Member Reviews

I received this copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I finished this in one sitting. I can't believe this is the 3rd book of a series, which makes it more exciting! But, that means I have to read the first two books. Also, it's no secret that there will be a fourth book. 

Egyptology is a very interesting subject which is why I was drawn to this story. The book is well-researched and the characters are so likable, especially the protagonist. I did my own research about the author since this is the first book I've read by her and learned that she is an archaeologist and a librarian! I really love that the author uses archaeological and Egyptology jargon yet made the story educational, explaining what that jargon may mean in layman's term, especially if the reader is not quite familiar with medical and anatomical terms. Some thorough explanations of the mummification process, early use of contraceptives, the afterlife were mentioned in the book.  

And who would have thought there were a number of female pharaohs? If you love Egypt and the science behind mummification as well as a little bit of history of the early pharaohs and their religious practices, mystery, sleuths, adventure, then this is for you. 

P.S., In the story, Dr. Pimms' family cooks delicious food. There were foods mentioned that I haven't tried in real life, and already they sound so scrumptious even just by reading. Thanks to the author for providing some of the recipes in the last pages of the book.

Was this review helpful?

I did not care for the style of this novel and did not finish reading it.

Was this review helpful?

Where to start? I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book (and am thrilled that this is book 3 in a series!). I started with it and fell in love with the protagonist, her family, friends and colleagues. It's wonderful how blended her family is - ethnically diverse and loving. The locales - both Egypt and Canberra, Australia, are well described and detailed; it makes you feel as you're there. The mystery(ies) involved kept the plot going and came to a satisfying conclusion. I didn't want it to end! I, of course, promptly downloaded the first two in the series 😁 I want to catch up.

*I'd like to thank the author/publisher/Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest and fair review*

Was this review helpful?

I really wanted to like this book. It is a genre, and setting that I usually enjoy. However, this is one of the rare times when I will not finish the book. Perhaps there are prequels that need to be read, but as it stands I find the format of the back and forth between ancient Egypt (the more interesting of the story lines) and present day Australia to be troublesome. I don't think there are any characters fleshed out sufficiently, and the number of characters is too many. The writing is not strong enough to carry me through.. .

Was this review helpful?

This is book three in this unusual series,and I know I have missed out on much essential detail by not reading them in order.
There are two timelines to follow in this story. Modern times,has Elizabeth Pimms on holiday in Cairo,investigating the Golden Tomb of an unnamed Prince,and she wants to find out more about this mysterious occupant.
The second timeline concerns the story of Tausret, the chief wife of the year twelve Pharaoh, SETI II, now widowed, and her struggles to rule the kingdom in times of famines ,caused by floods and crop failures. There is also the threat of attempted assassination aimed at her and her half brother, Siptah,who is on the throne under the care of her regency.
I found this to be a well researched investigation into the incestuous relationships of the Royal families of early Egypt. Your husband could be a brother,or father,in an attempt to keep the purity of the Royal bloodlines,but this did account for many congenital diseases being transmitted .
Elizabeth and some friends decide to find out which skeleton was in this Golden tomb,by using the modern technique of 3D printing methods. I have now learnt the Mathematical formula for measuring a skeleton,using the femur,the longest bone in the body. I also wish I hadn't been informed about the practice of Scaphism,a form of torture,leading to a long and protracted death! Gruesome!! When we think about early Pharaohs, most movies mention The Book of the Dead,which was a guide to the underworld,giving passwords to give to the guardians of the underworld,and various rituals to be performed. There was also a Book of the Night,which I didn't know about.
It was interesting to read that women in Ancient Egypt had equality. They were free to marry,divorce,own property,have a business and receive equal pay. What went wrong,since those enlightened days? We are still struggling!!
I'll be honest, because I hadn't read the previous books, I was totally lost as to the family dynamics that surround Elizabeth. There seemed to be a smattering of Welsh and Chinese, half sisters and mystery concerning books owned by her grandfather and a further mystery regarding Judy, the librarian at the University,where Elizabeth works.
The story had a very unsatisfactory ending. Her grandfather had been assaulted in his library with no idea of why, Elizabeth had a journal stolen whilst in Cairo,and how exactly was Judy implicated in the death of Elizabeth's father? I feel there may be answers in the next book in this series,so I really need to get myself up to date,as I am intrigued enough to want to read the first two books.
I have enjoyed and learnt some fascinating facts in this book. I have rated this as a three star read,only because I haven't read the previous books and feel this isn't best read as a stand alone book. I have posted this review to Goodreads today.

Was this review helpful?

