Ella Carey Books in Order

Where to Start with Ella Carey

If you are new to Ella Carey’s emotional, dual-timeline historical fiction, the best place to begin is with her breakout debut, Paris Time Capsule. Inspired by the real-life discovery of a Parisian apartment left untouched for seven decades, this book perfectly introduces Carey’s signature style: meticulously researched history, hidden secrets, and resilient women navigating difficult choices. Alternatively, if you prefer 1940s American settings with a touch of culinary drama, starting with A New York Secret is an excellent entry point into her work.

The Secrets of Paris Series

This series put Ella Carey on the global bestseller lists. While each novel is a standalone story featuring a different set of characters and historical mysteries, they share a common theme of uncovering long-buried secrets in France. Reading them in publication order is highly recommended to fully appreciate how Carey refines her dual-timeline storytelling style.

Note on Secret Shores: While some digital databases and retailers list this 2017 novel as the fourth book in the Secrets of Paris series, it is technically a thematic standalone set in Australia and New York rather than France. However, because it shares the same nostalgic tone and dual-timeline structure, it fits right alongside the trilogy.

• Paris Time Capsule (2014) - Follows Cat Jordan as she inherits a mysterious apartment in Paris that has been locked since World War II.
• The House by the Lake (2016) - Centers on Anna Gallagher as she travels to Germany and France to uncover her grandfather’s wartime past and a hidden estate.
• From a Paris Balcony (2016) - Connects a modern woman's heartbreak with a 19th-century artist's tragic death in Belle Époque Paris.
• Secret Shores (2017) - A thematic companion novel connecting 1940s Australia with 1980s New York through a long-forgotten mystery.

The Daughters of New York Series

This series moves between the high-society glamour of mid-century Manhattan and the war-torn streets of Europe. Unlike the Paris books, the Daughters of New York novels have stronger character connections, making the reading order more significant. You can choose to read them in the order they were published or follow the chronological timeline of the historical events.

Option 1: Publication Order

Reading in publication order allows you to experience the series as Carey originally released it, starting with her culinary WWII drama and moving backward and forward through the era's history.

1. A New York Secret (2021) - Set in 1942, following Lily Rose’s struggle to become a head chef in a male-dominated industry during WWII.
2. The Lost Girl of Berlin (2021) - Set in 1946, following a young journalist navigating the ruins of post-war Berlin and New York.
3. The Girl from Paris (2022) - Starts in 1918, following Vianne Mercier from post-WWI Paris to the fashion world of 1920s New York.
4. The Lost Sister of Fifth Avenue (2022) - Starts in 1938, detailing the lives of two sisters caught in the looming shadow of WWII.

Option 2: Chronological Timeline Order

For readers who want to follow the historical timeline from the end of the First World War through the Great Depression, World War II, and the post-war reconstruction, follow this order:

1. The Girl from Paris (set starting in 1918/1920s)
2. The Lost Sister of Fifth Avenue (set starting in 1938)
3. A New York Secret (set starting in 1942)
4. The Lost Girl of Berlin (set starting in 1946)

The Daughters of Italy Series

Carey’s Italian-focused series brings her signature dual-timeline secrets to the sun-drenched villas of Tuscany and the historic canals of Venice during World War II and its aftermath. These books feature recurring characters and historical links, meaning they should ideally be read in order.

• An Italian Secret (2023) - Explores WWII Tuscany in 1944 and a modern-day American woman uncovering her adoption secrets at a historic villa.
• The Venetian Daughter (2024) - Moves to Venice in 1943, following the character Evelina Messina as she risks everything to protect a Jewish student.
• The Tuscan Villa (2026) - Set in 1945 and 1953, focusing on a woman returning to Italy to save a beloved estate's gardens and solve a wartime disappearance.

Standalone Novels

If you want a complete story without committing to a larger series, Carey has written several highly acclaimed standalone historical novels:

• Beyond the Horizon (2019) - A tribute to the courageous Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) of World War II.
• The Things We Don't Say (2018 / re-released 2021) - A story about art, secrets, and second chances spanning from the 1970s to the present day.
• The Paris Maid (2023) - Set in 1944 and the present day, following a granddaughter investigating whether her grandmother was a French Resistance hero or a collaborator at the Ritz Hotel.

What to Know Before You Start

Ella Carey’s novels are famous for their dual-timeline structures, meaning almost every book alternates between a modern character uncovering a mystery and the historical characters who lived it. Carey does not shy away from the real hardships of the World War II era, but her books ultimately focus on human resilience, romance, and hope rather than grim tragedy. Expect rich details about art, fashion, classical music, and culinary traditions, reflecting the author's own background in classical piano and history.