This is the 3rd Fiona Davis novel that I have read and I always struggle with the rating. They all land somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4 for me. I love reading historical fiction and Fiona does a great job of building novels around historical artifacts. Her books follow a similar pattern...they feel familiar in a good way yet at times I hear myself thinking "of course" as the plot develops. They are well written and move at a crisp pace which will keep me reading them.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early release in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book sucked me in and left me on the couch all day reading, when I could have taken a nice long nap. It is told in alternating timelines, 1919 and 1966. I was definitely more intrigued with the earlier timeline. I had no idea who the Frick family was prior to reading this book, but coincidentally, After I looked up the characters I realized that my child was doing a mock trial in their AP US history class and they were originally supposed to play the one character from this book!

The only thing I'm unsure of is the ending. I don't know what it was about it, but I didn't love it.

This is a new to me author, and based on this book, I would definitely be interested in reading more of her works.

I received a digital ARC of this book thanks to the publisher and Netgalley

Fiona Davis is an auto-read for me and The Magnolia Palace didn't disappoint that expectation! I'm also a big fan of duel timelines and Ms. Davis handles weaving them together seamlessly.

Fiona Davis is one of my absolute favorite authors. I think it might be that she writes incredibly detailed, well written stories that just grab you from the very beginning. But it also could be that she writes about my favorite city in the world, NYC!

The Magnolia Palace is another complete winner in my book! Told with Fiona’s classic flashback style, the story jumps between two POVs and timelines. The 1919 story is told by Lillian, a muse and model who lives with her mother and the 1966 story is told by Veronica, a British model who is in NYC for a job with Vogue Magazine. Lillian is down on her luck after her mother passes away from the Spanish Flu, and her landlord murders his wife. She is wrapped into the police investigation and she decides to flee for California to find work in the movies. On her way, she decides to try getting a loan from an artist she worked for and stops by the Frick Mansion, where she is confused for an applicant for Miss Helen Frick’s personal secretary. Lillian goes along with this for a short time just to raise some money and have a place to live. The story goes much more in depth of the Frick Family and the fortune of wealth and art. There’s even a small mystery woven into the story, and that’s where the 1966 plot line comes in.

It’s truly fascinating to learn more about this family I’ve only heard of as Old New York money. Once it reopens, I plan on visiting the Frick Mansion!

5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Two years, 1919 and 1966. Two women, Lillian and Veronica, both trying to make ends meet by modeling. The first as “Angelica” a muse for sculptors of many famous pieces of art and the latter by crossing the pond to participate in a Vogue shoot that she hopes will make her famous. One house, the Frick Mansion. One treasure hunt started in 1919 and ended in 1966. All sprinkled in with a little bit of love, and intrigue.

I have only read one other book by this author, The Lions of Fifth Avenue, and enjoyed it so I was excited to have a chance to receive an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I’m not typically a historical fiction fan, but I’ve been intrigued lately by both time periods that this covers, as well as the history of Mr. Frick and the disaster in Jamestown, PA.

I found that both storylines did an excellent job of painting the picture of what life was like in those times, both good and bad. Also the struggles of both women, one losing her over bearing mother to the Spanish Flu pandemic and the other having to go clear across the world in hopes of being able to help provide for an ill sister and her mother.

I also think that Ms. Davis melded the two different storylines quite well, and then to bring it to a singular conclusion. I might have even shed a little tear at the end. I have always wanted to visit New York City and now I have added the Frick Collection to my list of places I want to visit when there.

Another win from the master of dual timeline stories that feature historical NYC buildings and figures. I really enjoyed learning more about the Frick mansion that was turned into a museum. The mystery in this story kept me interested and entertained and it was fun to learn about one of the first 'super models' of New York.

This story has a little for everyone: romance, historical details, a decades-long mystery, murder, Gilded Age socialites all set in the background of New York City. If you like Fiona Davis's other books or The Personal Librarian, this story is sure to delight! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!

I love Davis' writing and historical details she presents. The story was really good, hooked me from the first page and I enjoyed the characters and the plot.

