A review by dwkiley
The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis

5.0

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC of The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis. As a fan of the author, I was looking forward to this book and it did not disappoint. Set as a dual timeline in 1919 and 1966 in New York City, it is the story of the Frick family and the collection of art that was turned into a museum. I enjoy dual timeline stories and these two were fun to read. In 1919, the daughter of Henry Frick, Helen, hired a private secretary named Lillian Carter. Lillian has a secret that doesn't come out for months - not giving it away here. I loved the characters in this time period as some were stereotypical and others were more self assured. In 1966, an intern and a model solve riddles from 1919. As the two timelines converge, I really enjoyed how the author made it seem plausible that the intern and model would meet Helen and Lillian (with a few surprises thrown in). I enjoyed looking up the art that was mentioned in the story to be able to see it. The author explains the inspiration for the story in Author's Note and I loved the connection to real people. I would love to read a follow up story about the intern and the model and other mysteries and surprises they find in the Frick Museum.