The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis

 The Stolen Queen

Book Summary

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.

My Thoughts

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.  

Diana Vreeland

There were intriguing surprises along the way while other plot points were 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.

Diana Vreeland at Met Gala

The Stolen Queen is available from Amazon as well as other major booksellers. I have been in a slump with regard to books lately, but The Stolen Queen pulled me out of it.  You can find Fiona Davis's other novels here. I encourage you to check out The Lions of Fifth Avenue.  Thank you for joining me today.  I will return on Tuesday, January 14 with A Stolen Kiss by Mindy Steele.  It is the seventh book in The Heart of the Amish series. I am taking tomorrow off to escort my mother to an apppointment (hopefully, she does not cancel).  I am looking forward to eating out afterward.  I hope that you have a cheery day.  Take care, stay warm, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

 The Spectacular

Book Summary

From the New York Times Bestselling Author of The Magnolia Palace: A thrilling story about love, sacrifice, and the pursuit of dreams, set amidst the glamour and glitz of Radio City Music Hall in its mid-century heyday.

New York City, 1956: Nineteen-year-old Marion Brooks knows she should be happy. Her high school sweetheart is about to propose and sweep her off to the life everyone has always expected they’d have together: a quiet house in the suburbs, Marion staying home to raise their future children. But instead, Marion finds herself feeling trapped. So, when she comes across an opportunity to audition for the famous Radio City Rockettes—the glamorous precision-dancing troupe—she jumps at the chance to exchange her predictable future for the dazzling life of a performer. 

Meanwhile, the city is reeling from a string of bombings orchestrated by a person the press has nicknamed the “Big Apple Bomber,” who has been terrorizing the citizens of New York for sixteen years by planting bombs in popular, crowded spaces. With the public in an uproar over the lack of any real leads after a yearslong manhunt, the police turn in desperation to Peter Griggs, a young doctor at a local mental hospital who espouses a radical new technique: psychological profiling. 

As both Marion and Peter find themselves unexpectedly pulled into the police search for the bomber, Marion realizes that as much as she’s been training herself to blend in—performing in perfect unison with all the other identical Rockettes—if she hopes to catch the bomber, she’ll need to stand out and take a terrifying risk. In doing so, she may be forced to sacrifice everything she’s worked for, as well as the people she loves the most.

My Thoughts

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis transports readers to 1956 when Marion Brooks tries out for the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes.  The story alternates between 1992 and 1956.  I thought the story was well-written with realistic, developed characters.  The author has a way of bringing history alive.  I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of New York City, Radio City Music Hall, Brownsville, and Marion’s childhood home.  I especially enjoyed reading about Radio City.  I had no idea there was so much going on in that building.  Fiona Davis brought history to life and made it interesting.  There was never a dull moment.  I enjoyed learning about the Rockette audition process (I wish there was a television show about it), the lengthy rehearsals, costume fittings, and daily shows.  I cannot imagine doing four shows a day.  

The “Big Apple Bomber” has been hitting New York City landmarks for sixteen years without getting caught.  When Marion’s sister is killed, Marion is determined that the bomber shall be caught.  Marion wants the bomber identified and caught.  Marion seeks help from Dr. Peter Riggs, a resident at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, in profiling the bomber.  It is something new and the police are naturally skeptical.  The mystery ramped up near the end.  I was up late quickly turning the pages to see how everything would turn out.  There were some great characters in the story.  I enjoyed getting to know Marion Brooks.  She had a special talent and Marion wanted to use it despite her father’s pressure to marry.  There is some repetition of details especially regarding the father, Simon, and Judy, Marion’s sister.  I appreciated the author’s note at the end of the book.  I like how the author brought the Rockette’s Christmas show to life, especially the wooden soldier number.  I had no idea that the kick line was accomplished without the dancers touching each other.  It is the details that elevate a story.  You will find yourself caught up in the case and wondering how Marion and her friends will help catch the “Big Apple Bomber”.  The Spectacular is a fascinating historical tale with an active audition, a straightlaced sister, old-fashioned dad, a baffling bomber, a brown-nosing boyfriend, a disobliging detective, and a dazzling dancer. 