3.5**** An enjoyable read, I loved learning more about ancient Egypt and the science behind the mummys, it has always been a topic of fascination to me. I haven't read the previous 2 in this series, but it was written so I was able to follow the personal life of Dr Pimms easily enough. I look forward to reading the next and finding out more about the mystery we are left with at the end of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Publishing Australia for a copy in return for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

What a wonderful ride! As a lover of all things Ancient Egyptian, this was the perfect mix of mystery and Egyptology. Some books like this one that are part of a series are sometimes hard to pick up because you need some sort of back story about them, but this one was great - I was able to slip right into the story and follow along as a stand-alone book. The book is meticulously researched - down to the very last details about some of the characters in Ancient Egypt. Having researched a little more about the author it was refreshing to find out she is an archaeologist herself!
I greatly enjoyed the story as well as the character depth and will definitely be picking up the next book in the series - whenever that happens to come out! Wishing Dr. Pimms luck!

Was this review helpful?

I had heard about this series and had wanted to read it for some time. This is the third book in the series.
Elizabeth Pimms, librarian and archaeologist is in Egypt living the dream as she visits all the famous sites and museums. The trip is not all fun when someone breaks into her hotel and steals her white journal. Returning to Canberra, Elizabeth begins an investigation into the Royal Egyptian family connections of who the Golden tomb may have been constructed for. She also is trying to finalise her papers for academic publication, undertake tutor responsibilities and deal with her family issues. Elizabeth has a group of friends who assist in this cycle of printing out 3D life size mummies, measuring them, examining them and discussing who they might be. Thus takes up the majority of the book. It is interspersed with descriptions of food, the living habits of 4 cats and a family trying to heal after an incident that happened in a previous book. I have a fair idea what but no spoilers here.
That is all that pretty much happens until close to the end when Elizabeth and her partner Alice announce to their Professor what their theories are regarding the Golden tomb. There are chapters were the reader is taken back to ancient Egypt that provide some insight as to what may have occurred so it is not a complete surprise. Then what happened in Egypt at the start of the novel comes into play in the very last couple of pages when the white journal makes a reappearance. It was quite disappointing the ending.

The author has certainly done their research and as you read the history lesson commences. If you have very limited knowledge of the history of Egypt then the details will be welcomed. If you do have a solid knowledge of the Pharaohs, the embalming techniques and marriage arrangements then there are large slabs text that may not be so engaging. That is okay as an author has got the balance right with how much information is provided.

Where this novel did not work for me was that it starts off with a mystery, who broke and stole the journal and then we move into a cycle of examining Mummies (I really got tired of all the measurements) and the tease at the start slips away. It gets lost in a story that does not drive the over arching narrative and that is disappointing.

There is a great deal to like about this book and I would recommend to those who love where a group of friends try to solve a historical mystery. It is an engaging read and it is nice piece of escapism.

Was this review helpful?

Although I have never read the other books in this series, Ancient Egypt is fascinating, so the book blurb drew me in.
The book had dual timelines, the historical one much more interesting to me. I found myself not caring about Elizabeth Pimm. I skimmed her plot line quickly in order to return to the historical fiction sections.
Overall, I don’t think this book was for me, but I am sure lots of readers will feel differently.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this ebook.

Was this review helpful?

I've loved all of LJM Owen's books since the first in this series. This book does not dissapoint. Professor Pims finally makes it to Egypt and runs into mystery along the way. I loved this book. If you loved the other books, you will love this as well.

I would like to thank netgalley, the author and publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Was this review helpful?

The adventure doesn't stop with this novel! A great escape/adventure read for a dreary day, it will keep you guessing until the very end AND THERE IS TIME-TRAVEL KIND OF???

Was this review helpful?

‘I absolutely thrive on uncovering what happened in the past .’

The novel opens with Dr Elizabeth Pimms and her New York friend Henry holidaying in Egypt, where Elizabeth is intrigued by some cryptic symbols in the corner of an ancient papyrus from the Golden Tomb in the Cairo Museum.

‘A museum label nearby stated that the Golden Tomb had been built for an unknown prince, his Pharaoh father also unknown: both names had been chiselled off the sarcophagus and wherever they had appeared on the walls.’

While the Cairo Museum held the mummy from the sarcophagus, the other scrolls, coffins and mummies it contained were in other institutions. Elizabeth considers the Golden Tomb beautiful, and she would love to know who it was built for.

So begins the third instalment of the Dr Pimms, Intermillenial Sleuth series. Elizabeth’s trip to Egypt has been marred by the puzzling theft of her journal from her hotel:

‘What value could a used notebook possibly have on the streets of Cairo ?’

But a new adventure is about to begin.

Once back in Canberra, Elizabeth is juggling her work at the Mahony Griffin Library with her tutoring commitments. In a Skype session with Henry, now back in New York, Henry suggests that the use of a 3D printer may be able to assist them in identifying the mummy in the Golden Tomb.

