In her riveting eighth historical novel, The Stolen Queen, Fiona Davis (The Spectacular; The Magnolia Palace) takes readers on a journey from the tombs of ancient Egypt to Manhattan's Met Gala in 1978. Through the long-obscured history of a female pharaoh, Hathorkare, and a necklace made of amulets called a broad collar discovered in her tomb, Davis explores questions surrounding the ownership and display of ancient artifacts, ideas about female authority at different moments in time, and the necklace's significance to two very different women.
Aspiring archeologist Charlotte Cross originally found the necklace in Hathorkare's tomb in 1936--but the necklace disappeared during a tragic night that upended Charlotte's life. Now an associate curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Charlotte is shocked when the necklace is loaned to the museum anonymously, but it's soon clear that someone doesn't want her asking questions. Meanwhile, fashion icon Diana Vreeland deputizes her assistant, Annie Jenkins, to ensure that the necklace is displayed at the gala. But when disaster strikes during the event, Charlotte and Annie join forces to uncover a plot whose threads stretch not only across continents but also back to Charlotte's past.
Davis immerses her readers in the glamor of Egyptian tombs, the Met's galleries of priceless treasures, and "the Party of the Year," while also conveying Charlotte's and Annie's shared determination to build successful lives on their own. As they head to Egypt in pursuit of a stolen artifact--and some answers--each woman must confront her deepest fears. Davis's novel is a glittering depiction of love, danger, and secrets both archeological and personal. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams