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City of the Muse
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For fans of The Lost Apothecary, a gripping dual-timeline novel about the mysterious death of an indomitable female papyrologist during an archaeological dig in the early 1900s and an aspiring young female researcher’s present-day quest to find out who killed her.
An ill-fated dig. An ancient city believed to be cursed. And a century-old mystery at the heart of it all.
Egypt, 1903: When renowned papyrologist Helen Gardiner arrives at an excavation site in the ancient city of Calliopolis, she learns that she has been given the job because her predecessor has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. One of the only women on the dig, Helen—tasked with restoring and cataloguing the thousands of papyrus fragments recovered at the site—soon discovers that there’s more to Calliopolis than meets the eye. The archaeologists on the dig, mostly men, all have not only their own towering egos, but their own agendas, including secrets they might kill to protect.
Toronto, 2019: Archivist Maddie Sloan is at a dead she feels like her academic career is stalled, and she’s still healing from her recent breakup with her former partner, Ben. To make matters worse, Ben still works with Maddie’s father, a famous archaeologist, and with whom Maddie has had a major falling out. It feels like her father has chosen Ben over her.
When famous TV archaeologist Peter Bahar arrives at the Toronto Archaeological Museum to verify the provenance of objects from their Egyptian collection believed to be from Calliopolis, Maddie jumps at the opportunity. After all, she has her own ties to the Cursed City of Calliopolis through her grandmother, Iris, who worked at the site. As Maddie and Peter begin digging into the objects and circumstances surrounding the excavation, they learn that two papyrologists seem to have abruptly disappeared from the dig without explanation. Suddenly, a search for providence becomes a quest to uncover a history shrouded in secrets and lies—and a murder that has been covered up for more than a century.
An ill-fated dig. An ancient city believed to be cursed. And a century-old mystery at the heart of it all.
Egypt, 1903: When renowned papyrologist Helen Gardiner arrives at an excavation site in the ancient city of Calliopolis, she learns that she has been given the job because her predecessor has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. One of the only women on the dig, Helen—tasked with restoring and cataloguing the thousands of papyrus fragments recovered at the site—soon discovers that there’s more to Calliopolis than meets the eye. The archaeologists on the dig, mostly men, all have not only their own towering egos, but their own agendas, including secrets they might kill to protect.
Toronto, 2019: Archivist Maddie Sloan is at a dead she feels like her academic career is stalled, and she’s still healing from her recent breakup with her former partner, Ben. To make matters worse, Ben still works with Maddie’s father, a famous archaeologist, and with whom Maddie has had a major falling out. It feels like her father has chosen Ben over her.
When famous TV archaeologist Peter Bahar arrives at the Toronto Archaeological Museum to verify the provenance of objects from their Egyptian collection believed to be from Calliopolis, Maddie jumps at the opportunity. After all, she has her own ties to the Cursed City of Calliopolis through her grandmother, Iris, who worked at the site. As Maddie and Peter begin digging into the objects and circumstances surrounding the excavation, they learn that two papyrologists seem to have abruptly disappeared from the dig without explanation. Suddenly, a search for providence becomes a quest to uncover a history shrouded in secrets and lies—and a murder that has been covered up for more than a century.
304 pages, Paperback
Expected publication April 14, 2026
9 people are currently reading
6870 people want to read
About the author
Kate Hilton
6 books275 followersKATE HILTON is a bestselling Canadian writer. She is the co-author of the Quill and Packet mystery series; the most recent title, Widows and Orphans, was published in 2025. Her fiction includes the forthcoming City of the Muse (2026), as well as The Hole in the Middle, Just Like Family, and Better Luck Next Time. When not writing, Kate maintains an active psychotherapy practice, with a particular focus on personal reinvention and life transitions. She lives with her family in Toronto.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
City of the Muse was a well-researched tale of archeology during the early 20th century in Egypt. I definitely picked up the book for the Egyptian setting, which I have always wanted to visit. Thank you to Kate Hilton for transporting me there through her novel! I feel this story really needed to be told, be it for highlighting the importance of female archeologists in the early 20th century, true pioneers in their field, the controversies surrounding excavations back then, including their funding and the ethical implications of foreign appropriation of cultural treasures, and academic misconduct.
