The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis was a wonderful book. I loved the pace, the adventure, intrigue and entire story line. A beautiful story with a lasting image of wonderful characters. Thank you @Dutten@NetGalley

I really liked the description of this, but it didn't end up being for me. It wasn't badly written, but I found some of the characters actions and reactions to the situations they were in to be pretty unbelievable (it didn't occur to the MC that getting married and having a baby in the 30's would put an end to her career until she was already married?), and took me out of the story. I didn't realize until starting that both of the times lines are historical, which might have had something to do with it, as historical fiction isn't usually my genre. Probably not a bad book if it is a genre you enjoy.

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis is a historical novel that switches between 1930’s in Egypt and the 1970’s in New York City. The story revolves around two women; Charlotte (in her 60’s) currently leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art; and Annie (18 years old), who gets a job working for Vogue fashion editor, Diana Vreeland.

In Egypt, 1936, Charlotte was an anthropology student, working on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. She loves her work, falls in love and will discover a burial chamber with a collar necklace. After a devasting tragedy, she eventually returns to New York, grieving her loss. 40 years later, Charlotte is a successful curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and becomes disturbed when a valuable Egyptian artifact is found missing.

In New York City, 1978, Annie is excited when she gets a job working for Diana. On the night of the gala, chaos unfolds, when someone destroys things, and the Cerulean Queen is now missing. At first, Annie is questioned, but Charlotte does come to her rescue. Charlotte decides she needs to return to Egypt and discover who is behind the missing links, as well as trying to find the truths about the tragedy. Unknown to Charlotte, Annie will also go on the same plane heading for Egypt, in order for her to help Charlotte, as well as protect her. Charlotte and Annie work together to uncover dangerous trials, deceit, finding the stolen artifacts, as well learning more of the secrets in the past.

I really loved the friendship that grew between Charlotte and Annie. Charlotte began to realize that Annie had an uncanny sense of observing valuable insights. Annie was very sweet and was determined to help Charlotte, especially finding clues to help her. They both were wonderful, as their stories intertwined. The storyline of Charlotte’s past comes back to haunt her, leading into a heartbreaking story. It was a wonderful ending, with revelations slowly being revealed.

The Stolen Queen was a terrific story about the two unforgettable women, filled with history, mystery, tragedy, emotional, secrets of the past and an Egyptian curse. The Stolen Queen was very well written by Fiona Davis.

I adored Fiona Davis's last release, The Spectacular, and I was eager to read about Egyptian archeology adventures in her newest release, The Stolen Queen. 

And I did enjoy the story's flashbacks to Egypt in the 1930s, as well as the descriptions of the Met and the Met Gala in the 1970s. The characters were interesting, as well. 

Overall, however, I felt that the narrative moved too slowly, and the ending was underwhelming.

I really enjoyed Fiona Davis’ latest historical fiction The Stolen Queen. Davis is known for setting her novels in iconic New York City locations. This one begins in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1978 where Charlotte Cross works as an associate curator in the Department of Egyption Art. The story flashes back to 1936 where Charlotte began her career in Egypt as an anthropology student. Secrets from her past prevent Charlotte from returning. She crosses paths with Annie Jenkins, a determined eighteen year old who has just landed a dream job as the assistant fashion editor at the Met. The two women end up on an unexpected mission that takes Charlotte back to Egypt to uncover two mysteries.

After I got through the first few chapters of the book I couldn’t put it down. The story really has it all: romance, historical context, mystery, suspense, while also being heartwarming at times.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I see anything related to history, archaeology and adventure and I will be there immediately. I loved the setting for this novel and I had fun reading it, but where it fell short for me was that it is quite predictable. If you are looking for a fun and easy read, The Stolen Queen is for you, unfortunately I finished this novel feeling a bit disappointed.

The beginning hooked me. I absolutely loved the setting of The Met and getting to read about the exhibitions and everything leading up to the Met Gala. However, as well as the beginning was written, it left the second part of the book feeling very rushed and a bit lackluster. The ending felt quite rushed as well, and the solution for the "lost family" just wrapped itself up very conveniently in the last third of the book. There is no subtlety in the dialogue — the author explains everything so plainly without room for nuance or foreshadowing. All tell and no show. I also felt like no one had to struggle to solve mysteries, they just immediately figured things out.

