Vanessa Riley




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An Unforgettable Tale of Rebellion, Sisterhood, and Power on the High Seas
 

Praise for Fire Sword and Sea

“Fire Sword and Sea is a tale both timely and powerful... Warrior, liberator, force of nature—Jacquotte, as penned by powerhouse historical fiction author Vanessa Riley, is a heroine for the ages.” — Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author

“In her latest, Riley provides a fresh take on high seas adventure... The research Riley has done on this 1600s saga is truly remarkable... This is one to be savored.” — Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Queen

"Set in the dangerous world of the 17th-century Caribbean, Vanessa Riley introduces us to the brilliant and cunning pirate Jacquotte Delahaye. This is a sweeping, daring tale that, at moments, left me both speechless and breathless. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read. Fire Sword and Sea is pure literary gold." — Victoria Christopher Murray

 

The risks have never been more personal—or more dangerous—in this powerful Regency romance, as a resilient viscountess risks everything for the daughter she loves . . . and the duke she can’t forget.

Katherine Wilcox Palmers, the Viscountess of Hampton, has lost custody of the daughter she secretly bore to Jahleel Charles, now the Duke of Torrance. The bitter court ruling was engineered by the duke himself, but now he is gravely ill. If he dies, Katherine, branded a scandalous bigamist by her late husband’s vengeful family, may never see her child again—unless she makes a bold offer . . . Desperate, Katherine swallows her pride and proposes that she will nurse the Jahleel back to health, serve his every need, and keep up appearances, on one condition: he will secure her a respectable husband to silence society’s gossip. In private, she will be his mistress. . . .  
But Jahleel has plans of his own. Pressured to produce an heir, he resolves to marry someone else. The hereditary blood sickness that plagues them both means Katherine can never be his bride again—no matter how fiercely their old passions reignite.
As dangerous forces gather, composed of those who would erase their child from the peerage for her mixed heritage, Jahleel and Katherine must confront the betrayals and deceptions that tore them apart. To protect their daughter, and fight for the future they were denied, they must jeopardize everything. Especially their hearts.

 

Looking for a Good Frenemy to Lovers Romance?


From the sets of Hallmark's Sense and Sensibility to her southern porch, Vanessa Riley delivers a unique take on Regency Romance. A Wager at Midnight offers a Fresh Perspective on Love, Loss, and Redemption. 

Lists with A Gamble At Sunset and the Betting on the Duke Series:
 

 

Award-winning author Vanessa Riley turns all convention on its head for the first in an enchanting, dazzlingly diverse new Regency romance trilogy featuring a duke, three sisters, and a tantalizing bet with a most desirable reward...

Vanessa Riley Author of Historical Fiction Mystery and Romance
Here are some of the top media outlets who've reviewed Vanessa Riley's work :

    :Atlanta Journal Constitution Amazon Editor's Pick                

Vanessa Riley, here.

 

You are powerful, even when you don’t feel like a superhero. My goal is to embolden and encourage you through my novels, which reclaim and reimagine the true lives of women who dared to dream, explore, and build.

Hello, I am Vanessa Riley, award-winning author and proud recipient of the 2024 Georgia Mystery/Detective Fiction Author of the Year. I write Sagas and Book Club Fiction that brings to life the hidden narratives of Black women and women of color in novels like Island Queen and Queen of Exiles. My stories celebrate strong sisterhoods, diverse communities, and resilience across historical fiction, romance, and mystery genres.

My work has been honored with accolades such as the 2023 Georgia Literary Fiction Author of the Year and featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Publishers Weekly, and The New York Times.

Welcome to this safe space. Here, you’ll find resources for book clubs, researchers, and fellow history enthusiasts. Start with my newsletter, where I share fascinating historical tidbits, laugh-out-loud moments, lifestyle and travel inspiration, and the occasional secret or two.

Let’s embark on this journey together—where stories inspire, history empowers, and community thrives.

 

Sign up for my Newsletter

 

 


Perfect for readers who love Bridgerton with a dark twist—a vibrant historical mystery series that embraces the true diversity of the Regency era.

 
Confessions from beyond the grave throw Lady Worthing into turmoil . . .
 
London, 1807. Lady Abigail Worthing’s marriage of convenience to James Monroe, the Lord Worthing, is over. But James is out of her life quicker than Abigail anticipated when she finds his body in St. James’s Park.
 
Shocked by her husband’s brutal murder, Abigail is determined to catch his killer. But when she discovers that James’s transgressions ran far deeper and darker than she thought possible, Abigail questions her own judgment. Did she make a terrible mistake when solving a past crime, and does the key to James’s death lie in the letters he was writing shortly before his demise?
 
With her neighbor and good friend Stapleton Henderson by her side, Abigail confronts jealousy, resentment, and stunning betrayal that will shake her to her core . . .
 
This sharply observed, captivating Regency mystery series featuring a smart and fearless mixed-race aristocrat heroine with a notorious family history is a must-read for historical mystery fans.

Looking for a Murder Mystery?

Lady Worthing has her deadliest case yet.

An unexpected blizzard strands Lady Worthing, Commander Henderson, and Miss Sewell at Lord Duncan's with his now-houseguests. Suddenly, an evening of fine dining, fine brandy, and insightful debate becomes an inescapable--and deadly--ordeal. The ultimate test for Abigail's skill. One of the dinner guests is found dead in front of the Berkley Square mansion. And when another guest is murdered, Abigail discovers each had received a taunting, prophetic nursery rhyme . . . coincidence, or clues left by a killer on the loose?

The Lady Worthing Series is great for book clubs. Can you beat the sleuth?

 

"Riley continues to dazzle readers with an inclusive, vibrantly fashioned historical setting while also gracefully tipping her literary cap to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (1940) in the form of a cleverly conceived, closed-circle-of-suspects plot and an inventive Regency-era rhyme standing in for the nursery rhyme Dame Agatha employed in her work." – Booklist

 

Some of the Lists Featuring Lady Worthing

  

Sisters AARP          

Learn More About Lady Worthing Mysteries

Sister Mother Warrior

Two women join together to defeat their oppressors and help a nation become free. Based on the true lives of Adbaraya Toya and Marie-Clair Bonheur. Riley was named the 2023 Georgia Author of the Year Awards Literary Fiction Winner for Sister Mother Warrior.

Sister Mother Warrior is a Summer Pick for Starred Review for the following:

 

Library Journal Starred Review  AudioFile Magazine Audible Award Essence List of Top Books  Atlanta Journal-Constitution  USA Today Bookbub Best Historical Fiction        Amazon Editor's Pick for historical fiction, Black historical fiction, Black History, Caribbean History  Historical Novel Society

 

Learn More about Sister Mother Warrior

Library Journal Review - "Riley follows up Island Queen with another sweeping, powerful historical novel based on two remarkable real women."

 

Island Queen

A remarkable, sweeping historical novel based on the incredible true life story of Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, a free woman of color who rose from slavery to become one of the wealthiest and most powerful landowners in the colonial West Indies.

Bookclubs and Booksellers' Picks and Starred Reviews:

 

 

 

New York Times Book Review - "Island Queen provides an incisive interior view of some of the thorniest aspects of West Indian colonial culture. Evocative and immersive, Riley's narrative bears that weight with grace; discovering Dorothy's story is a singular pleasure."

 

Click For More News on Island Queen 

Island Queen has been optioned for an adaptation to Television by Longboat Pictures with Julie Anne Robinson, Adjoa Andoh, and Victoria Fea as executive producers.

 


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