Quillen deBruney is bringing her lyrical, atmospheric, and deeply personal work to Elaine’s Literary Salon on Sunday, Nov. 8, noon-3pm
"Child of June" author brings us her newest novel, "Devils of Forsythe"
Alexandria novelist Quillen deBruney.
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Born and raised in the Midwest, author Quillen deBruney has spent 20 years living and working in the national capital region. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Truman State University and a Master of Arts in public policy from The Johns Hopkins University, Quillen dedicated her life to public service and currently works in the non-profit sector. An avid adventurer, she has visited more than 20 countries on six continents.
“I built my government career through storytelling—distilling complex financial and performance data into narratives that could easily be understood by a variety of audiences,” says Quillen, whose
Quillen’s first novel, Child of June, released in late 2023, was a BookLife Editor’s Pick and garnered praise from Kirkus Reviews for its “lyrical and briskly paced writing,” earning their “Get It” verdict and a feature in Kirkus Reviews Magazine. Her second novel, Devils of Forsythe, was released last month.
She currently lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with two dead houseplants, one highly uncoordinated hound dog, and an embarrassingly large assortment of Jane Austen paraphernalia.
Learn more about her books below and meet Quillen in-person at Elaine’s Literary Salon on Sunday, Nov. 8, noon-3pm, 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, VA• Click here to reserve your free ticket on Eventbrite.com
The agenda for this Sunday’s brunch event:
- Noon: Meet, greet, and order food and drinks from Elaine’s award-winning menu
- 1pm: Our 45-minute interview begins, followed by a 15-minute Q&A with the audience to be produced on our popular podcast and video series
- 2pm: Guests talk with the author, buy the books, and get them signed!
About Devils of Forsythe: a novel — “There’s a darkness in that house. I’ve always thought so.”
In 1916, with war raging in Europe, the American Steel Belt’s melting pot simmers with industry and intolerance, primed to boil over if anyone turns up the heat.
Ada Reilly is no stranger to prejudice; as the first and only woman practicing law in the city, she confronts it every day. So when a prominent couple is murdered and their youngest daughter, nineteen-year-old Cora Blanden, is found blood‑soaked and catatonic at the scene, Ada dives headlong into the case of the decade.
The press sensationalizes the tragedy, and Cora’s sister, Lydia, is happy to sate the city’s desire for scapegoats. But Ada won’t be a pawn in Lydia’s games. As she navigates the animus engulfing her city and works to unearth the truth buried within Cora’s vacant stares, Ada finds an unlikely guide in the Blanden’s young housemaid, Bess. From her place in the shadows, Bess has witnessed the family’s unraveling: the zealotry that governed the household, the sadness that clings to Cora like a shroud…and the darkness that haunted Cora’s childhood.
What critics are saying:
- “Gripping . . . deBruney excels at slow-burning tension” ~BookLife by Publishers Weekly
- “A well-paced, character-driven tale of murder with a rich historical setting. . . .DeBruney’s novel is simultaneously a period piece, a crime yarn, and a feminist parable that manages to still ring true more than 100 years after the events it depicts. ” ~Kirkus Reviews (“Get It”)
- “. . . a grief-drenched novel about the monsters and evils close to home, and our failures to protect the most vulnerable among us.” ~Lacey N. Dunham, author of The Belles
- ” . . .layered and intelligent, with characters who feel like real people with real secrets.” ~Janet Fix, bestselling mystery author and editor-in-chief at THEWORDVERVE
- “In a world of demons and monsters, both real and imagined, attorney Ada Reilly stands out.” ~Tim Wendel, author of Rebel Falls
About 
Child of June — In 1914, Vienna hums with whispers of war. Nationalist tensions are on the rise, the imperial parliament has been suspended, and the heir to the throne has been assassinated. Yet young Ilse Eder lives a life apart, secluded on her brother-in-law’s country estate. Headstrong but unworldly, she finds herself entangled in an illicit romance with the aristocratic Junius von Hess. As Ilse plunges into a world of deception and betrayal, the choices she makes will reverberate across decades.
The woman who rises from the ashes of first love is a far cry from the artless creature Ilse once was. Sophisticated, accomplished, and doggedly disciplined, Ilse holds all Vienna under her spell, even as she builds an unconventional life behind closed doors. No one sees through her exquisitely polished façade. No one, that is, until Junius von Hess comes back into her life.
Veneers of glamor and romance belie a grittier realism at Child of June’s core. In her debut novel, deBruney takes readers on a journey through twenty years of Austrian history. From the onset of World War I through the turbulent interwar years and the fall of the First Austrian Republic, Ilse’s story unfolds as her country slowly unravels.
What critics are saying:
- “. . . an excruciatingly heart-wrenching debut.” ~BookLife by Publishers Weekly (Editor’s Pick)
- “Compelling” ~Kirkus Reviews (“Get It”)
Learn more about the author: quillendebruney.com
