Having been to Highclere Castle and seeing their Egyptian collection and being fascinated with Ancient Egypt, I was very excited to read this book. and while it was sometimes hard to follow, it was a great read! I am looking forward to one day being able to see Egypt myself!

I’ve been a big fan of Gill Paul’s novels ever since I read The Lost Daughter, her 2019 reimagining of how the life of Grand Duchess Maria—one of the four daughters of Emperor Nicholas II—might have worked out if she had not been assassinated by the Bolsheviks in 1918. I hosted a written Q&A on my blog when Gill’s next novel, Jackie and Maria, came out last year, and I will will be interviewing her for the New Books Network in conjunction with this year’s release, due on September 7, of The Collector’s Daughter. See my blog (linked below) for those announcements.

This beautifully written, thoroughly engrossing story focuses on Lady Evelyn Herbert—the daughter of Lord Carnarvon, who funded Howard Carter’s discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922. Eve, as she was known, harbored a desire to become an archaeologist and was present at the opening of the tomb. Indeed, she was the first person to enter the sealed chambers in three thousand years. But the novel begins and ends with Eve in her seventies, exploring the nuances of her long and happy marriage and how it withstood her increasing loss of memory, the result of strokes caused by a car accident in 1935. The book flips back and forth between Eve as a young woman and Eve struggling to recover from each setback, and in that respect it is truly a tale for the ages.

Ancient Egypt + the owners of Highclere Castle of Downton Abbey fame = SUCCESS!!
Gill Paul writes a fictionalized story surrounding the people behind the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. While much has been written about Egyptologist Howard Carter, this story revolves around the family who financed the expedition. George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, passed his love of Egyptian culture to his daughter Evelyn. At a young age Evelyn, aka Eve, wanted to become an Egyptologist. When Howard Carter makes a discovery while digging in the Valley of the Kings, Eve and her father rush to the site to witness the breaking of the seals. From this point on all three lives are irrevocably changed. With an exceptional eye to detail, Paul describes the contents of the tomb with stunning clarity and acknowledges the amount of effort Carter put into cataloging everything accurately. Paul balances fact and fiction beautifully as the story develops. Were objects taken from the tomb or did they just become misplaced over the years? Was there really a curse or was misfortune simply a product of life choices and environment? Who really is the mysterious woman who claims to be an Egyptian academic? Wonderfully absorbing read with a heartbreaking ending.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.

The fascination with early Twentieth Century archaeology is still fresh. This book is about Evelyn Herbert, the daughter of Lord Carnarvon, who was present at the opening of the tomb of King Tut. She is a delightful character and has a fascinating life. The book has dual timeline which alternates between the 1970s when Evelyn is recovering from a stroke and her earlier life in Egypt searching for undiscovered tombs with her father and Howard Carter. It is an enjoyable read and the author does a good job of balancing history with fiction.

(This is a review of an advance reader copy.)

In 1880, Evie Ludgrove has developed the passion for exploring that her father has. She has listened to his stories of the great Australian explorer, Dr. Ludwig Leichhardt, and hopes to help her father unravel the mystery of Leichhardt’s disappearance. When her father leaves their horse ranch to take Evie’s sister, Miriam, to be married he asks her to start mapping and cataloging his notes on Leichhardt so they can write a book about him. As Evie yearns to have her father home again, she becomes obsessed with the mystery of Leichhardt. When Evie finds an advertisement in The Bulletin magazine offering prize money for proof of what happened to Leichhardt, Evie packs her saddle bag and hides away evidence of where she is going, then lies to her Aunt Olivia about where she is going. Evie goes on her adventure, but she never returns and is never found.
In 1911, Letitia Rawlings goes to the family estate in her Ford Model T to tell great-aunt Olivia about a family tragedy. Lettie is running away from her old life where she has felt lost. Her mother, Miriam, has plans for Lettie befitting a girl of her station that Lettie isn’t too keen on right now. When Lettie finds Evie’s beautifully illustrated map she learns the truth of an aunt she had been told died as a child. Lettie sets out the determine the truth of what happened to Evie and bring some peace to Olivia, who she is growing fond of, along with Yellow Rock, her family home.
This is a story of family ties, secrets and grief. We see various characters and how they deal with the loss of loved ones throughout the story. It is also a story about finding out who you are and where you belong as Lettie goes back to her family’s roots and finds a place for herself there. Old pains and loss are brought to light. I feel that there were parts of the mystery that I wish were more fully explained, a few things were left a little more unsettled than I would have liked. Overall it was an enjoyable story.

In the early 20th century major excavations in Egypt’s Valley of Kings were underwritten by wealthy British and American citizens. This work of historical fiction is based on the life of Evelyn Herbert, daughter of Lord Carnarvon heir to High Clere Castle (known to public television fans as Downton Abbey) . In her early twenties Herbert joined her father and Howard Carter as the first persons to enter the tomb of Tutankhamun. Told in a series of flashbacks over fifty years, Eve enjoyed a happy marriage to her husband although a series of strokes threaten her memory. In later years she is challenged to remember where she hid a box secretly taken from the tomb thus introducing a suspenseful suggestion that the famed Curse of the Mummy still has power over those who disturbed the tomb. As Eve floats in and out of reality, her love for Brograve a steadfast and devoted husband shines through. While this can be simply read as a satisfying work of historical fiction it also provokes introspection about North/South appropriation of numerous cultural artifacts that to this day still remain in European and American institutions

Fantastic historical fiction about the life of Lord Carnarvon's daughter, Eve. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy of this very interesting book. This begins with Eve recovering from a stoke later in life and alternates between the 70s and her youth in the 20s. I had no idea she was involved with the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. I'll be looking more at that period in history thanks to Ms. Paul!

