The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis is a dual timeline story set in Egypt in 1936 at an archaeological dig, and then in 1978 in New York just prior to and after the famous Met Gala. Charlotte Cross is working on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. They find something that they believe will set the archaeologist world on it's end, but when tragedy strikes, she returns to New York to work as a museum curator, never intending to return to Egypt again. Eighteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is in the right place at the right time and lands a job working with iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland. Diana is working with the Met to plan the upcoming gala and Annie becomes her assistant. She doesn't realize all that she will have to do, but is thrilled. When Annie goes to get an artifact for the fashion display, she meets Charlotte. She is not happy to loan the gold collar, and is investigating it's providence, as the last time she saw it was in Egypt. When there is a theft and some confusion at the gala, an important artifact, The Cerulean Queen, is stolen. It is up to Charlotte and Annie to find it and clear their names.

This was a bit different from Fiona Davis' other books, but I enjoyed it just as much. The past storyline doesn't take up a lot of the story, but it sets up the background for event in 1978. I really liked both Annie and Charlotte. Annie is a smart young lady with great intuition. She has been taking care of her mother for years and because of that is quite independent and a hard worker. She feels responsible for several things that happened at the gala and wants to make it right. Charlotte is a 60 year old, nearing the end of her career. She has been researching a mummy and wants to write a paper, but her boss puts her off. The robbery is interesting and how it was pulled off quite ingenious. Back to Egypt Charlotte heads with trepidation and works with Annie who has tagged along without an invitation. The way this book plays out was excellent with a couple of twists. Another great book by Fiona Davis.

I know anytime I open a Fiona Davis book I will be transported to a different time, and I will be lost in history with a dash of romance with mystery! Told in a dual timeline the story will transport you!

Egypt, 1936: Charlotte is an anthropology student and shes offered the opportunity to take part in a dig in the Valley of the Kings. She has no idea this will change her life forever! Charlotte falls in love for the first time with another student , she uncovers a burial chamber and a broad collar necklace. When a tragedy strikes Charlotte wonders if this has anything to do with the curse of the pharaohs, a curse that follows you.

New York City, 1978: Charlotte is now working as the associated curator of the Department of Egyptian Artifacts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and she’s been researching Hathorkare or Hatshepsut whose a female pharaoh and most Egyptologists assume isn't an important part of history Charlotte want's to prove them wrong.
Also working at the museum is Annie a young woman whose thrilled when she‘s asked to be former Vogue fashion designer Diana Vreeland new personal assistant and she gets to work on the infamous Met Gala! On the night of the gala, Annie and Charlotte find themselves caught up in chaos when the Cerulean Queen which is one of the museums most valuable pieces gets stolen and Charlotte has to do the one thing she swore she would never do and that’s return to Egypt.
This book had me feeling like I was right next to Charlotte while in Egypt and New York! My heart was hoping she would find the happiness she so desperately deserved, I loved the history and learning about Egypt as well! Five stars!

Finished in two sittings. What's not to love here? Egyptian artifacts. Fun mystery to solve. Strong female characters. I would hand this to both mystery fans as well as historical fiction readers. What a lovely book.

I learned quite a bit about the female king and the actual artifacts that inspired the novel. I do enjoy Fiona's books that deal with NYC landmark buildings, which The Metropolitan Museum of Art is. However, this book did not focus much on that building. I still enjoyed it.

A great piece of historical fiction that kept my attention. The Stolen Queen has a lot of mystery with strong characters and interesting settings. I loved reading about the museum, the gala and the Egyptian art.

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis is a captivating historical fiction novel that takes readers on an enthralling journey from NYC to the intriguing streets of Cairo. The story revolves around two women from different time periods whose lives become intertwined by a priceless artifact - one of the Egyptian art collection's most valuable pieces.

Davis masterfully weaves together the dual timelines, creating a tapestry of rich historical detail and compelling character arcs. The meticulously researched backdrop serves as a perfect stage for the drama and suspense that unfold, keeping readers hooked from start to finish.

