All Books by Lee Kelly:
A Note From the Author
I firmly believe in the power of story, and am obsessed with narrative in all its forms: as pure escapism and entertainment; as a means to persuade and connect; story's power and importance to our species' evolution and success on this planet.
Because of my holistic fascination, the subject of my work runs the gamut, and my novels include women's fiction, thrillers and fantasy suspense.
There are some common threads, however, through all my work – themes of family and friendship, a sense of adventure, some thrills and suspense, exploration of self-discovery and self-fulfillment, and lots of action and cinematic-type sequences.
I hope you enjoy your time here and check out some of my work!
The Midnight Show
LISTEN FOR THE LIE meets HACKS in this upmarket mystery set against the 1980s comedy world
By Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne
Synopsis
An immersive, page-turning novel about surviving as a funny woman in the male-dominated world of comedy—and what happens when the most promising female star of her generation disappears.
“An utterly addictive read.”—Amy Tintera, New York Times bestselling author of Listen for the Lie
In the 1980s, women were not supposed to be funny. But when a group of college improv comedians gets the chance to join a new late-night show, it’s Lillian Martin who stands out. The new show was called The Midnight Show and it would air every Friday night, live from New York, and change the landscape of TV and comedy forever.
But first it would change Lillian’s and her friends’ lives. When the show becomes a runaway hit, the cast is thrown into the spotlight. Suddenly, they’re skipping the line at the city’s hottest clubs and posing on the cover of Rolling Stone. Lillian, in particular, seems destined for bigger things—until one winter night in Lower Manhattan, she vanishes, leaving nothing behind but questions. Was Lillian a victim of her own excesses? Was it a mugging gone wrong? Or could she have been killed by someone in her own inner circle?
Forty years later, Lillian’s disappearance has still never been solved. But when a budding journalist looking to examine Lillian’s story from a modern lens begins asking questions, she stirs up decades-old drama—as well as tightly-held secrets some comedy legends would much rather stay buried.
A propulsive story of fame and friendship told through a variety of media—compiled interviews, articles, transcripts—The Midnight Show takes readers behind the scenes of the cutthroat world of comedy in 1980s New York and asks if the rush of getting a laugh is all it’s cracked up to be.
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“Saturday Night Live fans will devour this account of a similar show’s cast drama that spirals into tragedy. Sharp, witty, and totally fresh.”
—People
“In the vein of Daisy Jones & the Six and The Favorites before it, The Midnight Show is told via interviews, articles, and transcripts, a format that never fails to fully immerse us in a very specific moment in time.”
—Marie Claire
“The Midnight Show is an utterly addictive read—I couldn’t stop thinking about it once I started. Kelly and Thorne expertly capture the cutthroat world of late-night comedy in juicy, hilarious detail, with special attention to the women at the center of it all. I loved it!”
—Amy Tintera, New York Times bestselling author of Listen for the Lie
“Dark, dazzling, and impossible to put down, The Midnight Show plunges us into 1980s New York with all its glitter, gossip, grime, and glory and a mystery that refuses to stay buried—an absolute knockout.”
—Chandler Baker, screenwriter and New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Network and The Husbands
“Book clubs, behold your next great read. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll immediately want to talk about it with everyone you know. At times comedic, at times tragic, but always unflinchingly human. A spellbinding, wildly imaginative book.”
—Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, USA Today bestselling author of Till Death Do Us Part and The Girls Are All So Nice Here
“Told through interviews, emails, articles . . . both an engrossing mystery and a convincing depiction of the challenges faced by women in show business in the 1980s. Fans of Daisy Jones & the Six should take a look.” —Publishers Weekly
Read more reviews on Goodreads and BookBub.
From the Blog: Welcome to The Midnight Show! (Book Trailer) | Tag: The Midnight Show
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My Fair Frauds
THE GILDED AGE meets THE STING when two con women team up to take down New York high society
By Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne
Synopsis
A high society fraud and a scrappy swindler team up to take down Gilded Age New York in this tale of intrigue, drama, and female friendship.
