Storytelling at its best! In The Stolen Queen is a historical fiction that takes place in dual timelines, alternating between 1930s Egypt and 1970s NYC.

I loved how the stories intertwined from different periods in time, and how detailed author Fiona Davis’ research in history is. It was so fascinating to get a woman’s POV as an Egyptian archeologist of that time.

*many thanks to Dutton, PRH audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Brilliant. Fiona Davis weaves past and present together so seamlessly that you forget you are reading fiction. A true master of her craft. We will always sing her praises!

I love anything and everything Fiona Davis writes. The Stolen Queen is a must read for fans of Davis.

The Stolen Queen is an epic story about two young women from different time periods that end up meeting under criminal circumstances. Charlotte Cross goes to Egypt in 1936 to study for a semester among the Egyptologist's and she begs her professor for a chance to dig. Since she's a woman, of course she is put off and turned down time after. time. While there, Charlotte meets Henry a boy she falls for quickly. Finally she is allowed to dig one afternoon and she finds a tomb buried deep under ground. She finds out later she will only be a footnote in the finding though because of her status as a women. Charlotte wants more that this but she continues to love Henry and she gets into a mess while doing so that might ruin everything she's worked for.
It's 1978 and Annie Jenkins is living in the basement apartment with her mother who she has taken care of since her father was killed. She works 2 jobs, waitressing and cleaning Mrs. H apartment and she's exhausted. She's only 19 but she feels so much older. Her mom used to be a model but no one will hire her anymore and she's always depressed or going out with men. Then one day she runs into Mrs. H and she runs an errand for her at the MET and meets Diana Vreeland the fashion icon. Diana asks her to be her assistant and Annie feels like it might actually be her time finally!
This book moved slow at times but then it picks up and you are captivated by both these women and their strength and resilience. I think Annie and Charlotte went through rough times but really handled it well. The author did a great job with the details and describing where the women were in detail. I loved all the detail of Egypt. It sounded so beautiful. I would highly recommend you pick this book up for yourself as I think anyone would enjoy it.

Egyptian archaeology, the Met and its famous Met Gala, fashion icons, ancient pharaohs, and curses…. What a great read! Fiona Davis has done it again! I always learn something new when I read her works. In this latest title, our protagonist are Egyptologist Charlotte and Met assistant Annie.

On the eve of WWII, Charlotte sets out to defy cultural expectations by becoming a successful archaeologist in her own right, certainly unusual for 1936. Her persistence and devotion to an archaeological dig in Egypt during the summer of her first year of college pay off with her discovery of a priceless artifact linked to a misunderstood historical queen. Tragic events transpire shortly following, though, to upend Charlotte’s life and career.
Is the unearthed artifact cursed?

Fast forward 40 years and Charlotte is now the associate curator of Egyptian Art at New York’s Metropolitan Museum, when that same artifact shows up on loan from anonymous donors, coinciding with the museum’s infamous costume Gala. Having experienced the artifact’s assumed curse before, Charlotte is on high alert. When her important research and a valuable piece of Egyptian art are both stolen the night of the Gala, young Annie insists on traveling with Charlotte to Egypt to follow the trail of the thieves. What they discover there will answer more mysteries than they’d originally set out to solve.

There’s a lot going on in this story: curses, heartbreak, irresponsible parenting, fiercely independent women, famous people, famous places[, famous events, missing people, missing valuables, robbery, travel, King Tut. So much to keep up with, but none of it is boring, and the story keeps you on your toes! I could not put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Dutton for the ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

I always enjoy the history and excitement in this author’s books. Fiona Davis not only tells a good story - she tells it well.

In another brilliant historical fiction novel from Fiona Davis, readers alternate between 1936 Egypt and 1978 New York City and Charlotte Cross and Annie Jenkins, two ambitious women whose lives collide at the 1978 Met Gala when a valuable Egyptian artifact that Charlotte, the associate curator of the Department of Egyptian Art, believes is connected to the forgotten woman pharaoh Hathorkare and dates to her early career in 1936 Egypt. As Annie and Charlotte become entangled in this theft and as their pasts seek to complicate their futures, readers follow along as the plot thickens and secrets from 1936 resurface. Brilliantly written and balancing the two perspectives and time periods perfectly, this incredible novel is engrossing, captivating, and impossible to put down. Davis’s incredible historical research and impeccable world-building really brings this novel to life and highlights the fascinating changes in women’s careers in the twentieth century. Annie and Charlotte are unique and complex heroines whose flawed narrations and unique challenges highlight their similarities and set up their dynamic’s evolution over the course of the novel. Another brilliant novel by Davis, this book’s mix of mystery and historical fiction is brought to life in fascinating detail by the multiple timelines and perspectives.

This one is tough to rate. The Stolen Queen was slow to start, but once I got to know the characters and their individual storylines, I was hooked. The settings were immersive. I found myself walking through the Met and digging in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt. I learned a bit about mummies, canopic boxes, and antiquities. I was truly loving the story, but the last 40 pages? Girl. The ending was actually SO ridiculous. Coincidence after coincidence after coincidence. #gottoosilly Sadly, things took a hard turn to unbelievable land. I was engaged the whole way through only to end up feeling disappointed.

I'm a big fan of Fiona Davis's novels. When I heard her newest was set in Cairo and New York City, featured art, The Met, and Diana Vreeland, I was super excited. The Stolen Queen features two narrators and two timelines. Charlotte appears in Egypt in 1936 as an anthropology student and in New York City as a curator at the Met. Also in 1978 is Annie, a dynamic young woman with big dreams who loves the Met, where her father frequently brought her when she was a child. There's a lot of good in this novel: the settings, the characters, the museum, the history. While I liked a lot of this novel, the 1970s Charlotte was so hard to connect with because she withholds so much from the reader (and is somewhat baffling in general.) It's wasn't my favorite Fiona Davis novel, but there was still a lot to enjoy.

