I loved this book for many reasons. First, as a librarian, I applaud the author’s depiction of librarians as unrelenting seekers of information. The history of the New York Public Library is brought to life through the character portrayals. And the mystery And secrets surrounding the missing books make it a top notch read.

05.17.2020| Fiona Davis has done it again! What a fun book. I love all of the history surrounding the NYC public library. She has a great way of describing people and places. Thanks to @netgalley for the #arc advance copy I really enjoyed it. 🌟🌟🌟

The is a fabulous historical/modern adventure mystery. The reader is given insight into the the history of the New York Public Library and a more modern look into the workings of the library. Sophie is a wonderful, endearing heroine. The mystery in the story keeps you reading. The historical aspects of the story keep the reader entwined in the tale the story is not bogged down with historical facts, but intrigued into wanting to know more.. The mystery of the tale continues to the end of the tale.

I don’t know what it was, but I just did not enjoy this book. I’ve read a lot of books lately, it seems, told in the dual narratives of historical women who are somehow connected to modern-day divorcees who work in academia and are investigating their lives (this one, “The Lost Jewels”) and this one, while it was intriguing, focused more on character arcs that left me feeling a little cold than the historical mysteries at hand. There was nothing wrong with this, per se - it just wasn’t what I was looking for.

Sadie and Laura are connected in more ways than just family. The NYPL figures in their lives greatly along with the theft of books that can never be replaced. The history throughout this book is fascinating. Fiona Davis has written another wonderful story about NYC that draws the reader in until the final line.

I have enjoyed all of Fiona Davis's books, and this one was no exception. In The Lions of Fifth Avenue, Ms. Davis blends rich architectural detail, historical facts, and fictional characters to create an intriguing whodunit. I also appreciate her alternating chapters between New York in 1914, and in 1993.
I was sad when it ended.

The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis is a wonderful story - both a coming-of-age story and a mystery - about two women in two very different times. Laura is a wife, mother and journalism student who becomes involved with a group of forward-thinking, feminists in 1913 NYC. Their presence in her life leads Laura to question everything she thought she knew about herself, her goals and her role in society, and ultimately sets her on course to become a famous feminist essayist. In 1993, Sadie is a middle-aged divorcee and library curator in charge of a new exhibit which includes Laura's work. The two women have in common the New York Public Library - Laura and her family live in an apartment inside the library, and Sadie works there. But there's more. Both characters are embroiled in mysteries when rare books show up missing. What happened to the books, and who is responsible?

Although the book is arranged in alternating chapter stories, Laura is really the main character, and her storyline is the more compelling of the two. And, although the story includes a who-dun-it component, The Lions of Fifth Avenue isn't really a mystery. Instead, it is Laura's coming-of-age story at a time when feminism was changing the face of America and the world, changing family dynamics and changing what was possible for women.

I enjoyed this book, especially the Laura's character arc. I would have liked a little more out of Sadie's characterization, and felt like she was somewhat short-shifted. There were some interesting possibilities that were hinted at but not followed through, which was disappointing. I thought the author's use of a dual timeline was effective and connected the two stories quite well, while also answering many of the questions that were brought up.

No spoilers, but I thought the conclusion to Sadie's story was both abrupt and poorly foreshadowed. I'll be curious to hear how other readers feel about that ;)

If you're look for a fun read that's very NYC centric and has a little bit of a mystery, The Lions of Fifth Avenue is a great choice. The characters are engaging, the setting is well made, the writing is cohesive and sharp and the story is a lot of fun.

This review is based on an advance copy read.

Libraries? Rare books? A mystery? Yes, a combination I have to read. And so I did, as I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy thanks to NetGalley and Plume books in exchange for an honest review.

The Lions of Fifth Avenue starts in 1913 with Laura Lyons, a young mother, living with her family in the New York City Public Library. There is an apartment within the library for the supervisor, which is Laura's husband. (I am fascinated by this apartment as I had heard there was one there and love the idea!) Laura is a bit ahead of her times but pushing through as woman in a man's world. She wants to be a journalist and so much more. Her part of the story is filled with twists, as she finds her way through many struggles and times of sadness.