Absolutely loved this book! I like how the author took really facts and fiction and blended them together! Two wonderful main characters that you help but become attached to! Two different timelines. I some have problems with dual timelines but this book moves smoothly between them! And then there's the mystery that will keep you turning those pages! Wonderful story!

Another very interesting book from Fiona Davis that introduced me to the Frick Mansion., one of New York City's most impressive homes of the Gilded Age.
A dual time line story of two women who lives were connected by the mansion and the story that was not known for years involving love, murder, family betrayal and more.
This one will keep you reading late into the night, trying to discover the clues to the most elusive scavenger hunt.

Forced to flee the apartment she shared with her late mother, Lillian Carter finds herself gazing at her likeness in statute form above a doorway to the Frick home. An employee of the home mistakes her for a job candidate and whisks her inside for a cup of tea and an interview. After successfully earning the job, Lillian finds herself adding more lies to her story until she finally gets caught and accused of her crimes and more.

Almost fifty years later, Veronica Weber accepts a modeling job at the Frick museum, the same home Lillian worked in. She gets dismissed from the photo shoot for defending another model and wanders the upper floors of the museum, losing track of time. Suddenly she realizes she is locked in and with a snow storm covering New York, she can’t get out for several days. Surprised by an employee who was also locked in, together they decide to follow clues Veronica found to a scavenger hunt of sorts and end up solving the crimes of the past.

The Magnolia Palace is a wonderfully written ode to art appreciation filled with suspense, humor, romance and mystery. This has to be one of the best historical fiction novels I’ve read. Highly recommend adding this novel to your TBR.

The Magnolia Palace is the latest book written by Fiona Davis bringing the buildings of New York City to life. Told in alternating time periods, and alternating POVs, this story tells the tale of the Frick Museum through the eyes of a former artist's model, Lillian (1919), and 50 years later through the eyes of model Veronica Weber. Veronica comes across hidden messages that will shed light on the 50 year old murder of a member of the Frick family.
If you haven't yet read a Fiona Davis book you are in for a treat. Just sit back and enjoy this beautiful story of the history of New York City.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

—Pub Day Book Review—

Title: The Magnolia Palace
Author: Fiona Davis
Publisher: Dutton Books
@duttonbooks
Genre: Historical Fiction

Happy Publication Day to The Magnolia Palace by author Fiona Davis. Thank you to @duttonbooks for honoring my request to read and review this title via @netgalley.

Normally, I absolutely, love, love, love a dual timeline in a historical fiction novel. And author Fiona Davis is masterful in this technique; however in this case the second timeline in the 1960s felt unnecessary and very gimmicky. Its only purpose it seems was to solve the minor subplot of the the mystery in the story. I think I would’ve enjoyed the story more if the author would’ve stuck with the 1919 timeline of main character Lillian/Angelica; the struggling art model trying to cope from her mother dying from the Spanish flu. With maybe just some more flashbacks to her teen years when she began modeling.

Lillian is forced to flee her apartment when the apartment manager makes advances at her, murders his wife, and the police somehow think she is a suspect! After sleeping and wondering around on the streets, Lillian accidentally stumbles into the job of being Henry Clay Frick’s headstrong daughter, Helen’s, head secretary.

Lillian decided to take the job to save money for a train ticket out to California to act. Ultimately, she seems to be just running through the motions on things because she is still devastated from losing her mother. Her employer, Helen, seems to idolize her father and is always seeking his attention. Attention that is missing because she had a younger sister that passed away. Family is a central theme in this story. In comes into play in the 1960s timeline as well when model, Veronica, takes a modeling job for a Vogue shoot at the Frick Mansion. She needs money for her twin sister’s medical care.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved the art. I loved the Frick mansion. Honestly, those non-characters were my favorite characters. It’s a testament to how thorough the author’s research is. Well done!

Fiona Davis expertly weaves past and present in her novels. In this book, she chose to explore two periods from the past, the 1910s and the 1960s, as well as themes of art and beauty. The Fricks were a wealthy family that collected great works of art, and later donated that art to the city of New York. But when one priceless broach turns up missing, a personal secretary is fired and blamed. Many years later, an intern at the Frick Museum finds the piece in a hidden room in the museum. The question is, can they determine what really happened to the broach, and who was responsible?

