I have not read a Fiona Davis book that I didn’t like. While I am not the most extensive history buff, I love the way she writes historical fiction. Her stories are based on facts, and then she weaves a fictitious tale around them. I have learned so much about New York City landmarks from reading her books.
This book is two stories intertwined. Lillian Carter is a young woman in 1919 who is an artists’ muse but finds herself in a delicate situation. She becomes the private secretary of Helen Frik, the daughter and heiress of industrialist and art patron Henry Clay Frick.
In 1966, English model Veronica Weber finds herself locked in the former residence of the Frick family, caught up in a hunt for clues that will forever change her life.
I savored every moment of this book, and the momentum quickly started building from the start. It was hard to put it down. When I finished the book, I felt like I had been on a speeding freight train since the story never slowed down.
If you like New York City’s history and strong heroines, I would highly recommend this book.

I will post to Goodreads today (11/17) and to Amazon and Instagram on 1/25/22.

The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis is my first book by the author, but it won’t be my last. Her ability to describe the setting and weave a dual timeline story is outstanding and I truly enjoyed this story.

Lillian Carter, better known as Angelica, is struggling to make sense of life and to find her place after the death of her mother due to the Spanish Flu. She thinks she is going in to get a cup of tea one day when she is actually interviewed for a personal secretary position. She is hired by Helen Clay Frick, and begins a job trying †o save money to head to Hollywood, while also hiding her true identity. If she is found, she could be arrested for what many think is her part in the death of her landlord’s wife.

Almost fifty years later, Veronica Weber is an English model in the states for a photo shoot. Her goal is to earn enough money so that her twin sister can be brought back home. When a snowstorm leaves her stranded at the shooting location, The Frick Museum, she finds clues to a long ago designed scavenger hunt. Following the clues will lead her to solving a decades old crime. A crime that involved the famous Frick family Lillian Carter was working for.

This novel builds suspense very slowly. The wait is well worth it because once the pace picks up, it is hard to put this book down. So many of the details given in the beginning become important later on in the story as the reader tries to figure out the mystery and the connections between all of the characters.

I am looking forward to reading this author’s backlist and look forward to whatever she writes next. Thank you to NetGalley, Fiona Davis, and Penguin Group Dutton for the copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I loved this book, loved the storyline and the characters and read this in 2 days thats how good it was. Thank You.

I was so excited to be given the opportunity to read the new Fiona Davis novel before release. A beautifully woven tale of two women in different eras trying to find their way in the world, The Magnolia Palace did not disappoint. Davis has a magical way of incorporating New York City landmarks into her novels. Based around the historic home of Henry Clay Frick in New York City, the history and art references make the house an integral character of the story. A story of love, loss and independence, the characters are relatable as they struggle to find their path towards freedom from the past and pave the way to their futures.

🌸 BOOK / REVIEW 🌸

I just closed my iPad and came directly to #bookstagram to share my thoughts on this incredible book, #themagnoliapalace by @fionadavisauthor. A huge thank you to @netgalley, @shelf.awareness and @duttonbooks for my #ARC #eBook copy!

First off, this is my first book by the author. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? As an avid #historicalfiction reader, I am amazed how many incredible stories from the past are begging to be told. And based on the authors note, this is not 100% accurate, but many elements including information on Henry Clay Frick and his family are true. This book was an absolute delight to read. I loved learning about a figure that is incredibly well known in my hometown, #Pittsburgh, but without all the boring detail. I really really enjoyed this one! ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

A tale of murder, mystery, and love set in the historic Frick mansion. this beautiful book is told in alternating timelines and features two predominant women, Lilly and Veronica. Lilly is an artist's model and one of the most if not the most famous sculpture muse of her time. Veronica is trying to become a famous model herself fifty years later. Both are doing it in order to save and protect others, and both have far more in common than they'd like to admit.

This is an extraordinary tale that wraps you tight into the story and leaves you wanting more! The details of the actual Frick mansion are exquisite, and the small added fictional things fit perfectly into the story and make it far more interesting. Details of the time periods are perfect and not overdone. The story is written seamlessly and easy to follow the alternating timelines . The Love story wrapped inside and perfectly done but not overly focused on. I loved the underlying theme of female empowerment in a time when such wasn't the norm. A woman was open to love yes, but it wasn't the end all be all of her existence. These women had goals and dreams that didn't include a husband or children and were just fine on their own if need be. This was an utterly lovely story and I was truly sad to see it end.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Fiona Davis, and Penguin Group Dutton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I’m a big fan of Fiona Davis, and once again she did not disappoint. Set in the Frick mansion in NYC, the story parallels two young models, set 50 years apart, and the mysteries that the mansion and family hold. I recommend this one to anyone who loves a good NYC historical fiction.

