Book review : Secrets of the Nile by Tasha Alexander

Secrets of the Nile
Lady Emily Mysteries book 16
by Tasha Alexander
GENRE : #historical-cozy-mystery

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3,5 stars rounded up to 4.

"Secrets of the Nile" is a well-written tribute to Agatha Christie, and not a simple rehash of "Murder on the Nile."

I've read many books in the "Lady Emily" series by Tasha Alexander , and that is primarily why I'm giving this one 3.5 stars instead of a full 4: while I used to be a devoted fan of Golden Age whodunits, in recent years I've preferred mysteries with more action, coupled with solid investigation, historical settings (ideally with real historical figures), and a dash of flirtation and romance.

That winning combination often characterizes the "Lady Emily" books. However, this particular installment leans heavily into the style of the "Queen of Crime," focusing on investigation, scattered clues, logical reasoning, and deductive solutions, culminating in the classic final meeting of all suspects and the detective's (or their deputy's) revelation of the truth.

The book includes the series' hallmark alternating chapters, featuring a story set in the past (very common in much modern fiction), but the connection between the ancient past and Lady Emily's present feels somewhat tenuous.

Before delving into the details, here's the PLOT IN A NUTSHELL:

Lady Emily and her husband, Colin, along with Colin's illegitimate daughter, are invited by his mother to join a friend on a trip down the Nile, followed by a stay at his Egyptian villa.

Other British guests, all longtime friends of the host, join them. A sumptuous and elaborate welcome dinner is served on the first evening, but, at the very last moment, the host is poisoned to death, right before everyone's eyes.

Colin, a Crown Agent, takes charge of the investigation, with Emily's assistance (and the forced participation of his daughter, Kat), to unravel the mystery. Despite the group's dismay and long-standing friendships, cooperation proves difficult to come by.

________ ************** ____________
_____ THE MYSTERY_____

While many readers (myself included) might expect a murder mystery closely resembling Agatha Christie's "Death on the Nile," Tasha Alexander appears to have drawn inspiration from another of Christie's works, transplanting it to the exotic setting of Egypt, with its archaeological digs, impressive pyramids, giant statues, temples and stories of pharaohs and gods.
She mentions this in her end notes (which I always read before starting a book). She doesn't specify which Christie novel, but having read all of them, I immediately thought of three or four possibilities.

I didn't immediately identify the solution, as the author skillfully blends elements reminiscent of Christie's books with the personal lives of Lady Emily and her family.
Even if I developed a strong hunch a couple of chapters before Emily uncovers the truth, I suspect this was mere luck, and my suspicion didn't detract from my enjoyment.
I felt compelled to discover the truth until the very end. Similarly, I was eager to learn the fate of Meryt, the female sculptor and protagonist of the ancient Egyptian storyline.

Overall, the puzzle is well-crafted, and the author's work is excellent.
Even the historical subplot, though less captivating than those in previous books, maintained my suspense, as the dramatic events hinted at from the beginning remain unknown until the climax.

Both timelines are narrated in the first person (Emily in 1904 and Meryt in ancient Egypt at the time of Ramesses II).


_____ CHARACTERS______

Readers familiar with the "Lady Emily" series will know the many recurring characters (her family and friends) who often participate in the stories.
This book features her handsome, clever (and very much in love with her) husband, her always-challenging mother-in-law, and Colin's impertinent and rebellious illegitimate daughter, Kat (a new character to me, as I skipped the two previous books).

While the characters are usually well-defined in the early books of the series, later installments tend to describe them with fewer details, both physically and personality-wise. This makes their personal experiences interesting for long-time readers, but it may be more challenging for newcomers to empathize with them.

I tend to read this series out of order (each book works as a STANDALONE and I select them based on the setting and time of year). However, I don't recommend this approach.
----->READING THE BOOK IN SEQUENCE is definitely more rewarding, as the series begins with Emily as a young woman.
Approximately twenty years elapse between the first book and this one, during which Emily experiences considerable personal growth and change.


____ SIDE CHARACTERS_____

None of the supporting characters are explored in great depth, but, in the style of classic Christie novels, each is presented with a characteristic that hints at a potential motive for murder.


_______ HISTORICAL PART______

This element, in my opinion, feels less pronounced compared to previous books.
Nevertheless, through Lady Emily's exploration of archaeological sites and Meryt's story, the author introduces us to the mysterious and fascinating world of the pyramids, their stunning frescoes, and the funerary customs surrounding not only deceased pharaohs but also the artists who decorated their tombs and lived together in villages near their construction sites.

