The Gilded Lily

Nicole Rayburn #5

by Irina Shapiro

Every old house has its secrets, so it comes as no surprise when a relic of a noble Victorian family is discovered in the new home of historical author Nicole Rayburn and her husband Kyle. Curious about the lovely young woman in the sepia photograph, Nicole delves into the history of the family and stumbles on a long-forgotten mystery.

Lily Redmond, daughter of Scotland Yard Superintendent Jason Redmond, vanished without a trace in the spring of 1888. Determined to figure out what happened to Lily, Nicole joins forces with renowned historian Quinn Allenby, whose unique psychic ability might also be required to solve a more recent crime that bears striking similarities to Lily’s disappearance.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Historical

Audible Audio

First published September 5, 2023

About the author

To write a novel was a dream of mine since I was a child. Life, my practical nature, and self-doubt got in the way, so it was decades later that an opportunity to write finally presented itself. I honestly didn't think I had what it takes to write a full-length novel, but once I faced the blank screen and my fingers touched the keyboard, everything disappeared except my characters and their surroundings, and suddenly I knew that this was what I was born to do.

Since then, I've written many books and have enjoyed some positive reviews, but sometimes, when I stop to reflect, I'm still amazed that I'm living my dream.

Follow me on BookBub for discount deals and new release alerts.

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/irina...

Reviews

[Jim Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

Jim Scott

I have read all of your books. I have been a fan since Murder in the Crypt introduced Redmond and Haze. Your writing and character development make these adventures into history the type of book that one can hardly put down. I have also enjoyed the Nicole Rayburn series until I started reading The Gilded Lily.

I was very disappointed when I arrived at page thirty-two and had the whole of Redmond's career laid out. If there will be no more Redmond and Haze books I can understand why you may do this. However, if there are more coming they have been ruined for me. My favorite part of the series was watching the characters grow over the years.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved

I've read all the books by Ms. Shapiro except for the Redmond and Haze novels. I admit that reading this novel awakened an interest in reading those as well. I loved the combination of all the series and characters. It was a nice twist. I really hope to read more novels continuing all the storylines!!

[Jennifer Timko Lofland · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. Victoria Era England collides with present day. An old house undergoing some renovations turns up a sepia photograph of a mysterious women. The photo takes Nicole on a thrilling ride to try and uncover the mystery women’s past. The mystery doesn’t stop there, tragedy strikes at home uncovering an horrid underground business.

[Elaine C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irina Shapiro has delivered another masterfully crafted novel of mystery, love, intrigue and history! She has never failed to draw me into one of her compelling stories. I've read several of her series ... and while reading this one, i was reintroduced to both Quinn Allenby (Echoes of the Past series) and Jason Redmond (Redmond and Haze series) and realize that I'm a little behind on those, as this story is further along in their timelines! I loved the parallel stories of Lily and Edie and how the police handled their disappearances, and their families held on to their hope! I cannot wait to see Ms. Shapiro in future tales!

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it and found the ending to be equally inspiring and for Lily and Micah and horrific for Edie. I find it interesting that the author took all of her main characters from her various series and threw them together. And while I'm intrigued and would like to read the other series I'm not ready to commit to that many books so for now I'll pass. But this series was interesting with unique mysteries to solve and the story telling was easy to follow so definitely worth the read.

[Lauren Conley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but not the best in the series. It didn’t seem to go into the past as much as the other books and it didn’t feel as intense.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do love Irina Shapiro's books. I like the device of sharing chapters alternately between the story of the past and the historians in the present. She has Nicole Rayburn, the historical writer in this series, as the one who, in the books, did the research and wrote the previous books in this series. In this book, Nicole becomes interested in Jason Redmond, American, highly innovative, modern surgeon in the mid 1800s, who inherited an English title - and was one of the principals of the Redmond and Haze mysteries. By the time of this book, he had become superintendent of police in Scotland Yard but retired after his daughter, Lily, disappeared. In modern day, Nicole's husband Kyle has his own !I've changing revelation. He has a sister also disappears. The search for her, also the daughter the Superintendent of police, takes place at the same time as Nicole's research into the Redmond family. I love that Ms Shapiro involves characters from her other series in this book. As well as Jason Redmond, Dr Quinn Allenby and her husband, from the Echos of the Past series appear and help. I very much like Ms Shapiro 's style

[Maryann (Mae) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have thoroughly enjoyed Irena Shapiro's *Readman* and *Haze* books, as well as those by Nicole Rayburn. I initially hesitated to read this one due to a reader review that expressed dislike of the Redmond/Haze series being the topic, but I am very glad that I did, as it is another excellent story. I would also like to commend Ms. Shapiro on her meticulous research. Having lived in Boston, Massachusetts—over half my life in Southie—I frequently visited Shenanigans (though it is sadly closed now), so it was a delightful surprise to see it included. Saint Augustine's makes an appearance as well; thank you for the "tip of the hat" to my home. It was a grand read. To the author, you have cemented my loyalty to your work; anyone who takes the time to fully invest in a work by researching in such detail about the places you put your characters deserves a solid following. Oh, lastly, what a perfect ending all around.

