Fiona Davis’s The Stolen Queen is a captivating historical fiction novel set across two time periods: the 1930s and the 1970s. The story follows Charlotte and Annie, two women from different generations brought together under unusual circumstances. Their shared connection to the Metropolitan Museum of Art leads them on a journey filled with danger, intrigue, and unexpected joy.

I read this book shortly after returning from a trip to Egypt, which made the story even more vivid and immersive. With the memory of ancient wonders still fresh in my mind, I felt transported as the novel is based on the legacy of Queen Hatshepsut and the provenance of artifacts, albeit it's fictional. The narrative raises the compelling question of who truly owns antiquities, adding depth to the mystery at its heart, one that’s both personal and professional for the protagonists.

Charlotte and Annie are jaded yet passionate characters, and their mutual dedication to the Met becomes the foundation of a fascinating partnership. Their quest is richly layered, blending history, danger, and the possibility of new beginnings.

I devoured this book, thoroughly enjoying its intricate storytelling and historical depth. This book is for readers of dual-timeline mysteries and stories that explore the intersection of art, history, and identity.

Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton for providing a digital copy of this novel.

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis is a captivating read for fans of historical fiction, mystery, and adventure, who will be swept away by the author's vivid storytelling and transported to the glamorous world of 1930s Egypt and 1970s New York City, where art, history, and intrigue come alive.

Charlotte is an Egyptologist at the Met in New York City. She has spent years uncovering some monumental research on the queen Hathorkare, but is held back in her career advancement by her refusal to return to Egypt, where she suffered a major trauma as a young woman. Annie is a bright young woman who is motivated and hard-working but held back in life by her immature and needy mother. Annie is overjoyed when she is hired by the famous Diana Vreeland to help with the Met Gala, but her excitement (and employment) take a major hit when a priceless statue is stolen during the event. Charlotte and Annie’s worlds collide at this point, and they must work together to solve the mystery.

This book combined a lot of elements I’d usually complain about - unrealistic plot, stock characters, dialogue that could be improved upon - but somehow, they all worked together and I found this novel delightful! Reading this book was reminiscent of watching Murder, She Wrote with my grandma. The plot and characters were kind of silly, yet a lot of fun, and the time flew by. This was my first Fiona Davis, and I’ll keep her books in my back pocket for when I need a light, enjoyable read.

Read this if: you like Kristin Hannah, historical fiction, or the Hallmark channel.

Skip this if: you’re in the mood for complex character development.

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis is the story of a young archeologist named Charlotte, who in 1938 boarded a ship to escape Egypt as WWII was erupting. Also on the boat was her husband and baby, and a friend. She never saw any of them again so was surprised to see an Egyptian collar she had seen fall out of a suitcase her husband was carrying all those years ago. She was now an assistant curator at the Met and more a workhorse than a person of stature. That same day she met a young woman named Annie who was the assistant to Diana Vreeland. It was the night of the Gala and her precious collar was being included into the costume event when Annie made a serious mistake,; one that derailed the entire Gala and assisted in the theft of the collar, as well as years of research Charlotte had compiled regarding a queen of Egypt: Hathorkare. She was bereft but after contacting a private investigator, she determined she had to go to Egypt and see for herself. When she was sitting onboard the plane, who should show up but Annie, who insisted she should come to help. She proved invaluable.

This was a convoluted and intense story of a woman’s life and career. She was sick after the loss of her husband and daughter and her parents were far from supportive. She became engaged to a man who dumped her after hearing the story and it was years before she trusted another man. At sixty she was now living with a man called Mark, but his young daughter had recently moved in and things were not going well. The characters in this book were well-crafted as was the plot. Despite the amount of history it contained, it was very readable. It was an uplifting story in the end with the message to never give up. I highly recommend it.