We then forward to 1993 and Sadie, who works in the rare books - Berg Collection - of the New York City Public Library. She's working on an exhibit and as she works, rare books start disappearing. She also has personal struggles to deal with along with getting to know herself and her family history.

And so this story goes, back and forth from Laura to Sadie as they both deal with missing rare books, the question of who is the book thief and where they fit in life. There are several mysteries to solve while sorting out their own identity. This is definitely worth the read and I recommend it to all fans of books, libraries, mystery and historic novels.

This the is the first I've read Fiona Davis, a well known author, that I just had not gotten to but was aware of. I have some catching up to do!

The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis was satisfying read. The reader is transported back in time to the early years of the New York Public Library where this mystery starts and then to the more recent present where the mystery will play out. Fiona Davis did her research and made this beautiful library come alive. Having visited this library for the first time in the past year and being a librarian as well of lover of book (of course) this book checked all of the boxes for me.

Thank you Dutton Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Fiona Davis has produced another compelling and unusual novel. "The Lions of Fifth Avenue" is told from two perspectives across two generations. The fabulous New York Public Library building has just been completed in 1913 when the library superitendent, his wife, and two children, move into an apartment within the massively ornate building. Laura Lyons, his wife, has a strong desire to be more than a traditional wife and mother. With difficulty, she pursues a course in journalism at Columbia University, a male-dominated profession. Meanwhile, the library is rocked by rare book thefts that seemingly point a finger to the family. Outside the library, Laura falls in with a seductively bohemian group which propels her life into tragic and powerful circumstances. Laura's character is sensitively portrayed and provides insight into the difficulty that women of that time had in trying to go beyond the traditional roles of wife and mother.
Jump ahead two generations to 1993, and her granddaughter Clarissa is trying to establish an independent, solitary life at the same location - as an assistant curator of an historic collection at the New York Public Library. Clarissa slowly begins to uncover her cloudy connection to her deceased grandmother, Laura Lyon, now recognized as an important early feminist essayist. At the same time, rare book thefts hit the library, and suspicion falls on Clarissa, through her background to Laura Lyons and the thefts of that era and her own circumstances.
Davis always provides complex stories that deal with issues in many layers, building suspense and resulting in a satisfying ending. Her research is impeccable, and her writing is page-turning. Highly recommended for all public library fiction collections. This novel will be especially compelling to book lovers, rare book aficionados, library lovers, and librarians.

The cover itself captivated me. We all know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I found this cover along with the book description so intriguing that I just had to request it even though I knew I already had more than a dozen books to read and review.

I’ll admit the first few chapters confused me. Who ever heard of a family living inside a library? And how’d we get from this family to a girl who works at the same library? It took several chapters for me to grasp that the storyline went from one time period to another. Even the dates mentioned at the start of the chapters didn’t catch my attention. However jumping from two different eras and bringing it all together at the end seems quite popular these days, so I shouldn’t be too surprised.

The family who live within the library walls is a young family where the father is the superintendent of the library, who is also writing a book. His spouse is a housewife, who also writes a column for the library newsletter and she aspires to be a journalist and eventually goes to journalism school at Columbia. They have two children, who are watched by their grandmother while their mother goes to school and does her journalism research.

First editions of valuable books are reported stolen. It seems the library is unable to figure out who the thief is. An unexpected series of events happens suddenly in the heat of the moment while tensions are high.

Then there’s the library employee, someone who will become the curator of a particularly precious collection that somehow is finding herself in another case of thievery of precious editions of books. The news comes out, the curator happens to be related to the family who lives within the library walls.

Where the coveted books ever found? What happened to the family who lived in the library? How is the curator related to the family?

The Lions of Fifth Avenue was provided complimentary in exchange for an honest review on NetGalley. I give this book five out of five tiaras because it brought me in an adventure I didn’t know was coming and it literally brought the storyline into my dreams!