[Brittany Duszczyszyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 5th book to the series and I’m not sure if I just need a change but books 4&5 I have found to be slower. The historical backstory wasn’t really keeping my attention and now having a psychic added to the series it feels like it’s moving from historical fiction to Fantasy… don’t get me wrong I absolutely love fantasy but I’m disappointed it was dropped into this series. It’s feels like it’s taking the east way out, you no longer need to go on an adventure for the clues when you can just get your friend to touch an object owned by that person 🤦‍♀️

The present day story was okay, it’s a very scary reality in this day and age but again I brought this up in the last book review but each book something monumental seems to happen in Kyle’s family. Nicole doesn’t seem to have any skeletons in her closet but Kyle’s life has been riddled with them! It just gets to be too much at some point.

It’s okay not as good as the first couple books but still good

[Samyann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series, as of July 2025, consists of six novels, each audiobook ranging from 11 to 12 hours of listening time. Although the stories stand alone, it's recommended to begin with book one for character development.

Plot. Nicole Rayburn is a successful author in the United Kingdom and the author of each book in the series. Each story Nicole tells is a historical mystery, typically about women navigating and often suffering from the prejudices they faced in the 1800s. When she is not creating these mysteries, we learn about her trials as a writer and wife—most stories stem from events in her life, such as finding an old sepia photo or receiving a research request from a friend. Subplots emanate from her life today, such as COVID seclusion and blackmail.

Narration by Jess Nahikian and production are good, no issues.

Entertaining.

[Patricia Valentine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series is built on the back-and-forth structure between a present-day storyline and one set in the past. Usually, I find myself more invested in one timeline over the other, but in this case, both fell a little short for me.

Neither storyline fully grabbed my attention the way previous books have. The tension and emotional pull just didn’t feel as strong, and I found myself less engaged overall. The ending, in particular, felt rushed. Several finer details seemed glossed over, and I would have liked more time spent tying everything together in a satisfying way.

There’s only one book left in the series, and that’s honestly the main reason I’ll continue. If there were more beyond that, this might have been where I stopped. I’m still hopeful the final installment will bring back the depth and balance that initially drew me into the series.

[ML Carver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I give it 10 Stars?

I love this author, Irina Shapiro! I love the way she writes, the descriptions she creates, the characters she creates. I love how she does her story lines. I started with the Redmond and Hayes series, and then started reading the Nicole Rayburn series. In this book, which is book five of Nicole Rayburn, she tied ALL of her book series together - believeably! It was delightful, surprising, and intensely satisfying. Some of the storylines are from 100 years ago, some of them are current and go back in time. I am flabbergasted by how wonderful the twists, the turns, and the surprises continue to be. If you want some good reads, please try all of these books. Her work is SO satisfying. Looking forward to adding Quinn & Gabe's stories to my library.

[Kymm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last month I finished Irina Shapiro's "Redmond and Haze" series and loved every book in it. So, when I started "The Gilded Lily" and found that Shapiro brought back one of the main characters from the "Redmond and Haze" series and put them as a main storyline in the "Nicole Rayburn" series I was thrilled. Not many authors who've written multiple series' do this, but I enjoy it immensely especially when the cast member being brought back was a favorite of mine in their own series. Here it's Lord/Dr. Redmond and his daughter Lily who was just a toddler when the Redmond and Haze series ended. This series so far has been every bit as good as the rest of Shapiro's books. I love her storytelling ability and can't wait to read the next book in this series. Happy Reading!

[Leah Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this series this has been my favorite so far apart from a few things. The first would be the non stop political statements that are peppered through about the plight of woman today and back then and how unsafe it is to wander the streets. Of course this in some cities and may leave a few woman scared at times to be alone at night it’s annoying to make this political when your story is such a rare outlier and would never happen in real life. Second thing that bothered me is we just forget all of the digging around and research and go straight to a physic that has all of the answers for Nicole’s new book. Thirdly we are not given a total ending for the parallel story from the past just an idea of what is to become of lily. All in all pretty good.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every old house has its secrets, so it comes as no surprise when a relic of a noble Victorian family is discovered in the new home of historical author Nicole Rayburn and her husband Kyle. Curious about the lovely young woman in the sepia photograph, Nicole delves into the history of the family and stumbles on a long-forgotten mystery.
ღ˛° 。* °♥ ˚ • ★ *˚ .ღ

I understand that this was an introduction to the Redmond and Hayes stories, but it didn't detract from the story.
I have to admit I was more interested in the story of Kyle and his sister. The ending was something that you hope will happen in real life.

[Linda Hillyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irina, WOW!! That was truly one of the best books you've written. Lily found her true love, but had to live a lie. Thankfully her father forgives her, but he did write her out of the will.
The way you combined three series into one story.
My question is, are you going to have any more of the Redmond and Haze Series? And the Nicole Rayburn series?
From what I read, sounds like maybe Echoes of the Past might probably return?
Anyways, awesome job with this book.
Can't wait to see what you have next.

