Any story that opens with a murder victim, an Egyptian Curse and a room full of
sarcophagi can’t be bad…can it? Do we have a good mystery here or not? Let us begin…. The setting is 1920 London. A dead body lies in the Gallery of Antiquities in the Mulvern Mansion. The victim is one Lord Mulvern a renowned Egyptologist. Olive Belgrave, sleuth in training is very doubtful that some old curse killed Uncle Lawrence. But then again, she is new to this whole detective game. The author’s attention to historical detail really primes the reader for what is to come. The vivid description of the Egyptian gallery makes you feel like you are walking among priceless and revered artifacts. I could almost see the mummies all wrapped and ready for eternity. BOO! Are there any suspects you ask……you bet your scarab! Suspects galore. Of course, there is the usual array of family members. Mostly greedy, manipulative self-serving relatives that suddenly appear in the ‘wake’ of poor Uncle Lawrence’s demise. They scurry around the mansion supposedly seeking justice for the deceased but looking more like unruly bemused children. Other viable suspects include a lazy lawyer, a curious curator and an evasive errand boy. (Yes, I like alliteration!) And no mystery is complete without an aged butler-----but wait, is he REALLY a butler?! Perhaps this book sounds a bit too formulaic. It may be, but I say give it a go. I won’t ruin it by saying too much about the plot, but I will tell you it is well- developed, engaging and loaded with twists. No one wants to know “who done it” too early in the game, right? So, download this ‘cozy’ mystery, grab a snack (make mine dark chocolate) and just enjoy an entertaining yet intriguing mystery. And if you figure out the culprit before the end, you’re a better sleuth than I am! Submitted by Mary Lyons Hall
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