Go back to 1950s New York City and the world of the famed Barbizon hotel, jazz clubs, romance, and mystery.
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AUTHOR: Fiona Davis
GENRE: Historical Fiction
LENGTH: 368 pages (paperback edition)
FIRST PUBLISHED: 2016
About The Dollhouse
The Dollhouse is a fascinating look at 1950’s New York City wrapped around an intriguing mystery. This is a dual timeline book, which begins in the present day when Rose sets out to write about the history of the Barbizon Hotel for Women. The building was remade into condos (where Rose currently lives), but some of the old residents still lived in the building. Rose become intrigued by mentions of a horrible fight which resulted in the death of a hotel maid.
While investigating the story, the reader is sent back in time to 1950s New York City and meets Darcy, who moved to the Barbizon after finishing secretarial school. She’s excited about moving there, but doesn’t fit in with her glamorous neighbors. She befriends Esme, a hotel maid, who introduces her to a different side of New York – seedy jazz clubs with its addictive music, drugs, and romance. The story of Darcy and Esme weaves between past and present until Rose pieces together the mystery she set out to solve.
I loved this look at 1950’s NYC and got caught up in trying to solve the mystery. I look forward to reading more historical fiction from Fiona Davis, most of which are set in New York City.
This is a great choice for readers who love dual timeline books and who love a good mystery woven into the story.
Purchase the Kindle version here.
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Historical Fiction About New York City
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