The Grand Duchess Marie Charlotte Antonie of Würrtemberg—a turmoil-plagued Germanic nation with closely guarded emerald mines—has taken Gilded Age high society by storm. Little does the upper crust know that Würrtemberg's mines are a sham and its "deposed duchess" is actually a con woman named Alice, a fallen woman out for revenge against the five ruthless robber barons who destroyed her father and left her family in shambles.
Alice's long investment con finally clicks into place when she meets a scrappy magician's assistant named Cora, a drifter who has lofty aspirations of her own, a malleable young lady who proves the perfect debutante pawn to lure in Alice's final, and otherwise unattainable, target.
With the help of insider and society maestro Ward McAllister, among others, Alice and Cora launch into the social season of 1884, scheming their way through grand balls, private dinners, and opera nights, ensnaring Alice's targets one by one. But as they hurtle toward their ultimate swindle, a sprawling orchestrated scheme at their fabricated embassy to rob their targets blind, pressures close in from all sides. Mutiny within the ranks, hidden moles, crises of conscience . . .
This sting is sure to be the event of the season. Or else ruin Alice and Cora both.
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'Kelly and Thorne's latest is a worthy successor to THE STARLETS (2024), a fast-paced, female-led caper with humor, heart, and historical detail. Devotees of TV's The Gilded Age will revel in the sumptuous setting and high-society drama, while fans of feminist caper novels like Kirstin Chen's COUNTERFEIT (2022) and Alex Hay's THE HOUSEKEEPERS (2023) will appreciate the dynamic between Alice and Cora.' -- Booklist starred review
In their follow-up to THE STARLETS, Kelly and Thorne once again demonstrate a rare flair for creating strong bonds of friendship between an unlikely pair of women in an entertaining, character-rich (real-life figures Ward McAllister and Caroline Astor make appearances) historical . . . VERDICT: Fans of HBO's The Gilded Age will fall hard for this entrancing mix of historical fiction and Ocean's Eight-flavored crime caper. -- Library Journal
'My Fair Frauds by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne is everything I hoped for--and more.' -- Jenni L. Walsh, USA TODAY bestselling author of Sonora
'My Fair Frauds” is an absolute triumph--readers will not want to miss the swindle of the season!' -- Jennifer Moorman, USA TODAY bestselling author of The Charmed Library
'Kelly and Thorne prove they are the Queens of Capers!' -- Marie Bostwick, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of The Book Club for Troublesome Women
'This was a delicious escape that entertained me to the last page!' -- Kimberly Brock, bestselling author of The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare
Read more reviews on Goodreads and BookBub.From the Blog: Press Roundup: My Fair Frauds | Tag: All My Fair Frauds Content
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The Starlets
Evelyn Hugo meets The Blonde Identity in this on-the-run adventure
By Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne
Synopsis
Real life is turning out to be stranger than a script for the silver screen.
Summer, 1958. Vivienne Rhodes thinks she’s finally landed her break playing Helen in Apex Pictures’ big-budget Troy epic, A Thousand Ships, an anticipated blockbuster meant to resurrect the failing studio. Naturally, she’s devastated when she arrives on the remote Italian island of Tavalli and finds herself cast as Cassandra—while her nemesis, the fiancée-stealing Lottie Lawrence, America’s supposed “sweetheart,” is headlining instead.
The tension on set, though, turns deadly when the ladies discover that members of the crew are using the production as a front for something decidedly illegal—and that they are willing to kill to keep their dealings under wraps. When the two women find themselves on the run and holding key evidence, Vivienne and Lottie frantically agree to work together to deliver the proof to Interpol, hoping to protect both their lives and their careers.