Expansive Dual timeline piece full of glorious descriptive writing.
2022 historical read of the year, probably.

Henry Clay Frick, the wealthy industrialist known for his involvement in U.S. Steel, had architects design his home to be built on New York City’s (NYC) Fifth Ave. and E 70th Street. Construction on the mansion began in 1913 but wasn’t completed until 1914. Frick was an avid art collector, and he knew then that he wanted his mansion turned into the Frick Museum after the deaths of he and his wife, with free admittance for the people of Manhattan. The impressive building was opened as a museum in 1935 with three magnificent Magnolia trees in the entrance gardens.

Fiona Davis, the best-selling, New York Times author of historical fiction, specifically writes about NYC landmarks. She is known to do extensive research on her projects and includes invaluable reader information in her Author Notes, explaining what is fact, and what is fiction. This reader enjoys these notes and rates Ms. Davis’ the best author doing so.

Our story begins in 1919, just months after Lillian Carter’s mother succumbed to the Spanish Flu. Lillian is just 21 years old and feels unmoored without her mother. She’s been a popular artists’ model since she was 15 years old, but always with her mother at her side. “Angelica” is the name Lillian models under, mostly because some of the statues that bear her likeness are partially nude. These works of art, however, are placed at landmarks around the city, such as: the Plaza Hotel, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Three Graces at the Hotel Astor; even at the entrance of the Frick Mansion.

While the statues are praised, the beautiful Lillian is judged negatively, as the model who poses partially nude to create them. When Lillian’s landlord murders his wife, she is immediately assumed involved just by the nature of her work. With her mother not there to protect her Lillian goes on the run but must find other work to survive. This leads her to find a job opportunity in the Frick mansion as the private secretary to Helen Clay Frick, Henry’s daughter. Although Lillian has no experience as a secretary, her knowledge of art and artists enables her to convince Helen she’s the perfect fit.

Lillian gets drawn into the of the family and absorbed into their drama of secrets, jealousies, and betrayals she never imagined. Would she have to be on the run again?

Fifty years later, 60’s fashion model Veronica Weber, on assignment from England has her own employment opportunity with Vogue, at a shoot taking place at the Frick Museum. She’s a novice and entirely out of her element making several mistakes and annoying the photographer to the point he dismisses her. Meanwhile, Joshua the art curator/intern is trying to protect the Frick Collection from the careless group when he and Veronica connect. Even better, a huge snow storm descends on NYC trapping Veronica and Joshua in the Museum after all the others left. With the security locks and alarms set that can’t leave without alerting police and scandal.

During their confinement Veronica discovers hidden messages left over from an incomplete scavenger hunt that leads them to the missing Magnolia Diamond; only for it to end up missing again. They will meet Helen Frick, still alive and living in a private residence connected to the museum. Will they find the diamond? Will they ever find out what happened to Lillian?

This historical fiction novel written by Fiona Davis adds so much to the story of the Frick family, the residence that began as the renowned Frick Mansion containing the invaluable Frick Collection. You won’t be able to put in down and you’ll want to make plans to go see the Frick Museum for yourself.

Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss, PRH – Dutton, and Fiona Davis.

The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis is another gem in which she creates a fictionalized story around an iconic New York City landmark, in this case, The Frick Collection. It is one of the most glorious museums that houses a permanent collection with the likes of Rembrandt, Vermeer, Goya and Bellini.

In using her tell-tale two timeline narrative, Davis puts the reader in place and time in both 1919 and the early 1960s with vivid imagery. The descriptions of New York, the museum and the dress came clearly to life. Her choice to bring the model that graces so many New York fountains and buildings to life was brilliant. I’m ashamed to say that it never occurred to me that those statues were based on a real person. How naïve of me!

The two main protagonists, Lillian from 1919 and Veronica from the 60s were each “stuck” in the Frick mansion for very different reasons. I learned a lot about the Frick’s rich history and adored accompanying the characters on a scavenger hunt through the museum.

In dual timeline novels it’s quite rare that characters from the two different time periods meet up, yet Davis makes it happen beautifully. Threaded through the story are themes of race, romance, fate, grief, mother/daughter relationships, modeling and a murder mystery. This will for sure be a book club favorite and another notch in Davis’s literary belt.

