This story tells the tales about a young archeologist who was the first to set foot in King Tut’s tomb. I have to say I like Lady Evelyn’s story on the 1920s better than the other storyline. I would have preferred the 1970s storyline to have been eliminated because it was very depressing. Nevertheless, I liked the archeological aspect of the novel. I recommend this fans of Haunted Ground, Labyrinth, and The Lost Sisters!

Many of my readerly favorites unite together in this book: King Tut (discovery of), Curse related to discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, Egypt, Highclere Castle (think Downton Abbey), Carnarvons and the 1920's. <i>The Collector's Daughter</i> is about the point in history where all these subjects have an intersection when Howard Carter is funded by Lord Carnarvon in his quest to discover the ancient tomb of the boy Pharaoh of Egypt.

Eve, a feisty young woman who has been a favorite of Howard Carter's throughout her life, gets invited along with her father to witness it all. . .who could turn that down???

This historical fiction considers the beginning to the end of that great discovery, including the mysterious "curse" printed all over Tutankhamun's grave and burial chamber - that whoever broke open the seal, they and all associated with them would suffer. A compelling read, to the very end.

A sincere thank you to Gill Paul, William Morrow and Custom House and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review. #The CollectorsDaughter #NetGalley

I’ve never read a historical fiction set in Egypt during the time of the discovery of a Pharaoh’s tomb. This particular story was about Lady Evelyn, a female amateur archeologist whose father helped bankroll the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in the 1920s.

While that portion of the story was fascinating, the part set in 1970s, when Evelyn is suffering memory loss and dealing with her life after a stroke, was dull. I found myself skimming those sections of the story wishing to go back to the past.

Not my favorite Gill Paul, but I look forward to her next books.

This book was a slow build. Jumping back and forth between the narrator's progressively faulty memory of the 1920s and the 1970s, the reader gains a unique understanding of the devastating effects of successive strokes and declining geriatric health alongside a retelling of the discover of Tutankhamun's tomb (told from the perspective of Lord Carnarvon's daughter). Side fandom point for those of you who are Downton Abbey fans, Lord Carnarvon occupied the "Abbey"/Highclere Castle. The daughter's perspective includes vignettes of her youth as she is asked to recall points of the discovery by a mysterious and suspicious female while recovering from her latest stroke. She is excited that she is able to recall these favored memories and spills more than is wise as her judgement becomes faulty as a complication of her deteriorating health. As I mentioned first, this was slow to get into. I say 'slow' - not as in pulling teeth to continue - but a bit 'slow' like a classic jalopy - the ride is entertaining but there will be a few moments where you are challenged to keep it moving along. However, this one is worth sticking it through! In sum, it was a clever juxtaposition of the phases of a life with one of history's famous archaeological find. And that ending?! Loved it! So much justice there! #netgalley #GillPaul #HarperCollins

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this well-crafted and well-researched story about such an exhilarating event. I felt like I got to be a fly on the wall in the discovery of King Tut's tomb and I especially enjoyed being transported to a time I don't often get to go in books. I love the 1920s and I love Ancient Egypt and this rolls it nicely into one. I'm glad I was reading the Kindle version because I had fun selecting a term or name and being able to Google it to learn more about it or see a visual. Made for an even more immersive story!

This story came precisely when I needed an escape from my life; and this was so beautifully written, with some descriptions being sheer poetry. The love story was so beautiful to witness and it was fun to see the unveiling of the story, even at a relatively slow pace. I found myself always excited to pick it back up again, and that's when I know I have a good read on my hands—doesn't matter the pacing, as long as I look forward to revisiting that world the author so enchantingly creates.

I'm impressed with the research that went into creating this seamless story and the editing was top-notch even for an ARC. I truly enjoyed EVERY moment of this book and I look forward to rereading this one again.

Review will be posted on 10/1/21

Eve Herbert lives a lavish life as part of the British aristocracy. Her father is the Earl of Carnarvon and they live at beautiful Highclere Castle. The Earl of Carnarvon has always been interested in archeology and is the financial backer of archeologist Howard Carter. Eve longs to be an archeologist, which is a much different life that is expected of her. Nonetheless, Eve travels to Egypt and accompanies her father and Howard Carter on their latest dig. This one will be life changing though. Spoiler: They find King Tutankhamun's tomb. The novel also takes place during the 1970s when an archeologist, Ana, is on the hunt for Eve in the hopes that she can answer some questions about what exactly happened when they found King Tutankhamun's tomb as well as the location of some missed artifacts. However, when Ana encounters Eve as a much older woman, her memory isn't what it used to be. Plus, there's always the age-old question hovering in the periphery of this story: is the tomb really cursed? Gill Paul's The Collector's Daughter has a great combination of everything readers enjoy about a historical fiction novel as well an adventurous mystery.

