Fiona Davis’s book give you a little bit of everything. You learn history on a landmark building in NYC mixed with a mystery. They’re always a pleasure to read.

Fiona Davis's books always captivate me and The Magnolia Palace was no exception. I love the way she selects a NY landmark and then tells a story with both a present day and a historical storyline. The research she does on the period and the landmark shines through - I enjoyed learning so much about the Frick Family and their storied collection/museum. Highly recommend!

I loved this one. The way that it jumped between present time and the past I adored. The characters were so easy to fall in love with, and I loved that way the author was able to pull history but also add her own twists in.

SO GOOD!!!

I've read a few books by Fiona Davis now and she has a storytelling formula I really appreciate. I think this one falls in the middle of the pack for me — I liked the story and *some* of the characters (oh and I always love her writing) but something just didn't make it a complete home run. Really looking forward to her next one!

Another solid historical fiction read from Fiona Davis that made me want to visit the Frick Museum on my next NYC adventure! I’ll also be looking at the statutes adorning notable buildings that much closer from now on, too. ;) The two unique perspectives helped round out the storytelling in a way that keeps me coming back to her novels & excited for future releases.

This was easily one of my favourite books of the year. It was filled with vibrant writing, wonderful prose and such a gorgeous cover!

Fiona Davis is one of my all time favorite historical fiction authors and just when I think I couldn’t love her phenomenal writing any more, here came The Magnolia Palace, which utterly swept me away. This book may possibly be my new favorite by her (however I do have a tendency to say that with each and every read I pick up by her)!

This story is told through dual timelines, one taking place during the Spanish flu in 1919 and the other 50 years later. I found both to be equally compelling and interesting and I highly enjoyed coming alongside the main characters, Lillian and Veronica, in each of them. As a side note, I just have to mention that as a lover of art, this story really hit the nail on the head for me in the way that art was intertwined into the story! Truly each of the elements here, from the characters as I’ve already mentioned to the settings, the rich historical detail, all the way to the intriguing plot chock full of mystery and secrets, family drama, and romance added up to make it the wonderful, twisty, and simply unputdownable read that it was. Be sure not to miss the authors note at the end! It was super intriguing to read more about the inspiration behind Miss Lily and the real Helen Frick.

A unique and fresh, well-written and memorable historical fiction read, this is a book I cannot recommend highly enough to my fellow hist fic lovers or even somebody looking to give the genre a try! All the stars!!

Many thanks to Dutton and NetGalley for the gifted e-copy!

I always enjoy reading Fiona Davis's historical fiction novels as they teach me about various properties in NYC and some of the history of these amazing properties.
In this novel, told in dual timelines, Lilly is a model for various artists in 1919.when she becomes a witness to a murder. Wanting to escape this notoriety, she finds herself hired as a personal secretary for Helen Frick. Also, in 1966, Veronica, a British model is in NYC for a photo shoot at the Frick Museum when she gets trapped in the building during a blizzard.
There is a legend that the Magnolia Diamond went missing and was never found. This story, while imaginary, forms the basis for a mystery in this novel. Who stole the diamond and where could it be? There is also another death in the story, and a mystery surrounding who was responsible.
Fiona Davis has a gift in bringing these old buildings to life with an interesting story. I enjoyed it.

I have enjoyed Fiona Davis' previous books and this one was no exception. It was an enjoyable read and watching the mystery unfold via a young model in the late 20th century was a fun twist. Definitely a great way to escape through time.

Not only is this book historical fiction about a famous American family, but it is a modern mystery also, with some characters spanning both stories, which is a change from most books dealing with two stories. I have heard of the Frick family, but did not really know anything about them--now I would love to take a trip to NYC and visit the Frick Collection. This book has a variety of characters of all different social strata and temperaments and the social mores of the time are definitely reflected in the early 1900 story. This is a typical Fiona Davis novel--which is a wonderful thing.

Fiona Davis novels never disappoint and this was no exception. As always with her books we find dual time line and we can enjoy both parts of the story and how they intersect at some point. I enjoyed learning about The Frick Mansion which still houses the Frick collection to this day. #themagnoliapalace.

Fiona Davis does it again! I love how she brings the history of some of New York City buildings to life. The Magnolia Palace is a work of fiction based on real life events of the Frick family. The story captivated me from the beginning to the very end. I look forward to Ms. Davis’ next novel. I learn so much through her storytelling.

Thank you #NetGalley, #PenguinRandomHouse and #FionaDavis for the copy of #TheMagnoliaPalce for my honest review.

What a fantastic book!
I had no knowledge of the Frick family mansion that exists in New York City. This book makes me want to visit it next time I’m there.
Fiona Davis does another excellent job with dual timelines in history. She is so talented and can bring history to life like no other author I’ve read.

The ending was wrapped up a little too cleanly for my taste. But her books typically have a feel good ending because the characters face so much strife. Davis is becoming an auto read author for me!