I ate this book up! I loved the storyline, the setting, and the mystery. I also loved all of the historical details included in the novel.

This book started out very interesting but seemed to lose momentum and believability as the story went along. The ending seemed convoluted and not very convincing. Felt like the author had to find some way to wrap things up and find an ending. Unsatisfying end to a good start. I would not readily recommend this book, there are many other of this genre I enjoyed more and would be more likely to recommend.

A family living in the NYPL, missing valuable books, a librarian: what could be more perfect? I don't know how Fiona Davis does it, but all of her books start out one way and then bring in a myriad of different stories, interweave them together, bring them to a happy conclusion and you have a great read! This one, in particular, though is special to all book and library lovers and has a little for everyone else--mystery, romance, a little bit of Nancy Drew, some office inrtrigue and of course the beloved lions Patience and Fortitude, although they are called by different names. This is a book made for librarians...and everyone else.

Fiona Davis once again creates a distinctive novel between time and place and successfully brings characters of the past and present together. The Lions of Fifth Avenue weaves together both a present and past mystery at the New York Public Library with the lives of family members from both time periods. There is individual growth and discovery, love, loss, re-discovery, healing and a lot of sluething. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love all of Fiona Davis’s books, but as an NYPL employee, this one was particularly special. It made me realize how much I still have to learn about our historic building! I will definitely be making a special trip to the Berg collection after this read. I love Davis’s astute blend of history, fiction, romance, and the empowerment of women. I am positive this book will fly off the shelves at all our branches!

How could I not live a book set in the New York Public Library? Davis has done it again, structured a story around the history of a building, alternating between 1913/14 and 1993. Laura lives in an apartment in the library in 1913, built for the super of the building, her husband. Frustrated with just being a Mom, Laura wants more for herself. Skip to 1993, and Sadie is a librarian in the library, when thefts of books start to occur, echoing events in 1913. How does this all tie together? Davis clearly outlines the social changes and expectations of women over the 20th century. Highly recommended, thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Fantastic mystery scanning several generations of family secrets at the New York Public Library. The descriptions truly made me want to visit this museum-quality building!

Plus:
Even when I predicted some of the mysterious happenings, I never fully anticipated the outcomes.

SPOILERS:
The ending was not quite as satisfying as the first 98%. I felt that Claude was used as a necessary distraction but he was too easily cast aside. Robin got what she deserved. But Harry? The sentimental side of me was glad he reconnected with Sadie. The realistic side of me doesn't think he should be embraced when he probably stole more books than Robin.

The thefts of valuable books from the New York Public Library almost 80 years apart uncovers the secrets of two women. In 1913, Laura Lyons moves into an apartment in the library with her superintendent husband and two young children. Laura longs for more and is accepted into Columbia's journalism degree program, but the world is still a harsh place for women seeking a life outside the home. in 1993, Sadie Donovan is a librarian in the rare books department at the NYPL. When valuable books start to disappear from the collection, Sophie searches for the truth while she herself becomes a suspect. Sadie's secret family history may hold the key to the thefts. of the present and the past. This is a wonderful story of two independent women filled with vivid details of the time periods. Once again, Fiona Davis, has crafted an intriguing story based on the history of one of New York's historic landmark buildings!

This story is absolutely a book lover's paradise. It's got something for everyone: lovingly detailed descriptions of literary texts, family secrets, complicated characters, generational mysteries. The premise is simple: two women from the same family - an archival librarian and her grandmother - both get caught up in a web of thefts of priceless texts at the New York Public Library. Whether or not the thefts are connected across time - and what their family's connection is to the mystery - remains to be seen.

Every detail in this book is so well thought out; it has an archivist's eye. You can practically see the penstrokes on the historic pages that our modern protagonist cares for. It's a richly built world that positions a grand library as a place of history and wonder, just like readers know it to be. The two main characters each anchor their segments beautifully, and they're some of the most compelling historical fiction heroines I've read in some time. Even when the twists unfold, it all feels natural, like it was supposed to be this way all along. I can't wait to reread and see what details I pick up on next time!