The Lions Of Fifth Avenue.

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                                           CONTAINS SPOILERS

It's 1913, and on the surface, Laura Lyons couldn't ask for more out of life--her husband is the superintendent of the New York Public Library, allowing their family to live in an apartment within the grand building, and they are blessed with two children. But headstrong, passionate Laura wants more, and when she takes a leap of faith and applies to the Columbia Journalism School, her world is cracked wide open. As her studies take her all over the city, she finds herself drawn to Greenwich Village's new bohemia, where she discovers the Heterodoxy Club--a radical, all-female group in which women are encouraged to loudly share their opinions on suffrage, birth control, and women's rights. Soon, Laura finds herself questioning her traditional role as wife and mother. But when valuable books are stolen back at the library, threatening the home and institution she loves, she's forced to confront her shifting priorities head on . . . and may just lose everything in the process. 

Eighty years later, in 1993, Sadie Donovan struggles with the legacy of her grandmother, the famous essayist Laura Lyons, especially after she's wrangled her dream job as a curator at the New York Public Library. But the job quickly becomes a nightmare when rare manuscripts, notes, and books for the exhibit Sadie's running begin disappearing from the library's famous Berg Collection. Determined to save both the exhibit and her career, the typically risk-adverse Sadie teams up with a private security expert to uncover the culprit. However, things unexpectedly become personal when the investigation leads Sadie to some unwelcome truths about her family heritage--truths that shed new light on the biggest tragedy in the library's history. 

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How can you not love a book that is set at the library? I love reading a book about books. Besides the bookstore, the library is my favorite place to be. When I found that the book is set in the New York City Library, I needed to check the book. THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE is the second book that I read by FIONA DAVIS , and I cannot wait to check the rest of her books. I have read a big selection of historical fiction and mysteries throughout the years, which has always been my favorite genres. THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE had a combination of the two, unlike other mysteries that I have read previously. Even though both were eighty years apart, there were similarities when it came to the book thefts. I loved that Laura and Sadie were related and how the two of them seemed to go through the same thing, except their stories ended in different ways. I loved that the book was broken up between 1913, which told Laura’s story, and 1993 which told her granddaughter, Sadie’s story. Even though it dealt with a rare book theft, the two time periods had me feeling like I was reading two different stories. I loved the book. I loved the chance to experience Laura and Sadie’s adventures. 

When book thefts at Sadie’s job started to happen, I wondered if it would be discovered that she was related to the late Laura Lyons. I knew that it wouldn’t look good if discovered, and they would wonder why it was kept a secret. The one person I was sure would be on her side did not seem happy once she told him. I understood why, especially since Nick was investigating the book thefts at the time. If I were him, only to find out that something was hidden from me, I would be suspicious too. I felt bad for everything that Sadie went through and the blame. I knew that it was what the thief wanted and needed. As for the book, thief was in 1913, and I was sure that it was Jack, especially after the suicide note that Sadie found. I never imagined that the reason behind it was because Jack was trying to protect someone he loves. There are so many things that others would do for love. I loved Laura, and I loved how passionate she was about her job. You could tell how much it meant to her. I felt as if Jack was not as supportive as he should have been and instead blamed her for not being home with the children. It’s no wonder that their passion seemed to have faded. However, that does not excuse what Laura has done. 

There were so many emotions in both Laura and Sadie’s stories. I loved how New York City Public Library was portrayed, that I imagined that I was there. I wanted to be there. New York City Public Library sounded like the library I would fall in love with. The mystery that surrounded the New York City Public Library was one of my favorite parts. I knew why someone wants to steal a rare book for a chance to sell it. I wondered why it’s that book they wanted, and for a reason for ripping the page out of the diary, book. The book theft mystery kept me on the edge of my seat until the end, and even I did see the real thief coming. Those types of puzzles are my favorites. Everything was so vivid that I felt as if I was trying to solve the mystery along with Sadie, Laura, and Jack. I have only read two of FIONA DAVIS books, and she has become one of my favorite historical fiction authors. Everything that she portrays in her books is vivid and feels so real. I am eager to discover what other adventures she will take on next. 

Extraordinary.