A very enjoyable read that hascl really peaked my interest into the Egyptians. I loved the dual timeline for Charlotte 's story. It really set the stage for the current story line. Loved Annie. She provided a character that gets to grow and come into herself. A really good read!

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. This is my honest review.

In 1936 Charlotte Cross, an anthropology student, was given the opportunity to work in the famous Valley of the Kings. All was going very well with some amazing discoveries until Charlotte’s life is turned upside down by a devastating tragedy. Going forward to 1978, Charlotte is an assistant curator in the famous New York Metropolitan Museum’s Dept of Egyptian Art, which is all aflutter preparing for the loaned out King Tut exhibit. This story is told in dual timelines as well as POVs.

The second protagonist is Annie Jenkins, who at the age of eighteen stumbles into the opportunity to work for the fashion maven, Diana Vreeland; thw woman putting together the star-studded Met Gala. Annie has spent most of her young years taking care of a feckless mother while working menial jobs cleaning for their wealthy landlady. This opportunity has the potential to turn Annie’s life around affording her a step up to the world of glitz and glamour which she has long adored.

Charlotte, at age sixty, has kept her life firmly in control after that harrowing early time; however, she has never forgotten her love for all things Egyptian antiquities nor time as an archeologist. Related to one of the 1936 finds, she has continued to study a somewhat obscure royal, Hathorkare, who for a time was a rare female Pharaoh. Charlotte wants to prove her theory that the ancient was not who she was portrayed to be by previous experts, including her boss.

The story is told back and forth between Charlotte’s early years as well as with Annie's part in the present. Annie becomes an assistant mainly by the force of her character. Each woman has something to prove and when a theft occurs, Charlotte determines to return to the place that broke her heart but never left it, tracking down a personal mystery as well. This book has quite a bit of high drama, emotional angst, and is also part thriller and mystery plus a little magical realism. It is not a historical fiction although the author used a version of some real characters and events to frame the story.

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis is a captivating historical fiction novel that weaves together intrigue, romance, and rich historical detail. Set in the world of medieval England, the story follows a woman caught in the dangerous politics of the royal court. Fiona Davis brings the past to life with vivid descriptions and a compelling plot full of twists and turns. The characters are complex, and the sense of tension is palpable throughout. If you enjoy historical fiction that blends drama with a strong sense of atmosphere, The Stolen Queen is a must-read.

This is a character driven novel with a well paced plot. Told over two timelines from two different perspectives, it includes stolen antiquities, lost loves, family relationships, and unexpected twists. The well developed characters were engaging, and the plot moved along at a brisk pace, I read it straight through in one setting. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for an advanced reader copy.

This was one of the first books I have read set in Egypt, and I enjoyed learning about this period in time in this setting! I enjoyed reading it and felt engaged in the storyline, however it was not very memorable and didn't resonate on a deeper level.

4.25/5

Told from 2 different timelines, The Stolen Queen follows Charlotte Cross, an anthropology student on a dig in the Valley of the Kings in 1936. Charlotte starts to hone her research on Hathorkare, a female pharaoh that other Egyptologists have dismissed as unimportant. After she becomes involved with fellow archeologist, Henry Smith, Charlotte becomes pregnant and marries him instead of returning to New York. But tragedy strikes and Charlotte is set adrift.
In 1978, Charlotte is the assistant curator of the Egyptian collection at the Met. She has worked tirelessly to prove her Hathorkare theory. Meanwhile, 19 year-old Annie Jenkins has just landed a job working the Met Gala, assisting Dianna Vreeland. Annie and Charlotte's paths cross and Annie becomes instrumental in helping Charlotte once the statue of Hathorkare becomes stolen, along with her research. Is the curse of Hathorkare after Charlotte once again?

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for this e-arc.*

One of the best books yet by one of my favorite authors utilizing the dual timeline to create this fantastic read. Charlotte is a young woman, and in the 1930’s, her place on an archeological dig was almost secretarial. When Charlotte makes a huge discovery, it is attributed to the men around her. Annie is a young woman in 1978, finding solace at the Met when her emotionally unstable mother was entertaining men in their apartment. Annie and Charlotte’s stories come together at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where Charlotte works as an assistant curator. I could not out the book down, in anticipation of solving the many questions, as to what happened to Charlotte’s husband and daughter, whether Charlotte’s lifelong research into a female Egyptian pharaoh is recognized. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

Thank you to the publisher for a Netgalley.