The story is told from two different characters, Maddie in the 2000s and Helen in the early 1900s. It was very interesting to see the story develop like this, permitting the reader to try and solve the mystery through both timelines. The use of different persons and verb tenses for both POVs was a rare choice, but one I got used to fast.
This novel could have been slow, but the author did a great job to keep the pacing adequate and avoided to info-dump, which is very appreciated! It was a tightly woven book!! (papyrus pun intended!)
I will say there wasn't much that could have let us to guess the solution to the mystery as a reader, on one hand it's great not to be able to predict the ending, on the other hand I would have liked to be given a little more chance to solve it (To be fair there were some related clues but the way the crime was committed didn't permit much prior deductions.) However no questions were left unanswered at the end of the book, which I appreciate!!
Thank you to the publisher Simon & Schuster Canada and to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy! Please send me more Egyptian mysteries!
The story is told from two different characters, Maddie in the 2000s and Helen in the early 1900s. It was very interesting to see the story develop like this, permitting the reader to try and solve the mystery through both timelines. The use of different persons and verb tenses for both POVs was a rare choice, but one I got used to fast.
This novel could have been slow, but the author did a great job to keep the pacing adequate and avoided to info-dump, which is very appreciated! It was a tightly woven book!! (papyrus pun intended!)
I will say there wasn't much that could have let us to guess the solution to the mystery as a reader, on one hand it's great not to be able to predict the ending, on the other hand I would have liked to be given a little more chance to solve it (To be fair there were some related clues but the way the crime was committed didn't permit much prior deductions.) However no questions were left unanswered at the end of the book, which I appreciate!!
Thank you to the publisher Simon & Schuster Canada and to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy! Please send me more Egyptian mysteries!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley for the free e-ARC to review.
This book is told in alternating timelines - a story from 1903 and one from 2019 with the link being that someone from the 1903 timeline was related to the FMC in the 2019 timeline. I generally am a fan of these, and I was here as well, since I found myself wanting to read through to find out what happens next in the next timeline. There is also a murder in the 1903 timeline that someone in the present day wants to solve. The 1903 timeline is narrated by the ghost of that murder. This isn't a spoiler - it's established in the first lines.
A little over half way through, there is a few pages of diary entries from the 1903 timeline being read in present day. But they're literally all just written out, in a row. It's pages of these "old" diary entries instead of being integrated through the text. I couldn't bring myself to care about them. It would have been more impactful if woven into the text.
This happens again around 80% with a transcript of a cassette recording. This one works better. And normally, I like examples of mixed media in books. However, this book has these 2 just plopped in full at these 2 points of the book. There are a couple other examples of reading letters throughout.
I don't know much about Egypt or archeology, but I'll assume it was accurate and well researched. There are research notes at the end and a list of further reading, should one be inclined.
Overall, it wasn't a bad story, but I just didn't care about the characters. I would say that this is a suitable read for YA audiences as well.
This book is told in alternating timelines - a story from 1903 and one from 2019 with the link being that someone from the 1903 timeline was related to the FMC in the 2019 timeline. I generally am a fan of these, and I was here as well, since I found myself wanting to read through to find out what happens next in the next timeline. There is also a murder in the 1903 timeline that someone in the present day wants to solve. The 1903 timeline is narrated by the ghost of that murder. This isn't a spoiler - it's established in the first lines.
A little over half way through, there is a few pages of diary entries from the 1903 timeline being read in present day. But they're literally all just written out, in a row. It's pages of these "old" diary entries instead of being integrated through the text. I couldn't bring myself to care about them. It would have been more impactful if woven into the text.
