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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
Couldn’t get into the storyline. Didn’t like the back and forth of old vs new timeline
It is obvious that Fiona Davis is a great writer, but this was just not for me. I'm not sure if I wasn't the right audience for this, but it seemed to drag on for me and did not keep me engaged. I typically read thrillers/mysteries/horror, and I think those genres have ruined me and I expect a fast-moving storyline. I typically enjoy dual timeline books, but the timeline in the '60s left me wanting more and seemed to only be included as a way to wrap up the book at the end. I did not care about Lily as a character, but thoroughly enjoyed Miss Helen's character and her vulnerability underneath her facade. I understand why some of the situations were included from a real-life historical perspective, but for this story, they didn't seem to add much.
The Authors Note at the end of the book was by far my favorite part.
The Authors Note at the end of the book was by far my favorite part.
Fantastic characters, a mysterious death, and dual timelines. Loved this one! It’s got some history I knew little about and was just a great read.
The ending felt rushed but overall this was a delightful light read.
Dual storylines can work when written well. Unfortunately for The Magnolia Palace, dual storylines made an otherwise interesting story, boring and slow.
The highlight of the book was the relationship between young Helen and young Lillian. The constant tit for tat was engaging and entertaining. I also enjoyed the information about the Frick Museum and artwork. If this book was solely about the 1919 storyline I probably would have enjoyed it better.
What didn't work for me was the lack of mystery. The treasure hunt didn't really happen until the book was nearly finished and then it ended with a nice and neat bow. I enjoyed the character Joshua, but found Veronica to be intolerable and annoying. I felt very little about the 1960s timeline and really, nearly all of the characters were pretty 2 dimensional.
Overall, this was more of a miss than a hit.
The highlight of the book was the relationship between young Helen and young Lillian. The constant tit for tat was engaging and entertaining. I also enjoyed the information about the Frick Museum and artwork. If this book was solely about the 1919 storyline I probably would have enjoyed it better.
What didn't work for me was the lack of mystery. The treasure hunt didn't really happen until the book was nearly finished and then it ended with a nice and neat bow. I enjoyed the character Joshua, but found Veronica to be intolerable and annoying. I felt very little about the 1960s timeline and really, nearly all of the characters were pretty 2 dimensional.
Overall, this was more of a miss than a hit.
not my usual genre, but I enjoyed the mystery and would read more from this author
This is a fun little historical mystery. Takes place inside the Frick art world/museum/family in NY in two time periods with some (eventually) overlapping characters. Loved all the historical elements and the family drama. Moved a little slow in the beginning and the ending seemed to take a little too long to wrap up, but still an easy, light read. Perfect for summer.
I enjoyed this one a lot more than I thought I would! The start was a little rocky to adjust to with the time/character jumps on the audiobook, but once I got it sorted, it was a very enjoyable listen.
After reading Anderson Cooper's book about his family I wanted to read gilded age historical fiction. I had been seeing this book everywhere and I received a copy from NetGalley. I was expecting a little more from the description. It talks about murder in the Frick Family. I looked up the Frick family while reading and there was nothing about a murder in the Frick mansion. A murder does happen at the beginning of this book, but not in the Frick mansion. This book has two timelines, 1919 and 1966. We follow two models. This book is actually loosely based on an actual model named Audrey Munson from the early 1900s, which to me is more fascinating than the Frick family. Audrey Munson's sculptures that she posed for were all over New York back then. I am more plot driven and this book was more character driven. I was just waiting for more to happen. I did enjoy the author's note at the end though as I had never heard of Audrey Munson. I would love to go see the Frick Museum if I ever visit NYC.
Classic Fiona Davis, weaving together a story of historical fiction decades apart in a perfectly plotted time slip. While many people, events, and the Frick collection/home itself is real, many of the characters are not but together tell a story peeking new interest into this New York Museum and its past.