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Sebastian Ritscher
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THE MAGNOLIA PALACE

Fiona Davis

Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue, returns with a tantalizing novel about the secrets, betrayal, and murder within on of New York City's most impressive Gilded Age mansions.
Eight months since losing her mother in the Spanish flu outbreak of 1919, twenty-one-year-old Lillian Carter's life has completely fallen apart. For the past six years, under the moniker Angelica, Lillian was one of the most sought-after artists' models in New York City, with statues based on her figure gracing landmarks from the Plaza Hotel to the Brooklyn Bridge. But with her mother gone, a grieving Lillian is rudderless and desperate. The work has dried up and a looming scandal has left her entirely without a safe haven. So when she stumbles upon an employment opportunity at the Frick mansion - a building that, ironically, bears her own visage - Lillian jumps at the chance. But the longer she works as a private secretary to the imperious and demanding Helen Frick, the daughter and heiress of industrialist and art patron Henry Clay Frick, the more deeply her life gets intertwined with that of the family - pulling her into a tangled web of romantic trysts, stolen jewels, and family drama that runs so deep, the stakes just may be life or death.

Nearly fifty years later, English model Veronica Weber has her own chance to make her career - and with it, earn the money she needs to support her family back home - within the walls of the former Frick residence, now converted into one of New York City's most impressive museums. But when she - along with a charming intern/budding art curator named Joshua - is dismissed from the Vogue shoot taking place at the Frick Collection, she chances upon a series of hidden messages in the museum: messages that will lead her and Joshua on a hunt that could not only solve Veronica's financial woes, but could finally reveal the truth behind a decades-old murder in the infamous Frick family.

Fiona Davis is the New York Times bestselling author of several novels, including The Dollhouse, The Address, The Masterpiece, The Chelsea Girls, The Lions of Fifth Avenue, and The Magnolia Palace. She lives in New York City and is a graduate of the College of William & Mary in Virginia and the Columbia Journalism School.
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Published 2022-01-25 by Dutton

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Romanian: Humanitas ; Serbian: Laguna

Today's guest is Fiona Davis. Fiona writes historical fiction novels that focus on various NYC buildings in a dual timeline. Her latest release The Magnolia Palace focuses on the Frick building and its infamous family. There is a mystery and this book is a page-turner. In this interview, we chat about her research process and the behind-the-scenes tour to the Frick Museum that she took. We also chat about some must-read book recommendation Read more...

No one brings New York City to life like Fiona Davis. With The Magnolia Palace, Davis turns her brilliant storytelling to the Frick mansion, focusing on the strong women who made the Frick a New York icon - some on canvas, others scions of the famous family. It's historical fiction at its best, marked by the complexity of female friendship, the glamour of the art world, and having the moxie to reinvent yourself.

They praise Fiona, writing: "Fiona Davis has deployed an unmatched skill for unspooling compelling dramas amidst some of New York's most glittering historical moments." And describe the book as: "the story of two different women whose lives are changed at the Frick mansion, giving readers the chance to soak in dual eras of history all while great love, epic loss, dazzling fortunes, and foul play are afoot." Read more...

Fiona and I discuss The Magnolia Palace, choosing the Frick Collection for this book, why and how she created the scavenger hunt in the book, what surprised her most during her research, writing about Henry and Helen Frick, the magnolia connection, and much more. Read more...

Author Stories Podcast: Today I am happy to welcome back friend of the show Fiona Davis to talk about her new book The Magnolia Palace... Read more...

Davis embellishes the real lives of the Frick family and Audrey Munson, a sculptors' muse, in a tale that will thrill fans of Anna Pitoniak and Karen Harper. She also jumps skillfully between the Roaring Twenties and the Swinging Sixties as another model explores the Frick Collection decades later. Davis' insider's perspective on the esteemed Frick family gives equal weight to those who kept the family afloat.

Another brilliant historical thriller from Davis, this time set in a Gilded Age mansion in New York City. You will fall in love with Lillian, the penniless young artist's model surviving the Spanish Flu of 1919, and Veronica, the young mod model of the 1960s, and Davis's deftly written and beautifully woven feminist storytelling.

Davis adeptly interweaves two compelling story lines to shine a light on another NYC landmark... This is historical fiction at its best, with well-developed characters, detail, art history, and mystery. Read more...

THE MAGNOLIA PALACE has been included in roundups of upcoming historical fiction reads from Historical Novel Society, She Reads, and The Bibliofile.

THE MAGNOLIA PALACE is included in new releases roundups from CrimeReads, BookRiot, and Fresh Fiction and Publishers Weekly included the book in their picks of the week

Rich with family drama, tangled romance, cryptic clues and long-buried secrets, THE MAGNOLIA PALACE is sure to be loved by Fiona Davis's devoted and new readers alike. A can't-miss for anyone who has sauntered through an art museum and found themselves tempted to peek behind a painting or two...

THE MAGNOLIA PALACE has debuted on the New York Times bestseller list!

BookReporter, supportive of Fiona as always, is running a giveaway! Read more...

There are many pleasures in Fiona Davis's novels. Her stories inhabit Manhattan landmarks whose exteriors (and some interiors) can be viewed by the public... From the street, the buildings' edifices are austere, yet Davis imbues them with intimacy and familiarity through the deeply-felt emotions of her characters. Equally intriguing are the points of intersection between generations of young women. While each is beset by her own personal and professional problems, they share a certain style. Quietly seeking the truth about themselves and the world, Davis's heroines overcome pain and loss to reach a resolution, in the past and present.

Davis smoothly combines fact with fiction, and offers beautiful descriptions of the family's art collection. The colliding narratives and comprehensive descriptions of the historic mansion make for Davis's best work to date. Read more...

THE MAGNOLIA PALACE is one of BuzzFeeds "Best Books To Read In January" Read more...

The magic of Fiona Davis is the tenderness with which she crafts her settings, so that they bloom into characters themselves. We come to know them. We come to love them. And they help us to understand our place in time. The Magnolia Palace is a love letter to art and history. An intriguing, beautiful read.