About Syrie
“The queen of nineteenth century re-imaginings.”
—Los Angeles Magazine
Syrie: pronounced like the App, but spelled better.
SYRIE JAMES is the author of fifteen critically acclaimed novels of historical fiction, historical mystery, and romance that have been international, USA Today, and Amazon bestsellers and won numerous awards. Her books are published in more than twenty languages.
Syrie loves writing about strong, smart women who overcome daunting obstacles to find truth and justice or achieve seemingly impossible dreams, and the bold, admirable, swoon worthy men with whom they fall in love along the way. A research and story structure maven, Syrie is committed to taking her characters on challenging journeys of growth and discovery.
Although Syrie lives in Los Angeles, she loves All Things English and enjoys setting her novels in the Victorian and Regency eras. (Fabulous gowns! Men in breeches and cravats! Yes, please!) Her latest series, The Audacious Sisterhood of Smoke & Fire, is about bold sister sleuths in Victorian England who are swept up in murder, mystery, Gothic suspense, and romance set in ancient English country manor houses. The series includes the Amazon bestseller The Mysteries of Pendowar Hall, The Secrets of Thorndale Manor, and Danger at Darkmoor Park, which will be released 10/28/25.
Syrie is a huge fan of Jane Austen. Her novel The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen sold at auction to HarperCollins, was an international bestseller, and a Library Journal Editor’s Pick of the Year (starred review). In Jane Austen’s First Love (Library Journal Editor’s Pick) Syrie explores Jane Austen’s real-life romance as a teenager, and her novel The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen (starred review, Kirkus) offers the ultimate Janeite fantasy: the discovery of a long-lost Jane Austen novel.
Jane Eyre is one of Syrie’s favorite novels, and she explores the life, loves, and literary journey of its famous author in The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë, which won the Audiobook Audie Award for Romance and was named a Women’s National Book Association Great Group Read. Syrie’s hot and steamy Victorian historical romance trilogy The Dare to Defy series includes the #1 Amazon bestsellers Runaway Heiress, Summer of Scandal, and Duke Darcy’s Castle.
Syrie’s interest in paranormal suspense inspired her popular romantic thriller Dracula, My Love and the award-winning Nocturne (an Amazon bestseller, Barnes and Noble’s Romantic Read of the Week, Best Novel of the Year by Suspense Magazine and Romance Reviews, and Bookbub’s Best Snowbound Romance). She also writes contemporary romance (Floating on Air and Two Week Deal) and had a fabulous time co-writing the young adult paranormal romance series Forbidden with her son Ryan M. James.
A member of the Writers Guild of America, Historical Novel Society, Dramatist’s Guild, Sisters in Crime, and Jane Austen Society of North America, Syrie has sold many scripts to film and television. Syrie is also a published playwright whose plays, including her award-winning comedy Jane Austen in 89 Minutes, have been produced across North America from Beverly Hills to off-Broadway in New York City, as well as in Canada and Australia. Syrie often performs on stage as Jane Austen, and as a keynote and guest speaker she has addressed dozens of organizations and conferences across the world.
When she’s not writing and reading, Syrie love traveling, attending and directing live theatre, movies, sewing historic costumes, times with family and friends, and gardens and flowers. She has a huge bone china dishware and teacup collection, all the better to drink a cuppa while enjoying her favorite afternoon indulgence–high tea!