There's something about museums that always makes me feel right at home, so I was instantly drawn to this captivating novel. The atmospheric storytelling created such a cozy reading experience despite spanning across continents. This book was a fantastic journey weaving between past and present, from the bustling streets of New York City to the ancient wonders of Cairo.

I was completely invested as Charlotte Cross (an archaeologist) and Annie Jenkins (a museum assistant) teamed up to locate a missing artifact and unravel an ancient mystery. Their partnership brought both expertise and fresh perspective to the investigation, making their discoveries all the more satisfying. The author's attention to historical detail and museum protocols added an authentic layer that museum enthusiasts will particularly appreciate.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

I love Fiona Davis and this newest book did not disappoint!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is a historical masterpiece that every historical fiction fan will love and enjoy.

This book wasn’t what I was expecting, but it was still a fun read. I was invested in the stories of Charlotte, a former-archaeologist and current museum curator at the Met Museum, and Annie, a young woman who recently became an assistant for the Met Gala. Their lives become entangled when a stolen artifact shows up at the Met, and a different artifact is stolen from the Met.

Based on the description I had thought there would be some supernatural aspects, such as the supposed curse of Hathorkare, but this wasn’t really the case. Everything that happens was caused by real, living people. It was still intriguing, though, and I enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on, who the thieves were, and how Charlotte’s past tied in with her present.

The ending seemed a bit abrupt, and the answers came a bit too easily in regards to Charlotte’s past and her family, but the journey to get there was fun. I also enjoyed the topic of repatriation, and the question of when it’s acceptable or not.

Overall I’d give this book 3.75 stars.

Charlotte Cross works diligently as an associate curator at the Met. Tragedy stains her past, but she keeps it quietly behind as she works a beloved job, enjoys a slightly dull, but steady romance and lives her live.
Annie, only 18, is just starting out, with a much more tumultuous life, has been relied on heavily by her mother for financial and emotional support has achieved a opportunity to work as assistant to the organizer of the Met Gala,
And somehow these two very different women's live collide on one disastrous night when a valuable artifact goes missing on the night of the Met Gala.
Spurred into action Charlotte returned to Egypt, a place she once was happiest and lost the most, to find the stolen queen and to find answers. Accompanied by Annie, desperate to clear her name for the part she unwittingly played in the theft, the two explore Egypt together.
As always with Davis, this was a wonderfully researched and delightfully told story, crossing timelines and in this case, continents. I loved Charlotte and Annie's burgeoning friendship, despite always being so worried about for Annie! She seemed a bit naïve for all that she had been through in her life so far, and I just wanted good things for her (yes I got attached!)
Despite the ending feeling a bit rushed, I felt satisfied that it was all tied up nicely.

Thank you to NetGalley for an E-Arc in return for my honest review.

This book was a fantastic journey between past and present, New York City and Cairo. Charlotte Cross (an archeologist) and Annie Jenkins (a museum assistant) team up to find a missing artifact and solve an ancient mystery. 4.5 Stars!!

Wow! This book has everything. I’m not usually a historical fiction fan but this kept my attention the entire time. As a big fan of Egyptian history, I loved going to Egypt with the characters and learning about the digs that happened years ago.

1936; Charlotte Cross is a student in New York City, who gets an offer of a much desired spot on an archeological digging site in Egypt's ancient Valley of The Kings. She accepts the offer, and during the time at the valley, she stumbles on an ancient found. And she gets in a relationship with Henry, and they get a daughter, Layla. But later on, tragedy strikes when World War Two is on the brink of breaking out, and Charlotte, Henry and their baby Layla have to flee back to New York by a ship, a ship that lands in terrible weather and that slays Henry and Layla overboard..
Heartbroken Charlotte's live is never the same, and back in New York she is hospitalized in a psychatric hospital after her tloss and trauma, but she starts a new life and gets a job as an associate curator at New York's Metropoltan Museum of Art department of Egyptian Art, where she does research on Hathorkare; a female pharaoh overseen by most other Egyptologists as unimportant which she certainly wasn't.

New York 1978; Annie Jenkins gets to work for the former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who is in the middle of organzing the prestigious and famous Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art.

The evening of the Gala, everything goes wrong; Annie is asked to pick up a box at the Museum of Natural History, presuming that the box contains life butterflies, as Diana really wanted butterflies at the gala. But instead, the box contains moths, which is devastating as the box opens and the costume and fashion exhibition, is swarmed by moths at the gala evening, and Annie gets the blame. To make matters worse, on the same evening in the midst of all the moths swarming around, the light falls out and One of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts , and ancient Egyptian Queen statue goes missing. Annie and Charlotte spot a man with an ankh necklace, who violently threatens them and then runs away. Charlotte discovers asuspicious lead to who might be behind this incident and wants to travel to Egypt, where the lead links to, also to find out if Henry and Layla are still alive, as their case never was really closed Still a suspect, Annie joins Charlotte on her travel to Egypt, and a journey full of danger begins..