The protagonists, both strong and resilient women, navigate their respective eras' societal norms and challenges with grace and determination. Their parallel struggles and triumphs resonate deeply, making their stories both relatable and inspiring.

Davis's prose is elegant and evocative, painting vivid pictures of the settings and emotions experienced by the characters. The novel's pacing is well-balanced, with moments of tension and tenderness artfully interspersed.

*The Stolen Queen* is a mesmerizing read that will appeal to fans of historical fiction and anyone who enjoys a well-crafted, emotionally engaging story. Fiona Davis has once again proven her prowess as a storyteller, leaving readers eager for her next literary offering.

Thank you @prhaudio and @netgalley for my #gifted audiobook/ arc of Fiona Davis’ The Stolen Queen. This book was such a delight flipping between New York City in 1978 and Egypt in 1936. Charlotte was apart of an archeological dig where she met the love of her life. Ready to settle into a life halfway around the world from her family until a tragedy strikes and sends her back to NYC. She works at The Met but has research she has been conducting quietly that just might be groundbreaking and isn’t too well received by her boss. Along this storyline you will meet Annie who is helping out a former Vogue editor when during The Met Gala a newly gifted artifact is stolen. Charlotte and Annie pair up to track it down and find an unlikely friendship. I loved the aspects of The Met Gala, the in-depth research that went into this story and has me planning my next trip to this wonderful museum.

I am incredibly thankful to have been offered an advanced copy of this book to read and review. Fiona Davis is one of my absolute favorite authors, and this could possibly be my new favorite book by her! I’ve always been fascinated by ancient Egypt and this book brought together so many different aspects of Egyptology. The ending was incredibly touching, and I was able to get my hands on an audiobook version from my library as well, so the song included at the end brought tears to my eyes. This will be a book that will stick with me for a long time and that I will highly recommend to other readers.

I am not into Egyptology, but Fiona Davis made it really interesting in her latest historical fiction novel, The Stolen Queen.

The main characters, Charlotte and Annie, were caught up in some difficult situations in their personal lives and careers, and I cared about both of them. I like how the Cerulean Queen brought them together. There was a lot of mystery and intrigue throughout the novel that kept me engaged the entire time, wondering what really happened after Charlotte left Egypt. And I even got to embark on an armchair adventure.

Overall, Fiona never fails to impress me with her stories and I appreciate that she explores different aspects of history, staying away from WWII. While I appreciate novels about that time period too, it's refreshing to read about other events and instances from the past. I enjoyed this novel and have been recommending it often.

(Trigger warnings below.)

Movie casting suggestions (since it's been a while, I decided to only cast the two main characters):
Charlotte (1978): Diane Lane
Charlotte (1936): Courtney Grosbeck
Annie: Emma Kenney
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TW: Death of spouse, death of infant, violence (mostly attacking)

Back in the mid 1930s, Charlotte Cross was a 19 year old girl living her dream on an archeological dig in Egypt.Now she's an expert at the Metropolitan Museum and everything that happened back then is called into question. Alternating between the two times, we learn about Egyptology, a female pharaoh whose story needs to be rewritten and about working on a dig, especially as a woman. All this is wrapped in a compelling mystery and art heist. Perhaps the ending felt a little rushed and prettily wrapped up. But that doesn't negate the joyous ride.

Really enjoyed this story. I found it to be a great blend of history & mystery, my two favorite genres. The story also evokes a lot of emotional depth which only made it a better reading experience.

I received The Stolen Queen as an ARC from Netgalley. At first it was a little difficult to keep the story lines straight and how they related to each other. You have two POV from Charlotte, one in 1978 and then one back in the 30's, plus one from Annie in 1978. I did enjoy it more as the book went on. However, it still felt dragged out in parts and the ending was a bit too tied up nicely.

