History Lessons

Wallbrook’s delightful debut centers on Daphne Ouverture, a junior professor of European history at the prestigious Harrison University. When Sam Taylor, a high-achieving frenemy from Harrison’s anthropology department, sends Daphne a strange text message about Henri Charrière’s novel Papillion, she’s perplexed and deletes it. Soon after, Daphne learns that Sam has been murdered and her own copy of the book has gone missing. Police detective Asma Ahmed, who’s tasked with solving the crime, has few leads aside from Sam’s cryptic texts to Daphne. Asma asks her ex-partner, Rowan Peterson, who left the force to open a bookstore, to consult on the case, and they come to believe Daphne may be hiding evidence. Then Daphne is attacked in her home by an unseen assailant, and it becomes clear she might be the next victim. Not content to hide out, Daphne decides to solve the crime herself—with help from Rowan—while juggling classes, campus politics, and the shock of discovering that some of her colleagues aren’t who they seem to be. There’s plenty to enjoy about this witty, erudite mystery, including a lovable cast of characters, enlightening historical tidbits from Daphne’s lectures, and a dash of romance. Readers will eagerly await Daphne’s next adventure. Agent: Michelle Richter, Fuse Literary. (July)