The Stolen Queen: A Novel
*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.
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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Community Reviews
The Stolen Queen is the literary equivalent of mixing champagne with dust-covered hieroglyphs: sparkling, mysterious, and with just enough grit to keep things interesting.
We’ve got two timelines here, folks, and they’re both a ride. First, there’s Charlotte in 1936, who starts out as an eager anthropology student on a dig in Egypt. It’s all camel rides and ancient curses until—bam!—tragedy strikes, and Charlotte’s life does a total 180. Fast-forward to 1978, where Annie, an intern for the fabulously demanding Diana Vreeland, is juggling Met Gala chaos while getting crash courses in haute couture and how to survive on two hours of sleep. These two women? Totally different vibes. But when a priceless Egyptian artifact vanishes and whispers of a curse start swirling, they team up like the oddest buddy-cop duo ever to grace the Met’s Egyptian wing.
The plot is a wild mix of fashion, ancient curses, and the kind of secrets that make you go, “Wait, what?” The book flits between 1930s desert digs and 1970s NYC glam so seamlessly that I’m convinced Davis has a time machine hidden somewhere. The writing? Gorgeous. You can practically feel the grit of the Egyptian sand under your fingernails and hear the clink of champagne glasses at the Met. And the characters? Well, let’s just say Charlotte and Annie are flawed, fascinating, and totally relatable. Who among us hasn’t cried over a shattered dream—or a missing artifact with an alleged curse?
Honestly, the “curse” element felt a bit too Scooby-Doo for my taste. I half-expected someone to whip off a villain mask and cackle, “And I would’ve gotten away with it, too!” Plus, Annie’s storyline occasionally veered into melodrama territory. Like, we get it, Diana’s a diva.
Still, The Stolen Queen is a total page-turner, perfect for history buffs, fashion junkies, and anyone who secretly believes their local museum is hiding something cursed. I devoured it in two sittings, mostly because I needed to know if they’d recover the artifact—or if Hathorkare’s ghost would come screeching out of the Met’s basement. Spoiler alert: you’ll have to read it yourself to find out.
Recommended for: fans of historical fiction, anyone who’s been personally victimized by a boss like Diana Vreeland, and readers who love a good dash of ancient mystery with their NYC glamour.
We’ve got two timelines here, folks, and they’re both a ride. First, there’s Charlotte in 1936, who starts out as an eager anthropology student on a dig in Egypt. It’s all camel rides and ancient curses until—bam!—tragedy strikes, and Charlotte’s life does a total 180. Fast-forward to 1978, where Annie, an intern for the fabulously demanding Diana Vreeland, is juggling Met Gala chaos while getting crash courses in haute couture and how to survive on two hours of sleep. These two women? Totally different vibes. But when a priceless Egyptian artifact vanishes and whispers of a curse start swirling, they team up like the oddest buddy-cop duo ever to grace the Met’s Egyptian wing.
The plot is a wild mix of fashion, ancient curses, and the kind of secrets that make you go, “Wait, what?” The book flits between 1930s desert digs and 1970s NYC glam so seamlessly that I’m convinced Davis has a time machine hidden somewhere. The writing? Gorgeous. You can practically feel the grit of the Egyptian sand under your fingernails and hear the clink of champagne glasses at the Met. And the characters? Well, let’s just say Charlotte and Annie are flawed, fascinating, and totally relatable. Who among us hasn’t cried over a shattered dream—or a missing artifact with an alleged curse?
Honestly, the “curse” element felt a bit too Scooby-Doo for my taste. I half-expected someone to whip off a villain mask and cackle, “And I would’ve gotten away with it, too!” Plus, Annie’s storyline occasionally veered into melodrama territory. Like, we get it, Diana’s a diva.
Still, The Stolen Queen is a total page-turner, perfect for history buffs, fashion junkies, and anyone who secretly believes their local museum is hiding something cursed. I devoured it in two sittings, mostly because I needed to know if they’d recover the artifact—or if Hathorkare’s ghost would come screeching out of the Met’s basement. Spoiler alert: you’ll have to read it yourself to find out.
Recommended for: fans of historical fiction, anyone who’s been personally victimized by a boss like Diana Vreeland, and readers who love a good dash of ancient mystery with their NYC glamour.
https://cerebralspice.wordpress.com/2025/07/02/book-list-the-stolen-queen-by-fiona-davis
Not right for me. It's an okay book and others may enjoy this work of historical fiction.
Not right for me. It's an okay book and others may enjoy this work of historical fiction.
I feel torn about this book as I feel it dragged so long on the set up and build up of plot and then spend the last 10% really condensing twist, mystery, the folklore, and closure. The book bounces perspectives between 2 female leads and how they end up working at an riveting Egyptian exhibit at the Met. One deeply connected to the pieces by her history in archeological and the other getting a career break giving her a chance at a future life away from the troubles at home. I think if you describe the book solely based on folklore, a woman rebuilding her life after loss, or the search for a stolen artifact, you will be disappointed. I think this would be a great book on vacation if you don't get too invested or come in with high expectations.
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