I found this title enjoyable and engaging; well written and suspenseful, but not heavy. I felt that the alternate timelines were well done, which is not always the case. I was invested in Charlotte and Annie's personal stories as well as the mystery, and was smiling when the story ended. I loved the pieces of Egyptian history throughout the story, it was just enough to keep me engaged without getting bogged down in the details. A truly enjoyable read. I'm not sure that I will be purchasing for my HS library, as I don't think there is enough interest in this type of story - however I have already recommended it to a friend!

Once again, Fiona Davis proves herself as Queen of the dual-POV historical fiction novel. Told in 1978 New York City and 1936 Egypt, Davis explores the intriguing mysteries of Egyptology, the fashionable whirlwind of planning the Met Gala, being a female archaeologist, and more, all through the exciting mystery of a stolen artifact. I love that Davis always includes incredibly badass feminist main characters and that she chooses to write stories about untold parts of history rather than rewriting a tale that’s been done a million times before. This book is great for historical fiction readers, mystery lovers, and Egypt enthusiasts!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this title. This was a little outside my usual genre, but I really liked the story. It was fast-moving, and the weaving of timelines was done well. As a person with a nostalgic love of the Met and a childhood fascination with Egypt, this one was easy to get into. It felt well-researched, and was a great read overall.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis!

The story is written from two aspects. One from anthropology student Charlotte Cross in 1936 Egypt. At the site, anthropologists begin to discover and dig up priceless artifacts. Charlotte marries one of the anthropologists and becomes a mother. She’s torn between motherhood, her job, and returning home to NYC. Her husband continues to work on dig sites until one day he arrives home and says they must immediately pack up to return to America. There is confusion, they go and there is tragedy. The other aspect is from 1978 NYC. 18 year old Annie is offered an opportunity by former Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, to work at the Met to help with preparing for the upcoming Met Gala. Charlotte is now a curator of Egyptian art at the Met. Although Charlotte wants nothing to do with the Gala, she is approached by the Gala organizers because they want to integrate some of the Egyptian artifacts with the Gala costumes. Charlotte protests but reluctantly backs down and the artifacts are used for the Gala. Charlotte’s fears come to light and one of the artifacts is stolen that night. Charlotte and Annie come together to help find the stolen artifact. This is an enjoyable read, especially for fans of historical fiction and specifically Fiona Davis. Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton and Fiona Davis for sharing this marvelous work. #stolenqueen #NetGalley #penguingroup #fionadavis

Everything I love about Fiona Davis! Engrossing history wrapped up in interpersonal drama and intrigue told in a dual timeline. I don’t know much about Egyptian history so this piqued my interest and the authors note at the end is not to be missed for more info on the real life figures who inspired the story. There was also a costume institute Met Gala thread to the story starring legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland (and a blink and you’ll miss it reference to equally legendary Andre Leon Talley.) I’m enjoying looking up the Met costume institute exhibits mentioned.

I love all things Egypt, so this book had my attention as soon as I read the summary and it did not disappoint. It felt very immersive, the historical setting beautifully drawn out and the characters engaging. Recommended to all fans of historical fiction!

Fiona Davis is a master at creating stories around legendary buildings found in the city of New York. This time we are taken within the maze of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and into the depths of its ancient Egyptian exhibition and the glamorous Met Ball.

When a familiar artifact is mysteriously and anonymously donated to the met, Charlotte is stunned to see it. Having discovered it on a dig, years earlier, she thought it had been lost to the depths of the Nile. So she begins trying to find out just where this necklace had come from and maybe it will help her to come to some sort of closure of a life she once knew that was lost to her.

Then during the Met Gala, the necklace is suddenly stolen and charlotte sets out to find it, also uncovering a plot to steal Egyptian art from museums and returning it to Egypt. It also helps her rediscover herself and where she’s meant to be.

I think this is my favorite Fiona Davis novel yet! I love ancient history so to combine that with a mystery makes for a unputdownable read! Thanks so much to Fiona Davis & NetGalley for allowing me to read this piece of art! I loved it!!