The Egyptology was super engaging without feeling like a history lecture, and I loved how it subtly explored the dark underbelly of the art world, including the shady trade and theft of priceless artifacts. It's a touchy subject regarding antiquities, and I felt that Davis dealt with it well.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Fiona Davis, she is my favorite Historical Fiction writer. I love her stories about women and how life for some women could have been in the past. I also have always been interested in Egyptian history so I was very excited to read her newest novel.
The story started a little slow for me. I pushed through and at about 25% it started getting good. By 50% I was hooked. It became a “one more page” turner. It was exciting to read about a woman who had the courage to explore Egypt in 1936 and how she could have possibly done so. I loved how Annie and Charlotte found each other and helped each other in different ways.
Fiona Davis is the master at peeking into women’s lives at different times in history and showing the love, compassion, and heartbreak they have faced. She has once again left me feeling proud to be a woman. I will recommend this book to many library patrons!

A rather preposterous book with chapters dedicated to specific characters. While the Egyptian history is interesting the story itself is true escapism.

Fiona Davis’s The Stolen Queen is an engaging read that takes you from the glitz and glamour of New York City’s Met Gala to the fascinating world of Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. The story unfolds through two timelines—1936, where anthropology student Charlotte Cross gets the chance of a lifetime to join an archaeological dig, and 1978, where Annie Jenkins lands a job working with former Vogue editor Diana Vreeland as she prepares for the iconic gala.

Once again, Davis does a fantastic job weaving together fact and fiction with strong female leads at the heart of the story. The historical details, references to famous figures, and descriptions of costumes and events really brought the story to life. As a sixth-grade social studies teacher, I loved the nods to ancient Egypt—while the pharaoh mentioned is fictional, I could see the clear connection to Hatshepsut, which made it even more fun to read.

The mystery kept me turning pages, eager to uncover the secrets of the past and how they shaped the present. I found myself cheering for Annie to step out of her mother’s shadow and create her own future, while hoping Charlotte would stay true to herself and move on from Mark and Lori. Davis’s storytelling makes it easy to get lost in the time periods and root for the characters as they navigate their own journeys.

Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for my ARC of this novel.

#netgalley #thestolenqueen #fionadavis

I think Fiona Davis is one of the best storytellers around, and a new book is a cause for celebration.

The mixture of history, Egyptology, and suspense keeps the pages flying, and the clever details along the way, all come together for a satisfying conclusion. I’ve told everyone about this book and anxiously await the next book.

Fiona Davis’s “The Stolen Queen” is a mesmerizing fusion of historical allure, enigmatic suspense, and high-stakes drama. This novel sweeps readers from the opulent frenzy of staging the illustrious Met Gala to the sun-drenched sands of Egypt’s archaeological excavations.

With an array of unexpected alliances, shrewd treasure hunters, and a labyrinthine plot brimming with twists and turns, the narrative grips your imagination until the very last word. The richly layered backstories of the characters infuse their actions with profound emotional depth, creating a tapestry that is as heartrending as it is exhilarating.

This book is an essential indulgence for connoisseurs of adventure, intrigue, and evocative storytelling, promising a journey that lingers long after the final page is turned.

A fascinating read centered around Egyptian archeology and antiquities. Charlotte is working as an assistant curator at the famous Met Museum in New York while continuing her research that she started many years before. When a tragic event occurred in Egypt young Charlotte returned to the US and her life took a very different turn. Now she must return to Egypt to put her past at rest.

The Stolen Queen is a classic Fiona Davis novel. This time, the iconic NYC focus is the Metropolitan Museum and Davis weaves together both an ancient mystery of Egyptian antiquities and more classics of The Met (e.g., the gala). Set mostly in the mid-1970s, Davis chose a time period when museums were beginning to question their "right" to antiquities, but definitely not questioning enough!