I was invited to read The Stolen Queen by Penguin Group Dutton. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #PenguinGroupDutton #FIonaDavis #TheStolenQueen

THE STOLEN QUEEN is the latest novel by Fiona Davis. I have loved every one of Fiona Davis’ books and this one is no exception. This dual timeline story is set in New York City in 1978 and Egypt in 1936. In 1936, Charlotte Cross is a young American anthropology student who has accepted a highly coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. She is involved in the major discovery of an unknown burial chamber and a rare broad collar necklace thought to belong to Hathorkare, a female Pharaoh that ruled in 1600 AD. She also finds her first love while in Egypt, but an unthinkable tragedy changes her life forever. In New York City in 1978, Charlotte is now the assistant curator of the Met’s Department of Egyptian Art. In addition to her museum duties, Charlotte is doing exhaustive research on Hathorkare which could change how the world views the ancient leader. Eighteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is offered a position as an assistant to Diana Vreeland, renowned former Vogue editor and organizer of the famed Met Gala. Annie’s and Charlotte’s paths cross when, on the night of the gala, a valuable artifact from the Egyptian collection is stolen. The pair form an unlikely alliance to try to recover the missing antiquity. Their search leads them back to Egypt, where Charlotte has sworn never to return. As their investigation progresses, Charlotte and Annie find themselves in great danger. As with all of this author’s novels, the story has the perfect blend of fact and fiction, as well as engaging characters and an intriguing and suspenseful plot. Another winner from Fiona Davis that I highly recommend. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

3.75 stars


Charlotte Cross, a student of anthropology, enthusiastically agrees to work on an archeological dig in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt in 1936—until disaster strikes.

Fast forward to 1978-, and 19-year-old Annie Jenkins, is hired to work for Diana Vreeland, the former editor of Vogue, to assist her in organizing the renowned Met Gala in New York City.

As the associate curator of the Met's Egyptian Art Department, Charlotte now leads a quiet life and is deeply involved in studying Hathorkare, a little-known female pharaoh who is considered unimportant by many Egyptologists.

An important treasure from the collection disappears on the night of the Gala, and there are clues that Hathorkare's curse might be resurfacing. To locate the misplaced object, Annie and Charlotte travel back to Egypt, a country Charlotte has promised never to visit again. She will need to confront impending danger and her past demons to succeed.

Fiona Davis is an auto-read author for me. While I felt much of this book was predictable, I was still entertained. I especially enjoyed the description of the Temple of Dendur exhibit at the Met since it is one of my favorite parts of the museum.

I have always been interested in Egyptian history and this book allowed me to revisit some of that interest while adding an air of mystery and friendship. This was well thought out and I especially enjoyed the chapters in Egypt.

Fiona Davis- the queen of iconic historic landmarks of NYC based this historic fiction around the Metropolitan Museum. The Stolen Queen takes place in the Met Museum and in Egypt.
It is based on the finding of ancient Egyptian pieces in the 1930's which end up in the Met. One item is stolen in the 1990's and the story alternates in those two time frames.

Having previously read Fiona Davis's The Dollhouse and three starred it, I think I was persuaded to give this a shot based on the very intriguing plot summary. This was a gamble on my part as the only thing I vaguely remembered about The Dollhouse was that I found the prose kind of boring. It was a gamble, unfortunately, that I lost.

The plot was interesting, although it struggled at points with believability (the part in 1978 where a girl with some savings but by no means a lot of them buys a flight to Egypt leaving the next day really threw me), but good lord, the prose. It was boring in a way that felt as if the author was vaguely resentful she had to use words at all in order to communicate the story she wanted to tell, with a simplicity that was less Stephen King and more See Spot Run. There was also a weird emotional shallowness to it, wherein the MCs were multiple times treated very poorly by people but they only ever seemed to experience at worst a mild frustration about it before moving onto the next piece of plot action. If this was an attempt at showing vs. telling emotion-wise it ended up coming off more like these people were just low level sociopathic.

Note to self: no matter how interesting the plot sounds, do not give in with this author! YMMV but I am just not a match with this style.

My thanks to Dutton and NetGalley for the ARC.

Fiona Davis masterfully intertwines history and fiction in The Stolen Queen, a dazzling 5-star read that sweeps you between the sun-drenched sands of ancient Egypt and the bustling streets of New York. The novel's strong, resilient female protagonists navigate a web of intrigue and mystery across continents. As they uncover secrets of a stolen artifact, their reliability as narrators adds depth and complexity to the plot. Davis's fast-paced narrative and vivid descriptions make every page a delight. Perfect for lovers of historical fiction and mystery, this book enthralls and inspires with its powerful themes and unforgettable characters.

