing books. Overall, Kate was an absolute joy to host. Her presence elevated the experience for everyone involved, and our patrons are still talking about what a meaningful and memorable evening it was.” — Schaumburg Township District Library, 2026

“Working with Kate Quinn was an absolute delight from start to finish. Foundation for Baltimore County Public Library has had the privilege of hosting quite a few distinguished authors at this point, but Kate stands out as truly exceptional. She was a joy to work with: warm, gracious, and wonderfully generous with her time and attention. On stage, she was everything our audience could have hoped for and more—witty, engrossing, and endlessly fascinating. Kate brought her stories to life with humor, heart, and insight, captivating a sold-out crowd and leaving everyone wanting more. We are deeply grateful for her partnership and could not have asked for a more engaging, charismatic, or thoughtful guest. Kate Quinn made our event unforgettable.” ― Baltimore County Public Library, 2025

“The Historical Book Club of North Carolina was thrilled to host Kate Quinn at our 78th Annual Town Meeting on Books. Her talk was engaging, funny, and insightful. She brings history to life through her strong, inspiring female characters. Kate encouraged us all to contribute, share, and shine, leaving our members both enlightened and energized. We are so grateful for her time with us and cannot wait to see what she creates next!” ― Historical Book Club of NC, 2025

“This is the 23rd year of the Nick Linn Lecture Series. It was a pleasure having Kate Quinn as one of our prestigious authors. The audience was thrilled to have her.” ― Friends of the Library of Collier County, 2025

“Kate Quinn’s visit and presentation were wonderful experiences for everyone involved! Our community was so excited to have her visit, and then she provided a personalized experience to each individual at the VIP reception and the autograph table.” ― Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library, 2024

“Kate in an engaging and charismatic speaker. You can tell she really enjoys the research process and bringing historical figures to life through her books. It was wonderful to have her take part in a “book club exclusive” with our library and spend 1-1 time with some of our book club members. I would highly recommend having her speak at your next library event.” ― Westerville Library

“We would have loved to have Kate Quinn here in Des Moines in person, but hosting her live with 300 of her fans online was an amazing experience as well. She was gregarious, informative, and very funny, answering dozens of questions from her devoted fans in Des Moines.” ― AViD Author Series

“This turned out to be our most well-attended virtual event since we went fully online 18+ months ago. Patrons were very excited to virtually meet the author, many had questions for her, and I know that everyone really enjoyed getting to hear her perspective on the war effort and how she created her characters/backstory, etc.” ― Yakima One Book

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