The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis - [Book Review]

 

Book Details:

Title: The Stolen Queen

Author: Fiona Davis

Genre: historical fiction

Publisher: Dutton

Print Length: 352 pages

Source: A copy from the local library

Blurb:

*A New York Times Bestseller*

From New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis, an utterly addictive new novel that will transport you from New York City’s most glamorous party to the labyrinth streets of Cairo and back.

Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity. That is until an unbearable tragedy strikes.

New York City, 1978: Nineteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum and known across the city as the “party of the year.”

Meanwhile, Charlotte is now leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art. She’s consumed by her research on Hathorkare—a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as unimportant.

The night of the gala: One of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing, and there are signs Hathorkare’s legendary curse might be reawakening. Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, and a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to one place Charlotte swore she’d never return: Egypt. But if they have any hope of finding the artifact, Charlotte will need to confront the demons of her past—which may mean leading them both directly into danger.

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Purchase Link:

Amazon

My Review:

This is my second book by Fiona Davis. The Magnolia  Palace was great. 

This story is about a stolen antique from the Met Museum in Newyork, Charlotte's research in Egypt, her personal life, and many twists and turns. 

The story is engaging at least till 75% of the book, and of course, thrilling. The amount of research the author has put into this book is really commendable. I loved reading about the tomb extraction process and the excruciating work of the people who work on those digging expeditions. 

I loved the characters of Anne, Billy, Charlotte, and Mark. I was a little disappointed with the ending, though. 

The pace of the story is fine in the first part, but it seems to drag later. The second part became boring. I didn't feel it was realistic that all circumstances coincided perfectly to reveal secrets in Charlotte's life so easily. It surprised me that people like Anne, without real skills or knowledge in archeology, could help Charlotte by just accompanying her and being smart and brave. 

I wish the story had been crisp and shorter, not dragging at the end.

My Rating: 4/5

About the Author:

FIONA DAVIS is the New York Times bestselling author of seven historical fiction novels set in iconic New York City buildings, including THE STOLEN QUEEN, THE MAGNOLIA PALACE, THE ADDRESS, and THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE, which was a Good Morning America book club pick.

Her novels have been chosen as “One Book, One Community” reads and her articles have appeared in publications like The Wall Street Journal and the Oprah magazine.

She first came to New York as an actress, but fell in love with writing after getting a master's degree at Columbia Journalism School. Her books have been translated into over twenty languages and she's based in New York City.

Until next time,