The Best Starting Point for Alexandra Joel's Novels
If you are new to Alexandra Joel, the most popular and recommended place to start is her bestselling fiction debut, The Paris Model (2020). This novel perfectly encapsulates her signature style: a rich blend of post-war glamour, high-stakes historical events, real-life celebrity cameos, and deep emotional secrets. Starting here allows you to experience her transition from fashion historian to historical novelist at its finest.
Alternatively, if you prefer to read works in the order they were published to watch her evolution as an author, you can follow the publication order of her novels. Because all of her fiction works are standalone books, you do not need to worry about cliffhangers or strict chronological continuities between them. Each book stands completely on its own, set in a distinct decade with a unique cast of characters.
Alexandra Joel Books in Publication Order
Historical Fiction Novels
Alexandra Joel's historical novels are written as independent stories, but they are unified by themes of independent women seeking their true identities against glamorous backdrops:
- The Paris Model (2020) – Set in the late 1940s, following an Australian woman who becomes a model for Christian Dior in Paris while being drawn into international espionage.
- The Royal Correspondent (2021) – Set in the late 1950s and early 1960s, focusing on an ambitious female journalist from Sydney who moves to London to cover the royal family and becomes entangled in the Profumo spy scandal.
- The Artist's Secret (2023) – A dual-timeline novel set in 1965 Italy and 1987 New York, tracking an art historian who must uncover family secrets in the high-stakes world of international art auctions.
Biographies and Non-Fiction Works
Before launching her career as a novelist, Joel was a prominent fashion journalist and editor. Her non-fiction works reflect this passion for style, history, and family heritage:
- Best Dressed: 200 Years of Fashion in Australia (1984) – A detailed social history analyzing the evolution of style and national identity in Australia.
- Parade: The Story of Fashion in Australia (1998) – An updated, decade-by-decade examination of Australian fashion trends and cultural history.
- Rosetta: A Scandalous True Story (2016) – A biographical memoir investigating the real life of Joel's great-grandmother, who abandoned her family in Melbourne in 1905 to run away with a fortune teller.
Chronological Settings of the Novels
If you prefer to read historical fiction in the chronological order of their historical settings, you should arrange her novels as follows:
- The Paris Model (set in 1947/post-WWII Paris and rural Australia)
- The Royal Correspondent (set in the late 1950s to the early 1960s in Sydney and London)
- The Artist's Secret (the historical timeline begins in 1965 in Italy, before shifting to the contemporary timeline of 1987 in Sydney and New York)
Reading chronologically takes you on a journey through the changing landscapes of the mid-to-late 20th century, starting with the post-war recovery of the late 1940s, moving into the cultural shifts of the Swinging Sixties in London, and ending in the high-society art markets of the late 1980s.
A Deeper Look at the Books
The Paris Model (2020)
Based on a true story, this novel follows Grace Woods, a young woman who leaves her family's sheep station in New South Wales after a shocking family discovery. She travels to Paris and finds work as a mannequin for the legendary Christian Dior. Grace is thrust into a world of elite fashion, socializing with figures like Pablo Picasso, Julia Child, and Jacqueline Bouvier. However, her life takes a dangerous turn when she falls in love with Philippe Boyer, a man involved in international espionage. The book is highly praised for its meticulous details of haute couture and the espionage subplots that keep readers guessing.
The Royal Correspondent (2021)
Set in Enmore, Sydney and London, the book introduces Blaise Hill, a working-class reporter trying to make her mark in a male-dominated journalism industry. When she lands a job covering the royal wedding of Princess Margaret to Anthony Armstrong-Jones in London, she thinks her dreams have come true. However, Blaise is hiding a dark secret from her past—she was a witness to a gangland killing back in Australia. As she covers the royal beat and becomes involved in the social changes of 1960s London, she finds herself caught up in the Profumo spy scandal, putting both her life and career at risk.
The Artist's Secret (2023)
This dual-timeline story splits its time between a young couple in 1965 Italy escaping the pressures of family expectations and the Vietnam War, and Wren Summers, a talented 22-year-old art historian in 1987 Sydney. Wren grew up in a commune with her free-spirited artist mother, Lily. When a professional threat endangers Wren's museum career and reveals a family secret, she travels to New York's auction houses to track down a missing girl who holds the key to her family's past. The novel is a gripping mystery exploring themes of artistic integrity, motherhood, and reconciliation.
Rosetta: A Scandalous True Story (2016)
Although non-fiction, Rosetta reads like a fast-paced novel. Alexandra Joel spent years researching her great-grandmother, Rosetta Raphael, who abandoned her husband and daughter in Melbourne in 1905 to flee to Europe with a Chinese-born fortune teller named Zeno the Magnificent. Re-emerging in Europe as a glamorous, high-society couple, they lived a life of reinvention and deception. This biography is a crucial read for fans of Joel's fiction, as it demonstrates where she draws her fascination with secret identities, glamorous reinventions, and historical family mysteries. The biography was highly acclaimed and has been optioned for a television miniseries.
What to Know Before You Start
Alexandra Joel's background heavily informs her writing style. Her years as the editor of the Australian edition of Harper's Bazaar and Portfolio magazine give her an insider's understanding of fashion, media, and design, which shines through in the wardrobe details of The Paris Model and the journalistic hurdles in The Royal Correspondent.
Furthermore, Joel holds a graduate diploma in Applied Psychology and practiced as a psychotherapist. This background allows her to write complex, psychologically rich characters who struggle with identity, secrets, and family traumas. Readers often note that her protagonists display a level of resilience and psychological depth that sets her work apart from standard historical romances.