This happens again around 80% with a transcript of a cassette recording. This one works better. And normally, I like examples of mixed media in books. However, this book has these 2 just plopped in full at these 2 points of the book. There are a couple other examples of reading letters throughout.
I don't know much about Egypt or archeology, but I'll assume it was accurate and well researched. There are research notes at the end and a list of further reading, should one be inclined.
Overall, it wasn't a bad story, but I just didn't care about the characters. I would say that this is a suitable read for YA audiences as well.
March 28, 2026
As someone with a long time fascination with Egypt and paleontology I was excited to see so many books centered around the topic releasing this spring. And even happier to receive an advanced copy of City of the Muse.
The book is told in two timelines, 1900's Egypt from the perspective of Helen and modern day US via Maddie. Helen is a papyrologist helping to excavate the fictional city of Calliopolis. Whereas Maddie is working as an archivist at the Toronto Archeological Museum and has her own tie to Calliopolis.
Hilton does a great job of transporting the reader to and early 1900's archeological dig site. You feel the heat and the minimalistic living conditions. This may have also been my favorite of the two timelines. What I loved so much was the highlight the author puts on the contributions of women in the field. Something history often glosses over. I also really enjoyed the mystery aspect. And how it connects the two timelines together. Even better is you really don't see the end result coming. Though I did wish there had been some bread crumbs to give you a bit of a clue.
You can tell Hilton did her research on the times and I liked how she delved into the ethics around the removal of so many artifacts and antiquities from the dig sites by the western world. If I had one critique it would be the pacing. At times the book just moved very slow and was a bit of a struggle to push through. That aside I really enjoyed the book and definitely recommend it for historical fiction and Egypt lovers alike.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Schuster for my copy in return for an honest review.
The book is told in two timelines, 1900's Egypt from the perspective of Helen and modern day US via Maddie. Helen is a papyrologist helping to excavate the fictional city of Calliopolis. Whereas Maddie is working as an archivist at the Toronto Archeological Museum and has her own tie to Calliopolis.
Hilton does a great job of transporting the reader to and early 1900's archeological dig site. You feel the heat and the minimalistic living conditions. This may have also been my favorite of the two timelines. What I loved so much was the highlight the author puts on the contributions of women in the field. Something history often glosses over. I also really enjoyed the mystery aspect. And how it connects the two timelines together. Even better is you really don't see the end result coming. Though I did wish there had been some bread crumbs to give you a bit of a clue.
You can tell Hilton did her research on the times and I liked how she delved into the ethics around the removal of so many artifacts and antiquities from the dig sites by the western world. If I had one critique it would be the pacing. At times the book just moved very slow and was a bit of a struggle to push through. That aside I really enjoyed the book and definitely recommend it for historical fiction and Egypt lovers alike.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Schuster for my copy in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I love historical fiction especially ones set in Egypt among the pyramids and excavations. So this book immediately caught my attention (thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read this ARC). I fell in love with the story immediately.
Alternating between past (1993-1904) and 2019, the novel takes us on journey into a fictional dig in Egypt, set in a fictional city, Calliopis, to Canada and San Francisco to uncover a 100 year old murder and a newly discovered papyrus. The two times are masterfully interwoven and the suspense can be “killing” (no pun intended) at times.
Maddie Sloan is an archivist in a Canadian museum when she’s assigned to help an American TV archeologist, Peter Behar, work on papyruses from an ill-fated dig her great grandmother, Iris Wentworth, participated in. In their work they discover an ancient papyrus that could significance both to the ill-fated dig at Calliopis and an ancient poetess. Using excerpts from journals discovered in various libraries, a video and modern technology, a story emerges of greed, ego and deceit (both in the past as well as the present.)
I loved Maddie and Iris. But there were so many other good characters that bolster and enrich the book. The plot was cleverly done and the murderer revealed was a surprise.
