Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for providing an arc of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Fiona Davis is a masterful storyteller! Her books are extremely well researched and offer a balance of both fact and fiction to draw in the reader!
Charlotte's story is told in two timelines. In Egypt 1936 Charlotte works as a college student on an archeological dig where relationships are forged and discoveries made.
Forward to 1978 in NY where Charlotte is a curator at the MET in Egyptian art. On the night of the Met Gala Annie a young assistant for the gala becomes entwined in a robbery of a rare Egyptian artifact. Charlotte and Annie join forces and fly to Egypt to solve the mystery and hopefully recover the artifact.
Carve out some time for this riveting and exciting mystery! Davis always hits the high notes in her mysteries involving historical NY landmarks. A must read! Enjoy the ride!

I have been a long time fan of Fiona Davis. She takes an iconic building/landmark in New York City, writes a story about it (past and present) and that building actually becomes a character in the tale. So, naturally, I was excited to see that there was a new book coming out.

This time the landmark is the Met, the Metropolitan Museum. Sadly, this was not the story for me. I loved the main character, Charlotte. I loved the idea of the dual timeline especially when Charlotte is the lead character in each timeline. One timeline in the 1930s, the other in 1978.

But, the story fell short for me when it involved Egyptian archeological digs and artifacts and tales (including mystery and drama) behind them. My eyes glazed over with the long and unpronounceable names. I may sound shallow but the storyline just did not interest me. Honestly, I did try. I enjoyed the later timeline more when it focused on the events at the Met itself.

It has been a disappointment for me but I can already see lots of positive reviews showing up. I'm glad because I know how much work goes into the research of a historical novel. I often say that not every book is for every reader. This one was not the right fit for me….probably because I had my hopes up so much. But, I remain a fan of Ms Davis and I look forward to her next endeavor.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Copy.

Absolutely devoured and loved The Stolen Queen! One of my favorite reads of the year! Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC opportunity!

Another 5 star rating for Fiona Davis. The Stolen Queen had me looking at flights to Cairo, Egypt. Fiona Davis will have you on the edge of your seat in this Historical Fiction set in both NYC and Egypt. Charlotte Harris, the main character has studied Egyptian Artifacts and works at the MET in NYC. The story takes us from Egypt to NYC and back again over a period of 40 years. Charlotte along with another character Annie solve a mystery that takes you on a wild ride. Another great one by Fiona Davis.

I am a forever fan of Fiona Davis and enjoy that her books are set in NYC and always have an air of mystery about them. In The Stolen Queen we meet Charlotte, a fresh-faced aspiring archeologist in Egypt in the late 1930s and then as an almost 60 year old woman now working as an assistant curator at the Met museum. The other perspective is Annie, a young assistant working at the Met and gets tangled up in the theft of a rare artifact. Set against the backdrop of The Met Gala, the reader is taken along as we are taken into the world of stolen art, an Egyptian curse, and a tragedy from long ago.

Davis once again proves her mastery of historical mystery/fiction, seamlessly weaving fact and fiction into a compelling narrative. The pacing was spot on with short chapters and I even learned some about the ruins of ancient Egypt! The author’s note distinguishes between fact and fiction which is why I always read the authors notes! I appreciated the dual timelines and perspectives as it was very easy to follow along. I will continue to be a fan of Davis and always look forward to her cozy mysteries.

Fiona Davis does it again! She is a master at weaving together 2 separate time periods into a compelling historical story with strong female characters. This novel has several evocative settings (the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Egypt in the 1930s), and some mystery and tragedy thrown in for good measure. I really enjoyed this read.

I don't know why I sat on this one for so long.

Charlotte was in Egypt on a dig in the 1030s and came across the Broad Collar from a tomb believed to be from a queen. She later discovered her husband and associate had tried to steal the collar, which ended up at the bottom of the Nile. A year later, she was working at the Met and found out the collar was on loan from someone who wished to remain anonymous. Annie unexpectedly gets a job as the assistant to the Cosutme Diesgner for the Met Gala. On the night of the Met Gala, she unexpectedly releases moths instead of butterflies in the museum causing mayhem. During this time a small statue of the Ceurlen Queen is stolen and Annie and CHarlotte chase after the thief. They end up in Eygpt following Charlottes needing to know more about the Broad Collar and the secrets left behind.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC. A compelling historical masterpiece, I’ll be recommending this to many of my library patrons.

Davis doesn’t disappoint in her impeccable research as well as a final page separating fact from fiction. I am not a fan of Egyptian art, but the story line kept me reading. I love her ability to capture New York settings, and hope she continues to delve into more strong protagonists and the Manhattan setting. A definite 4.5

My thanks to Net Galley and Penguin Group/Dutton for allowing me to review this arc.

3.5 stars.

I always get excited for a new Fiona, but this one missed the marked a bit. I understand the dual timelines to establish Charlotte's early career in Egypt vs present time at the Met in reference to the object in discussion, but I felt a lot of the context was not needed or called for. Ex:, the moth incident, the lost daughter, all the early history. It was all over the place and took away from the focal point. Just ok.

I have to say i'm disappointed. Fiona Davis is as close to an automatic read as I get, and this book, with its ties to the MET and ancient Egypt was on course to be a favorite. But it sadly falls very flat and very hollow for me.