Phenomenal book. Fiona Davis once again writes a historical fiction novel that is informative and interesting. She captures the nature of the historical figures and creates fictional characters that help to move the story forward and create greater depth to the narrative. The author educates the reader on a famous New York City family living during the Gilded Age. The book is written with a dual timeline.

After reading this book I am looking forward to going to the Frick Museum once it reopens after renovations to the Frick Mansion. You will not be disappointed reading The Magnolia Palace.

I love Fiona Davis as a person (not met but just online stuff). I think she writes really well and is a good storyteller. However, after this being my second book tried of hers and not finishing either book, I am thinking her books just aren't for me sadly. The First book I had tried to read was really just over my head as I knew nothing about New York. So I felt that maybe that was just a glitch. I requested this book with high hopes of enjoying it. I just simply could not get into the book. It was a DNF for me at Chapter 3.

Historical Fiction is a favorite of mine and I think Fiona Barton does it the best of all! I mean for one, hello New York city, dual timelines, beautiful models and stunning statues!!

We start with the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1919 where famous model Lillian Carter loses her beloved mother. Lillian, fresh with grief makes several bad decisions that send her on a roller coaster of survival to The Magnolia Palace. I was wondering at any moment if her secrets would be found out. When Lillian suddenly disappears questions are left unanswered.

Fifty years later English model Veronica Weber is trying to jump start her own career In New York city. She is a young woman alone with the big responsibility of trying to find a way to support her family back home. Veronica ends up on a job at The Magnolia Palace, a place where the walls hold many secrets. When the job falls apart for her and she ends up being left behind Veronica discovers the messages that will lead her to the true story of what happened to Lillian Carter.

Barton does such a good job of weaving this story together that you quickly find yourself immersed in the history of The Magnolia Palace. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm always anxious for the next story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the copy of this book.

The Magnolia Palace is a slow-based historical fiction novel that follows two timelines.

1919: Lillian, professionally known as Angelica, is a model turned personal secretary. After the death of her mother/manager, Lillian’s career as a sculptor’s muse fizzles out. Unable to pay rent to her scuzzy landlord, he propositions her for a different way to get rent. Lillian sends him a note cheekily turning him down, stating she will come up with the rent money. When her landlord’s wife finds this note, chaos ensues and the wife is murdered. Lillian, terrified of being questioned by the police about her note, escapes and lands a job as Helen Frick’s personal secretary at the Frick Mansion.

1966: Veronica is a fresh-faced British model doing her first photoshoot abroad in New York City at the Frick Museum. After walking off set, she gets lost and trapped during a large blizzard that knocks out the power. Alone in the museum, she meets an intern whose also been snowed in. Together they discover a scavenger hunt that leads them to uncovering the deepest secrets of the Frick Family.

This story was thoughtful, intriguing and had family drama, mystery and murder. Spanning two timelines, we learn about the Frick family, their staff, and their secrets. Fiona Davis is a new author for me and this introduction to her work was beautifully written and timeless. It was slow at times and it took a while to get to the murder and mystery and for that reason I have given this book 4 stars.

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin House - Dutton for an advanced reading copy.

Magnolia Palace features two timelines: one in the early 20th century and the second approximately 50 years later. Have you ever noticed the statues throughout NYC and other historical areas and wondered who modeled for them? I had not, but after reading this book I learned so much about the inspiration and work behind these artworks. Further, this book made me want to visit the Frick museum (location of most scenes in the book) to see how it compared to the book. I preferred the first timeline to the second and read the earlier timeline much more quickly, and I would have preferred for the entire book to have focused on the early 20th century story. That being said, the second timeline provided answers to questions unresolved in the earlier timeline. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Fiona Davis for this wished for ARC.

This was a wonderful historical fiction dual timeline book. It was a joy to read and I didn't want it to end.

Lillian Carter is struggling since her mother died suddenly of Influenza. She is trying to keep jobs so she can continue to pay for their apartment. The landlord requests to meet her and she finds his wife has been murdered, she runs in a panic for fear she will be implicated. She was once a muse for many artists in the city and now has to redefine herself to stay hidden from the police. She finds a place as a secretary for Helen Frick. She is the mastermind behind her letters for her employer to catch a beau. Things go terribly wrong and Lillian is then suddenly moving on to a different.

Veronica Weber scored a photoshoot with Vogue magazine in the Frick mansion. She suddenly is in the photographer's spotlight because she tries to stand up to him when he wants the models to pose in the snow making angels in beautiful dresses. She is left behind all alone in the mansion when she get separated from the group. There is a terrible snowstorm and she thinks she is alone, but finds one of the archivists has been working and is locked in the house when the power goes out.

This story weaves the lives of Lillian, Helen Frick and Veronica together beautifully.

This book linked the lives of people over two different eras within the New York library. I like a book with a good story but also with history I can learn about! So I enjoyed this one and loved the characters. However for me, it was slow paced, I found I was confused at times as to where I was in the story and it took me a while to get into the book too.