The Magnolia Palace is a gripping read that keeps you turning the pages until the end. If you're looking for a historical fiction novel with a bit of mystery and suspense, this is the book for you. Fiona Davis does an excellent job of bringing the past to life, and I found myself fully immersed in both timelines. The characters are well-developed and complex, and the plot is twisty and full of surprises.

From my blog: Always With a Book

It’s no secret that I am a big fan of Fiona Davis’s books. I just love how she takes iconic buildings in NYC and brings them to life and this latest book is no exception. New York City is one of my favorite places to visit and yet I still learn so much from reading her books and I cannot wait for my next visit to the city so I can take a walking tour and see all these buildings.

This time around, we delve into the art world and are given a historical mystery filled with a murder mystery and a little romance. I’ve always heard about the Frick Museum, but I’ve never really known much about it, so it was fascinating to read about the family and the building itself. I love that this story is of course based on real events and people, as the author mentions in her author’s note – definitely be sure to read this!

This book captivated me from the get-go. I loved the way the story unfolded, alternating between the time when the Frick family lived in the house and then when the building had become a museum. I enjoyed both timelines, though I have to say, the scavenger hunt was definitely something that kept me a bit more on my toes – that’s probably the mystery lover in me! Being locked in a mansion during a snowstorm and then discovering the clues to an unsolved family mystery is right up my alley…and I could not read these sections fast enough.

This book really was so unique, as I have found all of Fiona Davis’s books to be. I have read them all and cannot wait to see what building she tackles next!

3.5 stars
I always enjoy a dual time period narrative. This novel takes place in 1919 and 1966 and focuses on two young women who have already had a lot of loss in their lives trying to do whatever they can to help themselves and their families survive. The first third of the book dragged, especially while trying to establish the latter timeline’s narrative, but it found its rhythm and created a good mystery that also gave me other subjects (such as the Frick family and artist’s models) about which I would like to learn more.
I was given a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

The Magnolia Palace weaves history and thriller and suspense into one compelling and page-turning read which does not disappoint.

Fiona Davis NEVER disappoints... another beautiful book that weaves the story of old New York with its treasures, buildings and lost jewels. There is nostalgia and contemporary takes all bound up in one beautifully executed masterpiece whose characters stay with you long after the last page has been turned.

For some reason I really put off reading this maybe because of the old fashioned looking cover. I really enjoyed the writing and the perspectives of the women in the novel. While I’m not the biggest historical fiction fan I really enjoyed this one and would recommend for some history of New York and the frick with a thriller/mystery twist.

The Magnolia Palace tells the story of a stolen diamond. I really the 1919 plot line. However, the 1960s plot line did nothing to enhance the plot. Still, this novel has art, romance, and mystery. I recommend this for fans of Gill Paul, Lucinda Riley, and Kate Morton!

Set in 1919 and 1966, The Magnolia Palace centers around the Frick mansion in New York. In 1919, Mr. Frick was in failing health and trying to keep his daughter, Helen, under his thumb, even as he knew his death was looming. Lillian, Helen’s personal secretary becomes part of Mr. Frick’s plan which ultimately leads to some dire consequences for Lillian

In 1966, Veronica, a model who was on a photo shoot, gets stuck in the Frick mansion during a blizzard along with one of the interns from the mansion, Joshua. Veronica stumbles upon a set of scavenger hunt clues that take them around the house, ultimately in search of a valuable diamond thought to have been lost ages ago.

Fiona Davis did a masterful job with all of the characters’ development. I typically enjoy one timeline over another but with each shift, I couldn’t wait to find out more about where we had left off previously.

I highly recommend this historical fiction book to fans of The Personal Librarian.

Thank you to NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First line: Lillian Carter stood half naked, one are held up like a ballet dancer, the other hanging lightly down at her side, and calculated how long she could avoid paying rent while her landlord was in jail.

Summary: In 1919, Lillian Carter, is an artist model who is famously known as Angelica. She has posed for sculptures all over New York City but when she gets entangled in the death of her landlord’s wife she goes on the run. In a case of mistaken identity she is hired as the private secretary to the daughter of one of the richest men in the country. In the hopes of lying low and earning some money to escape to Los Angeles she sees that life in the home of the rich is not as glamorous as it may seem.

In 1966, Veronica Weber, is an English model who arrives at the Frick Museum for a photo shoot, only to be locked inside during a blackout snowstorm. While waiting out the storm, she and an archivist follow the clues to a mysterious treasure hunt only to find something that has been missing for nearly five decades.

My Thoughts: Fiona Davis does not disappoint. She writes some wonderful novels that incorporate history, art and sometimes a little bit of a mystery. This was no different. I had never heard of Angelica. In the book she uses a different name than the real life Angelica but many of the statues mentioned in the book are real. Of course I had to look up pictures of them and the Frick Museum. I have heard of the museum but knew nothing about the family. It was interesting to get a little background to it and its famous works of art. I would love to visit and see the masterpieces that line the walls.

I wonder if Miss Helen was as stubborn as she is made out to be. She is definitely not a likeable character. But she was also a product of her time. A wealthy woman who lived in the shadow of her family. At the end in the author’s notes she gave several books to read for more information. I will be adding them to my ever growing list.

The story was well written and enjoyable just as her other books have been. Highly recommended for lovers of art and history.

