Fiona Davis

When she arrives at the famed Barbizon Hotel in 1952, Darby McLaughlin is everything her hall mates aren't: plain, self-conscious, homesick and convinced she doesn't belong. Yet when she befriends Esme, a Barbizon maid, she's introduced to an entirely new, colourful yet seedy side of New York City. Over half a century later, journalist Rose Lewin hears rumours of Darby's involvement in a deadly skirmish with a hotel maid. A perfect distraction from her own imploding personal life, Rose becomes obsessed with finding the truth about what really happened at the hotel.

A Novel

The Dollhouse

darby wasn't angry enough at a woman who went all goldilocks at her place imo lmfao but thoroughly enjoyed it overall!

sab ☻

Ceej Manaloto

Davis has become a new author for me, and I'm trying to make my way through her backlist. Once I read the synopsis and saw it had a bit of a murder mystery aspect, I knew I had to pick it up. I did enjoy it, but it was slow to unfold. It's told in two separate timelines, and Davis does a great job balancing them. It didn't feel like either one overshadowed the other. Whenever a book does this, I usually find myself favoring one over the other, but I thought both timelines were super interesting. I also liked the characters. Darby and Rose were both strong characters to follow and while they seemed so different on the outside, they had some of the same insecurities. The mystery at the core of the story was intriguing. I thought I knew how it would wrap up, but I was wrong, which made for a more satisfying ending. Despite a sluggish beginning, I'd still recommend it if you enjoy historical fiction.

Heather Harrington

Wow! Not my usual genre but thought I jump out of my comfort zone. Glad I did!
This book pulled me in and never let me go. I couldn't put it down and did a reading marathon of 6 straight hours just so I could finish. Characters and story line sucked me in. My favorite part was the building and old New York. The history involved in writing this book was amazing!
Cannot believe this is a first novel!
Great job Ms. Davis!!!

Karen Shimek

Summer Stanley

Cute and fun historical fiction. 
A bit predictable, but overall enjoyable. 

Although they spent the whole book downplaying it, I really wanna read The Bell Jar now.

Jacklyn O’Brien 

Per recommendation - This book was a pleasant surprise. I would not have chosen this book on the premise alone, but it read like a breeze. The alternative 2016/1952 chapters were short enough that you didn't lose track of each storyline. Throughout the book I really didn't like Esme, as I thought she was a selfish and pushy "friend". But I felt the book ended beautifully and left me satisfied.

Michael Hessling

Eh. Makes me wonder if I prefer good stories with bad writing (this was one) or bad stories with good writing.

Ifigeneia Byrou 

Megan Gardner

Rosie Vulaj

Micah

Olivia Buck

Taylor Jones

Malgorzata Olszewska

Enter the lush world of 1950s New York City, where a generation of aspiring models, secretaries, and editors live side by side in the glamorous Barbizon Hotel for Women while attempting to claw their way to fairy-tale success in this debut novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue. “Rich both in twists and period detail, this tale of big-city ambition is impossible to put down.”—People When she arrives at the famed Barbizon Hotel in 1952, secretarial school enrollment in hand, Darby McLaughlin is everything her modeling agency hall mates aren't: plain, self-conscious, homesick, and utterly convinced she doesn't belong—a notion the models do nothing to disabuse. Yet when Darby befriends Esme, a Barbizon maid, she's introduced to an entirely new side of New York City: seedy downtown jazz clubs where the music is as addictive as the heroin that's used there, the startling sounds of bebop, and even the possibility of romance. Over half a century later, the Barbizon's gone condo and most of its long-ago guests are forgotten. But rumors of Darby's involvement in a deadly skirmish with a hotel maid back in 1952 haunt the halls of the building as surely as the melancholy music that floats from the elderly woman's rent-controlled apartment. It's a combination too intoxicating for journalist Rose Lewin, Darby's upstairs neighbor, to resist—not to mention the perfect distraction from her own imploding personal life. Yet as Rose's obsession deepens, the ethics of her investigation become increasingly murky, and neither woman will remain unchanged when the shocking truth is finally revealed.

The Dollhouse A Novel

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