Giving this 3.5 stars. I LOVED Charlotte. Both of her storylines. I did not like Alice much. Her storyline was not my favorite and I felt she was always in the way.

What did I love was the Egyptian history aspect. It was interesting to read about and that whole plot line was intriguing. The author's note of course was also fabulous.

I DO recommend this book because it was really good. I just could not get over my dislike for Alice.

My kind of book! Dual timeline historical fiction - with part set in Manhattan! I grew up going to the Met almost weekly so this one had a bit of personal nostalgia for me. I really enjoy Fiona Davis’ writing and I liked all the details about the Met, the art, the fashion & Egypt. The archeological side of this one was super interesting too! Solid 4.5!

This is my second book by Fiona Davis and I loved it! Historical mysteries are quickly becoming one of my favorite genre mash-ups because of The Stolen Queen and The Magnolia Palace. Thank you for sharing the early copy with me!

The Stolen Queen is told from two perspectives and 2 timelines (Charlotte 1936, Charlotte 1978 and Annie 1978). Both female characters were strong, smart and resilient, and I enjoyed how their friendship grew and changed throughout the book. I also learned a lot about Egyptian history, including new words having to do with mummification, and it was really interesting. I highly recommend this one to any historical fiction fans!

I am a true fan of Fiona Davis and love the way she introduces and develops her characters. This one lives up to the hype and it going to be a favorite of many book clubs.

The story is told in two timelines. One is in Egypt in 1936 and introduces a young student, Charlotte Cross, as she works in the Valley of the Kings. The second timeline is in 1978 in New York where Charlotte is now working in the Metropolitan Museum as curator of the Dept of Egyptian Art. She is preparing for the famous Met Gala which is highly anticipated by the City. She meets Annie Jenkins and they work together. During the party one of the most prized Museum antiquities is stolen and the hunt begins to find and return it to the museum. Once again Charlotte must return to Egypt in search of it and she also has to revisit a very painful part of her life. There is danger, intrigue, family loss and rediscovery of self all carefully woven into the fabric of the story. If I am honest I must admit the ending is all tied up in a neat little bow and life rarely does that but heck this is a historical fiction and anything can happen and as you will see it does.

I do recommend this book as I have all of her works. You will not be disappointed.

I wish to thank Net Galley and Penguin Dutton Publishing Group for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed this advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book definitely had a lot more emotional impact than I had originally expected. Our two main characters went through so much in their lives and it was a great read.

I would give it maybe a 3.5 rounded up to a 4. I think my main issue with the book is how quickly clues were figured out and hidden secrets were found. We didn't really spend any time looking for clues with the characters as much as we had a "here's a super obscure clue" and then a character immediately figuring it out. Or how one of our main characters was given a dig site and immediately found important things without the proper training and after someone else had been looking for so long. I think that this is my biggest problem with this book. For a historical fiction, a lot of that didn't feel very realistic and I think it definitely took away from my engagement.

Overall, though, the book was very intriguing and I would want to pick up more books from this author.

Title:  The Stolen Queen  
Author:  Fiona Davis        
Genre: Historical fiction, mystery        
Rating:  4 out of 5

Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity. But after an unbearable tragedy strikes, Charlotte knows her future will never be the same.

New York City, 1978: Eighteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum and known across the city as the “party of the year.” Though Annie soon realizes she’ll have her work cut out for her, scrambling to meet Diana’s capricious demands and exacting standards.

Meanwhile, Charlotte, now leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art, wants little to do with the upcoming gala. She’s consumed with her research on Hathorkare—a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as unimportant.

That is, until the night of the gala. When one of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing . . . and there are signs Hathorkare’s legendary curse might be reawakening.

As Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to one place Charlotte swore she’d never return: Egypt. But if they’re to have any hope of finding the artifact, Charlotte will need to confront the demons of her past—which may mean leading them both directly into danger.

This was a fascinating read! I loved both timelines. The 1930s storyline was so interesting to me, showing the history of the field of archaeology and what a struggle it was to be a woman in the field. The 1970s storyline was also intriguing. Still a struggle to be a woman in the field of archeology, but also showing the behind-the-scenes details of the Met. Charlotte was a great character, and I loved seeing her story come full circle.

