Welcome to my first Jen's Jewels column of 2025! Award-winning novelist Fiona Davis takes readers on a thrilling journey through time in her latest masterpiece, THE STOLEN QUEEN, weaving together the stories of two remarkable women connected by a mysterious Egyptian artifact at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Blending the glittering world of the 1978 Met Gala with ancient Egyptian archaeology, Davis crafts a tale of curses, repatriation, and unexpected friendship as her protagonists race from Manhattan to Egypt in search of a priceless treasure. In our conversation, Davis reveals the fascinating real-life inspiration behind her novel—including a viral Kim Kardashian photo that led to the recovery of a stolen sarcophagus—and shares how she brought both the glamorous Diana Vreeland era and the legacy of a forgotten female pharaoh to vivid life. Read on to discover the stories behind one of this winter's most anticipated historical novels.
Jennifer Vido: What inspired you to weave the lives of Charlotte Cross and Annie Jenkins across two distinct timelines, and how did you balance their stories to create such an engaging narrative?
Fiona Davis: I loved the idea of two very different women – in terms of age, temperament, and interests – being thrown together to track down a stolen artifact from the Met, a journey that takes them all the way to Egypt. Because they were such distinct personalities, it helped in terms of the balance question, which is always in play when you’re going back and forth in timelines and POV.
Jen: The historical details in this novel, especially about the Met Gala and Egyptian archaeology, are so vivid. Can you share some of the research that went into crafting these elements?
Fiona: To learn about the Met Gala in 1978 (when that part of the book takes place), I headed to the Met’s own Watson Library where I could see photos of the exhibit, press releases, and reviews, all of which helped me recreate that evening. The Egyptian archaeology sections were very much influenced by the nonfiction book Empress of the Nile, by Lynne Olson, which is about a woman who made some incredible finds during her lifetime.
Jen: Egypt and the Met Gala are such contrasting yet glamorous settings. What drew you to these two worlds, and how did you approach bringing them to life?
Fiona: I was drawn to the idea by an article in the New York Times about the 2018 Met Gala, where Kim Kardashian posed in a gold dress next to a gold sarcophagus. The photo went viral, to the extent that the Jordanian smuggler who’d stolen the sarcophagus complained to an undercover confidant that he’d never gotten paid. The Manhattan DA’s office got involved and discovered the export license was forged, and the sarcophagus was eventually returned to Egypt. I was struck by the confluence of ancient art and pop culture embodied in this one building and figured that was my way into the story.
Jen: Hathorkare, the rare female pharaoh, is a fascinating part of the story. Is she based on a historical figure, or did you take creative liberties in shaping her story?
Fiona: Hathorkare is based on a real female pharaoh named Hatshepsut, who had a very successful reign for twenty years. After her death, many of her statues were destroyed and her legacy was almost lost to history, until a team of archaeologists from the Met found a quarry full of the broken statues in the 1920s and realized she had been important. Her mummy was recently discovered, which I recreate in the novel and is a fascinating story. I knew I wanted the character of Charlotte, a curator, to be obsessed with Hatshepsut/Hathorkare as much as I was.
Jen: Diana Vreeland and the Met Gala play pivotal roles in the book. Why did you choose to incorporate this iconic event and personality into the storyline?
Fiona: Diana Vreeland was such a force of nature, a woman who became an iconic leader in the world of fashion and transformed the Met Gala into the Party of the Year. I figured it would be fun to bring readers behind the scenes for the preparation of the Met Gala, as it’s so wildly popular today. And Vreeland was such fun to write, since in person she knew her mind and was quite strong-willed and that makes her a nice foil to Annie, who is so eager-to-please.
Jen: The idea of Hathorkare’s curse adds a layer of mystery and suspense. What inspired you to include this supernatural touch, and how does it tie into the book's larger themes?
Fiona: The curse says that anyone who takes any prized possessions of Hathorkare out of Egypt will face the wrath of the gods, and that idea works well with the ongoing question of the repatriation of stolen artifacts, which is very prominent today. The question of what museums should do with objects that were taken from other countries is one that the Met and every other museum in the world are struggling with.
Jen: Where can readers connect with you online or learn more about your upcoming events?
Fiona: My events are listed at fionadavisbooks.com, and I’m on IG and FB. I love to post about the research and inspiration behind the book, so be sure to check it out!
Jen: Thank you, Fiona, for stopping by and sharing insights about your latest novel. We can’t wait to see where your storytelling takes us next!
Fiona: Many thanks!
A Novel
From New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis, an utterly addictive new novel that will transport you from New York City’s most glamorous party to the labyrinth streets of Cairo and back.
Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity. But after an unbearable tragedy strikes, Charlotte knows her future will never be the same.
New York City, 1978: Eighteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum and known across the city as the “party of the year.” Though Annie soon realizes she’ll have her work cut out for her, scrambling to meet Diana’s capricious demands and exacting standards.
Meanwhile, Charlotte, now leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art, wants little to do with the upcoming gala. She’s consumed with her research on Hathorkare—a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as unimportant.
That is, until the night of the gala. When one of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing . . . and there are signs Hathorkare’s legendary curse might be reawakening.
As Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to one place Charlotte swore she’d never return: Egypt. But if they’re to have any hope of finding the artifact, Charlotte will need to confront the demons of her past—which may mean leading them both directly into danger.
Mystery | Thriller Historical [Dutton, On Sale: January 7, 2025, Hardcover / e-Book , ISBN: 9780593474273 / eISBN: 9780593474297]
Fiona Davis is the New York Times bestselling author of six historical fiction novels set in iconic New York City buildings, including The Magnolia Palace, The Dollhouse, The Address, and The Lions of Fifth Avenue, which was a Good Morning America book club pick. Her novels have been chosen as “One Book, One Community” reads and her articles have appeared in publications like The Wall Street Journal and O the Oprah magazine.
She first came to New York as an actress but fell in love with writing after getting a master's degree at Columbia Journalism School. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and she's based in New York City.
Jennifer Vido writes sweet romances set in the Lowcountry, earning acclaim as the award-winning author of the Gull Island series. Her debut novel, "Serendipity by the Sea," secured the prestigious Best First Book award from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest. In 2024, Vido's talent garnered further accolades, with Baltimore Magazine readers naming her Best Local Author in their annual Best of Baltimore poll, while the Baltimore Sun acknowledged her with an Honorable Mention in their Best of 2024 Author category. When not writing fiction, she interviews authors for her weekly Jen’s Jewels column, leads water exercise classes, and directs a legal nonprofit. Currently residing in Maryland, she and her husband are proud parents to two grown sons and a rescue dog named Fripp.
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