There are two storylines in this novel. While Elizabeth and her team are trying to work out who was contained in the Golden Tomb, we are also introduced to Tausret in 1192 BCE. And who is Tausret, and what is her connection to the Golden Tomb? The story shifts between Tausret’s life and the machinations of the Pharaoh’s court, and Elizabeth’s investigations to try to determine who was buried in the Golden Tomb. But Elizabeth has real life commitments as well, and family responsibilities. Her grandfather’s health is an issue, and there are other issues surrounding her father …

This is my favourite novel so far in the Dr Pimms series. I really enjoyed the information about ancient Egypt, and the approach taken by Elizabeth and her team to try to solve the mystery. While I’m less interested in aspects of Elizabeth’s personal life, I am extraordinarily envious of her phrenic library.

The novel ends with a cliff hanger. While I personally don’t need that hook to keep reading the series, I hope that I don’t have to wait too long for the fourth instalment. Thank you, LJM Owen, for writing such interesting, informative and intriguing cozy mysteries.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Echo Publishing for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Was this review helpful?

Tomb robbers and over-enthusiastic early archaeologists weren't the only dangers to Egypt's ancient mummies. Pharaohs rewrote history to remove their predecessors, and then stories of female pharaohs were discounted when it didn't suit the prevailing social norms. Which only makes the mysteries that much harder to decipher.

I've missed a couple of books introducing Dr Elizabeth Pimms, the young Australian Egyptologist. That didn't seem to matter too much - although I could tell when references to previous events were being made, without it impacting too much on the plot here - as it was easy enough to pick up with the story. Past events have led Elizabeth to a quieter-than-planned career as a librarian and tutor, so when she spots some strange markings on a papyrus during a trip to her beloved Egypt, she jumps at the chance to begin an investigation into the 'Golden Tomb' and the unidentified mummies that were discovered there.

Interspersed with Elizabeth's modern archaeology - 3D printers are fabulous! - we get chapters told from the point of view of Tausret, the last pharaoh of the 19th dynasty - and a woman! 

I do have a bit of a liking for ancient cultures such as Egypt, and a growing fondness for 'cosy mysteries', so I thought I'd give this NetGalley opportunity a go - and ended up gulping it down! The mix of real history - Tausret is real, the Golden Tomb is fictional - and a little insight into amateur archaeology in the technology age was a great mix.

The story is rounded out by various threads about Elizabeth's friends and family - this is probably the bit most impacted by not reading the first two books, and indeed I've probably spoiled the plot to one of those by starting here. Still, the multicultural grandparentage was rather interesting, and I'm also a huge foodie so the descriptions of Chinese, French, and Welsh feasts was rather mouth watering!

Despite those bits, I would offer a warning over some of the 'cosy' status: I really shouldn't have looked up 'scaphism' aka death by milk and honey before trying to sleep o_O

Overall: a fairly light yet involving read that moved at a good pace. I am deducting a mark, however, as the biggest non-Mummy mystery is left as a huge cliff-hanger - this isn't  a stand-alone read, alas!

Was this review helpful?

Dr. Elizabeth Pimms is a well-developed character who not only solves mysteries, but also teaches, works as a librarian, has family responsibilities, and enjoys time with friends. In this third book in the series, she travels to Egypt, and then begins to research a "really cold case" by 3D printing skeletons. With the help of her qualified friends, she studies the skeletons to try and solve the mystery. The book takes place in present day Australia, but some chapters tell the story from Ancient Egypt of the people and case that she is researching. This is the only book by LJM Owen that I have read, but it was so enjoyable that I bought the other two books in this series, and I'm looking forward to them very much.

Was this review helpful?

I got this book as I'm a fan of Egypt and had quite high expectations.
Even if the book is quite good I had some problems relating to fictional ancient Egypt characters and the mystery in the books.
Too many facts, too many different history lines. This is the third book in a series and had some problems in understanding who is who and what are the different relationship.
I was also a bit disappointed by the cliffhanger at end.
On a general level I don't know if I liked it or not.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bonnier Publishing Australia

Was this review helpful?

While I appreciate how thoughtfully the historical aspects of this novel were incorporated and I did enjoy the characters, I just couldn't get into the mystery itself as much as I wanted to. I felt like the writing style, while perfectly nice, kept me a little bit at arms length. Still, I'm glad I gave this a try and would say that if the description interests you, it is worth trying.
(Disclaimer: I am reviewing an ARC)

Was this review helpful?

Canberra resident Dr Elizabeth Pimms was an archaeologist and librarian - in Egypt with her New York friend Henry, they were deeply interested in the Golden Tomb. Elizabeth's return to Australia was marred by the theft of her precious journal just before leaving Cairo...