This is such a well done book and for readers who like The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis or Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict this is a must read.
Alternating between past (1993-1904) and 2019, the novel takes us on journey into a fictional dig in Egypt, set in a fictional city, Calliopis, to Canada and San Francisco to uncover a 100 year old murder and a newly discovered papyrus. The two times are masterfully interwoven and the suspense can be “killing” (no pun intended) at times.
Maddie Sloan is an archivist in a Canadian museum when she’s assigned to help an American TV archeologist, Peter Behar, work on papyruses from an ill-fated dig her great grandmother, Iris Wentworth, participated in. In their work they discover an ancient papyrus that could significance both to the ill-fated dig at Calliopis and an ancient poetess. Using excerpts from journals discovered in various libraries, a video and modern technology, a story emerges of greed, ego and deceit (both in the past as well as the present.)
I loved Maddie and Iris. But there were so many other good characters that bolster and enrich the book. The plot was cleverly done and the murderer revealed was a surprise.
This is such a well done book and for readers who like The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis or Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict this is a must read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.25/5
City of the Muse artfully blends historical fiction with murder mystery in such an interesting way! Through this story, we see two timelines; one following Helen Gardiner as she aids in the excavation of Calliopolis, and the other following Maddie Sloan, who is working to unravel the mystery of her death. I love ancient history so the prospect of an Ancient Egypt archeological exploration book had me so intrigued, and throwing a murder mystery in and I knew I had to try! I was so interested in the history and excavation process that we delved into through Helen's perspective. Hearing about the dynamics at an excavation site, the ethics of collecting, and the methods of excavation was fascinating, and I enjoyed learning more about this process! I also really enjoyed the dual timelines, and how it highlighted both similarities and developments in the process of excavation. However, I found the murder mystery plot a little lackluster. It was not a major focus in the story, and while I understand its purpose in the plot, I did not find it overly compelling. Parts of it felt a little too easy, and while I did not see the reveal coming, I was not overly invested in this aspect of the story. Overall this was an interesting read, I loved the history behind it and the amount of research the author put in (I loved the little drops of real historical figures in the story!), I just did not feel overly connected to the story.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for the eARC!
City of the Muse artfully blends historical fiction with murder mystery in such an interesting way! Through this story, we see two timelines; one following Helen Gardiner as she aids in the excavation of Calliopolis, and the other following Maddie Sloan, who is working to unravel the mystery of her death. I love ancient history so the prospect of an Ancient Egypt archeological exploration book had me so intrigued, and throwing a murder mystery in and I knew I had to try! I was so interested in the history and excavation process that we delved into through Helen's perspective. Hearing about the dynamics at an excavation site, the ethics of collecting, and the methods of excavation was fascinating, and I enjoyed learning more about this process! I also really enjoyed the dual timelines, and how it highlighted both similarities and developments in the process of excavation. However, I found the murder mystery plot a little lackluster. It was not a major focus in the story, and while I understand its purpose in the plot, I did not find it overly compelling. Parts of it felt a little too easy, and while I did not see the reveal coming, I was not overly invested in this aspect of the story. Overall this was an interesting read, I loved the history behind it and the amount of research the author put in (I loved the little drops of real historical figures in the story!), I just did not feel overly connected to the story.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for the eARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was very excited to receive this e-arc because I am traveling to Egypt this summer and I wanted to learn more about Egyptian culture, history, and art. This book gave me some of that, but it was a disappointment to learn that it really was not based on an actual place in Egypt, nor is it based on an actual dig. Perhaps this is my error, and I should have read the description more carefully, but I thought there were certainly enough places of antiquity in Egypt and enough interesting digs and discoveries that it must be somewhat true. That being said, there are some connections to history = the way that Western civilization stole from and destroyed Egyptian cultural sites, mummies, and other antiquities is certainly presented in this novel.
