Thank you Ballantine Books, #partner, for the advanced e-copy of Liberty Street in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: June 16, 2026
Summary:
From the #1 internationally bestselling author of Looking for Jane comes a riveting novel about one journalist’s harrowing journey into an infamous real-life 1960s women’s prison—and the detective who uncovers her story decades later.
1961: Emily Radcliffe works as an editorial assistant at Chatelaine magazine, surrounded by the best women journalists in the country, whose articles tackle the controversial topics no other women’s publication dares to touch. When a bombshell letter from an inmate at the notorious Mercer Women’s Prison lands on Emily’s desk, she senses a scoop that could launch her career as a real, hard-boiled journalist. But after going undercover to investigate the inmate’s shocking claims, Emily discovers that getting into the prison is the easy part; the real challenge will be getting back out….
1996: Unidentified female remains are discovered in an unmarked grave in a small-town Ontario cemetery, and Detective Rachel Mackenzie is tasked with unraveling the mystery. But when the investigation leads her to the now-shuttered Mercer Women’s Prison, Rachel’s own dark history threatens to surface from where she’s kept it carefully buried.
Inspired by true events, Liberty Street weaves back and forth through time to shine a light on mental health, incarceration, and the various “prisons” that hold women captive.
My thoughts:
Why have I waited so long to read this author?? Wow…did this book get under my skin and make me mad! And to think this is based on true events is so infuriating…and yet makes it all the more powerful a read! The ways that women were controlled back in the day has always been of interest to me — and the author deftly explored that here in such a fascinating way. While this also was difficult to read at times, it was still an exceptional read and I loved how we had a mystery in the one timeline (1990s) that led us to the other timeline (1960s). This was a great way to balance the uncomfortable with propelling, engaging plot.
It is so clear the author did her research for this book and the author’s note is just as important as the story itself. This is one historical fiction read that is not to be missed and I cannot wait to read more by her!
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