The Stolen Queen is such a gem of a story. Bouncing between time periods, we explore a forgotten-to-time female Pharaoh while exploring deeply engrossing female characters. Equal parts 70's retro fun meets 20's Indiana Jones, The Stolen Queen is an engrossing tale you won't want to put down!

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis is good historical fiction that includes Egyptian mummies and The Met in a dual timeline format. Charlotte Cross, an associate curator at the Met with a secretive past, meets Annie Jenkins, an assistant hired to help with the Met Gala, when their paths cross over an Egyptian piece that they both admire greatly.
I recommend The Stolen Queen to readers who like Egyptian history and fashion and have enjoyed other books by the author. This is the first book by Davis that I have read, and I look forward to reading more in the future. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

It had been a while since l've read a book from this genre. This book did not disappoint. It's a thrilling adventure connecting the world of fashion with history. If you love Egyptian history and fashion as much as I do, don't miss out on this exciting read.

Was super excited for this read, and I did enjoy this book. It was a coming of age story where its strong suit were its characters. I found myself engaged and invested in the characters and that allow the story to flow for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In 1930s Egypt, Charlotte makes a big archaeological study, but life takes a tragic turn that sends her back to the US. Later in NYC in the 1970s, Charlotte is a curator at the Met, where one of the Egyptian artifacts disappears at a gala, and Annie, a young assistant to the gala organizer, might be one of the only people able and willing to help her find and recover it by traveling back to Egypt. I typically enjoy Fiona Davis’s historical fiction, and the same holds true here in the interwoven stories of these women. I appreciated the two views of Charlotte we get--one as the young archaeologist in a man's world, determined to play her part, and later as the museum curator who is out of the field and whose life experience has changed her.

Davis excels at creating rich settings and layered characters. Charlotte’s grief and guilt are haunting, while Annie’s wide-eyed tenacity brings warmth and energy to the narrative. Their partnership, though unlikely, evolves into a powerful depiction of intergenerational strength and trust. The backdrop of the Met Gala adds a dazzling edge, and the mystery surrounding the artifact (and its connection to the little-known female pharaoh is both suspenseful and thought-provoking.

The historical flashbacks to 1936 offer a satisfying depth, particularly for readers who love archaeological fiction. While the pace slows slightly in the middle, it picks up steam as the mystery intensifies, building to a satisfying, danger-laced finale back in the Valley of the Kings.

I love that Fiona Davis always brings me a bit of history that I did not know about! I loved the premise of the book and, of course, the MET as a setting was sublime. I think it took a while for the story to actually come together and I expected a bit more about Egyptian history and art. The ending with Annie and Charlotte in Egypt seemed a little like far-fetched and ridiculous, but that's just me. A fun story and I learned something!

What a great read! All the elements readers have come to love in Fiona Davis's books are entombed in "The Stolen Queen". The story alternates between Egypt in the 1930s and New York in the late 1970s. It also centers on two female protagonists, one who has achieved professional status and one who longs to find her place in the world and a professional path to follow. Their lives are accidentally entwined to solve several mysteries, at least one of which is deeply personal and stands in the way of happiness. Mystery, drama, humor, and lots of emotion. I only wish Ms. Davis had taken longer to wrap up the story (no mummy jokes intended, I think). Conclusions should take more time to unravel, making a story's end much sweeter.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. The Stolen Queen tells the story of Charlotte Cross, an egyptiologist from the Met Gallery, from her first dig in Egypt to the night of the Met Gala, when a broad collar goes missing.. The broad collar isn't the only thing to go missing. Charlotte was also researching Hathokare, an Egyptian noble that was written out of history.. Fiona Davis's novels always feel a bit like time travel with two different characters, but this time it was the same person and still felt like two distinct stories.

This was a very cozy mystery, with a fun Egyptology angle, it was a beautiful blend of fact and fiction! It's dual time and POVs, set in 1930s Egypt and 1970s New York City, I loved the atmosphere of both times, I was so immersed in both settings and Charlotte and Annie's stories! In the 30s, Charlotte is a young anthropologist trying to prove herself in a field that does not welcome women, she falls in love and perhaps sets off an ancient curse? Flash forward, Charlotte is now the associated curator of the Department of Egyptian Artifacts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and still trying to prove herself and her theories. Annie is thrilled to land her dream job working for an ex-Vogue fashion designer, as her personal assistant to help with the Met Gala, however, things don't go to plan and now both women are caught in up in the chaos of a very important artifact going missing. They have to work together to find it and prove their innocence. I loved their bond and the journey they go on, both physically and emotionally! It also asks some very thought-provoking questions about who these artifacts belong to and what is our collective responsibility to preserve history. As someone who loves art and history and really enjoys museums, I have really struggled with these questions myself so it was nice to explore them through this book!

There's something about museums that always makes me feel right at home, so I was instantly drawn to this captivating novel. The atmospheric storytelling created such a cozy reading experience despite spanning across continents. This book was a fantastic journey weaving between past and present, from the bustling streets of New York City to the ancient wonders of Cairo.

I was completely invested as Charlotte Cross (an archaeologist) and Annie Jenkins (a museum assistant) teamed up to locate a missing artifact and unravel an ancient mystery. Their partnership brought both expertise and fresh perspective to the investigation, making their discoveries all the more satisfying. The author's attention to historical detail and museum protocols added an authentic layer that museum enthusiasts will particularly appreciate.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.