Nothing felt cohesive. Nothing felt like it had the gravity to carry the story along. There were shining moments, but they were over too soon and swept away just as quickly. For much of this book, it felt like Davis was checking things off a lit of what has made good and sellable historical fiction in the past. It follow the same formula that Davis, and many other historical fiction authors, have travelled in the past, but this time it FELT like it.

There is little to no time given to any plot point, but especially the Egyptian Queen Davis has based her novel around. It honestly feels like its shoehorned in to the plot. The characters feel stunted and very shallow, even the writing feels like it was done quickly and without the usual finesse I come to expect from this author.

I tend to be hit or miss with Fiona’s books. When I love one, the next isn’t a fit for me, and unfortunately The Stolen Queen was a miss, despite me loving art. I had a hard time getting in to the story and just couldn’t connect to it.

It’s been 42 years since Charlotte worked on an archeological dig in Egypt. After the tragic way it ended, she knows she will never return. It’s now 1978 and she is working as an associate curator in the Met when one of the museums most valuable pieces goes missing. Annie is just 18 and working her first “big girl” job as an assistant to the head of the Met Gala. When the piece goes missing, both of them are in the vicinity, and determined to find out who stole the piece. Their endless search begins by going back to where Charlotte thought she would never return…

First of all…if you know me, you know that I LOVE Fiona Davis! Like love love love love her! That said, I was a bit worried to start this one because I am generally not that interested in ancient Egypt, it’s just not my time frame interests in historical fiction. That said, I shouldn’t have been worried because Fiona hit it out of the park! I ended up doing this one on audio and I could just not stop listening! The narration was perfect and just added to the story. I should have known Fiona would have me covered! Whether you are an ancient Egypt fan or not, if you like historical fiction, and have liked Fiona Davis in the past, look no further! It’s out on Tuesday!

Thank you to @duttonbooks and @prhaudio for my gifted copies of this book!

Another NYC institution is gracing the pages of Fiona Davis' book. This time MET Museum and its famous Egyptian collection took the center stage. With King Tut's tomb open and visiting US museums to give Americans a taste of ancient Egypt's riches, Charlotte was busier than she expected to be. She did not complain about it though, because this was her forte. She was meant to solve Egyptian mysteries and set records straight.

As Diana Vreeland was prepping the museum for the Met Gala, a broad collar was sent to be presented at the museum by an anonymous couple. It was a marvelous piece, but also it was meant to be displayed in Cairo. Charlotte had the worst shock of her life when she saw the board collar in the museum intake. She knew that broad collar was lost, and if it was here then she needed to go back to past and do some digging.

I'm one of those people who go to museums to stare at the same thing because they are never done being amazed by it. Temple of Dendur is one of those things. I'm especially happy that certain family's name was stripped from the hall. Seeing the Egyptian wing represented in this story made me pretty much inhale this book. If you like NYC buildings and hidden stories within their walls, pick this one up

Two women, or is it three if you count a female Egyptian Pharaoh, come together over a precious Egyptian necklace stolen from the Met on the night of the 1978 Met Gala. Fast-paced, twists and turns, philosophical questions about removing artifacts from their country of origin, the challenges of being female and wanting more from career and life, all create a fabulous read - sure to be a book group fav.

I won’t be writing a review of the book but I do plan to stock a couple copies. Thanks for the ARC. I enjoyed reading it.

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc.

Once again, Fiona Davis creates a spectacular story with great history intertwined. Very engaging and couldn’t put it down. Felt like I was in Egypt and NYC along with the splendid characters
Such a page turner. This might be my favorite Fiona Davis book yet !! This is a must read for 2025 !

This was my first read by Fiona Davis and I know she's absolutely adored by many. While I don't always read historical fiction, I like jumping in from time to time with beloved authors. With both NYC and Egypt taking the stage, this book was a lovely change of scenery for me. Davis brought together an unlikely duo and I liked the energy there even if it wasn't fully believable. In fact I can say that about most of the book. I think Davis is very well acquainted with New York, but felt less so on the Egypt part. That being said, this was still light and fun to read and I think it'll still be a crowd pleaser.

Industrious young Annie, assistant in the Costume Gallery, finds herself in a pickle when all hell breaks loose at the 1978 Met Gala. While trying to set things right, she and Charlotte Cross, an Egyptologist at the Met, end up in Egypt chasing down a stolen artifact. While there, Charlotte’s tragic past catches up to her, forcing her to confront the most difficult time of her life.

Annie’s involvement in tracking down the missing artifact felt unrealistic to me - what homeless 19 year old can afford a last minute plane ticket to Egypt? - but she and Charlotte made a fun pair, and I was rooting for their success. This was a really fun and spirited read, so I’m willing to look past the slightly awkward dialogue and the many very convenient connections and coincidences. I also didn’t guess the ending, so points to the author for keeping me on my toes.

In 1936 anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt. Fast forward to 1978, she is living a very quiet life as associate curator of the Met’s Department of Egyptian Art when her past life finds her, and she jets back to Egypt for the first time since the 1930’s. She also believes she is cursed, or an artifact she found is, whatever it is, she is scared to go back to Egypt.

Fiona Davis always tells us a fantastic historical story that is full of emotions, action and intrigue. the Stolen Queen was a great read.

The Stolen Queen isn’t just about finding a lost artifact, but lost family, and self.
Thank you, Dutton, and NetGalley. #TheStolenQueen #NetGalley