I love dual timeline novels, which this was, and I did like the way the characters were connected. But the information from the past, the letters, etc., could have been woven better into the present-day story. The plot could have been developed more, and the murder was not easy to solve since there were no real clues given throughout the novel to help the reader figure it out.
All this being said, it was an enjoyable story, and I give it 3 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I love dual timeline novels, which this was, and I did like the way the characters were connected. But the information from the past, the letters, etc., could have been woven better into the present-day story. The plot could have been developed more, and the murder was not easy to solve since there were no real clues given throughout the novel to help the reader figure it out.
All this being said, it was an enjoyable story, and I give it 3 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Alternating between the past and present, City of the Muse by Kate Hilton delves into the discovery of some ancient papyrus scrolls, the women who were and are instrumental in their valuation and translation, and the solving of a century-old mystery of the death of one of the female papyrologists, Helen Gardiner, who is the narrator of the early section. Helen's discovery of a fragment of writing by Sappho in the fictional Egyptian city of Calliopolis, an early "scriptorium" or literary capital, propels the story, which explores the male-dominated field of archeology in the early 1900s, with repercussions in the present day. Contemporary archivist Maddie Sloan's great-grandmother Iris was an artist on that early dig and through her paintings and writings, Maddie tries to piece together what happened back then. The novel is a fascinating glimpse into the world of deciphering ancient scrolls with many intersecting points between the past and present: photos, memoirs, diaries, and a mysterious jewelery box. Hilton, along with Elizabeth Renzetti, is the author of the Quill and Packet mystery series, including Widows and Orphans and Bury the Lead.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I have been a fan of Kate Hilton's work for over a dozen years. What is most remarkable about Hilton as an author is that she offers fantastic reads across so many genres. She has written 3 clever and funny novels, and co-authors a gripping and witty cottage country cozy mystery series. And now, Kate has offered what could be her most sophisticated and interesting novel in the form of City of the Muse, a dual timeline historical mystery. City of Muse explores a little known area of archaeology - paparolygy. Intrepid but stifled expert Maddie is brought into a mystery involving her own forebears who were involved in a dig in Egypt just after the dawn of the 20th century. Concurrently, we are taken back to 1903 when Helen Gardiner is brought to an excavation site to unlock the mysteries of the script scraps that are found. Using letters, news articles, a cast of well-drawn secondary characters, and lots of surprises, Kate unspools a wonderful story that kept me guessing until the very end. Highly recommend to historical fiction fans. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the DRC.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I was lucky enough to be given this ARC from Simon & Schuster Canada, as I am part of their official Influencer Program, and I was given early access to the book in exchange for my honest review. So first, thank you to Simon & Schuster, Kate Hilton and NetGalley!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
My thoughts: This is a cool story, and I’m glad that even within the greater novel itself, as I saw the two storylines of Helen and Maddie mesh together, they were still held distinctly apart by Hilton clearly stating what time and place I was in at the beginning of each chapter. There are a lot of books that frustrate me because I don’t know what time I am “in”, so I’m glad that I clearly knew here.
I wish that Maddie’s story was given a bit more time, because by the end of the book, I cared little about her in comparison to Helen. Maybe that was the idea Hilton had when writing the book—that it was truly Helen’s story and Maddie was just there to finish it—but as a reader, I wished for a little more balance.
But putting that aside, I really did enjoy the story and I think a lot of you will as well!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
My thoughts: This is a cool story, and I’m glad that even within the greater novel itself, as I saw the two storylines of Helen and Maddie mesh together, they were still held distinctly apart by Hilton clearly stating what time and place I was in at the beginning of each chapter. There are a lot of books that frustrate me because I don’t know what time I am “in”, so I’m glad that I clearly knew here.
I wish that Maddie’s story was given a bit more time, because by the end of the book, I cared little about her in comparison to Helen. Maybe that was the idea Hilton had when writing the book—that it was truly Helen’s story and Maddie was just there to finish it—but as a reader, I wished for a little more balance.
