Sherlock and the Nile but not as you would expect
A couple of things I have a literary softspot for: pre WWII Egypt and curious women. This is largely due to my childhood fascination with all things Egyptian archaeology but mostly because of Amelia Peabody. (If I have to tell you who Amelia Peabody is then I don't think you should be on this blog.) (Okay, that's rude. Read all about her here.)
When I find a new book that is the slightest bit Peabody-esque then I pounce on it like a tiger. (A tiger who looks like a woman and is standing in a library but you get my drift.) Shadows On the Nile by Kate Furnivall is set in 1932 when Jessie Kenton's brother Tim, an archaeologist, disappears after attending a seance. Jessie follows the thread of his disappearance--left in Sherlockian clues from their childhood that only Jessie would understand--all the way to Cairo and Luxor and the tomb of King Tutanankhamun. Along the way there are thrills and chills and bad guys and maybe good guys (but do you ever really know?) and THE guy.
THE guy is the only weakness in this novel. He's actually a pretty good character but the romance doesn't work. You have Jessie & hero guy charging all over everywhere trying to find Tim and then there is a bombing (Egypt had some issues with their British colonial overlords in 1932) and then they just fall into each others arms. This read to me a bit like "insert major romantic leap here". The bombing (although it fits with the politics) also seemed designed solely to force the romantic moment. Our guy and girl work as a couple of sleuths and friends and potential romantic partners, but not this much, not this fast.
But...that's okay. The couple bit is a small bit, a tiny quibble, and it's mostly okay. The overall plot, which includes a wonderful subplot about Jessie's other brother who went missing when they were children and got found without her knowing, is splendid. I love that subplot. I also enjoyed the politics, the train ride, Jessie's awful parents and everything Egypt.
So, in review: Shadows On the Nile is a good mystery full of lots of interesting characters, some killer settings and a message about family that resonates long after the final page is turned. The romance is iffy, but the rest is more than enough. In fact, a sequel would be most welcome (and then the romance would work!)
