The Ivory City

Emily Bain Murphy

Genre: Historical Mystery

Publisher: Union Square & Co.

Release Date: November 4, 2025

Format:Paperback

Pages:352

The St. Louis World’s Fair, 1904: A miniature city of palaces and pavilions that becomes a backdrop for romance, betrayal—and murder.
Cousins Grace and Lillie have been best friends since birth, despite Grace’s vastly inferior social status ever since her mother married for love instead of wealth. When Lillie invites Grace to the biggest event of the century—the legendary World’s Fair, also known as “The Ivory City”—Grace hopes her fortunes might be about to change.
But when a member of their party is brutally killed at the fair, and suspicion falls on Lillie’s brother Oliver, Grace must prove Oliver’s innocence before her beloved cousins’ family is ruined forever. Along the way, she’ll discover that the city’s wealthy elite—including Oliver’s handsome but irritable friend Theodore—aren’t quite who they appear to be. And amidst the glitz, glamor, and magic of the Ivory City lurks a danger that just may claim her life.

This story starts as a regular historical fiction novel, with a very intriguing setting: Saint Lois at the beginning of the 20th century, and more precisely, the city they created for the 1904 World’s Fair.

Almost immediately, it takes a romance flavour because it’s in the very Grace is part of a disgraced family, yet she still keeps ties with her wealthy cousins, who invite her to the Fair. And there, she meets Theodore, one of her cousin’s closest friends, and a very tense, forced relationship begins.
And for many chapters, the reader is immersed in this story, which is part of a larger view of young people enjoying their lives at the fair. It’s only well into the narration that the story turns into a murder mystery.

But you know, I loved it, because I had time to get to know these characters pretty well, as a group, but also individually. By the time the murder happened, I cared very much about them, including the poor victim.
I particularly became involved with Grace and her predicament. She’s a very resourceful young woman, and she needs to be. For much of the story, she’s in need of money and sometimes goes without eating. Her situation, in contrast with the opulence of the Ivory City, is pregnant with meaning.

I also very much enjoyed that, despite the focus on the mystery, the story still left plenty of space for Grace’s life outside it. Because the story describes a grand painting of the time through the lives of these privileged – and less so – young people. And it really felt like being there, not only for the obvious research that went into the story, but also the vivid descriptions full of details.

The Fair Ground becomes a character of its own, not only because it’s described so very vividly, but also because you can feel that particular festive atmosphere. There’s something hopeful about the Ivory City and I think this is really the heart of the story.

On this note, I loved that the story was set in a time I’m not particularly familiar with because I loved learing bout it. Close enough to my beloved 1920s, it was still very different.

The story opens with the inauguration of the World’s Fair and ends with the demolition of the Ivory City.
I’ll admit I was sad to read the end. Despite the hope in it, it felt melancholy.
And yet, I loved that too.

It starts out like #HistoricalFiction, it leans toward #HistoricalRomance and then turns to #HistoricalMystery. And unusual setting – Sain’t Luis’s 1904 World Fair – it’s a great read.

The Ivory City
Excerpt

“My brother has forced me into a dinner this evening with a family acquaintance who has the personality of wet paper,” Theo said. He shot her a look as she opened her mouth. “Don’t say it,” he added.

“What?”

“Something devastating about how I’ll fit right in.”

“As though I could ever say something to devastate you.”

He snorted and turned away, flushing.

Had she said something in the past that had truly hurt him? The thought confused her. She thought she was the only one with scars borne from his words.

“Besides — wet paper hardly suits,” she said, almost before she could stop herself. “As you’re neither mushy nor do you fall apart easily.”

He turned back to her. “What, then?” he asked, studying her. His eyes were dark and glittering.

“Sandpaper, perhaps.” She reached up, dangerously close to his cheekbone.

“A little rough around the edges, but…”

She trailed off, her hand faltering as she glimpsed Frannie in the distance.

Grace lost her nerve and, at the last moment, drew back. Her face flushed every time she thought about what she had said to Earnest. She had all but accused him of being Harriet’s murder, with no actual proof. And now that evidence on tape had refuted it. She needed to gather up every scrap of pride she had and apologize. To try to mend the damage she’d caused with her meddlesome tongue.

“You don’t need to worry about seeing me home,” Grace said hurriedly, and if Theodore seemed surprised by the abrupt change in subject, he didn’t show. “There’s Frannie Allred coming this way. I need to speak with her.”

The Thursday Quotables  was originally a weekly post created by Lisa Wolf for her book blog **Bookshelf Fantasy** . It isn’t a weekly post anymore, not even for Lisa, but just like her, I still love to share my favourite reads on Thursdays and I still use the original template which included an excerpt.

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