I thought the various plotlines were woven together well, though the believability of some of it was a bit of a strain (e.g., the hiring by Vreeland, the whole gala sequence, and a 19-year-old taking off for Egypt at the drop of a hat). That said, I was in for the story and interested in the reveals about the past.

The Stolen Queen is a notable novel that highlights Fiona Davis’s skill in creating complex and emotionally impactful narratives. The book features robust character development, a captivating plot, and a refined writing style, making it highly recommended for enthusiasts of historical fiction. It offers a well-crafted and immersive reading experience

Dual timelines collide in this historical novel about a stolen Egyptian artifact. This book has ambitious women, friendships, tragedy and loss, adventure and mystery, but most intriguingly, it is set in 1930s Egypt at the height of discovery. I enjoyed this and its dual plots that were woven together. However, it did feel quite juvenile, and I would have liked to have seen more.

4.5 stars

In each of her books, Fiona Davis selects an iconic building in New York City as the setting, and The Stolen Queen takes place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This fast-paced dual timeline tale is set in 1936 Egypt where Charlotte Cross is participating in an archaeological dig. While there she discovers historical artifacts connected to an ancient female pharaoh, but when tragedy strikes, she leaves Egypt, planning never to return. In 1978 Manhattan, Charlotte is the associated curator of the Department of Egyptian Artifacts at the Met, tasked with working on the Met Gala, where things go awry when one of the museum’s most valuable pieces goes missing. Teaming up with Annie, a personal assistant to Diana Vreeland who is chairing the gala, Charlotte realizes she must return to the one place she swore she never would. Davis tackles numerous timely topics including how women have been marginalized in history, the importance of reclaiming their contributions, and the repatriation of stolen or looted artifacts and the issues that result. The behind-the-scenes glimpses into the Met’s operations and collections is fascinating, and the strong sense of place for both Egypt and the museum will transport the reader to both locales. Historical fiction fans and art lovers will thoroughly enjoy this one.

Fiona Davis is an automatic read for me. I always love the settings in her novels and her latest title is another gem.

In The Stolen Queen, Davis takes us from The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York during 1978 to excavation sites of 1936 Egypt. The dual timelines tell a story of Charlotte Cross, the associate curator at The Met, her experience on digs and her involvement int the process of authenticating art and artifacts. Through Annie Jenkins, we learn about legendary Diana Vreeland, former editor of Vogue and the detailed process behind planning the annual Met Gala. When you add in a mystery about one of the ancient Egyptian artifacts, you have both an entertaining and well researched novel.

If you love art history, architecture, mysteries, Egyptology or fashion, I highly recommend this historical fiction novel. Perfect for fans of Gill Paul’s The Collector’s Daughter or The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the advanced reader’s copy.

This was such a beautiful book! Fiona has outdone herself with this one. dual timelines of 1930s Egypt and 1970s NYC. Family drama, mysterious curse and archaeological dig. My new favorite Fiona!

No one writes historical fiction like Fiona Davis and "The Stolen Queen" is no exception. If you've read her work before, you know she a master of her craft and if not, you are in for a sublime reading experience. I don't want to say anything that will make this book less of a surprise. Just read it!

THE STOLEN QUEEN by Fiona Davis

Fiona Davis has perfected writing immersive stories that center around iconic New York City landmarks. Her latest is a dual timeline story that takes place at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) during 1978 and in 1936 Egypt, in and around the Valley of the Kings excavation sites.

Through associate curator Charlotte Cross, we get a glimpse into the inner workings of The Met, the excavation process at dig sites, and how art and antiquities are authenticated. Alongside Annie Jenkins, we encounter the formidable Vogue fashion editor, Diana Vreeland, and witness the behind the scenes chaos of the Met Gala. On top of all that, there’s a mystery to be solved regarding a valuable, possibly cursed Egyptian artifact.

While there were quite a few convenient coincidences, as a whole the story was entertaining, well researched and well written. Recommend if you love mysteries, art, history, fashion, anthropology and Egyptology.

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

**ARC courtesy of Netgalley & Penguin Group