When author Emily Bain Murphy visited the Missouri History Museum’s 1904 World’s Fair exhibit in April 2023, she immediately knew she had her next story. “It was the very last weekend before they closed the exhibit for renovations, and I just felt this kind of shimmer, a little nudge,” she says.
That shimmer was the idea for her new historical fiction novel, The Ivory City, out November 4 from Union Square + Co./Hachette. “I saw something there—no spoilers, of course—that I knew I needed to use as part of the murder mystery.”
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The novel, which she describes as Pride and Prejudice meets The Devil in the White City, follows Grace Covington, who is invited by her wealthy cousins Lillie and Oliver to attend the legendary fair. But when a member of their party is killed, suspicion falls on Oliver, and it’s up to Grace to prove his innocence. There’s also a slow-burn romance and plenty of historical tidbits about the fair that made St. Louis the epicenter of the world for eight months.
Murphy is originally from Evansville, Indiana. She’s lived all over the world but has called St. Louis home for eight years now. “It’s the longest I’ve ever lived anywhere, and it just feels like home,” she says. “This felt like my opportunity to write a love letter to the city.”
Getting help from local historians, including Adam Kloppe and Amanda Clark, Murphy started her writing journey for The Ivory Ciity by diving into research about the fair. She discovered many interesting facts along the way, including that there was a sculpture of President Theodore Roosevelt made entirely of butter, and a section of the Pike had live elephants going down water slides.
Murphy also visited Benton Park’s Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion to look for inspiration. The historic home features memorabilia from the fair, such as etched ruby glass souvenirs and rare items given to guests of honor. “I had a wonderful tour with Bill Stanard and his dog, Lulu the corgi. I even gave a shout-out to Lulu in the book,” she says.
“I think the hardest part was when I came across the darker parts of the fair that I was unaware of,” she says. “I talked with Janna Añonuevo Langholz, who has been working for years on capturing the Filipino experience as part of the fair. A huge draw was the Philippine Village, but it was really like a human zoo, and people were not treated well. Janna has done an amazing job tracking down stories and getting a memorial for it in the city of Clayton.”
Through her research, Murphy says, she learned the fair represented some of the worst of humanity—and that needed to be represented in the book, too. “It was important for me to tell this story in a responsible way with integrity that doesn’t ignore that part,” she says. “I always want to leave readers feeling hopeful while also acknowledging there’s a lot of darkness in our world.”
Murphy says it took her about six months to write The Ivory City—the fastest she’s ever written any of her books. (Her previous books include two young adult novels, The Disappearances and Splinters of Scarlet, as well as a mystery, Enchanted Hill.)
And she’s not slowing down. The first book in Murphy’s new middle-grade fantasy trilogy, Lightseekers, is slated for release in March 2026. “It’s called A Kingdom of Shadows, and it’s heavy on adventure with a quick-moving plot,” she explains.
“I’m currently thinking about what my next project will be after Lightseekers, but it’s very much in the brainstorming phase,” she says. “I loved writing about St. Louis and am always on the lookout for another story that I might tell here.”
MORE TO READ
Histories and Mysteries
If The Ivory City is up your alley, check out these other reads handpicked by Novel Neighbor (7905 Big Bend) marketing director Kassie King.
The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis
Featuring a glittering historic mansion full of secrets with a dash of murder, this dual-timeline story paints a picture of New York City in two iconic decades and never shies away from the drama and flaws of the family at its center.
The Sable Cloak by Gail Milissa Grant
An enlightening historical fiction set in St. Louis, this book follows the author’s own prominent Black family during the pre–Civil Rights era. This deeply personal story explores Black history and identity through a lens that many Missourians may not know.
The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson
Set in the author’s small Missouri hometown, this novel delves into a little-known dance hall fire that rocked the community in 1928. A historical mystery full of intrigue and family, we couldn’t believe this was Anderson’s debut.
