With The Magnolia Palace, Fiona Davis has once again taken her readers back to the New York City of the early 20th century. This time her setting is the glorious Frick mansion where wealthy businessman and art collector Henry Clay Frick rules the roost, and his devoted daughter Helen does all that she can to please him. Through a case of mistaken identity, Lillian Carter enters their world and becomes part of their complicated family drama. This drama continues for half a century until model Veronica Weber arrives at the now Frick Museum and sets in motion a series of events that could change the course of all their lives. Highly recommended.

Lillian, known as Angelica in the art world, was beside herself after her mother died and was running out of jobs and money.

Her landlord was hounding her to pay rent when he murdered his wife, and the police found a note from her that was a bit compromising. They thought Lillian was in on the murder so they could be together.

Lillian escaped out the fire escape when the police arrived, slept on a bench in Central Park for the night, and accidentally was drawn into the Frick Mansion for a job she hadn't applied for but got hired.

Lillian worked for Miss Helen the daughter of Fricks. She was a task master, and Lillian became involved in all the good and bad things happening in that household.

Then in 1966 we meet Veronica a model and Joshua a museum curator.

Veronica was in the Frick Museum for a photo shoot when she was sent out of the room and then became lost in the mansion. When all the models and crew left, she was locked in the museum. That's where she met Joshua and where they worked together on a scavenger hunt that was decades old and was a hunt devised by Helen Frick for her suitor.

Veronica had stumbled upon the clues as she was fumbling her way around in the dark, slipped, and saw pages sticking out of organ pipes. The pages revealed something similar to a game of clue. The clues mention the Magnolia Diamond.

What could the Magnolia Diamond be?

Did Helen hide it in this museum all those years ago when it was the residence of the Frick family?

Would Veronica find it?

What was its significance to the Frick family?

Since Veronica was stuck in the museum, she figured she would have to let Joshua in on this game and solve the clues together. Why not try to find the Magnolia Diamond. They had nothing else to do. It could be very valuable and get Veronica out of debt.

The hunt lead to solving mysteries that were fifty years old.

The blending of the two time lines and the intriguing story line is signature Fiona Davis as she again gives us another wonderful history lesson.

THE MAGNOLIA PALACE is a gem with a mystery, a murder, a famous family, and memorable characters you will connect with and a book you will not want to miss. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Magnolia Palace, Fiona Davis, author; Karissa Vacker, narrator The story bounces from 1919 to 1966 and highlights the lives of Lillian Carter (loosely based on the life of the real model and artist’s muse, Audrey Marie Munson), and the life of Veronica Weber, another young woman who was an aspiring model. Both of the women come from a challenged background and are in need of financial aid, steady employment and security. Both are responsible for the care of others, and both become embroiled in the workings of the renowned Frick Family, their museum and library. The author tries to make each of the two time periods seem authentic in terms of the culture, manner of dress and behavioral expectations. There is an attempt to illustrate the world of the elite vs that of the working class. The wealthy are depicted rather negatively as arrogant and haughty, while the less advantaged seemed a bit more sophisticated, in some cases, than I expected. They were also inordinately tempted by criminal behavior. In 1919, after the death of Kitty, Lillian’s mother, Lillian finds herself accused of the murder of her landlord’s wife. Practically penniless and helpless, she flees from the authorities, knowing she cannot defend herself adequately. By happenstance, hoping to get a cup of tea, she finds that she is being interviewed for a job, She manages to land the position as the personal secretary to Helen Frick, though she had no prior experience. Once known simply by the name of Angelica, she is now known as Lillian Carter, hoping never to be found in her old identity, though there are sculptures of her likeness all around New York City. For a few months, she excels in her position, immersing herself in the life of the wealthy and philanthropic Frick family, learning about their daily lives, their art and the demands of their social status. However, a wayward romance with Richard Danforth, while they engaged in a scavenger hunt created by Helen Frick as a test for him (he was to be Helen’s betrothed), coupled with the death of the scion, Henry Frick, patriarch of the family, Lillian finds herself once again framed and accused of murder. This time she is also accused of the theft of a valuable cameo which held the magnolia diamond inside. The cameo and diamond had been a gift to the once favorite daughter of Henry, Martha Frick. She flees again, this time with the help of Archer Graham, the organist working part time in the Frick household. In 1966, Veronica Weber is living in England and working in her uncle’s pawnshop when a customer, Sabrina, notices her and asks her if she has ever modeled. Soon this modeling agent invites Veronica to go to America to model for a Vogue shoot. Coincidentally, the shoot is at the Frick Museum. A dictatorial photographer and a snowstorm contrive to place her life squarely in the crosshairs of the very same Helen Frick. When the power goes out, she finds she has been abandoned by the photo shoot. She discovers she is now trapped in the locked Frick Museum with Joshua Lawrence, an intern working as an archivist. Unable to reach anyone for help, and wary of setting off the alarm, especially because Joshua is black, they go on a scavenger hunt from cards Veronica had discovered, the very same cards used by Lillian and Richard on their ill-fated scavenger hunt. Soon, they are both surprised by the appearance of Helen Frick. The book then takes off in a new direction and attempts to knit all disparate themes together. Because I had a friend who was once a curator at the Frick, I thought I would find the story interesting. The tidbits about the art acquired by the family and the sculptures for which “Lillian Carter” (Audrey Munson) posed, were entertaining, as was the introduction of the idea of creating a library that would live on and continue the Frick name. The Fricks, however, were painted in a rather negative light. Arrogant and demanding, often rude to employees and haughty, I was disappointed in their portrayal, even if accurate. Also, I know the times were very different than they are now, but I thought that the young women seemed a little too sophisticated and capable for their age and backgrounds, making the novel somewhat implausible.