Another historical fiction novel from Fiona Davis who does NYC history so well.

A tale of two women in different times bound by a mystery surrounding the Frick Museum Collection. Lilly is an artist model seeking escape from a police investigation in the 1900s when she stumbles into a job working for Martha Frick as her secretary. Veronica is a would be model in the 1960s who is trapped in the Frick Museum during a blizzard.

The mystery revolves around the loss of a prized diamond but it is more about the Frick family dynamics.. The story is average but as always, Fiona Davis brings a specific landmark to brilliant light. Readers will want to know more about the Fricks and the Collection.

What a wonderful book! I've had a few Fiona Davis books in my TBR pile for a while but after reading the Magnolia Palace, I will definitely be moving those books to the top of the pile!

The Magnolia Palace was an enjoyable read, particularly since I didn't know that much about the "real" side of the story. I think I would have enjoyed it even more if it had been the first book I read by Fiona Davis. It felt a bit formulaic but only because I have read everything else she has written.

All of her books, including this one, spur me to do research on the real people and to learn more so all in all, a worthwhile read !

An absolutely delightful book from beginning to end, Fiona Davis is at the top of her game with her latest historical novel, The Magnolia Palace. The two storylines, one that takes place in 1919, and the other 1966, both feature supermodels. One is an in demand model for sculptors whose likeness can be seen in major artworks all around New York City. Unfortunately, she has become embroiled in a scandal and must go into hiding, ending up at Henry Frick's mansion. The other is an up and coming fashion model from swinging London who has come to Manhattan to do a Vogue fashion shoot at the Frick. How the author intertwines the two stories is a beauty to behold. This is one of the few books where the ending is totally satisfying; it actually left me with a warm and fuzzy feeling!

Fiona Davis has truly done everything right in this book. Believable, personable characters, a logical, well thought out plot, and an intriguing mystery all contribute to a must read for 2022!

Once again, Fiona Davis has taken the reader on a fictional journey with lots of historical facts thrown in. It's almost like stepping into a time machine.

As in previous books by this author, a prominent building in New York City plays a major part. This time it is The Frick Collection. It is a mansion built by the Frick Family, filled with priceless artwork by the masters. Now it serves as an art museum.

Dual timelines, 1919 and 1966. Each era features a young lady, in search of a future for herself. Lillian, in 1919, was a model for sculptures who joins the Frick household as a personal secretary. Veronica, in 1966, a British model on assignment taking place in the Frick mansion.

There is mystery involving the Frick family. There is murder and family tensions. A lot of interesting historical facts are brought out and these become interesting with the use of literary license. As in previous books, Ms Davis has done a lot of research and blends the past with the present very well.

Something else I wish to mention…..I love the word “besmirched”. It's not often that one can find it in a current book. It's a word that seems to have disappeared with the Model T Ford. Always a pleasure to see it pop up, as it did in this book.

I have read and enjoyed all of Ms. Davis' books including this one. After going back and reading my previous reviews, I do think that the books are becoming somewhat formulaic. Most have dual timelines with the protagonist in each timeline following similar paths. I love the fact that each book features a landmark building in New York that becomes as familiar as a character. I love the historical facts presented. It keeps me Googling and learning. I would love to see one of Davis's books go in a different direction, perhaps with only one timeline. The story from the past always seems to be a bit more compelling. But, this is just my observation, the books are all very enjoyable.

Ms. Davis adds a note at the end for the reader. She explains where she changed the time sequence in order for the story to make sense. And, also, an explanation of how she combines fiction with history to make it interesting. A huge amount of research goes into her books.

I loved the ending. There was closure and it was uplifting.
This was a very enjoyable and entertaining read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity with the Advance Readers Copy.

