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247 ratings | 12 reviews | avg rating:4.13

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Eleanor Birney’s Followers (30)

Eleanor’s Bookshelves

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322 books | 18 friends

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2,061 books | 4,960 friends

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Eleanor Birney

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

https://www.eleanorbirney.com

Genre

Historical Fiction, Mystery

Member Since

August 2015

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Eleanor Birney writes historical mysteries about class, moral ambiguity, and people who aren’t satisfied with life on their side of the green baize door. She holds a BA in History from UC Berkeley and works as a legal research attorney, a day job that feeds her love of precision, research, and puzzles. Growing up in foster care gave her a lifelong fascination with the way society steers people into assigned places—and how some of those people refuse to stay in them. She lives in Northern California with her partner and three young sons.

1 post
Eleanor Birney's Blog

A Case that Stayed with Me

I was browsing through Old Bailey records when I found a case about a widowed, elderly housekeeper named Betty Jeffs. She had been murdered in the servants’ hall of an otherwise empty townhouse. The killing was brutal, but what stood out to me was that the rooms above stairs had reportedly been searched—but not robbed.

The man on trial for the killing was an admitted rogue, but an eloquent one, and Read more of this blog post »

1 like · Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 10, 2025 07:46

Combine Editions
Eleanor Birney’s books

Average rating: 4.04 · 150 ratings · 127 reviews · 2 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Green Baize Door 4.03 avg rating — 147 ratings — published 2026 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A House on the Hill 4.58 avg rating — 3 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

Series by Eleanor Birney

A Green Baize Door Mystery (2 books)
by

Eleanor Birney (Goodreads Author)

4.04 avg rating — 150 ratings

A Green Baize Door Mystery (2 books)
by

Eleanor Birney (Goodreads Author)

4.04 avg rating — 150 ratings

Eleanor is Currently Reading

Eleanor Birney is currently reading

The Door

by Mary Roberts Rinehart

bookshelves: currently-reading, cozy

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Jan 30, 2024 06:44PM

Eleanor Birney is currently reading

The Annotated Big Sleep

by Raymond Chandler

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Sep 26, 2025 02:06PM

Eleanor Birney is currently reading

Blacktop Wasteland

by S.A. Cosby (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jul 19, 2020 06:21PM

Eleanor’s Recent Updates

Eleanor Birney made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Please move my book to my author profile (Eleanor Birney) topic " Hello, I'm the author. My new book is on another Eleanor Birney's profile. Could it be moved to mine? Book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... (A ...more "
Oct 22, 2026 09:54AM
Eleanor Birney made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Cover update to match Amazon: The Green Baize Door (Kindle + paperback) topic " Hello, and thank you in advance. I'm the author (Goodreads Author profile 61680850). The Green Baize Door has a new cover on Amazon. Could the Goodread ...more "
Oct 21, 2026 02:47PM
Eleanor Birney made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — This book is not mine, please move it (part 21) topic " Hi, my new book ended up linked to another author with the same name. My book (ASIN B0HNNBF1PC): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... It is currentl ...more "
Oct 21, 2026 08:33AM
Eleanor Birney made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Cover Update topic " Hello! Can you please update my book cover? Thank you! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... https://www.amazon.com/Green-Baize-Do... ...more "
Jan 27, 2026 08:48AM
Eleanor Birney rated a book it was amazing Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 23, 2026 09:36AM · like
Eleanor Birney rated a book really liked it Outlander (Outlander, #1) by Diana Gabaldon (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 23, 2026 09:35AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Outlander by Diana Gabaldon <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Eleanor Birney rated a book it was amazing Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 23, 2026 09:35AM · like
Eleanor Birney rated a book really liked it Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 23, 2026 09:35AM · like
Eleanor Birney rated a book really liked it The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 23, 2026 09:35AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Eleanor Birney rated a book it was amazing War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 23, 2026 09:35AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Topics Mentioning This Author

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Nothing But Readi...: New to you Authors 2026	51	186	Oct 19, 2026 11:37AM

Eleanor’s Quotes

“The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.”
― Elie Wiesel

tags: activism, apathy, hate, indifference, inspirational, love, opposite, philosophy

42208 likes

“They sicken of the calm who know the storm.”
― Dorothy Parker, Sunset Gun: Poems

tags: calm, excitement, storm, women

890 likes

“This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.”
― Sid Ziff

tags: bad-reviews, book, humorist, misattributed-dorothy-parker, wit

1617 likes

“By the time you swear you're his,
Shivering and sighing.
And he vows his passion is,
Infinite, undying.
Lady make note of this --
One of you is lying.”
― Dorothy Parker

tags: courtship, cynicism, love, lying, passion

1954 likes

“In youth, it was a way I had,
To do my best to please.
And change, with every passing lad
To suit his theories.

But now I know the things I know
And do the things I do,
And if you do not like me so,
To hell, my love, with you.”
― Dorothy Parker, The Complete Poems of Dorothy Parker