Fiona Davis has written a new masterpiece again! Just like all her other books, The Stolen Queen takes places in a sigificant and famous New York City landmark building, this time the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And just like all her other books, the storyline and characters are both magnificent. The drama in the story builds up slowly, and at first I thought this book probably was one with less drama and mystery then the previous books of Fiona Davis. But the storyline really takes off after the incidents during the Met Gala. I truly didn't see this coming and this surprise effect was truly good! The book travels back and forth during past, during Charlotte's time in Cairo in the 1930's to the present, where we meet Annie and Annie meets Charlotte. This really worked for the story, and I though that the story got better and better and more thrilling, especially in the final parts there where some major plot twists that where truly had a wow-effect. And the ending, it truly is good!

Overall, this is another fabulous book in the already long line of fabulous line of books by Fiona Davis. I absolutely enjoyed reading it and found it highly entertaining and thrilling, and I recommend it!!

Fiona Davis is back! As a longtime fan of Davis, I have a certain expectation. *The Stolen Queen* by Fiona Davis is a slick, glamorous dive into historical intrigue, but it doesn’t always stick the landing. The dual timelines are compelling, but some twists feel more like gentle curves—you see them coming. Davis’s knack for weaving history with fiction is undeniable, but the mystery lacks the gut-punch impact it promises.

This is not my favorite Davis novel by far, but I have pretty hefty standards.

3.5 stars rounded down to 3 stars.

I’ve read many books by this author, and this does not disappoint. Well written -lot, characters and prose. Highly recommend for readers of historical fiction.

With a dual timeline (1936 and 1978), two characters (Charlotte and Annie) and two cities (New York and Cairo) weaves the story of Egyptian artifacts and a piece that gets stolen from The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art-known as The Met. It weaves the fashion aspect and the Met Gala too.

I enjoyed the book but found some aspects just too far fetched and not possible along with struggling with some of the Egyptian terms and history of the pharaohs. But I also learned a lot and enjoyed learning about something I knew little about. 3.5 stars for me.

I have been a fan of Fiona Davis’s historical fiction novels for many years. Her novels all take place in historic buildings in New York City and weave real history with fiction to deliver captivating reads! Her latest novel, THE STOLEN QUEEN, may be my new favorite of her books!

It’s 1978, and Charlotte Cross is an associate curator at The MET Museum in the Department of Egyptian Art. As a young anthropology student, she previously worked in Egypt in the Valley of the Kings at an archeological dig site. Yet, when tragedy drove her to leave Egypt, she found a home at The MET, where she has spent years researching Hathorkare, a rare female pharaoh.

Annie Jenkins is a young woman who lands the opportunity of a lifetime working for the iconic Diana Vreeland, head of The MET’s Costume Institute, helping with the annual MET Gala. On the night of the “party of the year,” a valuable Egyptian artifact gets stolen during a heist. With clues linking to Charlotte’s past, Charlotte and Annie team up to uncover what happened to the missing artifact, leading Charlotte to the place she never wanted to return: Egypt.

The novel is told from Charlotte and Annie's perspectives and alternates between Charlotte’s time in Egypt in 1936 and 1978. THE STOLEN QUEEN takes readers on a thrilling adventure through one of NYC’s most iconic buildings and to the faraway streets of Cairo and the Valley of the Kings. While historical fiction, at times, this reads like a thriller as the closer Charlotte and Annie come to discovering the truth, the more danger they find surrounding themselves.

I loved THE STOLEN QUEEN! It was fast-paced and hard to put down, and I learned a lot about Egyptian history. Having previously listened to many podcast interviews with Fiona, I know how in-depth she goes in her research, and she does an incredible job of including factual historical information within her books. Fiona also immerses you into the story so that you feel like you’re walking the halls of The MET or walking through the hot, dry Egyptian desert. Even though I’ve visited The MET before, reading this has me eager to return and take additional time exploring The Egyptian Wing.

If you love historical fiction, I highly recommend THE STOLEN QUEEN. However, if you also enjoy thrilling stories, especially dealing with art heists, or if you love fashion and the glamour of The MET Ball, you will enjoy this as well!

Charlotte Cross is an associate curator for the Met’s Egyptian Art Department preparing for the King Tut Exhibit to begin. She has a history of archaeological digs in Egypt, along with a personal history in Egypt that has been haunting her for decades. Written with a dual perspective, Annie is 18 & just beginning her life. She got a job working as an assistant to Diana Vreeland, who organizes the Met Gala. Charlotte & Annie come together when an important Egyptian piece is stolen from the museum, which ends up leading to many personal & professional discoveries. I haven’t really read anything about Egyptian history & I really enjoyed this book. So different from what I’m used to & I loved it!

The night of the gala: One of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing Charlotte teams up with Annie to search for the missing antiquity. She will have to face her past and that could lead them both into danger. Lots of interesting complex characters twists and turns fill this haunting page turner. A must read!