Fiona Davis writes about New York icons and provides truly interesting historical information about these icons. The Magnolia Palace is no different, and is set at The Frick Museum in duo timelines of 1919 and 1966. Fiona Davis writes in such a way that you feel like you are a part of the book. Both timelines are written so seamlessly and then both storylines are brought together at the end in a way I didn't foresee. Fiona Davis really brings to life what New York City was like after the World War I ended and when the city was hit with the Spanish Flu. Then you are transported to 1966 with its different way of living free. and viewing life. Fiona Davis demonstrates that she thoroughly researched the history of the Frick family and its many secrets. She then created a fast-paced story filled with history, mystery and romance. Her beautifully written prose moves the stories along. I enjoy reading Fiona Davis' books and learning more about the icons in New York. I have read all of her books and look forward to her next historical adventure! I was very excited to receive an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In Fiona Davis’s novels, the deus ex machina moment occurs at the beginning. And in the middle. And at the end. Though the remarkable coincidences that propel the plot-within-a-plot structure require some suspension of disbelief, her deeply researched portraits of people and places effectively transport and immerse the reader, while also transmitting a good deal of historical and cultural fact. In the case of Magnolia Palace, which takes largely place in the home of Gilded Age industrialist Henry Clay Frick (today the Frick Collection), Davis introduces readers to Frick’s eccentric, strongminded, and independent daughter, Helen Clay Frick, as a young woman in 1919, and to the story of Audrey Munson, in the form of the fictitious character, Lillian Carter, who (in the first of the aforementioned instances of deus ex machina) is swept into the Frick home as private secretary to Helen Frick through a misunderstanding that saves Lillian from the threat of implication in her domestic abuser and sexual harasser landlord’s murder of his wife. Despite her (entertainingly) imperious, capricious, and insecure boss, Lillian manages to succeed in her role, thereby also temporarily escaping her scandalous past as Angelica, an artist’s model for an enormous array of public art, including the fountain at the Plaza hotel, the Manhattan Bridge, and a frieze on the Frick mansion. As always, Davis artfully captures historical detail about the period’s architecture, art, culture, the political and economic climate, and the constrained status of women, at the same time making the reader want to learn more about the time and personalities depicted. This includes both Munson (the real-life artist’s model for the Beaux Arts works noted above, and ultimately nearly 25 sculptures in New York City and “three-fifths of the sculptures for the Panama–Pacific International Exposition held in San Francisco in 1915,” according to the New England Historical Society), and Frick (who became the world’s wealthiest single woman upon her father’s death and is known for having catalogued her father’s art collection and establishing the Frick Art Reference Library). The less compelling parallel plot set in the 1960s within what had by then become the Frick Collection features Veronica, an English fashion model of the day, and a college-age intern at the Frick. It contains a clever device to introduce the reader in a quick but detailed way to interesting pieces in the Frick Collection. Overall, it is an engaging and interesting book that covers a lot of ground on parallel tracks, and then, as with all Davis novels, it all comes together in the end. Fans of Davis’s previous work will enjoy this one, too, and upon finishing, will eagerly look forward to her next book.

This is a very readable book of historical fiction. Full of lush descriptions and vivid characters, this book is a split timeline between 1919 and 1966. All of it occurs in NYC in the Frick Mansion. I enjoyed googling the building and seeing who and what the author was describing. It’s a little predictable toward the end, but only because the storyline is built so well. I enjoyed the touch of intrigue.

I read an ARC for an honest review.

One of the things that I love about Fiona Davis’ books is how she weaves together historical fiction and mystery, it is what makes her an auto-read author for me. The Magnolia Palace, like Fiona’s previous books is hard to put down once the mysteries come to light.

I also like how her books always have dual timelines that are somehow connected, and in this book we are taken to 1919 and 1966. As someone who majored in art, I loved that this book focused on the Frick family and the Frick Collection in Manhattan. The 1919 storyline, which follows the Frick family and Helen Frick’s private secretary Lillian, was my favorite. Lillian is hiding a secret from the family and those around her, she is the model known as Angelica who is the muse for many artist. While I did enjoy Veronica and Joshua uncovering Frick secrets in the 1966, I couldn’t wait to revisit 1919, those chapters for me were much stronger. There was so much to be uncovered in that timeline and I loved learning about the family and following along on Helen and Lillian’s journey. I loved the twists this book took, especially with the answer to a secret I didn’t see coming!

Anyone who's read and loved a Fiona Davis book will love Lillian and Veronica and The Magnolia Palace! It has Davis's signature New York City focus with two timelines meeting. I've always heard bits about the Fricks and it was such fun to dive in deeper and learn and imagine so much. It even spurred me to look up certain paintings so I could see them as I read the story. I'm inspired to visit the Frick collection!

Fiona Davis has written another wonderful historical fiction novel. This one is again set in 2 different eras, but the stories transition beautifully. Lillian Carter is being sought wrongly for a charge of murder when she lands a job at the Frick mansion. 50 years later Veronica Weber ends up by chance at the Frick mansion and lands in the middle of a decades old mystery. Davis' writing enables you to picture life in New York in 1919 and 1969. Lovely!

A fascinating book into the history of the Frick collection. The contrast between the 2 leading characters kept the book moving at a fast pace. I like how the past and the present related to one another.
Would highly recommend to anyone interested in historical fiction and the art world. A very captivating and page turning book. Was excited to keep picking it up to find out the ending!

I am such a fan of Fiona Davis and she has done it again - when I finally get to NYC I will base my itinerary around seeing the various buildings she has incorporated into her novels!

The Magnolia Palace had me googling away about many things and to me that is a sign of a great read - piques my curiosity of new facts that I want to research more. Fans of Fiona Davis will not be disappointed!