Eve is a fascinating character in The Collector's Daughter. Even though I had some prior knowledge about the residents of Highclere Castle, I didn't know much about Eve's story and I'm so glad I remedied that. Her life is fascinating and it's a great balance between adventure (she was in Tutankhamun's burial chamber!) as well as the requisite presentation into society, socializing with the upper class, and looking for a suitable husband. Eve doesn't want a conventional life though. She wants so much more!

The Collector's Daughter is a dual timeline novel with the first part taking place during the 1920s and the second timeline is told in the 1970s, many years later. Ana Mansour, an archeologist, wants to talk to Eve so she can answers questions about King Tutankhamun's tomb. Are there lost artifacts? What exactly happened inside that tomb? Is it really cursed? Slowly Eve starts to piece together things as she pieces together her memories and in turn, readers do as well.

I have been fascinated with Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey) for years and have had the opportunity to tour it as well as see the section of the castle dedicated to Egyptian artifacts, so The Collector's Daughter definitely piqued my interest. I think Paul did a great job bringing to life the time period as well as this archeological mystery.

So, if you love stories about women whose stories have been overlooked, then I urge you to pick up a copy of The Collector's Daughter. It was great learning more about the first woman to enter King Tutankhamun's tomb and how that impacted her life forever.

Is The Collector's Daughter on your TBR list? Are you a fan of Gill Paul? Let me know in the comments below.

Fictional Account of Finding King Tut's Tomb
This is a pretty good novel. I had to keep telling myself that all of the people are fictional because it gets pretty sad sometimes. As fiction, I am not at all sure that the contrived sadness is necessary. It certainly made me take much more time reading than I'm used to doing. The structure of the book goes from when our main character was a young woman in the 1920s to the 1970s when she is old, having strokes and losing her memory. It works well, but it is so sad to watch a wonderful and smart young woman become a shell of herself in a care facility. There is 'curse of the tomb' stuff that floats around through the entire book. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Many of the historical novels that I have read recently have employed a dual timeline with two protagonists as a structure for the narrative. In this novel, both timelines are told through the eyes of Evelyn Herbert, daughter of the Earl of Carnarvon and wife of Borogard Beauchamp.

Eve’s father helped to underwrite the work of Howard Carter in Egypt. As many know, Carter “discovered” the tomb of Tutankhamun with its many riches and historical artifacts. Eve was there when this significant event took place.

The story moves back and forth in time. In the present, it is the 1970s and Eve has suffered a number of strokes. Full credit to Ms. Paul for her sensitivity and ability to make readers feel the difficult impact that these had on Eve.

In the past, Eve grows up, is a debutante, meets Borograve and follows her interest in archaeology and lives her life. She has friends, children and a world around her.

The two narratives converge when Ana wants to interview Eve. She is tasked with understanding the events at the time that the tomb was found. Eve knows something important and will have to decide whether to reveal this.

I very much enjoyed this novel. It is leisurely paced, has well developed characters and lets readers witness a significant discovery. Readers will feel the heat of the sun and visualize the landscape of Egypt.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this absorbing historical novel. All opinions are my own.

An historical novel that goes between the 1920s and the 1970s. A loving couple, a stranger, a history that goes to Egypt. What more do I need to say. This was a sweet and mysterious read.

I have no idea where my interest in Egyptology started. Did Nancy Drew ever go to Egypt? I can’t remember, but archaeology and Egyptology have always fascinated me. Maybe it was in 1977-78, when King Tut’s treasures were exhibited in the United States and my brother’s Steve Martin record had the parody song on it. I was lucky enough years later to find the book that was sold during that exhibit. My favorite adult mystery series are the Elizabeth Peters Amelia Peabody Emerson mysteries, which take place in Victorian and Edwardian Egypt. I was lucky enough to see the King Tut exhibit about a decade ago when it was in Chicago at the Field Museum and bought the companion book and DVD and saved the newspaper article that alerted me to the exhibit.

An author I discovered last year, Gill Paul, writes about a lot of subjects that interest me. She’s written about everyone from Elizabeth Taylor to Wallis Simpson to the Romanovs to Jackie Kennedy Her latest book, The Collector’s Daughter, is set during the 1920’s when King Tut’s tomb was first discovered. When NetGalley and William Morrow offered me an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review, I jumped at the chance to visit the Valley of the Kings.


What’s not to love about The Collector’s daughter? The story takes place along two timelines: first, the 1970’s, when Eve Herbert, sister of the Earl of Carnarvon, is recuperating from a stroke. Her husband, the most perfect husband, by the way, worries so much about her. Eve’s had mini-strokes before, apparently, but this is a bigger one, one that affects her motor skills and speech. While Eve is in recovery, she receives inquiries from a professor from the University of Cairo about the Tutankhamun dig in 1922, because Eve was there with her father, the Earl, who had funded Howard Carter’s attempts to find the tomb.

