The Recommended Reading Order for Audrey Blake
If you are diving into the historical fiction of Audrey Blake (the collaborative pen name of authors Jaima Fixsen and Regina Sirois), your best path is to start directly with the Nora Beady Series. This series follows a continuous narrative arc detailing a pioneering woman's journey through the male-dominated field of 19th-century medicine. Reading these books in sequence allows you to watch the characters grow, mature, and navigate complex personal and professional relationships.
Alternatively, if you prefer World War II espionage and real-life historical spy thrillers, you can read their standalone novel, which requires no prior reading and can be picked up at any point.
The Nora Beady Series in Order
The Nora Beady series focuses on Nora Beady, an orphan raised by an eccentric London surgeon, who develops a rare talent for medicine and surgery at a time when women were strictly barred from the profession. The series is best read in chronological order of publication:
- The Girl in His Shadow (2021): The series begins in Victorian London during the 1840s. Nora Beady has spent her life assisting her eccentric guardian, Dr. Horace Croft, in his private surgery. When a new resident, Dr. Daniel Gibson, joins the practice, Nora's secret medical expertise is discovered, forcing her to choose between safety and her passion for saving lives.
- The Surgeon's Daughter (2022): The story moves to Bologna, Italy. As the only female medical student at the prestigious University of Bologna, Nora faces intense prejudice and institutional barriers. She forms an alliance with a female professor and turns her attention to the revolutionary and dangerous work of improving Cesarean sections.
- All in Her Hands (2026): The third and final installment of Nora's journey returns to London in 1849. Now practicing as Dr. Nora Gibson, she faces professional ruin while attempting to integrate midwives into standard medical hospital settings. Her fight for reputation and equity becomes a battle for survival when a devastating cholera epidemic sweeps through the city.
Audrey Blake's Standalone Novels
For readers looking for a change of setting and era, Audrey Blake has also authored highly detailed standalone historical novels that focus on different historical periods and real-life figures:
- The Woman with No Name (2024): This World War II historical novel is based on the extraordinary life of Yvonne Rudellat, a French woman living in London who joins the British Special Operations Executive (SOE). She goes on to become the first female sabotage agent deployed by the British into German-occupied France, risking everything to support the French Resistance under the code name "Jacqueline."
Where to Start and Practical Reading Advice
The absolute best starting point for Audrey Blake's bibliography is The Girl in His Shadow. It establishes Nora Beady's character, her unique upbringing, and her romantic and professional relationship with Daniel Gibson. Trying to read The Surgeon's Daughter or All in Her Hands first will spoil key character developments, relationship changes, and Nora's career progression.
However, if you are more interested in espionage, suspense, and the home front of World War II, you can safely start with The Woman with No Name. It shares the same meticulous attention to historical accuracy and focus on female empowerment as the Nora Beady books but is completely unrelated in terms of characters, plot, and setting.
Behind the Pen Name: Who is Audrey Blake?
Audrey Blake is not a single author, but rather the creative partnership of two writers: Jaima Fixsen and Regina Sirois. The duo met through an online writing competition and formed a deep friendship despite living 1,500 miles apart (Fixsen in Alberta, Canada, and Sirois in Kansas, USA). They collaborate using video calls and shared digital drafts to seamlessly blend their writing styles. Jaima Fixsen's background in historical research and medical knowledge, combined with Regina Sirois's lyrical storytelling style, allows them to bring complex historical settings to life with exceptional detail and emotional resonance.