Coincidentally, I watched a documentary on TV about excavations in Egypt, specifically focusing on the tombs of artists who decorated the tombs of the pharaohs during the reign of Ramesses II, the very period depicted in the book. Witnessing the remarkable preservation of those paintings was thrilling. Therefore, if you choose to read this book, I recommend enhancing your knowledge with readily available video documentaries on YouTube... or perhaps planning your next vacation to Egypt!

----> SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES: clean language, no gruesome scenes, no sex scenes.

In conclusion, while this wasn't my favorite Tasha Alexander novel, I will continue to eagerly follow the adventures of her heroine wherever she travels, both geographically and through history.

Thank you for reading my review.

If you want to know more about OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES, you can read some reviews here :

(Alas I was not used to reviewing books until a couple of years ago, so reviews of books #1 and #12 and some Christmas stories are missing )

BOOK #2 : A Poisoned Season

BOOK #3 : A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander

BOOK #4: Tears of Pearl

BOOK #5: Dangerous to Know

BOOK #13.5 : Upon the Midnight Clear ( Christmas novella )

BOOK #17: A Cold Highland Wind



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Book review : Kurt Seyt and Shura by Nermin Bezmen

Kurt Seyt 'n' Shura
by Nermin Bezmen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to give this book 5 stars, but I have to give it 2!

I read also, at the same time, the 3rd sequel SHURA (the third book completes the scenes of the first, while I avoided reading the 2nd book because it is about Seyit and his life with his wife Murvet and I want to avoid it ) , so I'll write the same review in the 2 books, indeed it'all concerning the same story and characters.

I start by saying that I fell in love with this love story and its protagonists by watching the 2014 TV series, which I have seen several times in the original language with English subtitles and which I am currently watching with Italian dubbing.

(view spoiler)[ The ending isn't at all a happy ending and I won't deny that I was hurt in the past and that I suffer even now for how it ended badly, (hide spoiler)] but while the writers presented a truly romantic, passionate and sincere love story, staged by actors very good, as well as beautiful, the book, from which I expected something even bigger and more profound, completely ruined my pleasure from the TV series.

They say that books are better than movies or TV series, but I have learned never to read books whose characters I love from the series, because everything is different and they have often disappointed me .
This only applies if you first read the book and love it, if instead you first watch stories on the screen and love what you see, the book in 70% of cases will disappoint you because of the many differences about characters and scenes.

Yet this time I was so obsessed with this romance that I longed for more, to know more.
I wanted to have even more descriptions of this beautiful and pure love.... SPOILER:
This is where the disappointment comes in!
(view spoiler)[ I loved the characters on the screen and suffered with them for their misunderstandings (due to characters plotting against them) and their consequent mistakes, but in the book I find myself a very selfish Seyit, the grandfather of the writer from whom she inspired the book), taken by physical attraction to Shura and sex. A boy dedicated to women before Shura, but also during the story with Shura (any occasion is good) and after Shura (even during his marriage to Murvet, grandmother of the author), who expects to be able to betray but that his woman don't look at anyone else, who has never even vaguely thought of marrying Shura and not because his father wanted a Turkish bride, but because he really didn't think about marriage!!

Throughout the book the scenes between Shura and Seyit are great physical attraction and hunger for each other in terms of sex, which is never vulgarly described, but there is nothing else.

If there is devotion, this is from Shura, who truly believed in this love, but was disappointed across the board.
After the discovery of the betrayal, Shura's mistake is to do the same, after which the story that is remembered in the book on Shura is made up of clandestine meetings between the 2 protagonists and continuous betrayals to each other. (hide spoiler)]
It really disgusted me. This is not love.

I'd like to make a more complete review, I've tried, but there's too much to write, and I can't... but I want to say 2 things:
1) I didn't have a book in English or in my own language, I did a Google translation, from Turkish to Italian, but it's neither this nor the author that disappointed me, it was the characters as they are behave meanly in reality.
I have not seen a strong big love, but only physical passion without anything else from Seyit and the first crush and first experience of Shura that turn into dedication, hope and love for a man who will always disappoint her and which then lead to other wrong relationships.

2) I desperately wanted to believe that it had really been a great and true love despite everything and Seyit's letter to Shura (view spoiler)[before committing suicide (never sent but left to a third person_ you'll find the letter in Shura's book ) (hide spoiler)], for an instant made me believe that deep down he too had always regretted her and regretted having sent her away... but after reading so many interviews with the author and finding many contradictions... I wonder if this letter is not just a mere invention.

Forgive my English, I'm Italian and besides the difficulty in writing in a foreign language, I'm too negatively shocked by what I've read... so I probably wrote worse than usual.