The second timeline goes back to the early 1920’s, and Eve’s life leading up to the discovery of Tut’s tomb. She absolutely adores Egyptology and her father encourages her, while her mother just wishes she’d pick some rich, titled man to marry. Her brother, Porchy, could care less. We meet Eve’s husband and wonder how in the world they ever got together because he seems so standoff-ish and remote. But as we discover, he’s Eve’s rock.

In the 1970’s. Eve’s trying to remember everything she can about the dig, and realizes there are some secrets that shouldn’t come out. Apparently the expedition broke into the tomb before the official opening and took some objects before the Egyptian authorities and Howard Carter’s team could catalogue everything. Eve picks a decorative gold box with strong smelling stuff in it. Carter calls it an unguent, which could be used in a variety of ways: as a poison, an ointment for injuries, etc. Eve’s father and Howard Carter also take some pieces from the dig before the official opening.

Also in the 1970’s while Eve is recuperating, the female professor meets with Eve several times, because another ancient document has come to light revealing that about 20 objects from Tut’s tomb were missing. And as Eve is the only remaining member of the expedition, she’s hoping she’ll remember what happened to all the missing artifacts so they can be given back to the Cairo museum. Eve remembers all except one thing: where she stuffed that horrible smelling box.

Throughout the book, there’s mention of the curse of King Tut, and Eve doesn’t believe, or doesn’t think she believes, but her father seems to think so. And then, as anyone knows from studying history, Lord Carnarvon dies shortly after the tomb is discovered. Even though Eve knows there’s no such thing as a curse, time and time again throughout her life, when bad things happen, she wonders if there really was such a curse. Then she’d realize that she was still living, so it is unlikely, until the next bad thing happens, and she starts wondering again.

There’s enough mystery, history, and story depth to make The Collector’s Daughter a hit for anyone who loves historical fiction, Egyptology, even Downton Abbey fans might want to take a spin since parts of this book take place at Highclere Castle. I can’t wait to read or listen to the rest of Gill Paul’s back catalog and get caught up on her excellent writing.

A wonderful fictionalized account of the people who were involved in the discovery of King Tut’s tomb. How this affected many people in their lives and had rumblings of a curse. Eve is the main character and the only female to be involved in the discovery and we relive this through her memories.

I enjoyed the history of this novel but I wish it would have ended a bit different for Eve.

If you're in love with the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, and want to read the tale as told by Lord Carnarvon's daughter, Eve, with much background and stories of her engagement and marriage, you're in for a treat.

If you'd like a more concise historical view of the discovery, without moving from 1922 to 1972 as the story jumps from Eve's past to Eve's now, you might want to pass.

I enjoyed the book, but in places is seemed to drag with details about Eve and her Fiancé or their wedding or, as we progress to 1972/73 the strokes she had and, Ana Mansour, who is interviewing her and asking questions about possibly stolen artifacts. I kept waiting for the final 'reveal'...and it just didn't happen.

The chapters set in 1922 Egypt were interesting. The other parts were nice to have as a background. It was fabulous to see a young, privileged, English woman being able to have adventures and be part of the history of this discovery.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. The review is my own.

I have read several of this authors other books and really liked them. This one was just ok for me. I think that it was the subject that I wasn't as interested in as some of her previous work. I would recommend this book to people who like historical fiction still. I think this one just missed the mark for me.

What happens when you combine an ancient Egyptian tomb, the real Downton Abbey (Highclere Castle), and the notorious Curse of the Pharaohs? An enthralling, dual time-line novel full of history, intrigue, and suspense.
In 1972 Lady Evelyn Herbert, the daughter of the Early of Carnarvon known as Pups to his children, is recovering from a series of strokes that have left her struggling to regain her speech. She is visited by an Egyptian academic, Ana Mansour, who has discovered discrepancies in the records of the treasures of King Tutankhamun’s tomb. Eve, along with her father, and the famous archaeologist, Howard Carter discovered the tomb in November 1922, and Eve was the first to enter the untouched burial place full of the riches and priceless artifacts.

Revealed in flashbacks, the story of Eve’s desire to become an archaeologist, her marriage to Sir Brograve Beauchamp, the discovery of King Tut’s tomb and the curse that seemed to haunt those who entered, is a fascinating fictionalized account of this intriguing time. Can Eve trust Ana Mansour with her secrets or will they be buried with her?

This was a wonderful work of biographical fiction which will appeal to fans of that genre as well as fans of Egyptology. I highly recommend this novel!

