This event is free to attend. Seating is first come, first served.
Meet the author, find out about a terrific new book, ask questions and hear directly from the author, and get personalized signed books!
You don't need to have read the book beforehand to enjoy the event, but we do recommend reserving your copy ahead of time: **Click here to order your copy of History Lessons**
Bookshop West Portal is calling all big-hearted mystery-lovers for a lively evening with Zoe B. Wallbrook celebrating her new book History Lessons. Bring your wits and a sense of humor! She will be in conversation with local author Renee Swindle.
"Funny, touching, and extraordinary."--Booklist
"Daphne is smart, competent, and kind . . . A terrific addition to the academic sleuth canon."--Library Journal, Starred Review
A college history professor must solve her superstar colleague's murder before she becomes the next target in this funny, romantic debut mystery, perfect for readers of Kellye Garrett and Ali Hazelwood.
As a newly minted junior professor, Daphne Ouverture spends her days giving lectures on French colonialism, working on her next academic book, and going on atrocious dates. Her small world suits her just fine. Until Sam Taylor dies.
The rising star of Harrison University's anthropology department was never one of Daphne's favorites, despite his popularity. But that doesn't prevent Sam's killer from believing Daphne has something that belonged to Sam--something the killer will stop at nothing to get.
Between grading papers and navigating her disastrous love life, Daphne embarks on her own investigation to find out what connects her to Sam's murder. With the help of an alluring former-detective-turned-bookseller, she unravels a deadly cover-up on campus.
This well-crafted, voice-driven mystery introduces an unforgettable crime fiction heroine.
Zoe B. Wallbrook is a recently tenured professor whose academic research has appeared in outlets such as the New York Times and The New Yorker. She was selected for mentorship by LA Times bestseller Elizabeth Little, and History Lessons, her first novel, was a runner-up for the Eleanor Taylor Bland Award. Zoe’s hobbies include beginning all emails with, “My sincerest apologies for my slow reply,” pretending to understand how astrological signs work, and crying at the end of every Call the Midwife episode. She and her husband live with their stalker, a black lab/pittie mix named Sophie.
Renee Swindle is the author of A Pinch Of Ooh La La, Shake Down The Stars, and Please Please Please (Dial/Dell), which was a #1 Blackboard Bestseller, a Literary Guild Alternate Selection, and was excerpted in Essence. Her most recent novel, Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn (Tiny Reparations Books) is a 2025 Spring/Summer Publisher’s Weekly Buzz Book pick. She lives in Oakland, California.