An excellent, intriguing read. I loved the mystery and the descriptions of the property. It did tie up pretty neatly and fast at the end, but overall a great read. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

If you enjoy dual timeline historical fiction, you will love The Magnolia Palace. As for me, I much preferred the historical timeline (1919) over the modern (1966) one. I love historical fiction about New York City and The Frick provides a fabulous setting for this novel. The building was built as a residence but was intended to work as a museum for the art collection of the Frick family after the death of steel magnate, Henry Clay Frick and his wife. This book will definitely make you want to visit The Frick, but it is currently closed for renovation. The collection is temporarily housed nearby (in the former home of the Whitney Museum), but to get the full effect, wait until the renovations are complete and visit this historic mansion to see the artwork in that environment.

So… the story. Davis took her inspiration from a woman who modeled for a large number of sculptures in the early 20th century in NYC. She puts this fictionalized version of the model into the Frick household as a personal secretary to Miss Helen Frick in 1919. You have to suspend your disbelief to think that this could actually have happened, of course. I loved the insights into the daily lives of these ultra-rich people, as well as how their servants lived. The 1966 timeline didn’t work that well for me, even though I enjoyed the characters of young model Veronica and young archivist intern Joshua. Just too many coincidences and quick solutions to mysteries that had resisted solution almost fifty years earlier. My rating is generous, mainly because of the massive research done for the book and because of my enjoyment of it, even while not fully accepting the modern timeline.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book, although I’m a bit late to it. I appreciated being able to bounce back and forth from the eARC to the published audiobook, narrated beautifully by Karissa Vacker, courtesy of my public library. All opinions are my own.

The Magnolia Palace is another dual timeline story by Fiona Davis. One timeline takes us back to 1919 just after the flu and the other takes us to the 1960's. One heroine finds herself destitute following her mother's death and also finds herself accused of murder. She flees and finds a position with the wealthy Frick family known for its love of the arts. Fast forward to the 1960's and a young woman finds herself fired from a modeling job. As she winds her way through the Frick mansion, the site of the photo shoot, she finds clues that may help solve a long ago murder and give herself the freedom and independence she needs.
Thanks to Net galley for the arc.

The book follows a 1900’s artist’s model named Angelica (née Lillian Carter). Despite being the most sought-after model in NYC of her time (she’s been dubbed “America’s first super model”), a scandal forces forces her to leave her life behind and she finds refuge at the Frick mansion. Somehow she scores a job as the private secretary of Helen Frick, the daughter and heiress of industrialist and art patron Henry Clay Frick. During her short time there, she finds herself involved in another scandal where she’s forced to escape again.

The mystery stays unsolved until the year 1966 when a British fashion model somehow finds herself locked in the Frick mansion and chances upon a set of hidden messages from 1912. With the help of a Frick intern, Joshua (also stuck in the mansion), they set out on a scavenger hunt that leads them to solve the decades-long murder mystery at the mansion.

Can I just say that Davis’ writing is fantastic! The dual timelines were written brilliantly and I loved the plot and the mystery storyline. When it comes to historical fiction, historical accuracy is the utmost importance and I always appreciate a well-researched book. Obviously, there are some fictional elements in the book, but the rest of the book was highly accurate (I did fact check, lol).

I don’t want to give away too much of the book, but I just encourage you to read it! The book has a little bit of everything! A sordid history filled with lies, scandal and greed; high fashion and famous artwork; and of course, a bit of romance. If you do read the book, I highly encourage you to research the real-life model that served as the inspiration for Angelica: Audrey Munson. She lived a truly heartbreaking and tragic life.

Rating: 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5).

Thank you, NetGalley and Dutton for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! I ended up buying both the book and the audiobook!

I am thankful to the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book. I loved it! The scavenger hunt idea was sooo interesting! I loved the connections between characters and the way they all spanned four decades. I love the way Davis writes these stories full of intrigue using famous NYC landmarks. I’d highly recommend this!

The Magnolia Palace was a hit and miss for me. The hit was all in the 1919 storyline. This was intriguing, interesting and was a page turner. I felt the characters were well written and how it all happened near the end of this timeline was so good.

The 1966 timeline was not great. It felt flat and to be honest just boring. The characters were bland, Helen does no of those things she did in 1966, and the ending felt to neat and clean. Almost Halmark movie style.

Def not my favorite of Davis, but she continues to be an auto read author for me!

I enjoyed reading The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis. Some of the characters were well developed and interesting, but some were not as fully developed. I enjoy dual timeline stories, but this one did not connect as well as some I have read. I appreciate the chance to read and review this book. Overall I enjoyed the book and gave it 4 stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my first Fiona Davis book and needless to say, I’ve become a big fan! I enjoyed the dual timelines and interwoven storylines. A former New Yorker, it was nostalgic reading facts coupled with a fictional story focused around the Frick family and mansions. I loved the history and plot involving both the civil rights issues of “modern-day” and class gaps of The Gilded Age era.

It's no secret that I have struggled with historical fiction in the recent years. It just feels like we are facing so much history that it's been harder to get pulled into a historical fiction book. This one hooked me very quickly however. I really enjoyed the story and the characters and highly recommend it!

The multiple timelines were interesting and well thought planned. It did feel extremely predictable, and the ending felt somewhat contrived. I liked it, and I can guarantee this will be a hit with many of our regulars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC.

While I do not read a lot of historical fiction, I always enjoy Davis' writing. Her ability to rip her readers out of the 21st century and place them into the time her stories are set in is nothing short of magical. The Magnolia Palace features the Frick mansion, an iconic building in New York City. Like her other books, Davis uses a historic landmark for the setting of her fictional writing. The "formula" she uses to write her books is really clever and I am excited to see what she will publish next.