[Holly E. Camarda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing story

Irina Shapiro told another amazing, page gripping tale from the past, as well as modern times. I wish she'd spent a little more time speaking of kidnapping for the unspeakable crime of robbing a body of essential things, but this is absolutely a tale well spun. It delves into so many aspects of the human condition, and what people had to do to get by respect my in Victorian England. GOD bless you for writing about what so many fear to speak of, even in modern times.

[Judith Rainbow · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW...What a lovely surprise I had to find Nicole and Kyle Walsh in the same book as Quinn Allenby and Gabe Russell as well as the reference to Haze and Redmond. Have not read the latter book series but a big fan of Quinn and Gabe.
I wanted to make this book last as long as I could at first but my enthusiasm for the characters grew too much to go slow.
Such a great thought of Irinas to merge her famous characters into one book.
Highly recommend this book to anyone who reads Irina's books.
Looking forward to the next Nicole and Quinn collaboration.😉

[Madison Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dove into this one and couldn't put it down! There was just as much suspense on Kyle and Nicole's end as well as Lily's. I loved the new characters brought in, and I'm thrilled to discover Quinn has her own series! I'm only sad. I've just discovered all these books! I love how, through many points of the book, your heart gets ripped out, you have a glimpse of hope, it all shatters, and then the ending always prevails! Beautiful character development through this entire series, and I love it when I can picture a book so effortlessly in my mind.

[Wendy Miklos · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really invested in the historical story, but it wasn’t fleshed out enough. I felt that too much time was given to introducing a lot of new present day characters, and a good portion of the book felt like an episode of a beloved show where the main character went on maternity leave, so side characters had to fill in their absence. The actual historical mystery was very enthralling, but took on a very minimal amount of the book overall. I know the author was including 2 of her other series into the Nicole Rayburn universe, but this book just missed the tone of the previous books.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story

I love this series. I have read all the Nichole Rayburn books and have enjoyed them all. I have also read all, the Redmond and Haze and Echos of the Past books. I really liked the cross over of all three series. The Ecos of the past books are wonderful, but the always end badly for the heroine. The Nichole Rayburn books have a better ending for the heroine and that makes them more enjoyable to read. Please more Nichole and Redmond and Haze.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cleverly, done book, where our author tied in her other series of books into this one. There were two different stories going on in this book. I will admit, I skipped ahead to find out the results of both stories, so I could concentrate on the book as a whole. Some say that's cheating, but I like to say, tomorrows not promised, and I needed to know the end. It was another enjoyable read!

[Shylaja · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Crossover is an Epic

I never thought this could happen. How brilliantly has Irina stitched it all together. The past and present and characters from different genres all string so well together. I am thrilled to bits, happy, sad, and don't know what all at the same time. It's so not easy to think of Redmond and Haze as people who have now died and gone away they are so alive.
I enjoyed it so much, and thank you, dear Irene, for this brilliant brilliant work

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Avid Reader

Wow, Shapiro included a new set of characters who will have their own series, Quinn and Gabe. Quinn is a psychic as well as a historian and anthropologist. She helped Nicole solve the mystery of Superintendent Redmond's daughter. She was also able to tell Nicole and Kyle that his kidnapped sister was still alive. I loved how Quinn was able to go back to Victorian England.

[Connie Mollo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story started off strong with the discovery of an old photo and a family mystery. Nicole was on her way to her next novel. However the story took a curve with a missing half sister of Kyle; Nicoles’s husband. This side story took up valuable space for the true underlying story of the past. Instead of enhancing the story it diluted it. I still felt the book had enough details to keep it interesting.

[Maria Rivas-mc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite what I expected

The Gilded Lily, the first I’ve read in the series, was not quite what I expected - it was better. The author gave herself a lot of balls to juggle but she managed the movement between times and characters so well that I didn’t feel discomfited. The fact that my homeland, Trinidad, got a mention via a character’s origin, definitely added to my delight.
I’ll seek out other Nicole Rayburn stories.

[🌒JFosbookboss🌒 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this author but will be glad when this series wraps up, I’m seeing it through to the end. I love the stories, it’s just the little things that make this series annoying like the authors obsession with Covid. Like my goodness let it go! It was a truly awful heartbreaking time, but I don’t want to be reminded about it in a travel time historical fiction series… it’s in every single book! Ugh!

[Maddie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The thing about this series is that the books are well written and the concepts are interesting, but the execution leaves much to be desired. The author creates a complex narrative with great detail, but seems to fast-forward major plot points. It is also worth noting that there are only so many times that the pregnancy of a young, naive woman can be the focal point of the plot before the series becomes stale.

[M$fortune · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally!!

I liked the first book in this series- 4 stars for me I believe. The rest of the series I wasn't feeling for some reason. After every book I say I'm not going to read the next one but end up reading it anyway. I mean, they're free.

But this book was really good. So I guess I'll keep reading.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addictive

This author gives you a mystery that brings you from the present into the past. She pulls you right in and gives enough of both stories so you never lose interest in anything. I would recommend her for anybody who is looking for an interesting easy read. I am looking forward to reading the next set of stories by Her.