An Evening with Vanessa Riley

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1 hour 15 minutes
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A n Evening with Vanessa Riley

An authority on the history of Black and other diverse populations in the Regency era, Vanessa Riley's historical romances and fiction have established her as the go-to author for readers looking for stories highlighting multicultural communities, strong sisterhoods, and powerful persons of color. Her Rogues & Remarkable Women historical romance series has landed her on Best of lists at Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, NPR, Oprah Daily, and many more, while earning high praise from fellow authors including Julia Quinn, Sarah Maclean, and Kristan Higgins. Her first historical fiction novel, Island Queen (2021), was a GMA Buzz Pick, Indie Next Pick, and a New York Times Editors' Choice, and television rights have been snapped up by Bridgerton producer Julie Anne Robinson, with Adjoa Andoh named as executive producer.

A bout the Book

Now, Riley returns to bookshelves with MURDER IN DRURY LANE, the second installment of her critically acclaimed Lady Worthing series. Bringing Riley's vivid depictions of the race and class diversity of the Regency-era to the ever-popular genre of historical mystery, the novel follows the strong, clever, and captivating Lady Abigail Worthing, an aristocrat whose skin color and notorious family history have left her with few friends she can rely on. With her husband away indefinitely, Lady Worthing finds respite enjoying plays at the Drury Lane Theatre until she is pulled behind-the-curtain and tasked with solving a murder that suspects a leading advocate of the cause dearest to her heart“”the abolition of slavery within the British empire.

A bout the Author

Vanessa Riley is an award-winning author of historical romance, mystery, and fiction featuring realistic multicultural communities and powerful persons of color. Her works have been reviewed by the Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Publisher Weekly, and the New York Times. Riley, of Southern, Irish, and Trini background, was named the 2023 Georgia Author of the Year Awards Literary Fiction Winner for Sister Mother Warrior. Riley holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering and an MS in industrial engineering and engineering management from Stanford University. She also earned a BS and MS in mechanical engineering from Penn State University. Riley's research skills have helped NASA, GM, Hewlett Packard, and several startups. Yet, her love of history (Caribbean, Georgian, and Regency) and lattes overwhelmed her passion for math and has led to the publication of over twenty titles. A frequent speaker at literary, women's, and STEM events, she lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her military husband and teenage daughter.