But putting that aside, I really did enjoy the story and I think a lot of you will as well!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is an intriguing book, from the characters, Egyptology, and the true crime aspects. This also tackles difficult conversations regarding women's treatment and the treatment of the Egyptian people during the "golden era" of Egyptology. This was engrossing the entire time, and I loved seeing how the characters handled what they faced. I do think the historic POV was more compelling though. The modern character Maddie seemed extraordinarily naive and far too trusting. I was not surprised by the fallout in her timeline. Meanwhile, the 1903/04 timeline had me feeling emotional for the characters and hoping I could change the ending!
Overall, this book was mysterious and educational! I loved the further reading at the end; clarifying where the author took liberties with the facts and where she didn't!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!
Overall, this book was mysterious and educational! I loved the further reading at the end; clarifying where the author took liberties with the facts and where she didn't!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!
March 12, 2026
first, thank you simon & schuster for the advanced copy!
historical fiction isn’t my immediate go to but throw in a little murder mystery and i’ll give it a shot.
i was excited for this story! but it was almost immediately a struggle for me. i’m not familiar with archeology at all and there was a lot of technical terms that i had to look up which really took me out of the story. the author flips between present day and early 20th century to let the reader piece together what happened, which is an approach to storytelling i love, but i found the early 20th century parts a bit uninteresting and hard to follow at times. i did really enjoy the present day characters and the subtle reveal was still very satisfying.
overall, it wasn’t terrible but i think this will be a great book for someone else!
historical fiction isn’t my immediate go to but throw in a little murder mystery and i’ll give it a shot.
i was excited for this story! but it was almost immediately a struggle for me. i’m not familiar with archeology at all and there was a lot of technical terms that i had to look up which really took me out of the story. the author flips between present day and early 20th century to let the reader piece together what happened, which is an approach to storytelling i love, but i found the early 20th century parts a bit uninteresting and hard to follow at times. i did really enjoy the present day characters and the subtle reveal was still very satisfying.
overall, it wasn’t terrible but i think this will be a great book for someone else!
November 28, 2025
In CITY OF THE MUSE, author Kate Hilton unites her deep understanding and passion for history, archaeology, literature, true crime, and academic one-upmanship in an all-encompassing and breathless tale set against the magical, fictional city of Calliopolis. In a spectacular imaginative feat, Hilton brings to life a site of early twentieth-century excavation that will result—curse-like—in numerous, mysterious deaths, while also creating a fascinating parallel world of scholarship to the real-life study of early Egyptian scrolls and their vast social, religious, and literary significance. Readers of historical fiction will revel in this wholly original, immersive, and gripping tale.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Definite recommend
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This is my third book about Egypt in about six months. This was the heaviest and most researched. The writing and storyline were good. The character was weak due to the many characters in the dual timelines.
If you like archaeology, Egypt, or want to read a good historical fiction novel, this is your book!
For a more detailed review, check out my blog - booksbydorothea: https://tinyurl.com/ke26yraz
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This is my third book about Egypt in about six months. This was the heaviest and most researched. The writing and storyline were good. The character was weak due to the many characters in the dual timelines.
If you like archaeology, Egypt, or want to read a good historical fiction novel, this is your book!
For a more detailed review, check out my blog - booksbydorothea: https://tinyurl.com/ke26yraz
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Absolutely gorgeous work of historical fiction that manages to pull together two unique settings and a third that both of the other two are trying to excavate, the lost city of Calliopolis. Also about the murder that happened back in 1903. Super effectively written and a very strong historical fiction work. Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for the E-ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Historical fiction is always a draw, but usually focuses on or about WWII. It was refreshing to focus the attention on archeological digs in the 20th century in Egypt and women's involvement behind the scenes. Throw in a rape and a murder and you have a good popular novel.
March 27, 2026
3.5 stars*
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews