The Stolen Queen: A Novel

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars | 916 ratings

Price: 17.72

Last update: 01-22-2025


About this item

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.


Top reviews from the United States

  • sonnysmom
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2025
    “Bukra fil mish mish”……It means “Tomorrow when the apricots bloom”

    Fiona Davis is a must read author for me!
    I absolutely loved The Stolen Queen!!
    This story is told in a dual timeline. It alternates between Egypt 1936 and New York City 1978 told from the views of Charlotte Cross and Annie Jenkins.

    1936 Egypt…. As a college student Charlotte travels to Egypt to take part in an archeological dig at the Valley of the Kings. Charlotte discovers a burial chamber and the broad collar necklace. She falls in love. Events that will change lives of those she loves.

    1978 New York City…..Charlotte is working as an associate curator at the MET in the Egyptian Art department.
    Annie gets a job working with the former Vogue fashion designer Diana Vreeland as her personal assistant. She will be working on the MET Gala. This could be a life changing situation for Annie.
    Art is stolen the night of the MET Gala and Charlotte and Annie are caught up in the chaos of that night.
    A story of love, tragedy, an ancient curse.
    There is something special about the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Fiona Davis taking me back to NYC is always a treat.

    Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the opportunity to read this book.
  • btw
    4.0 out of 5 stars A complex story that kept me reading until the end.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2025
    There are three things I can count on when I pick up a Fiona Davis book: A unique setting, a ton of meticulous research, and a story full of questions that keep me reading until the very end. THE STOLEN QUEEN did not disappoint.

    Like her previous books, THE STOLEN QUEEN is set at an iconic Manhattan landmark. This time, it's New York's Metropolitan Museum. It's the story of Charlotte Smith, an Eqyptologist hiding a tragic secret and Annie, a young woman struggling to find her identity while caring for her narcissistic mother.

    The women's lives intersect when an ancient necklace is loaned to the museum by an anonymous donor. For Annie, the necklace is a chance to impress Diana Vreeland and (eventually) secure a job as her assistant for the Met Gala. For Charlotte, however, the necklace holds greater meaning. For it is a link to a past she's struggled for 40 years to forget. A past that has her afraid of ever visting Egypt again.

    When, on the night of the Gala, a famous artifact is stolen, and Annie falls under suspicion, Charlotte is forced to revisit her past.

    Through alternating points of view and timelines, Davis takes a simple mystery and turns it into a story of lost love, betrayal, and self-discovery. It's a complex story that kept me reading until the end.

    My only complaint is that Davis likes to tie her stories up in too happy a bow. To do this involves some very contrived conveniences.

    Even so, I really enjoyed the book. Davis brings her iconic settings to life in a way that makes them seem like living and breathing entities. Despite the flaws, her stories remain an autobuy for me.
  • Deb Kiley
    5.0 out of 5 stars Page turning historical mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2025
    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 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.

    • Best Sellers in

     
     

    Let Him In

    3.5 3.5 out of 5 stars 362
    27.68
     
     

    All the Missing Pieces: Shady Cove, Book 1

    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,474
    28.45
     
     

    Holmes Is Missing

    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 691
    17.05
     
     

    Never Never: Part One

    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 10,328
    13.08
     
     

    Where's Molly

    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 43,086
    19.95
     
     

    Girl, Forgotten

    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 20,339
    19.46
     
     

    After Death

    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 21,027
    17.5
     
     

    The Perfect Marriage

    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 160,749
    15.38