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thenovelbook's review against another edition
3.0
An atmospheric mystery perfectly designed for fans of Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series.
(Indeed, fans of Amelia Peabody may find a number of delightful call-outs to that lady and her mystery-solving family in this book. The idea that they inhabit the same world was one of the main things that made this story so much fun!)
It's 1904, and Lady Emily, her husband, and her husband's mother Mrs. Hargreaves have been invited on an excursion to Egypt. The trip is headed up by Lord Deeley, a long-time friend of Mrs. Hargreaves. He's gathered an unusual group of friends around him, but they've barely gotten acquainted when suddenly Lord Deeley keels over, dead of a poisoned drink.
As has become the author's custom, the chapters with Lady Emily's investigation are interspersed with a story from ancient times. In this case, it's of a young woman sculptor who lives in a craftsman's village in the desert. She becomes increasingly concerned that her jealous sister-in-law has nefarious plans for her.
I can't say that I really love the inclusion of these ancient plotlines in book after book (they all just seem so heavy with foreshadowing and tragedy), but they do help with the pacing. The pages fly by as you hop from the 1904 story to the ancient story and back.
I also like Lady Emily more now that she's a bit older. She carries her slightly nonconformist ways with a certain amount of extra composure now, and even so she finds herself no longer quite as avant garde now that the younger generation is coming along with even more modern viewpoints. This age is a more interesting spot for her than her youthful years where it felt like she was always trying to Make a Point.
Overall, I really enjoyed this installment in the Lady Emily series, especially because of its setting! As far as I'm concerned, Lady Emily could stay in Egypt a while longer, having more thinly-veiled encounters with Amelia Peabody & Co., and solving a few more mysteries. It would be great.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advance review copy!
(Indeed, fans of Amelia Peabody may find a number of delightful call-outs to that lady and her mystery-solving family in this book. The idea that they inhabit the same world was one of the main things that made this story so much fun!)
It's 1904, and Lady Emily, her husband, and her husband's mother Mrs. Hargreaves have been invited on an excursion to Egypt. The trip is headed up by Lord Deeley, a long-time friend of Mrs. Hargreaves. He's gathered an unusual group of friends around him, but they've barely gotten acquainted when suddenly Lord Deeley keels over, dead of a poisoned drink.
As has become the author's custom, the chapters with Lady Emily's investigation are interspersed with a story from ancient times. In this case, it's of a young woman sculptor who lives in a craftsman's village in the desert. She becomes increasingly concerned that her jealous sister-in-law has nefarious plans for her.
I can't say that I really love the inclusion of these ancient plotlines in book after book (they all just seem so heavy with foreshadowing and tragedy), but they do help with the pacing. The pages fly by as you hop from the 1904 story to the ancient story and back.
I also like Lady Emily more now that she's a bit older. She carries her slightly nonconformist ways with a certain amount of extra composure now, and even so she finds herself no longer quite as avant garde now that the younger generation is coming along with even more modern viewpoints. This age is a more interesting spot for her than her youthful years where it felt like she was always trying to Make a Point.
Overall, I really enjoyed this installment in the Lady Emily series, especially because of its setting! As far as I'm concerned, Lady Emily could stay in Egypt a while longer, having more thinly-veiled encounters with Amelia Peabody & Co., and solving a few more mysteries. It would be great.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advance review copy!
thepagelady's review against another edition
3.0
Book Review…Secrets of the Nile, Lady Emily Ashton Mysteries #16 by Tasha Alexander
Lord Bertram Deeley, a British collector of antiquities is entertaining his closest friends at a lavish cruise up the Nile to his home at Luxor when he suddenly collapses, a victim of the lethal poison cyanide. A key clue may lie with several ancient ushabtis, exquisite three thousand year old sculptures that played a role in yet another murder in Ancient Egypt, a crime with a very real link to Lord Deeley’s death. Lady Emily and Colin gather their suspects together to reveal the identity of a killer whose motive is as shocking as it is brilliant!