Staying one step ahead of corrupt cops and looming mobsters, the archrivals flee across the seas. Their journey leads them into Monaco’s casinos, Grace Kelly’s palace, on a road trip through the Alps—even onto another film set, before a final showdown on Tavalli, where the lives of the entire cast and crew hang in the balance. Vivienne and Lottie finally have the chance to be real heroines—to save the day, the film, maybe even each other—but only if they can first figure out how to share the spotlight.
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‘Author duo Kelly and Thorne (THE ANTIQUITY AFFAIR, 2023) return with a new historical thriller set in 1950s Hollywood . . . A fun, madcap romp through old Hollywood with an 'enemies to besties' twist, this book will be a hit with fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid's THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO (2019) and Ally Carter's THE BLONDE IDENTITY (2023).’ -- Booklist Review
'In their second collaboration (after THE ANTIQUITY AFFAIR), Kelly and Thorne brilliantly capture both the glamour and grit of Golden Age Hollywood and then deftly fold this into an entertaining plot imbued with just the right measure of danger . . . Pass the popcorn and settle in for a terrific time with this seamlessly crafted blend of historical fiction and old-school suspense.' -- Library Journal Starred Review
'Kelly and Thorne are a phenomenal duo . . . two brilliant authors with boundless talent and a singularly remarkable voice.' -- Elle Cosimano, New York Times bestselling author of the Finlay Donovan series
'Kelly and Thorne follow up THE ANTIQUITY AFFAIR with a spry and suspenseful crime novel set just after Hollywood's golden age . . . Kelly and Thorne make a clichand eacute;d setup entirely their own, wringing surprising depth from Vivienne and Lottie's mutual thawing without skimping on action or sumptuous descriptions of France and Italy. For movie buffs, this will be as welcome as a cool breeze on a hot day.' -- Publishers Weekly Starred Review
'Lights! Camera! Action! Once again, Kelly and Thorne have created a heart-pounding story of non-stop adventure and irrepressible fun . . . I enjoyed every moment of this 1950s glamorous adventure that whisked me from Hollywood to Italy, with a delightful stop in Monaco to visit America's favorite Princess Grace, and back to Hollywood again with two leading ladies who know who they are and have the courage to chase what they want. A must read!' -- Katherine Reay, bestselling author of THE BERLIN LETTERSRead more reviews on Goodreads and BookBub.
From the Blog: Stars for The Starlets: Starred Reviews
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With Regrets
A “Real Housewives of the Apocalypse” thriller
By Lee Kelly
Synopsis
With Regrets, from author Lee Kelly, is equal parts Big Little Lies and Bird Box, a suburban drama wrapped in a 24-hour survival story at the end of the world, perfect for fans of David Koepp's Aurora.
Seven courses, seven guests, twenty-four hours that will obliterate everything.
When recent NYC-transplant Liz Brinkley and her husband are invited to an exclusive soiree by their neighbor, “lifestyle guru” Britta Harris-Che, Liz’s immediate thought is hell no. Britta is insufferable, and Liz is wary to leave her young children with a barely-teenage babysitter. And yet she RSVPs anyway, trying to extend an olive branch to her withdrawing husband, who seems desperate to get in with the cliquey elite.
They’ve barely made it through their first round of champagne when a “red alert” comes through their phones, and every channel on the television tells the same story: strange atmospheric masses, reported to look like “glimmering clouds,” have been spreading through major U.S. cities and killing anyone they touch. Authorities have just one clear directive: Find shelter. Immediately.
A collective panic seizes the dinner party; all the guests have children at home. In the mad dash to their cars, they see it: a shimmering net floating over the town. The street is littered with wrecked cars and dead bodies. Leaving now is not an option. Instead, the group launches into survival mode, grabbing supplies to take shelter in the hosts’ wine cellar. But everyone has very different opinions about the best plan from there.
Liz becomes increasingly willing to do anything it takes to get back to her children. As the glimmering clouds continue to kill anyone who steps outside, the tensions and suspicions among the party guests near a boiling point. But she begins to realize that there may be others in that cellar even more desperate than she is.