With Henry on Skype and a small team of like-minded people working on the faux bones, they aimed to identify the three-thousand-year-old mummies which had been housed in and around the Golden Tomb. The mystery was intriguing to them all, and Elizabeth's passion meant she was determined to find the answers.

In the meantime, Elizabeth's tutoring job was keeping her busy, plus her hours at the library. But an attack on Elizabeth's beloved grandfather Taid, in his own library no less, was shocking and had Elizabeth wondering if the connection was to the work she was doing...

Egyptian Enigma by Aussie author LJM Owen is the third in the Dr Pimms, Intermillenial Sleuth series and another excellent cosy mystery. The two time periods set the scene beautifully - it was interesting (and horrifying) to meet the ancient Egyptians, namely Pharaoh Twosret and her minions; plus the depth of Elizabeth's investigation in discovering and identifying the past. The shock I received at the abrupt ending - lots of questions unanswered - meant I re-read the last part, sure I had missed something. But no, the ending is left completely open in preparation for book 4. It left me feeling a little dissatisfied with the ending, which was a shame. But that said, I highly recommend this book; this series, and am looking forward to the next.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read and review.

Was this review helpful?

The Egyptian Enigma is the third book in the Dr. Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth series. They can all be read separately, but I do recommend reading them in order (because they are all so good).

In Egyptian Enigma has Elizabeth finally returned to Egypt, well only as a tourist not as an Egyptologist. However, her dreams are still to return to work in Egypt. This trip, however, gives her the chance to study some mummies that yet have been identified. As with the two previous book do we also get a parallel storyline, this time in ancient Egypt. As Elizabeth and her team work to identify the remains do we get the background to the mummies in the parallel story.

I've come to enjoy this two storyline approach in this series. To get both angles, the story of what really happened in the past and the present story with the archeologist trying to figure out the identity of the mummies. It's fascinating. And let's not forget Elizabeth's own problem in real life, adjusting to a new family member, being a lecturer and not forget the new hot guy that shows up in this book. Also, all the food. Warning, don't read this book hungry! On a side note, all those Ramses, they were very hard to keep track on, at one point I wondered if I needed to do a mindmap...

Now I'm eagerly awaiting book four!

Was this review helpful?

I think it is relevant to begin this review by stating that I have not read the other books in the series - I do feel like I was able to follow along with the strory fairly well but I feel like there was possibly some aspects of Elizabeth's life that I missed.

This book follows the adventures of Dr Elizabeth Pimms: tutor, librarian, and historical solver of mysteries. Elizabeth and her band of sleuths set out to solve the mystery of some unidentified mummies in Egypt. The historical aspects of the book were quite fascinating to read however this story definitely fell short for me. Despite the fact that I love Egyptian history I just could not get into this story.

I found it difficult to relate to the characters and I found the constant referrals to Canberra-centric things odd and out of place. The emphasis on food was also very strange. Overall I would argue that the plot did hold my attention, but the waffle that I had to wade through to access it made it almost not worth it.

Was this review helpful?

I received a complimentary ARC copy of Egyptian Enigma (Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth Book 3) by L.J.M. Owen from NetGalley in order to read and give an honest review.

As a mystery lover and student of archaeology and Egyptology, I was intrigued when I heard about this book. There are so many things I thoroughly enjoyed about this book, but some that left me very disappointed. I would rate this a 3.5 at this moment.

The main plot was fantastic, rich in historical and forensic details. Our protagonist, Dr Elizabeth Pimms decides after a trip to Cairo to investigate and determine the name of an unknown mummy on display from the Golden Tomb. With the help of her friends, a 3D printer and a brilliant mind, Elizabeth realizes the mummy on display is too large for the sarcophagus and the hunt to find the original occupant is on. We jump back to 1192 BCE as a mystery unfolds which ties to the Golden Tomb.

As I mentioned there was so much I enjoyed, the main plot was intriguing, the historical plot and forensics were informative but as much as I enjoyed those aspects, I found it hard to stay engaged. The biggest issue for me was the protagonist, she seemed interesting, but I didn’t feel like I really connected with her until much later in the book. In all fairness, this is the third book in the series and I haven’t read the previous two, which, most likely gave her regular readers a better idea of who she is.

My second issue is that the author has a feminist theme that weaves through the book, and although I consider myself to be a feminist, there were sections that seem unnecessary and a distraction from the plot. The historical aspect that was addressed worked but there were minor incidents such as an innocuous conversation and a scene at a café, which just didn’t add to the story in any way. I am curious to read her previous two books to see if I warm up to Elizabeth and of course I would read them for the archaeological aspect as well.

Was this review helpful?