by: Fiona Davis
Goodreads synopsis:
Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity. But after an unbearable tragedy strikes, Charlotte knows her future will never be the same.
New York City, 1978: Eighteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum and known across the city as the “party of the year.” Though Annie soon realizes she’ll have her work cut out for her, scrambling to meet Diana’s capricious demands and exacting standards.
Meanwhile, Charlotte, now leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art, wants little to do with the upcoming gala. She’s consumed with her research on Hathorkare—a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as unimportant.
That is, until the night of the gala. When one of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing . . . and there are signs Hathorkare’s legendary curse might be reawakening.
As Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to one place Charlotte swore she’d never return: Egypt. But if they’re to have any hope of finding the artifact, Charlotte will need to confront the demons of her past—which may mean leading them both directly into danger.
Helen says: 🤓🤓🤓 1/2
I enjoyed reading historical fiction from a different part of the world than usual. It was a welcome relief from WW2 historical fiction, which seems to be all the rage these past few years. There was also an adventure portion to this book that had a cinematic, Indiana Jones feel..It was a welcome relief and an entertaining read.
Holly says: 🤓🤓🤓3/4
Another fun, quick, and entertaining read – I liked this one. The characters are fun and the settings are great – NYC and the Met, and an archaeological site in Egypt – although some scenes are quite far-fetched (as in a “random” girl visiting a site accidentally falls into previously undiscovered treasures in the tomb of an ancient Egyptian queen – it was a little like watching The Brady Bunch in Hawaii when they discover the ancient tribal talisman). A theme of this month’s reads: the women are all strong, wonderful, accomplished characters, and the men are basically irrelevant except to the extent that they support or harass the women. I’m getting a little tired of that…just sayin’…maybe I need to broaden my author horizons.
Helen and Holly Hit the Books 