The Stolen Queen

By Fiona Davis

Book Overview

*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.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593474279
• ISBN13: 9780593474273
• Release Date: January 2025
• Publisher: Dutton
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Another triumph!

Egypt. The Met. The 1930’s and 1970’s. Intricate characters. Fiona writes in such a way that I’m instantly drawn in and don’t want to put the book down. My heartstrings, how she plays at them so delicately. This is a beautifully written adventure. The details, divine. The complex relationships, believable. Everything flows, you don’t even know how you just read 50 pages so quickly. Painstaking and action packed. Another triumph. Bravo & thank you!!

Page-turning mystery

Thanks to Edelweiss and Dutton for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own. Fiona Davis is an auto-read for me, so I was excited to have the opportunity to read an advance copy. Like so many of her books, this one is historical fiction and starts out in New York. The story alternates between New York in 1978 and Egypt in the 1930s, featuring Charlotte Cross who in the 1970s is an associate curator at the Metropolitan Museum’s Department of Egyptian Art. Another major character is 18-year-old Annie Jenkins, who crosses paths with Charlotte at the Museum. Annie is a survivor who seems to be getting a big break as she becomes an assistant to quirky and iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum. This is a well-written story of hope and family, past and present, combining art, anthropology, fashion, and feminism. It’s a page-turning mystery with history and danger from a possible Egyptian curse.