The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis

A Four-Star Book

Fiona Davis is one of my favorite historical fiction authors, and I have loved each of her books. Her newest book, The Stolen Queen, is solidly among the top for me. I enjoyed the story’s dual timelines and dual points of view, which are signature selling points for Davis’s books in my opinion.

Summary of The Stolen Queen (No Spoilers)

The Stolen Queen travels between archaeological sites within Egypt’s Valley of the Kings in the 1930s to the innermost operations of the 1970s Metropolitan Museum of Art. At the center of both timelines is Charlotte Cross, who first traveled to Egypt at 19 as an archaeological student with the eager desire to discover unknown parts of history. However, an unimaginable tragedy brought her back to New York City and led her to the Met Museum, where she continues to work in the 1970s as an associate curator for the Department of Egyptian Art. Still, 41 years after her time in Egypt, Charlotte hopes to prove her theory about an often-dismissed female pharaoh. 

Annie Jenkins meets Charlotte at the Met when Annie is hired by the famed, eccentric Diana Vreeland as an assistant leading up to the biggest party of the year: the Met Gala. Annie admires Charlotte’s knowledge and professionalism, and she sees her job at the Met as a new start to her life. But, on the night of the big party, one of the most-famed Egyptian artifacts is stolen. In the events that follow, Charlotte and Annie team up to solve the crime and find answers to questions Charlotte has long since sealed away.

What I Enjoyed about The Stolen Queen

The standouts for The Stolen Queen were clear for me:

• Charlotte and Annie: Despite their age differences, both female leads are trying to find themselves. Charlotte has denied her secrets since returning from Egypt, throwing herself into her work at the Met as she enters her sixties. Annie, just 19 years old, has already been the provider for her flighty mother, fighting to keep them off the streets as her mother is unwilling to take adult responsibilities. When thrust together, Charlotte and Annie become an unlikely team, but an effective one.
• Egypt: Now I want to travel to Egypt and visit the Valley of the Gods, see the tombs, and experience the bazaars that Davis describes in such detail. If it wasn’t for all that dirt, I might even ponder a new career in archaeology.

• Antiquities and Museums: I love museums but have never given much thought about how the artifacts are obtained. Davis addresses the ethical questions of ownership and whether items like the Egyptian antiquities on display at the Met are better there than they would be back in Cairo. She doesn’t offer a clear answer, but I liked how Annie challenged Charlotte on the issue. 
• Art, History, and Mystery: Like all of Davis’s books, The Stolen Queen uses artistic expression across historical periods to create a mystery that the characters must solve. This mystery was multi-faceted. While I think part of the resolution was a little too neatly wrapped, I was still impressed overall.

What I Wanted to Be Different about The Stolen Queen

The Stolen Queen focuses on Egyptology and the archaeological finds throughout Egypt, which are fascinating. However, as I was reading about Charlotte’s awe in the actions of the pharaohs who lead the construction of temples and accumulation of wealth, I kept thinking, but they didn’t do it on their own. The Egyptians held slaves (Ben Haring, Economy, UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, 2009), and while the slaves may have been assigned multiple different roles, they were involved in construction and craftsmanship. I question why Davis doesn’t address this involvement. I’m not an Egyptologist or a historian, but this seems like it warranted mention.

My Final Thoughts about The Stolen Queen

The Stolen Queen is an enjoyable read, one that met all my expectations for a Fiona Davis book. I found the characters enjoyable and the mystery intriguing, and it inspired me to add Egypt as another location for my travel bucket list.