Fiona Davis is a best-selling author. The Stolen Queen is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Penguin Group Dutton in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 1/7.)

The Stolen Queen is *chefs kiss*. What more could you want?! Fiona Davis, the golden age, ancient Egypt- I mean, COME ONNNN, didn’t every girl growing up in the 90’s have a strange and very specific obsession with ancient Egypt and mummies?!

Unfortunately this was not for me. The plot is intriguing enough but it's the way that this book is written....the tone is so detached and mechanical. I was going to compare it to the matter of fact tone more often found in nonfiction, but that would be too blanket of a statement and a disservice to the just as engaging and narrative tone that nonfiction can take on.

It's written in a way that doesn't put the reader in the head of the main character, in feeling or in thought. Even though the words state explicitly what the characters feel, it still feels like the book is written in third person objective. It's telling, not showing; you can't just say "she felt sad" or "she felt happy" and expect an emotional response or connection from the reader. It's the same instance when Davis is describing plot; if two characters are disagreeing on something, the passage will just say, "they argued", then omit the argument/dialogue, and instead skip forward to the scene afterward, when it's resolved...is it just me?! I really wanted to like this...but I couldn't get past the writing style.

I have seen other reviews highlight the allure of Egyptology, and the delft way in how Davis portrayed the two main female characters from different generations, and as a result have different views on life/womanhood/career, and how their stories cross paths, so if you're into either of those two things, you'll probably like this one more than I did.

I've been off on an adventure and exploring Egypt and learning about their Pharaohs! Charlotte Cross is now the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art in New York City in 1978. The story is told over different time periods and in different points of view. We start Charlotte's story in 1936, where she is a part of a study abroad investigating Egyptian history, in particular, the Pharaohs. However, there is a tragedy in her young life, where she has to begin afresh back home in New York. Annie Jenkins is a new employee working on preparing for the MET Gala. Soon, Charlotte and Annie join forces and begin to hunt down for a stolen artifact, which leads on a journey of discovery especially for Charlotte.

Charlotte Cross, a student, is trying to prove her worth on an archeological dig in Egypt's Valley of the Kings in 1936. After making a significant historic find, she suffers an unbearable personal tragedy and returns home to begin work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Decades pass as Charlotte refuses to face her tragic past or to share her secrets with those closest to her. When a priceless artifact is stolen during the Met Gala, Charlotte's past and present collide forcing her to seek out the truth behind her tragedy. From the shifting sands of Egypt that hide the treasures of their past to the meticulous planning that takes place before one of the Met's celebrated galas, Fiona Davis masterfully weaves history, fashion and a complex mystery into a captivating, can't put down novel. I was completely engaged in this story, wanting to jump in my car and head to NYC and wander around the storied halls of the Met. I highly recommend readers to start 2025 off right with this spectacular book!

This is an interesting historical fiction story - stolen artifacts, the MET and the MET Gala, and intersecting characters. You'll learn about artifacts and archaeology. The writing wasn't completely my favorite style (felt a bit bummed-down), but it was still an exciting story.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

Davis is an author who I have enjoyed every novel published under her pen!

The Stolen Queen transport readers to 1936 Egypt, its crypts and artifacts to the NYC Metropolitan Museum of Art in the late 70's. These two timelines are connected by a unique necklace that makes a reappearance many years later in an exhibit. But, how did it make off a sinking ship?

Travel back and forth as this mystery unravels for its main character who witnessed its demise in her twenties to its resurfacing in her sixties. Davis masterfully brings the historical details of the period incorporating real life tales from the Valley of the Kings archeological dig.

This story is incredibly engrossing!

Who doesn't like a book that takes you to Egypt during the end of the golden years of archaeology?

Charlotte Cross is a young, smart and eager student who has been able to spend time on a dig in Egypt in the 1930s. She makes a find of her own, amidst much discrimination, and finds the tomb of Hathokare, an Egyptian queen, including a beautiful collar. She falls in love, gets married and then tragedy strikes and she loses everything.

Fast forward forty years and Charlotte is a curator in the Egyptian Art Department at the Met Museum. There she comes across the collar again, which she thought was lost, and takes off on an adventure with a young woman, Annie, who was wrongly framed for the theft of another priceless Egyptian artifact.

This was a good story with all the elements of love lost, passion, Egypt, treasures and family. Charlotte and Annie find themselves and create their own family along the way.