Author Gill Paul has written a largely accurate account of the lives of the family that funded the search for Tutankhamen’s Tomb with the addition of fictional detail for the life of the daughter involved, Eve. THE COLLECTOR’S DAUGHTER also weaves another tale into the story, that of the curse of Tutankhamen’s Tomb and how that may/may not have played a role in the lives of everyone involved in its discovery. The book moves quickly and captures period detail with ease and splendor. This will be a real pleasure for lovers of historical fiction and early archeology. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

This was an interesting read and I love Egyptian mythology and reading about excavating the tombs and the early nineteenth/twentiethThis was an interesting read and I love Egyptian mythology and reading about excavating the tombs and the early nineteenth/twentieth century in Egypt. I really love that this is about a real person the daughter of the Earl of Carnarvan who was funding the excavation of the tomb of King Tut and the owner of Highclere castle where they film Downtown abbey. So it starts in 1970 after Evelyn is in the hospital after having another stroke and while she is recovering she is questioned about artifacts that might be missing from the opening of King Tuts tomb which causes her to relieve the moments when she was there in Egypt. So the narrative went from Evelyn in 1970 not really remembering the present very well but remembering the past really well and to her in 1922 util the day of the excavation but back and forth depending on what is being asked of her to remember. I expected more mysticism relating to the so called King Tuts curse but there really wasn’t anything overt.

Thanks to William Morrow and Custom House and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.
century in Egypt.

I love a book that sends me to google. About mid way through this story of Eve and her role in the discovery of King Tut's tomb, I was looking up names and pictures to get a better view of what really went down when the tomb was uncovered. I love when the bones of a story is real, but the details are fiction. It is such a good gateway to learning more about a time in history. I read a lot of HF, but this setting just drew me in and kept me reading. The intrigue behind the curse rumors, the idea of the relationships between the people at the site and the dual time line were compelling and exciting to read about. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

The Collector's Daughter has it all! Curses, mysteries, love, illness, marriage, family drama, and the Valley of the Kings, all elegantly wrapped up into one fabulous book. I love when books are based on actual people, this way I can deep dive into their lives after I gently turn the last page. This book is based on the life of Evelyn Beauchamp, who grew up in Highclere Castle, otherwise known as Downton Abby. She is beautiful, determined, ahead of her time, and intelligent. She dreams of becoming a lady archaeologist and she has an extensive background on Egypt, since her father sponsored many excavations. Her father, Eve, and Howard Carter were the first to enter the tomb of Tutankhamun. What resulted after can be chalked up to bad luck or the Curse of the Pharaohs, you be the judge.

Gill Paul paints scenes with extremely rich detail. You can fell the hot Egyptian sun on your skin, smell the intense musky scent of the tombs that were sealed for 3,200 years, imagine walking through the gardens of Eve's home. You are taken on a great adventure that is steeped in mystery and intrigue. I cannot even imagine being the first person to ever step foot in King Tutankhamun's tomb, what an amazing rush that must have been. Paul also creates an astounding love story., between Eve and her husband, Brograve. The bond that she creates for her readers makes us wish for a love story like theirs.

The dual timeline has you weaving between the 1920's and the 1970's. Eve recalling memories from her early years of the excavation and the thrill that coursed through her. You will be left spellbound and quickly digging through the pages to see what happens next. Was it the curse or is it just a course of bad luck? If you are interested in Egypt, a love story for the ages, with some family drama thrown in, this book is calling your name. Thank you to Gill Paul, William Morrow, Custom House, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this fascinating tale.

I was wandering around my local bookstores recently, looking for a book about Egypt, archeology, maybe romance, anything that would give me similar feeling to my favorite movie The Mummy. (I'm a huge Brandon Fraser fan.) I left a bit disappointed as there wasn't anything in stock. So imagine my surprise to come home and check out titles on NetGalley and see The Collector's Daughter! I immediately put in a request and tried to patiently wait.

So thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for gifting this ARC to me in exchange for my honest review.

I love historical fiction books based on real people. While there wasn't as much archeology as I would have loved in the book, I enjoyed learning more about Evelyn Herbert, her father, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter. I felt like I knew about the discovery of King Tutankhamen and those who were involved, but had no idea Eve was there with her father. Her story was fascinating. And of course we can't leave out the curse of King Tut!

I can't wait for this book to be published so I have a physical copy to share with my friends. I'll be adding my review to Goodreads now, and on Instagram on 8/16/21.

As a huge fan of The Secret Wife, I was very excited for Paul’s newest book. While I’m less captivated by the curse of Tuktankhamun than I am by the Romanovs, the idea of it interested me enough to read (not to mention that Eve lived at Highclere, the real Downton Abbey!). While it was certainly an interesting story, I felt unfulfilled anticipation, like the story was building and building to a big reveal or climax that never came. Ultimately, it’s the story of a fascinating life that didn’t translate into an epic story in a way that really captivated me.