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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
medium-paced
4+ ⭐️… I just love these historical fiction/mystery dramas by Fiona Davis set in NYC, gilded age, art, book themes. I can’t believe I haven’t read her other books. Lions on Fifth Avenue was one of the books which inspired me to go on a reading obsession.
I’m sure some fellow readers will have some criticisms of this book, but for me, I found it enjoyable.
And of course I will put the Frick Collection on my list of “must sees” on a future trip to NYC, but I must see the NYPL first!!
I’m sure some fellow readers will have some criticisms of this book, but for me, I found it enjoyable.
And of course I will put the Frick Collection on my list of “must sees” on a future trip to NYC, but I must see the NYPL first!!
As it always seems with Fiona Davis books, I like the historical story line better than the modern one.
Multiple POV from two different time periods. A classic style mystery. First time reading Fiona Davis, which was not a bad start.
I love a historical fiction novel with two main characters from different times. The Magnolia Palace tells the story of Lillian in 1919 and Veronica in 1966. Both models struggling to find their way in their professions, both with family loss in their lives, these two women become entangled in the dramatic lives of the Frick family. I loved how the two tales wove together, always switching to the other woman right when something massive was revealed. Definitely recommend to lovers of mysteries and/or historical fiction.
The first third was really slow and I didn’t care much about the plot, but it picked up. It was low stakes and frothy but an easy listen.
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was just an OK read for me so I’m giving it 3* and I’m going to shelf it as historical fiction because I didn’t know there was a mystery to be solved until the later part of the book. The storyline and plot are captivating, and I may have felt a bit of sympathy for Lillian/Angelica but I didn’t find her or any of the characters to be likeable, which unfortunately made it difficult for me to be fully engaged with this. The addition of Veronica in a future date seemed almost pointless to me. I kept wondering how the author would tie her into the plot. It finally happened, but was I felt this part of the novel was borderline anticlimactic.
This novel is set in 1919 in New York City. Twenty-year-old Lillian Carter’s mother has just succumbed to the Spanish Flu. Under her mother’s watchful eyes, Lillian had been an artist’s model for some of the city’s most iconic statues. Now she must find work through her grief and find a way to support herself. Her landlord, Mr. Watkins, is well aware of her financial vulnerability and has propositioned her. She has managed to avoid him thus far, but as she returns to her apartment building, she spies blood on the rug in entryway to the Watkin’s apartment when a police officer emerges from within. Later, the authorities knock on her door, questioning her with regard to a crime that has been committed in the Watkin’s residence. Innocent, but not trusting the system, Lillian flees out a window and down the fire escape. After a spending a night on a park bench, she heads down Fifth Avenue looking for a studio where she had previously worked. She is mistaken for an applicant to a position of private secretary in the Frick mansion, and suddenly finds herself in the inner circle of the infamous Frick family where infighting is common and tensions run high.
There is also an understory in intermittent chapters concerning a model named Veronica, who in 1966 visits the Frick mansion for photo shoot. She is left behind and accidentally locked inside when a blizzard causes a power outage across the city. She stumbles upon clues to a long-forgotten treasure hunt and unexpectedly finds the Magnolia diamond, a treasure that was lost years ago.
This novel is set in 1919 in New York City. Twenty-year-old Lillian Carter’s mother has just succumbed to the Spanish Flu. Under her mother’s watchful eyes, Lillian had been an artist’s model for some of the city’s most iconic statues. Now she must find work through her grief and find a way to support herself. Her landlord, Mr. Watkins, is well aware of her financial vulnerability and has propositioned her. She has managed to avoid him thus far, but as she returns to her apartment building, she spies blood on the rug in entryway to the Watkin’s apartment when a police officer emerges from within. Later, the authorities knock on her door, questioning her with regard to a crime that has been committed in the Watkin’s residence. Innocent, but not trusting the system, Lillian flees out a window and down the fire escape. After a spending a night on a park bench, she heads down Fifth Avenue looking for a studio where she had previously worked. She is mistaken for an applicant to a position of private secretary in the Frick mansion, and suddenly finds herself in the inner circle of the infamous Frick family where infighting is common and tensions run high.
There is also an understory in intermittent chapters concerning a model named Veronica, who in 1966 visits the Frick mansion for photo shoot. She is left behind and accidentally locked inside when a blizzard causes a power outage across the city. She stumbles upon clues to a long-forgotten treasure hunt and unexpectedly finds the Magnolia diamond, a treasure that was lost years ago.