Fiona Davis does it again—this time blending ancient mysteries, high-society glamour, and a touch of danger in The Stolen Queen.
Spanning from Egypt’s Valley of the Kings in 1936 to the glittering chaos of NYC’s 1978 Met Gala, this dual-timeline novel had me hooked from page one. 🏺✨ The characters? Perfection. Charlotte, a haunted Egyptologist with secrets buried deeper than any tomb, and Annie, a bright-eyed assistant thrown into the world of fashion and art, make the perfect unlikely team.
When an invaluable artifact vanishes during the Met Gala (curse vibes included!), the story becomes a whirlwind of history, betrayal, and adventure—leading straight back to Egypt and the mystery of a forgotten female pharaoh.
Expect rich settings, fierce women, and enough twists to leave you breathless. If you love historical fiction with a dash of intrigue, The Stolen Queen is your next must-read.

As someone who's always loved reading about Egyptian mythology and artifacts. I read the pitch for this book and felt like it had been written just for me. From the jump, it was full of adventure, mystery, and emotion, like a love letter to the city of New York, to the history of ancient Egypt, and to the power of the human spirit. And the ending....oh, the ending was so utterly satisfying! The author's voice combined with the story itself, rich in detail, made The Stolen Queen simply unputdownable. Upon finishing it, I immediately ordered a physical copy from Barnes and Noble and gave it to a historical fiction-loving friend the day it arrived. Fiona Davis is becoming a new favorite author of mine and I can't wait to read whatever is next!

As a big fan of Fiona Davis, I’m surprised it took me so long to read this book. Her storytelling is top-notch, and The Stolen Queen lived up to my expectations!

Set in Davis’s signature dual timeline with multiple perspectives, this novel begins in Egypt and then transitions to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Each character is complex and contributes to a captivating storyline that I left me eager to finish.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel.

I've tried to read this several times and just cannot get into it. I don't particularly love the storyline set in the 70s and sort of wish this wasn't dual timeline. I thought this about one of Fiona Davis's other books so I think she just might not be the author for me.

Historical fiction with a feminist lens. This story follows Charlotte Cross, a budding Egyptologist who lands herself a spot in an expedition to the Valley of Kings in 1936. Charlotte is a formidable character and goes after what she wants. When tragedy strikes Charlotte while abroad, she finds herself on a much different path than planned.

Fast forward to 1978, where Charlotte's story intersects with Annie Jenkins, a young woman in NYC struggling to make a life for herself. When through the connection of her landlord, Annie finds herself with a new job at the Metropolitan Museum of Art she stumbles into the middle of Charlotte's ancient history and is on a trip of a lifetime to Egypt.

Charlotte has long buried personal baggage that she has never shared with anyone, not even her long time partner. But Charlotte is determined to get to the bottom of a recent theft at the Met and begrudgingly accepts Annie's help.

Filled with lots of history of the Met, its famed Gala and real life Met icon, Diana Vreeland, The Stolen Queen is a mystery, a love story, and history wrapped in one.

This was an engaging read with characters I was wholly invested in. Fiona Davis is becoming an auto-read author! Highly recommend.

I absolutely loved this one! This story follows the classic Fiona Davis set up of a dual timeline, dual POV novel. In this story we are following Charlotte who was working in Egypt in the 1930s and as well as in "current day" in the late 1970s where she is a curator at the Met in their department of Egyptian art. In the later timeline we are also following Annie who comes across the opportunity to work for Diana Vreeland who is organizing the Met Gala. As always, these timelines and characters eventually overlap into a whirlwind of a mystery. I enjoyed the characters in this one and following the issues that women struggled with when it came to autonomy and education in the 20th century. I loved the way the different storylines converged and the adventure we went on when Charlotte finally returns to Egypt. The only thing I didn't love about this book was that some of the plot points seemed a bit unrealistic but needed to work for the convince of the story. I also think the summary/blurb should give away less information as some of the stuff in the summary does not occur until nearly 40% into the book. Overall, highly recommend!

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis is a dual timeline story set in Egypt in 1936 at an archaeological dig, and then in 1978 in New York just prior to and after the famous Met Gala. Charlotte Cross is working on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. They find something that they believe will set the archaeologist world on it's end, but when tragedy strikes, she returns to New York to work as a museum curator, never intending to return to Egypt again. Eighteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is in the right place at the right time and lands a job working with iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland. Diana is working with the Met to plan the upcoming gala and Annie becomes her assistant. She doesn't realize all that she will have to do, but is thrilled. When Annie goes to get an artifact for the fashion display, she meets Charlotte. She is not happy to loan the gold collar, and is investigating it's providence, as the last time she saw it was in Egypt. When there is a theft and some confusion at the gala, an important artifact, The Cerulean Queen, is stolen. It is up to Charlotte and Annie to find it and clear their names.

This was a bit different from Fiona Davis' other books, but I enjoyed it just as much. The past storyline doesn't take up a lot of the story, but it sets up the background for event in 1978. I really liked both Annie and Charlotte. Annie is a smart young lady with great intuition. She has been taking care of her mother for years and because of that is quite independent and a hard worker. She feels responsible for several things that happened at the gala and wants to make it right. Charlotte is a 60 year old, nearing the end of her career. She has been researching a mummy and wants to write a paper, but her boss puts her off. The robbery is interesting and how it was pulled off quite ingenious. Back to Egypt Charlotte heads with trepidation and works with Annie who has tagged along without an invitation. The way this book plays out was excellent with a couple of twists. Another great book by Fiona Davis.