“On the eve of her debut in 1815 London, Agnes Wilkins attends a decidedly singular social event on the London scene—a mummy unwrapping party. But if the evening’s entertainment and Agnes’ ambivalence at the attentions of Lord Showalter weren’t enough to deal with, she quickly finds herself embroiled in a mystery whose answers could ultimately decide the outcome of England’s war with Napoleon.” (summary from author’s website)
So, I picked this one up because there was a mummy on the cover with a pretty girl in the background. I assumed that the book was steampunk, but nay I was wrong. This book falls solidly into the historical novel genre. Despite this little bump I was not disappointed in my reading. I loved the way that the author had so many rich details about the setting, and had such a unique hook.
Once I realized that the party goers were unwrapping a mummy for entertainment I have to admit I was hooked. Then our heroine discovers an artifact that starts her off on mystery that involves espionage, a lost artifact of mystical power, and romance. Who could ask for more? I do get annoyed at historicals that make the main characters (mostly females) whiny about their position in life, but in this case I thought the author show a fair hand at showing that men also had some of their choices limited by the expectations of society.
I loved the Egyptologist bent! The book is like Indiana Joes mixed in with Jane Austen. I dare say that even a few guys might get sucked in by this one.
The ending of this book had me craving for more. Seriously, the book was begging for a sequel and I can’t wait to read the next adventure in this series as the author says that there is one planned. This is probably one of my favorite novels I’ve read all year.
Visit Author Jennifer Bradbury’s website
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