Fiona Davis Books

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Fiona Davis is an American author that writes historical mysteries. Fiona was an actress in New York City. Working on Broadway, off-Broadway, and in regional theater, she pursued her acting career for a decade before shifting gears and turning her attention to writing and editing.

Fiona, born in Canada, attended the College of William and Mary and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

She has encouraged her readers to take risks in life. Fear shouldn’t prevent them from changing careers every few years. The author stands out because she writes stories set in iconic buildings in New York City. She does extensive research into the history of each structure, using the information she discovers to flesh out the plot and characters.

Where possible, Fiona will visit the buildings. She wants to look at the interior and exterior. She will also interview experts. The author will continue visiting the buildings in question while writing the first draft.

If she can’t tour a structure in person, she will look for detailed resources on the internet. Some websites offer blueprints and 360-degree views of the individual rooms of a building.

Fiona is drawn to old buildings. Whenever she sees one, the author cannot help but ponder its history: when it was built, how many alterations have occurred since it was completed, whether the neighborhood has changed since those early days, etc.

She uses the contrasts between the past and present to determine whether or not a building is a suitable setting for a novel. When she enters old buildings, Fiona takes note of all the strange details, hoping to find features that are not only fun to describe but also more likely to surprise the reader.

Titles always challenge her. She strives to create titles that describe the location and plot of the book, which is easier said than done. Fortunately, she has a team, including an editor and an agent, that works with her to generate ideas.

Fiona tries to populate her stories with forgotten women from history. Once she has a cast of protagonists, the author creates a timeline. Then she finetunes the mystery.

Her process is messy. But things start to make sense once she puts her ideas on paper and produces the first draft.
Fiona appreciates the years she spent in the theater because they have influenced her approach as a writer. She looks at each chapter as a scene in a play that she has to direct, incorporating the dialog and movement.

Her experience with method acting comes in handy when she needs to walk in the shoes of characters from a bygone era.

Best Fiona Davis Books

The author has many female writers she admires, ranging from Ann Pratchett and Jane Austen to Tana French, Jo Baker, and Elizabeth George. Fiona’s best books include:

The Lions of Fifth Avenue: Laura Lyons was happy with her life in 1913. Because her husband worked in the New York Public Library, she had the pleasure of living within the grand building with her two sons.

Laura was content, or so she thought. Her life started unraveling when she applied to the Columbia Journalism School, joined the Heterodoxy Club, and started examining her role as a woman.

Before long, valuable books went missing from the library, and Laura was forced to question her priorities.
Decades later, Sadie Donovan, Laura’s granddaughter, is the curator at the New York Public Library. The position was her dream job, and she was ecstatic when she landed it.

The last thing she expected was for several rare books and manuscripts in her exhibit to go missing. Now her career is on the line.

The Dollhouse: Life at the famed Barbizon Hotel was not pleasant for Darby McLaughlin. Her modeling agency hallmates agreed with Darby’s negative assessment of herself. She did not belong with them.

Esme was the first true friend she made. The Barbizon maid introduced her to a new side of New York City, one that promised adventure and romance. Fifty years later, Rose Lewin is on the hunt for a new story. She’s heard of Darby’s deadly skirmish with a hotel maid, and she wants to know more.

With her personal life imploding, she needs a distraction. She won’t hesitate to cross ethical lines to get what she wants.

When Does The Next Fiona Davis book come out?

The next book by Fiona Davis is The Stolen Queen and will be released on January, 7th 2025.

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