The Spectacular is available from Amazon*.  You can find Fiona Davis's other novels here.  Also out today are Paint Me a Crime by Holly Yew and Q & A by Carolyn R. Russell.  Thank you for visiting today.  Tomorrow I am a stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for Paint Me a Crime by Holly Yew.  It is the first A Rose Shore Mystery.  I am off to work in the garden.  I have raised garden beds down one side of my home.  Four of them are full of blooming plants.  The front planter is lacking.  It is the planter that gets the most sun.  I have planted native plants (that can handle the brutal Florida sun and drought), but they are not doing well.  I need to find another solution.  If anyone has any suggestions, please leave me a comment.  I hope that you have a sunny day!  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Rockettes Barbie

Room and Board by Miriam Parker

Room and Board 

Book Summary 

A charming and redemptive novel about unexpected second chances, following a publicist who, after the sudden implosion of her career, takes a job as a dorm mom at a Sonoma boarding school that happens to be her alma mater.

Gillian thought she had everything she ever wanted—as a successful publicist running her own Manhattan firm and working with a high-profile-celebrity clientele, she finally made herself at home among the elite who eluded her throughout her youth. That is, until her career implodes, leaving her jobless, friendless, and with a googleable reputation that follows her everywhere. So, when she receives an offer to become a “dorm mom” at Glen Ellen Academy, the prestigious Sonoma boarding school she attended two decades earlier on scholarship, she leaps at the opportunity for a change of scene—at least until she can figure out how to rehabilitate her career.

But Gillian is surprised to find herself enjoying her new life: her role as a mentor is unexpectedly fulfilling, she finds a community, and most surprisingly of all she runs into an old flame from her own time at school, who is just as dashing now as he was then. However, just as she begins to feel comfortable, a scandal surfaces on campus that threatens to derail everything, and Gillian must figure out how to save her job, her students, her friends, and her new romance before it’s too late.

My Thoughts

Room and Board by Miriam Parker is the perfect cure for insomnia.  I struggled to finish this book. The disgraced publicist becomes a dorm mom at the boarding school she attended for high school.  We are left to wonder how she got this this job for which she is not qualified.  The other dorm moms must do double duty by teaching and chaperoning a building full of students.  Gillian neglects her job from the beginning.  The first night she is too tired to check on her charges and is just shocked when she discovers evidence of partying in the building the next day including the requisite sick teenager from overindulging in alcohol.  This will not be the last time Gillian neglects her duties (dating before duties seems to be Gillian’s motto).  I was surprised when a pampered princess named Bunny (a senior) befriends Gillian.  Bunny and her clique frequently hang out in Gillian’s suite.  The students just love Gillian, and they trust her from the beginning (is anyone buying this).  Gillian pays more attention to her love life than the students she is responsible for.  Gillian’s crush from high school is now the father of Rainbow who happens to live in Gillian’s dorm (what a coincidence).  Here is Gillian’s chance for the man she has been unable to get out of her thoughts for twenty years.   She is willing to overlook what he did back in high school.  

The students are your stereotypical pampered rich kids who expect the best and enjoy torturing the scholarship students.  I believe the author has spent too much time watching Gossip Girl (both versions) and Gilmore Girls.  I can see details from both shows in the book.  I had to roll my eyes at some of the scenes.  When you put out a sign stating that you can ask me anything, what do you expect.  People are going to ask you some ridiculous questions.  Gillian gets annoyed when a child shows up at her door asking for help.  This means taking time away from getting ready for a date or stalking her crush on social media.    The author is detail oriented.  I really did not need to know what Gillian wore down to her shoes or that she spends an hour doing her face care routine (or all the items she used to keep her skin looking youthful).  There are many contradictions in the book.  If the headmaster’s assistant does the accounting for the school, why is there a finance department?  Gillian tells the girls that accepting freebies will make you beholden to others, but readers are told in great detail how the majority of Gillian’s wardrobe is from freebies (clients and from companies).  The dialogue is awkward and unrealistic (the author should have spent some time talking to teenagers).  There were some plot points started in the book that were never revisited while others were left unresolved.  I found the ending to be unrealistic.  Room and Board is one of those books that left me feeling like I had just wasted a few hours of my time.  

Room and Board comes out Tuesday, August 16 and it can be preordered from Amazon*.  You can follow Miriam Parker on Amazon to receive an email when she has a new book release.  Room and Board was not a good fit for me.  I do suggest that you download a sample so you can judge it for yourself.  I appreciate you stopping by today and reading my book review.  The Challenge by Danielle Steel is on deck for tomorrow.  We are halfway through August which is the hottest month in Florida.  I am eager for fall to arrive.  I am keeping myself busy (while I impatiently wait for fall) planning my outdoor Halloween decorations.  I am hoping to rope in a neighbor or two. I have more ideas than space. I hope that you have a joyful day (joy is good for you).  Take care, stay cool, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.