Thank you to Dutton publishers for my advanced reader copy.

Fiona Davis has done it again! I find myself googling the actual historical event in each of her books after finishing one. Her writing makes it come alive for the reader and while the fictional storyline is gripping and well executed it leaves her reader hungry to know more about the actual event.

Love, theft, mystery, betrayal, self discovery and of course the cool backdrop of Egypt and theme of art/antiquities. Phenomenal!

The journey of the two MFC was so different yet so similar.

Annie has been unable to move forward in her career, ambitions and life due to constraints placed on her in caring for her immature and irresponsible mother. What a joy to watch her shed that ill placed responsibility and move forward into all that life has to offer her!

On the other hand, at Annie’s age due to a tragic series of events Charlotte had no one to answer and throws everything into her career and building a life for herself. By the time we meet Charlotte in the current story line she is very successful yet gives it up to return to the responsibilities and ties that she had thought lost so many years ago.

Annie and Charlotte are traveling in different directions but find each other right there at the joining of both. In it they are both able to experience something with one another that each had been lacking. Charlotte the love and protectiveness for a grown child. Annie, motherly care and attention.

Because of this I was heavily invested in their relationship and slightly disappointed in the revelations at the end. The book concludes beautifully just not how I had envisioned.

I wasn’t able to predict the end which I love but oftentimes means that the conclusion pulls wild cards from way out of left field. These are usually a stretch and take away from the overall quality of the story. Not the case in The Stolen Queen. The conclusion, while surprising, was well executed and believable.

Highly recommend!

This was an excellent historical fiction mystery with suspenseful action as well- I enjoyed learning about Egyptology. It had a couple of weak plot points- I found it a bit implausible that the FMC would not attempt to locate her husband and infant daughter when their boat initially sank or that she’d just go on without searching, and that loose end rankled me- I suppose this kept some tension and drama…overall the characters won me over and the history of the Met, Met Gala and the fun facts about the exhibits and the history of Egypt won me over - an action packed thrilling HF!

Fiona Davis is a must read author for me, I absolutely love historical fiction and her novels feature prominent buildings in NYC, a unique basis for novels. The Stolen Queen combines an archaeological dig in Egypt as WWII builds, the MET gala 40ish years later, and an ancient Egyptian pharaoh whose legacy was destroyed (and the curse surrounded her tomb)--what's not to love!

The mystery and drama of The Stolen Queen is interwoven into the plot throughout the dual timelines. I had a hard time putting the book down, the suspense was so strong. There are several things the women are searching for, both artifacts and personal motives, and I was rooting for Charlotte and Annie to be successful in all of their pursuits. Charlotte and Annie are strong female characters, and I enjoyed seeing the growth in Annie's character particularly throughout the book.

Through this novel, Ms. Davis made me consider again the issue concerning rightful ownership of a civilization's artifacts. The conflicting points of view are clearly laid out, with respect to all sides of the controversy. It is an interesting conundrum!

The ending wrapped everything up neatly, though it felt a little unsatisfactory to me; it was not quite how I hoped things would end. It didn't stop me from enjoying the book, however, and I recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially if you have a fascination with archaeology, Egyptian artifacts or the MET Gala, which plays a prominent role in the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the digital ARC of The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis. The opinions in this review are my own.

Fiona Davis is a master at historical fiction and her latest only adds to that belief for me. She regularly combines her own imagined narrative with a usually fairly obscure piece of the real in a vivid and enthralling way.

Like many others, I had a period of fascination with Egyptian history when I was younger, but it stayed rather surface level with only the well-known pieces when there is a truly endless amount to discover. This book fed that interest while also creating tense stakes to recover a theft, new discoveries, and long unsolved mysteries of family and lost love.

The first half of the book took me some time to really sink myself into, but the second half hooked me and had me flying through the pages to get all my questions answered. There were so many trails to follow and history to uncover. It was an adventure up to the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fiona Davis's many fans will be thrilled to read this, combining Egypt, antiquities and New York City museums and glamorous fashion. A great book to start the New Year!

