The Secret Diary of Rome
A hidden diary. A story that’s waited a hundred years to be told . . .
The Secret Diary of Rome
1960, New York.
Emilia Rinaldi restores broken books for a living. She knows how to bring lost stories back to life.
The one story she cannot repair is her own.
Then an unexpected gift from her late mother arrives — an antique music box containing a faded photograph and a torn page from the diary of Lizzie Siddal, the tragic Pre-Raphaelite muse and wife of Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
Emilia follows the clues to Rome. To an abandoned villa left by a grandmother she never knew. To a collection of rare and beautiful books, hidden in a church crypt through the war . . . And a secret buried for generations.
As Emilia pieces together her own past, Lizzie’s diary reveals another story. Two Rossetti paintings. One genuine. One a flawless forgery.
Separated by a century, the two mysteries are bound together. And when Emilia finally discovers the truth, she must decide whether some stories are meant to be preserved . . . or buried forever.
A spellbinding, dual-timeline historical mystery of family secrets, set between Victorian London and 1960s Rome, is perfect for readers of Kate Morton, Evie Woods, Fiona Davis, and Lucinda Riley.
Joffe Books (Choc Lit) — Publication date: September 1, 2026
Reviews
The Lost Dresses of Italy
Kirkus Reviews
A 19th-century poet and a 20th-century fashion curator are the creative women whose lives intertwine in this mix of fact and fiction . . . While this novel’s two engaging storylines take place in different time periods, the similarities between Marianne and Christina enrich both narratives as each woman confronts threats, danger, and violence during her travels. Fans of Adriana Trigiani will delight in this novel’s Italian flavor, and armchair travelers will relish its detailed accounts of Italian art, architecture, and history. Like a lovingly curated museum exhibit, McLaughlin’s artful novel envelops readers in the artistic endeavors of its characters. History, mystery, and fashion blend in this alluring novel.
Booklist
“Rich with details of two historical periods . . . a compelling tale of two women overcoming different forms of grief.” — Booklist
Historical Novel Society
"The Lost Dresses of Italy is a compelling read, combining fashion, poetry, romance and a murder mystery, set in Juliet and Romeo’s evocative Verona.” —Historical Novel Society
Forever Past
Publishers Weekly
"But even more than the atmosphere-rich suspense, the novel’s strength is in its dealing with the question that tormented Claire her whole long life: Was her reckless, passionate pursuit of Lord Byron ultimately worth it? . . . Fans of this romantic trilogy will be sorry to see it end."
Historical Novel Society
"This is a very enjoyable series; however, the third installment may be read as a stand-alone for those who want to jump in and enjoy a solidly researched mystery filled with fascinating characters—Claire, in particular—and a great location."
A Shadowed Fate
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Ambrose’s excellent sequel to 2018’s Claire’s Last Secret finds Claire Claremont, Mary Shelley’s stepsister, living in near-poverty in 1873 Florence, Italy, with her niece and grand-niece, though her memories of reckless youthful passion provide solace. Claire has kept her valuable letters from Lord Byron and Percy Shelley, which ruthless men in Claire's Last Secret made clear were worth murdering for. Claire’s not out of danger yet. Moreover, she’s learned that her illegitimate daughter with Byron, Allegra, did not die of disease in a convent as she was told decades ago. Accompanied by friends, Claire embarks on a desperate search for Allegra across Italy, but those offering answers are often not what they seem. The surprising revelations that populate the book, mixed with a mood of regret and wistful longing for dead loves, imbue the story with a seductive power. Ambrose ratchets up the suspense over the fate of Allegra and the truth about mad, bad, and dangerous-to-know Byron. Readers will eagerly anticipate the final volume in this trilogy.
Booklist
"The second in Ambrose's Lord Byron Mystery series, following Claire's Last Secret (2018), should draw and delight as many readers as the first."
Claire's Last Secret
Historical Novel Society
"This mystery unfolds beyond expectation. The exposition of the ideas, poems, stories, and philosophies of these famous writers is sheer delight. This is memorable historical fiction that promises more in this planned series."
Booklist
"Ambrose seduces readers with writing as smooth as a lady's silk gown and a plot as suspenseful as the appearance of an unexpected visitor, drawing readers into a realm of creative brilliance, tragedy, and secrets."
Kirkus Review
"Ambrose, author of the Mango Bay mysteries (Coastal Corpse, 2016, etc.), writes in a . . . style that suggests romantic thrillers of bygone days."
Events
"Gulf Coast Live" with Mike Kiniry
https://www.wgcu.org/show/gulf-coast-life/2026-08-03/authors-weigh-in-on-1-5-billion-anthropic-ai-copyright-settlement
Authors weigh in on $1.5 billion Anthropic AI copyright settlement
By Mike Kiniry
Published August 3, 2026 at 12:33 PM EDTLISTEN • 22:24Scott Turow Photo Credit: Audrey Snow Owen For Hachette Book GroupAuthors Marty Ambrose-McLaughlin and Scott Turow.
As Generative AI language models have entered the scene in recent years, a wave of copyright lawsuits has arisen in response, brought by authors and publishers. These lawsuits hinge on whether downloading and ingesting millions of copyrighted books without explicit permission to train Large Language Models constitutes copyright infringement or is protected as fair use.
Authors and publishers argue that it is infringement — particularly when AI developers illegally pirate or copy their books to help train their language models. AI companies argue that reading and learning from text is transformative and therefore falls under fair use.
In one class action lawsuit that was recently settled, the AI Company Anthropic agreed to pay $1.5 billion dollars in a landmark copyright infringement settlement. It's one of the biggest in U.S. history.
There are other similar high-profile cases, including one by publishing houses including Hachette, Macmillan, and McGraw Hill, along with bestselling novelist and former President of the Author's Guild Scott Turow against Meta and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg and another against Google. Those cases are ongoing.
The Anthropic settlement means payments of roughly $3,100 to the authors and publishers of nearly half a million books, including our guests. We have a conversation about that settlement, and other pending cases, and what this all means for the publishing world.
Guests:
Marty Ambrose-McLaughlin is an award-winning author and English instructor at Florida Southwestern State College
Scott Turow is a writer and former attorney. He is the author of fourteen works of fiction, including Presumed Innocent and his most recent, Presumed Guilty which was published in 2025.