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THE LIBRARIES OF THE WORLD MYSTERIES IN ORDER

Trudy's Diary
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Book 1: Trudy's Diary (2019)
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An anthropologist discovers a dark secret from the past when she’s drawn into the contemporary investigation of a shocking double murder. Delve into this “irresistible” mystery within a mystery from bestselling author A. Dianne Reade.

Nebraska Territory, 1865. Young bride Trudy sets up house with her new husband and his children, only to discover that the man she married is not the man she thought he was. Caught in her husband’s web of fear and control, time is running out for her to save herself and the children in her care.

Washington, DC, present day: Anthropologist Daisy Carruthers finds herself ensnared in the investigation of two murders when one of her best friends falls under suspicion. When Trudy’s diary comes into her possession under peculiar circumstances, she becomes obsessed with the young woman’s story. Her efforts to learn more about Trudy lead her to the Library of Congress, where a special collection helps her to unearth the truth about what happened all those years ago and shed light on the diary’s horrifying ramifications.

The Forgotten Muse
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Book 2: The Forgotten Muse (2026)​
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When life-changing events send anthropologist Daisy Carruthers into a tailspin, she flees Washington, DC, for the calm of her late aunt's New York City apartment. But what she finds there is about to make her problems much worse.

 

New York City, 1928. Young, beautiful, Josephine Northrup leaves her drab life behind when she falls for an up-and-coming artist who convinces her to become his creative muse.

 

Before long, she’s trapped in a cycle of violence and dependence with a baby on the way.

 

When several of the artist’s paintings go missing, Josephine swiftly becomes the prime suspect. Separated from her daughter, trapped in a notorious women's prison, Josephine's hopes are quickly fading … then the unthinkable happens.

 

Washington, DC, present day. Already in an alcohol-fueled spiral of anxiety and depression, Daisy Carruthers hits bottom when she learns of her favorite aunt’s death in New York. Hoping to find solace in her memories, she takes refuge in her aunt’s apartment, only to find herself drawn into a maelstrom of suspicion about the death.

 

Daisy’s queries lead her to the old mystery of the artist’s muse from the 1920s. Are the two stories related?

 

The Jefferson Market Library, a former women’s prison, may hold the key to solving both.

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