This novel centers on Met Gala, stolen art, a tragedy four decades earlier, travel, and an Egyptian curse. Repatriation law is one of my favorite legal topics and the first Monday of May is one of my favorite days of the year. As much as I loved the plot with its twists and resolutions, however, I may have actually loved the characters and their development more.

Once again, Fiona Davis delivers the ideal blend of fact and fiction. Davis’ research on Egyptology and the Met Gala is impeccable; the facts are easily verifiable and the fictional parts are disclosed in the Author’s Note. This is the kind of book I would especially love a high-school student to annotate for Davis’ rich use of figurative language. While noting the striking similes that I actually reread because they were so good, a bonus I would hope for the student would be to critically think about important issues such as beauty standards according to Vreeland, the scope of archaeology and professional expectations of women, or repatriation.

That said, repatriation is fascinating because of its nuances. Davis does an incredible job using characters to present both sides of the ethical debate without settling on the right answer, if there even is one in an imperfect world. This adds meaningful depth to the villains’ motivations in this story, though the illegality of their actions is of course clear.

This will certainly be one of my favorite books of the year and I recommend it to all. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I had never read anything by Fiona Davis before, so I was excited to read this book as it delves into ancient Egypt with a mystery twist. The story is set in both 1930s Cairo, Egypt, and 1970s New York City, revolving around the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The book did a great job of captivating me from the start. I enjoyed the intertwining stories of Annie and Charlotte, as well as the fascinating insights into the inner workings of a museum and the role of a curator. The unexpected twist in the mystery plotline took me by surprise, and the ending tied everything together perfectly.

Fiona Davis' writing style is impressive, and I found myself eagerly turning the pages to see what would happen next. Unlike some historical fiction books, there weren't any dull moments in this one. I would definitely pick up another book by Fiona Davis without hesitation.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Penguin Group Dutton for giving me a copy.

Combining past and present, Davis weaves a dramatic and engrossing story from Egyptian archeological digs in the 30’s to the Met in the late 70’s setting up for the King Tut exhibit. Two main characters, Charlotte, 60, curating at the Met, trying to reconcile the tragedy in her past, and Annie, 18, trying to jumpstart her future, come together to solve a theft of their beloved statue of Pharaoh Hathorkare during the Met gala. I loved reading about the archeological digs, how the Met operates behind the scenes, and what Egypt was like then and now. I inhaled this book, it was so wonderful, rich and beautifully written. A book to reread and savor.

I love Fiona Davis, so I was very excited to start this book this week. It is part of my upcoming releases of historical fiction to look for at our state library conference, so it was exciting to get to read it before I present about it.

I really enjoyed this. It hooks you from page one, and the dual timelines from the 30's Egypt to 70's NYC at the MET work really well. Annie's character had some coincidences that sometimes felt a little too reaching, but overall I really loved this. While I was expecting one of the big mysteries at the end, the person is not who I was expecting, so that was fun.

One of my favorite things is the authors historical note at the end - she always explains where her ideas are from, who they are based upon, what liberties she took, etc. It's all very well done.

Another great addition to Davis' repertoire.

I’ve had a hard time lately getting into historical fiction (although it’s my most-read genre!) so I thought I was going to have to drag myself through this.

But.

I was honestly hooked from the first page. Which made me so stinkin excited.

History and mystery mixed together in The Stolen Queen in the best possible way. I enjoyed so many aspects of this! I really appreciated how Annie and Charlottes stories were woven together. Separate but enough entwined that it didn’t feel like I was jumping into different books. Paired with the time hops, it could have felt messy. But Fiona Davis did it in such a smooth way! Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

Twists and turns and a look behind the scenes at the Met - glamorous and mundane. I thought I could read this chapter by chapter over a few days but found myself staying up until midnight to finish it (Once I got to a certain point I HAD TO KNOW!) Charlotte and Annie's lives are so relatable though far from my day to day life and world.