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“This sharply observed survival drama--imagine that Liane Moriarty wrote The Stand--is urgent, biting, and surprisingly optimistic.”
—Shelf Awareness
“You will not want to put this one down.”
—Red Carpet Crash
“Terrifying and poignant.”
—Christina Dalcher, Sunday Times bestselling author of Femlandia and Vox
“Compulsively readable . . . An exciting premise combined with a cast of very relatable characters add up to a book that is impossible to put down.”
—Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties and Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
“A thrilling mix of dystopia, locked-in thriller, and family drama.”
—Darby Kane, bestselling author of The Last Invitation
“By turns harrowing and hilarious, With Regrets is a nail-biting page-turner that brings the apocalypse thrillingly close to home.”
—Jennifer Thorne, author of Lute and Diavola
“Pulse-pounding and wildly original, With Regrets exposes the dark underbelly of suburbia and the true cost of keeping up appearances . . . Lee Kelly has created a thrilling, nuanced, highly entertaining story that readers will find impossible to put down.”
—Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here
Read more reviews on Goodreads and BookBub
On the Blog: Press Roundup: With Regrets featured on fall reading lists
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The Antiquity Affair
A feminist take on Indiana Jones
By Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne
Synopsis
An archaeologist’s estranged daughters.
1907: The dawn of Egyptology is a time of imperialism and plunder, opulence and unrest, and Dr. Warren Ford, esteemed archaeologist, is the man of the hour. His daughters—intellectual Lila, on the eve of her debut as a Manhattan socialite, and nonconformist Tess, who dreams of following in his footsteps—have always lived in his shadow, and their lives couldn’t feel more different. But when a secretive organization seeks to find a lost relic legendary for its dangerous power, it isn’t Dr. Ford they turn to—it’s his two remarkable daughters.
A legendary artifact known as the Serpent’s Crown.
Rumored to reside in the mysterious Tomb of the Five Ladies, the Serpent’s Crown will only be found by solving a seemingly impossible riddle that will open the tomb—and the organization believes that one of the Ford daughters holds the key to deciphering the code. What was supposed to be an elegant debutante ball for elder sister Lila quickly turns sinister when Tess is kidnapped and put on a ship across the Atlantic. When Lila and her father realize that Tess’s life is in danger, they must act quickly to track her down and stop the Serpent’s Crown from falling into the wrong hands.
A puzzle three millennia in the making.
A race for the Crown begins, with Lila and her father in hot pursuit of the organization and Tess. With lives at stake, the fractured family must keep their wits about them, find the artifact, and escape the ruthless men who are also determined to possess the Crown and use it to their own advantage—no matter the cost.
In this women-centered nod to the beloved Indiana Jones stories, The Antiquity Affair is a high-stakes, trans-Atlantic thrill ride, with the page-turning excitement and romance of classic adventure novels and a poignant story of sisterhood at its core.
Perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn, Laurie King, Clive Cussler, and Indiana Jones.
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Release Date: June 6, 2023
Publisher: Harper Muse
Includes discussion questions for book clubs
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“A rollicking tale replete with adventure, romance, mystery, and a sprinkle of the supernatural… A fast-paced and entertaining read that I hope is not the last from Kelly and Thorne.”
— Historical Novel Society
“A deliciously entertaining, swashbuckling adventure…”
— Lori Goldstein, Author of Love, Theodosia: A Novel of Theodosia Burr and Philip Hamilton
“A rousing, page-turning romp across Egypt!”
— Jenni L. Walsh, Author of Call of the Wrens
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A Criminal Magic
Magic is powerful, dangerous and addictive -
and after passage of the 18th Amendment, it is finally illegal.