So This is the 16th book in the Lady Emily Ashton Mysteries series and so far it has been an interesting series! Emily has been an interesting character to follow throughout these books and seeing her turn into a more confident young woman! Each book has a new mystery and a tie in with ancient times. This time it's about some mysterious actions from the times of the Pharaohs. Which makes Egypt a beautiful and perfect setting for this story. It's easy to follow along between the two stories and with the mix you get an entertaining story that has a good pace and a nice adventure!
Thank you St. Martin's Press and Tasha Alexander for sharing this book with me!
Lord Bertram Deeley, a British collector of antiquities is entertaining his closest friends at a lavish cruise up the Nile to his home at Luxor when he suddenly collapses, a victim of the lethal poison cyanide. A key clue may lie with several ancient ushabtis, exquisite three thousand year old sculptures that played a role in yet another murder in Ancient Egypt, a crime with a very real link to Lord Deeley’s death. Lady Emily and Colin gather their suspects together to reveal the identity of a killer whose motive is as shocking as it is brilliant!
So This is the 16th book in the Lady Emily Ashton Mysteries series and so far it has been an interesting series! Emily has been an interesting character to follow throughout these books and seeing her turn into a more confident young woman! Each book has a new mystery and a tie in with ancient times. This time it's about some mysterious actions from the times of the Pharaohs. Which makes Egypt a beautiful and perfect setting for this story. It's easy to follow along between the two stories and with the mix you get an entertaining story that has a good pace and a nice adventure!
Thank you St. Martin's Press and Tasha Alexander for sharing this book with me!
duchessofreadin's review against another edition
2.0
Not one of her best - this one fell quite short of the allure of the book
kiminindy's review against another edition
4.0
Another great one in the Lady Emily series. Love the parallel story lines. It just makes the book so much more interesting.
pbgurczak123's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
andrea_author's review against another edition
5.0
Invited to a house party in Egypt, Lady Emily and husband Colin investigate a murder.
This beautifully written story, reminiscent of Agatha Christie, is engaging and enjoyable. There’s an alternating dual timeline between the 1904 colonial period and ancient Egypt of about 3000 years ago. (The secondary timeline isn’t critical to the story.) The main characters are likeable, while the supporting cast are interesting and varied. The audiobook narration is well-done and pleasant to listen to.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
This beautifully written story, reminiscent of Agatha Christie, is engaging and enjoyable. There’s an alternating dual timeline between the 1904 colonial period and ancient Egypt of about 3000 years ago. (The secondary timeline isn’t critical to the story.) The main characters are likeable, while the supporting cast are interesting and varied. The audiobook narration is well-done and pleasant to listen to.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
whitreadslit's review against another edition
4.0
This was my favorite book in this series in quite some time! I loved the Agatha Christie vibes of this murder mystery, and the Egyptian setting was fun and suitably exotic.
4.5 Stars
4.5 Stars
jennie_cole's review against another edition
3.0
Secrets of the Nile is a blend of Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile with a twist.
Lady Emily and Colin have been invited to join Mrs. Hargreaves on a trip to visit a long-time family friend in Luxor. Shortly after everyone has arrived their host is poisoned during dinner. When a servant leaves shortly after the death everyone believes he is the killer, but Lady Emily thinks that is too easy of answer. As Lady Emily starts to investigate it appears that everyone who was invited has a reason to dislike, maybe even want the host dead.
Alexander has a two POV story with one with Lady Emily in 1904 Luxor and the other with Meryt in Ancient Egypt not far from Luxor. There is just a tenuous link between the two story lines and once again I feel like the older story line is not needed and feels like it could be more flushed out. I would almost want Meryt to have her own story since it feels limited here.
Lady Emily and Colin have been invited to join Mrs. Hargreaves on a trip to visit a long-time family friend in Luxor. Shortly after everyone has arrived their host is poisoned during dinner. When a servant leaves shortly after the death everyone believes he is the killer, but Lady Emily thinks that is too easy of answer. As Lady Emily starts to investigate it appears that everyone who was invited has a reason to dislike, maybe even want the host dead.
Alexander has a two POV story with one with Lady Emily in 1904 Luxor and the other with Meryt in Ancient Egypt not far from Luxor. There is just a tenuous link between the two story lines and once again I feel like the older story line is not needed and feels like it could be more flushed out. I would almost want Meryt to have her own story since it feels limited here.