Of Gold and Shadows

June 24, 2024
An Egyptologist and an antiques dealer tangle with shady imposters, rare artifacts, and an ancient curse in this high-octane historical from Griep (The Sleuth of Blackfriars Lane). In late 19th-century Britain, wealthy antiques dealer Edmund Price receives a shipment of Egyptian artifacts which he plans to sell to settle a friend’s debts. He visits Oxford University to ask famed archaeologist Archer Dalton to evaluate and catalog the artifacts only to encounter the professor’s beautiful daughter, Ami, whom he reluctantly conscripts for the job since her father is away on a dig. After they discover that the shipment contains the Golden Griffon of Amentuk, a statue rumored to curse its owner, even the devoutly Christian Ami can’t help but notice the accidents that start occurring at Edmund’s house. On top of that, Edmund’s business partner Gilbert Fletcher has returned from a stint abroad and is acting very strangely. Just as Edmund secures a buyer for the relics, a sudden crisis puts the sale—as well as his and Ami’s lives and budding romance—in danger. Griep keeps the suspense sky-high throughout and enriches her characterizations by portraying her protagonists’ faith (upon uncovering the supposedly magical artifact, Ami muses that in God “she found strength, a conviction that transcended the bounds of mere reason. Still... there were moments like this” that “sent a shiver down her spine”). Readers won’t be able to put this down.

September 1, 2024

Ami Dalton has been fired from her position at a finishing school in Victorian-era England for bringing a mummified cat to lessons. At least she still has her night job as the Shadow Broker, buying priceless Egyptian artifacts from criminals for the Ashmolean Museum. A woman at odds with the Victorian ideal, Ami has little care for her appearance and even less care about finding a husband. Meanwhile, Edmund Price has returned from self-exile in India as one of the richest and most eligible bachelors in the empire. When a business deal goes bad, he is left with crates full of Egyptian artifacts to sell. Ami and Edmund find themselves allied against characters with nefarious motives even as a series of mysterious events at the Price mansion lend credence to the story of the curse of Anubis. VERDICT Griep (The Sleuth of Blackfriars Lane) delivers a romp that will leave a grin on readers' faces, especially those interested in archaeology. Read-alikes include The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green and Where We Belong by Lynn Austin.

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