The Stolen Queen

The Stolen Queen is a triumphant masterpiece of historical fiction, expertly weaving a rich tapestry of mystery, suspense, and intrigue that will leave readers inspired. Through dual timelines, the narrative follows Charlotte, a seasoned associate curator of the Met's renowned Department of Egyptian Art, and Annie, a newcomer working with the legendary Diana Vreeland, as two women who converge at the iconic Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Stolen Queen brings to life secrets of ancient Egypt and explores complex, changing dynamics. This is a fast-paced tale that spans from 1936 Egypt to 1978 Manhattan, showcasing the power of collaboration and determination. Readers will be inspired by the strong Charlotte and the plucky Annie as they show more face the reawakening of a legendary curse and the surfacing of long-buried secrets. The two embark on a thrilling adventure, trying to solve the mystery of a priceless artifact that has gone missing and uncovering secrets from the past and present. The Stolen Queen is a powerful ode to the human spirit's capacity for resilience, growth, and positive change, set in both the storied Met and the rock-cut pharaoh's tomb of Egypt. show less

In The Stolen Queen, Fiona Davis masterfully combines history, mystery, and romance into one compelling tale. Charlotte and Annie are the two main characters who are at different points in their lives. The story allows reader’s to traverse between the 1930s and the 1970s with the point of view alternating between Annie and Charlotte. I enjoyed the picturesque descriptions of the artifacts as well as the art in the museum and the costumes (and fashions). The author brought the scenes to life for me (I could envision them in my head). There were a couple of interesting side characters in the story. One of my favorites was Annie’s landlady, Mrs. Hollingsworth. There were intriguing surprises along the way while other plot points were show more expected. The pacing was good throughout the story, and I like how it ramps up near the end as discoveries are made. The ending ties everything up neatly with a bow (a little too neatly). There was one part of the ending that I wish had been done differently, but that is my personal preference. I enjoyed getting a glimpse of the work archaeologists do at a dig sites and in museums. I would love to attend the exhibition that Diana Vreeland created. She had creative ideas. The author brought The Met and The Met Gala to life with her vivid word imagery (the beautiful fashions worn by the attendees). The Stolen Queen is a fascinating tale with an archaeological dig, fascinating fashions, a unique collar, a sinking ship, Hathorkare’s curse, an enigmatic donor, and uncovering the facts. show less

This was the first book I've read by Fiona Davis, and boy am I hungry for more. I loved this book. I loved the storylines. If you love art and antiquities, you're going to love this. If you love Egyptology, you're going to love this. If you love museums, you're going to love this. And, finally, if you just love a good story, you're going to love this.

Highly recommended!

This is a novel about lost and stolen Egyptian artifacts and the damage that being associated with them can cause. The story lives in the secrets that lurk behind the scenes in the lives of the people involved, the criminals, the museums and archeologists and/or anyone else associated with these fragments of antiquity. These secrets are slowly revealed through the lives of Charlotte Cross and Annie Jenkins.
Archeologists on a dig in Luxor, Egypt, where the royal tombs of The Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens is located, discover a remnant depicting a face from antiquity that is believed to be that of a female Pharaoh. When tragedy follows, the curse placed on her remains and possessions seems to come alive. show more Eighteen-year-old intern, Charlotte Cross discovers “the stolen queen”. It causes a total change in her life's path. After decades in America, during which time she has studied this "queen's" history, trying to learn what little is known about her, she has never returned to Egypt. When that very remnant that she discovered is stolen from the Metropolitan Museum of Art where she works, Charlotte decides to return to Egypt to revisit her once happy life, a life that descended into grief and loss, possibly because of the curse. The reader may or may not believe in the idea of curses, but the story is interesting as it develops.
At this time, Annie Jenkins lives in New York City with her mother Joyce, once a sought-after model. Now, no longer young, she is unable to find work but won't face reality. Annie assumes the role of parent to her needy mother and makes sure they are housed and fed. When the eighteen-year-old Annie is given the opportunity to work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she is thrilled and jumps at the chance. This job, however, and the crime that follows, coupled with the selfish needs of her mother, upends Annie’s life. She unwittingly follows orders that bring chaos to the Museum and its staff. This teenager, like Charlotte when she was young, has been drawn into a web of dangerous and violent crime. Finding herself adrift, without a place to live, she insists on following Charlotte to Egypt to uncover the criminals and reveal the secrets.
There are many themes introduced, like women’s rights now and in the past, the question of who owns an artifact from antiquity, the one who finds it or the place it was located, plus repentance, financial struggle, class, forgiveness, devotion, industriousness, perseverance, ambition, courage, crime, selfishness, motherhood and marriage. This novel, largely based on a few facts about ancient artifacts and history, feels a little more like chick lit to me and might be a novel more suitable for a young adult audience looking for a beach read rather than an adult audience looking for a book encouraging further interest in archeological discovery and Egyptology. show less

