Magnolia Palace, The: A Novel

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Curious about the decades old murder, they uncover hidden messages in the walls much like a scavenger hunt revealing more than expected, but they are not alone in the dark. BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. But the longer she works as a private secretary to Helen Frick, the daughter of industrialist and art patron Henry Clay Frick, the more deeply shes pulled into a tangled web of romantic trysts, stolen jewels, and family drama. However, I have to admit that it dragged during the middle and it took me a while to start enjoying it, hence the 3 stars rating.

He'd taken his time looking around, as if assessing how much he could raise the rent for a new tenant.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. For example, when she somehow gets tied into her landlord's homicide case, she runs from police instead of subjecting herself to the questioning. This capture by the author is so rich in history offering a magnetic draw to the past without disrupting their true events. Frick was an avid art collector, and he knew then that he wanted his mansion turned into the Frick Museum after the deaths of he and his wife, with free admittance for the people of Manhattan.

She also jumps skillfully between the Roaring Twenties and the Swinging Sixties as another model explores the Frick Collection decades later. Not long after, as she left for work, Lillian had passed the police as they tramped up the front steps. This historical fiction novel written by Fiona Davis adds so much to the story of the Frick family, the residence that began as the renowned Frick Mansion containing the invaluable Frick Collection. 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.

It unfolded slowly where readers could experience the dramatic woes of love, heartbreak, redemption and new beginnings. Davis does an excellent job in describing the Fricks' style of living: the clothes, the food, the music, and the classes - as well as the art, of course. in " The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly " Publishing This Week" newsletter. Once she is listed as a person of interest in the murder of her landlord’s wife, she goes on the lam, and inadvertently finds herself interviewing for a position as the personal secretary to Helen Frick.