Thank you to Netgalley, Fiona Davis, MacMillan and MacMillan Audio (#MacAudio2024) for the ARC/ALC!

Fiona Davis is my favorite historical fiction author and I love every book I’ve read of hers! I admittedly don’t know much about Egypt but I was eager to learn more. Told over dual timelines, our first FMC, Charlotte, explored Egyptian archaeological digs in the late 1930s. But in the late 1970s, Charlotte works for the Met museum in New York, unwilling to visit Egypt anymore. It’s here where she crosses paths with Annie, our other FMC, who is helping at the Met Gala. Davis seamlessly tied together the storylines while also building the tension of what happened in Charlotte’s past that keeps her from Egypt.

I also really enjoyed the women’s unlikely friendship and getting both of their perspectives. Charlotte’s deep appreciation of another culture was beautiful, and I found Annie, young and just starting out, to be very relatable. They made a great team, against all odds.

Not only does this book explore a part of history, and delve into the artifacts of that time, but it also explored the themes of love and loss. I found myself getting choked up while listening to the audiobook. Davis painted such a vivid picture throughout the entire story, it truly played out like a movie.

“The Stolen Queen” releases January 7, 2025!

I really enjoyed this book! I enjoyed learning about Egyptian history. The main characters were likable and I didn’t know how it was going to end up until the last few pages.

Fiona Davis has done it again, this taking on both the Met museum in NYC and the ancient ruins in Egypt. How she got these two time lines to connect was really interesting. I loved learning about the historic aspects of the museum as well as archeologic digs. Well done!


Formal review to come!

In the 1930s, young archeology student Charlotte Cross went on a life-altering dig in Egypt. Shortly after making a significant discovery, she realized she was pregnant, which at that time, relegated her to a life totally constrained by marriage and motherhood. Then she experiences a shattering tragedy. Forty years later, she is working at the Met, planning for the touring exhibition of King Tut. She has never returned to Egypt, believing her visits and attempted visits to be cursed.

Young Annie Jenkins is trapped, supporting her widowed mother who views her as an impediment to making a good marriage that will save her from having to work as her modeling career peters out. Due to unexpected (and totally unrealistic) circumstances, Annie first stumbles into a job with Diana Vreeland, then becomes completely embroiled in international antiquities theft and repatriation.

Although the rehashing of the plot makes this novel seem totally implausible, the utterly captivating characters of Charlotte and Annie totally work within the story and make the reader care deeply both about the fate of the priceless artifacts but also the futures of Charlotte and Annie. I've worked in a museum-adjacent field for thirty years and can be very critical when authors don't get their facts right, but Fiona Davis skillfully integrates accurate details about museums and exhibitions (and the difficult politics involved in working in one). #TheStolenQueen #NetGalley

Some books pull you into an adventure so immersive that you don’t just read them—you live them. The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis was that kind of book for me.

This isn’t your typical thriller. Sure, there’s suspense (and plenty of it), but it’s so much more. It’s a journey—a sweeping tale that follows Charlotte Cross, a sixty-year-old associate curator at the Met who once chased mysteries in the sands of Egypt as a young archaeologist in the 1930s. Her fascination with the enigmatic Egyptian pharaoh Hathorkare leads her on a lifelong quest for answers. And when the legendary broad collar of Hathorkare resurfaces decades later, Charlotte is forced to confront the secrets of her past and the truths she’s been avoiding.

The dual setting of Egypt and New York’s Metropolitan Museum felt so vivid and atmospheric. It’s the kind of story that demands patience—the pace is slow, but it allows you to fully connect with Charlotte’s life and the people around her. I found myself deeply invested, not just in the mysteries but in her emotional journey.

If you love stories that linger with you, that make you reflect on life, identity, and legacy, then this book is for you. The adventure, the intrigue, and the layers of suspense kept me hooked, but it’s Charlotte’s resilience and determination that left the biggest impact.

This book is perfect for you if you love historical fiction, slow-burn mysteries, and character-driven stories.
This book has already included in many lists featuring the most-anticipated reads of 2025 and I am so thankful to @netgalley , @duttonbooks and @fionadavisauthor for providing me with an e-arc 🧡
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4.5/5 ☆