Synopsis
It's 1926 in Washington, DC, and while Anti-Sorcery activists have achieved the Prohibition of sorcery, the city's magic underworld is booming. Sorcerers cast illusions to aid mobsters' crime sprees. Smugglers funnel magic contraband in from overseas. Gangs have established secret performance venues where patrons can lose themselves in magic, and take a mind-bending, intoxicating elixir known as the sorcerer's shine.
Joan Kendrick, a young sorcerer from Norfolk County, Virginia accepts an offer to work for DC's most notorious crime syndicate, the Shaw Gang, when her family's home is repossessed. Alex Danfrey, a first-year Federal Prohibition Unit trainee with a complicated past and talents of his own, becomes tapped to go undercover and infiltrate the Shaws.
Through different paths, Joan and Alex tread deep into the violent, dangerous world of criminal magic - and when their paths cross at the Shaws' performance venue, despite their orders, and despite themselves, Joan and Alex become enchanted with one another. But when gang alliances begin to shift, the two sorcerers are forced to question their ultimate allegiances and motivations. And soon, Joan and Alex find themselves pitted against each other in a treacherous, heady game of cat-and-mouse.
A CRIMINAL MAGIC casts a spell of magic, high stakes and intrigue against the backdrop of a very different Roaring Twenties.
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“This urban fantasy, always electric, reads like jazz itself.”
– Publishers Weekly
"Reminiscent of The Night Circus with a splash of The Great Gatsby."
– Romantic Times
"Well-crafted and delightfully taut, A Criminal Magic is a wonderful piece of spellwork."
– V.E. Schwab, New York Times bestselling author of A Darker Shade of Magic
"A Criminal Magic is a smart, absorbing read, with a deft take on Prohibition, engaging characters, and an utterly believable and fantastic version of magic that is as splendid as it is dangerous."
– Kate Elliott, author of The Spiritwalker trilogy
"This is a solid, suspenseful, Prohibition-era crime story...a clever and very imaginative variant on a tried-and-true theme."
– Booklist
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City Of Savages
The war left us for dead.
The city ate us alive.
Synopsis
It’s been nearly two decades since the breakout of the Third World War, and Manhattan is now a prisoner-of-war camp ruled by island native Rolladin, who controls the city’s survivors with an iron fist. For Skyler Miller, Manhattan is a cage that keeps her from the world beyond the city’s borders. But for Sky’s younger sister Phee, the Central Park POW camp is the only home she’d ever want.
When strangers arrive in the park, carrying a shocking message, Sky and Phee discover there’s more to Manhattan—and their family—than either of them had ever imagined. As disturbing secrets about the island begin to surface, Sky and Phee have no choice but to break the rules to uncover the full truth of their long-shrouded history. When their quest for answers erupts into violence, Sky and Phee must flee into Manhattan’s depths, where their quest for a better future will force them to confront the island’s dark and shocking past.
Lee Kelly’s gripping debut novel is a pulse-pounding journey through a city that’s as strange as it is familiar, where nothing is black and white, and buried secrets can haunt.
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"Gripping stuff."
– Kirkus Reviews
"Kelly’s prose is gorgeous and brilliant as she seamlessly tells a satisfyingly dark tale through alternating the sisters’ points of view. The two voices of the strong female leads are perfect for showcasing the story of human nature, self-preservation, and the strength of the familial bond. The surprising plot layers will keep readers invested through every twist and turn until the last page. Very dark and violent in places, the story is extremely intense but keeps the shining bond of the two sisters in the forefront. This is one of the best and most original dystopian stories available…an absolute must-have.”
– VOYA, starred review
"Intriguing, exciting and unusual.”
– S.M. Stirling, author of the Change series
"There are plenty of heart-pounding moments in Kelly’s debut, and an abundance of vividly imagined details bring post-apocalyptic New York City to searing life."
– Publishers Weekly
"In Kelly’s debut dystopian fantasy, Red Dawn meets Escape from New York and The Hunger Games....the frantic pacing and nonstop action will keep readers engaged...Expect to hear more from the talented Kelly."
– Booklist
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