One book, one community read for Arlington Heights. A time jump book that bounces between 1936 in Egypt when Charlotte is a young woman working on a archeological dig and NYC in 1978 when Charlotte find a relic from her past show up at the Met and her path crosses with Annie. I was investing and interested in finding out the truth about Charlotte's research and her missing presumed dead husband and child.

Fiona has created another page turning historical mystery! This story moves between Charlotte's 1936 time in Egypt as an archeology student and her 1978 time in NYC as an assistant curator at the Met. In the 1936 timeline, she experiences surprising highs and lows. Charlotte discovers a previously unknown hidden tomb that included a broad collar that eventually shows up at the Met in 1978. She also suffers unimaginable loss on the Nile and has to remake what she thought her life would be. For the 1978 Met Gala, director Diana Vreeland wants to use the broad collar on a mannequin in the exhibits and Charlotte isn't convinced of the true provenance of the piece. Annie Jenkins is a teenager with a desire to do more with her life than her show more hard-on-her-luck mother. Annie gets a job as Diana's assistant for the gala, until an unfortunate incident ruined everything. Annie and Charlotte tried to stop the thief who stole a precious piece of history and ended up assaulted, not once, but twice because of it. Annie finds a way to join Charlotte on her first trip back to Egypt since 1936 to find out the truth about the collar, Charlotte's missing research, and the missing pieces of her heart. From there, the story just moves faster with secrets exposed, thieves caught, and relationships that get explored in a many ways. I had a hard time putting the book down because I had to find out what happened next and isn't that what you want from a book?!?
I connected with both main characters and thoroughly enjoyed their stories as their friendship blossomed. I love that the 60-year-old Charlotte wasn't afraid to take risks and create the life she always wanted once the mystery was solved. The 18-year-old Charlotte and Annie, during very different times, were similar in their desire for adventure and wanting to do something important with their lives. The descriptions of Egypt and its people, the tombs, and the museum brought the story to life. I could feel the blazing heat at the dig in the desert. I could see the Cairo markets and museum exhibits that all played roles in the book. If you have ever seen the Egyptian exhibits at the Met Museum, you can envision how the main characters move through the rooms and see the antiquities in the many rooms devoted to the time.
The author notes explain that much is inspired or based on real people, objects, and places, but to make the timeline work, she had to be creative with the people and events in a respectful manner. There is a recommended reading list that looks very interesting to learn more about the people and time.
I highly recommend this historical mystery, but I caution you-make sure you set aside the time to read this immersive novel!

#TheStolenQueen #NetGalley #historicalfiction
Thank you Dutton Marketing and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own. show less

While I should have taken more notice of the title, it was so refreshing to see a story mostly focused on female characters with the men taking more of a backseat in the plot. I enjoyed the flow of the chapters between the two main characters, Charlotte and Annie, the two time periods of the 1930's and 1970's, and the two locations between Egypt and New York City. Weave in a stimulating mystery surrounding a strong female pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt, the glamorous Met Gala, a dash of romance, and some family drama? This well-researched novel is sure to keep you entertained the whole way through.