The Magnolia Palace is a captivating mystery set in New York City at the stately mansion and family home of steel magnate, Henry Clay Frick. Filled with priceless art, Mr. Frick’s goal was to leave his home and art collection as a gift to the city. Like a knowledgeable docent on a guided tour, Fiona Davis opens readers eyes to the Gilded Age of “Vanderbuilding,” the art collector’s world, and the ache of being wealthy but not protected from human heartaches. The dual timeline involves Lillian Carter, a sculptors’ model known for her classic beauty in 1919 and Veronica Weber, a newly discovered 1966 London fashion model, naïve but with an excellent memory and observation skills. The Frick family with all their largesse are not immune to tragedy, sibling rivalry, and domineering, interfering parents. Fiona Davis seamlessly weaves the two timelines with both endearing and badly behaved characters, love triangles between staff and family, and the mystery of the famous Magnolia Diamond. To marry for security or follow a career are choices that keep Lillian and Veronica searching from one clue to another as they get closer and closer to solving the Frick family mystery. Fiona Davis layers her plot with the mastery of an Old-World painter. Readers will be quickly immersed and enthralled with The Magnolia Palace.

I have been a long time fan of Fiona Davis. I love how her historical fiction is inspired by actual New York landmarks with the stories behind them re-envisioned. I find myself constantly looking up images and facts for the buildings/people/history to accompany my reads which makes it even more fascinating.

After losing her mother in the year 1919, formerly sought after artist's model Lillian is penniless and desperate. When she accidentally lands a job as a private secretary for the elusive Frick family, she is pulled into the tangled web of secrets, murders and stolen jewels. Cut to 50 years later, English mod model Veronica finds herself in the Frick mansion and stumbles upon clues that may finally unearth the truth from all those decades ago.

I really enjoyed the Lillian (Angelica/Miss Lily) storyline and her relationship with the quirky Helen Frick. They were both nuanced, smart and engaging characters. Lillian's history of posing for landmark statues ranging from the Plaza Hotel to the Brooklyn Bridge and even to The Frick was enlightening- I didn't know actual people posed for those! Where the story fell flat for me was Veronica's timeline- it just didn't grab me- and the ending, which I found anticlimactic when compared to Davis' other works.

Overall, I found Lillian's storyline super interesting and I look forward to what Davis puts out next. My rating for this would be a 3.5, rounded down. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to the publishers for sending me an advanced copy of The Magnolia Palace on exchange for my honest review.

I am a big fan of Fiona Davis and The Magnolia Palace was high on my list of anticipated books for 2022. We are introduced to two female protagonists and two time periods. This is my favorite type of historical fiction and Davis always delivers. The mystery will consume you and it is so beautifully done you will be left feeling so satisfied.

I always enjoy books by Fiona Davis as I learn about NYC’s historic landmarks while reading a well written historical fiction. Her books are also perfect for book clubs.

“The Magnolia Palace” features the Frick Museum, one of New York City’s most striking Gilded Age mansions. As is typical of Davis’ books, this one is written as a dual timeline alternating between 1919 with a murder mystery within the Frick family and “present day” 1966 when a model and an archivist become locked in the museum overnight.

I enjoyed the story of “Angelica” (Lillian Carter aka “Miss Lilly”) who was one of the most sought-after artists’ models in New York City. Statues of her are at various landmarks in the city. I never really thought about the women who posed for statues, which is one of the main points of this book. Miss Lilly is hired as personal secretary to the demanding and eccentric Helen Clay Frick. Thus, Lilly is thrust into the middle of the Frick family’s daily lives.

While the Frick family seemed to have it all, the unveiling of secrets and schemes within their house was interesting. Mr. Henry Clay Frick was nasty to his daughter Helen. Mrs. Frick locks herself away day after day. Martha, the oldest child, died at a young age. And siblings Helen and Childs do not get along.

Overall, I found the story fascinating and am eager for another story by Fiona Davis. I think anyone with an interest in the architectural landmarks of NYC will enjoy this book.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.