A nice story with a strong plot, character development, and storyline. This story will resonate with those who read historical fiction and/or women's fiction. The storyline of the discovery of King Tut's tomb and its subsequent "misfortunes" brings new light to an old story.

Wow! This book is phenomenal! It is gripping, heartbreaking, heartfelt, moving, adventurous, haunting, and so much more! Whenever I picked up "The Collector's Daughter", I was whisked back in time, and went on such an emotional journey with this story.

Gill Paul is such a brilliant writer, and her storytelling is incredibly visceral and vivid. Each and every element of this book jumps right off of the page; from the locations, characters, time periods, storylines, etc. She seamlessly weaves history and fiction, and I can only imagine the amount of research that Ms. Paul must have done, as each moment felt so authentic to each of the eras the book is set in.

This book is a dual-timeline book about the life of Lady Evelyn Herbert. Taking place in both the earlier part of the 20th century (1920s), as well as in the 1970's, much of the story is told in flashbacks. Born in 1901, Eve was the daughter of George and Almina Herbert, respectively the 5th Earl of Carnarvon and Countess of Carnarvon. In the book, Lord Carnarvon funds archeologist Howard Carter's dig of the Valley of the Kings, as Carter believes that Tutankhamun is buried there. When a young boy finds what ends up being the start of a staircase leading to a tomb, Carter immediately sends for Eve and Lord Carnarvon. When the latter two arrive in Egypt, the three of them soon realize that they have found the tomb, and soon everyone wants to know everything, and quickly. As things and events spiral, and tragedy after tragedy begins to strike, questions begin to be raised, and Eve is at the center of it all. In the more present timeline, Eve has suffered another stroke, and is trying to piece together memories of her life. As she begins to cement together moments, long-held secrets come to the forefront, and Eve is once again surrounded by tragedy. While many believe that those who entered Tutankhamun's tomb are cursed, others believe there is something different going on. With both good and bad around her, will Eve be able to remember the secrets she has held so close to her heart, and why? Is everyone around her who they are claiming to be, and, if not, why are they not telling the truth?

The relationship between Eve and her husband Brograve is truly so special. Their unconditional love for each other, through the good, bad, and everything in between is truly beautiful. Both are such strong, caring, protective, and loving individuals, and they have so much depth and heart.

I do wish that there was more about the actual discovery of Tutankhamun's Tomb added into the book in the earlier timeline, as this is what I believed the book would mainly be about from reading the subtitle of the novel. While this in no way deterred from how much I liked the book, I feel like the novel is more about how the finding impacted Eve's life, rather than about the discovery itself. I would not take anything out, but, I wish the book was longer with more time taken with that part of the past specifically explored deeper.

If you enjoy historical fiction, I highly recommend this book! It had me turning the pages to see what would happen next, and I found myself reading into the early hours of the morning as I did not want to put this book down. I also really like how certain aspects of this book are left open to interpretation, and was so intrigued by the historical notes at the end of the book. I am so looking forward to doing more research on Eve, Howard Carter, and Egyptology, and I am so looking forward to reading what Ms. Paul writes next.

Thank you so much to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC of this book, as well as to William Morrow for sending me a physical ARC as well, it is incredible! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The characters and plot were both beautiful and interesting. Paul Gill is a very talented author. Overall, I loved this book.

Library Journal Review:

Eve Herbert’s father, the Earl of Carnarvon, is the chief financial backer of Howard Carter’s archaeological dig that leads to the 1922 discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamun. For 18-year-old Eve, who longs to be an archaeologist, the opportunity to enter the sealed tomb and burial chamber with Carter is life-changing. Paul’s novel alternates between two decades. In the 1920s, Eve travels to Egypt, is formally introduced into British society, and meets her future husband. In the 1970s, an elderly and confused Eve has irreparable memory loss after several debilitating strokes. In 1972, Egyptian archaeologist Ana Mansour seeks Eve out to solve an archaeological mystery and reclaim allegedly lost artifacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb. Eve’s memory is challenged, as her past and present threaten to collide. Does she harbor decades-old historical secrets? Is there a curse tied to Tutankhamun’s tomb?
VERDICT Consummate historical fiction writer Paul (Jackie and Maria) has crafted another binge-worthy novel that will enthrall readers.
Reviewed by Mary Todd Chesnut, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights , Jun 01, 2021

THE COLLECTOR"S DAUGHTER is an entertaining read and I recommend it for fans of historical fiction.

The plot moves nicely and the pacing feels appropriate for this type of dual timeline story. Gill Paul has clearly done extensive research, but she doesn't let it get in the way of the story. She keeps her readers in mind and gives us just enough. That's a hard balance to strike and I really appreciate when it's done expertly.

For the most part, the characters are well written and fully fleshed out. However, I found the character of Ana to lack nuance. At times I wondered whether she was necessary and I'm not sure why we needed her back story.

Like other reviewers, I felt slightly disappointed that the past timeline didn't focus more on the discovery of the tomb. There's not as much archaeology as I'd hoped.

All in all, a welcome addition to this summer's historical fiction line up.

This book told in dual timelines, starts at the end of the protagonist's life. We meet Lady Evelyn Herbert the daughter of Earl of Canarvon who once lived in Highclere Castle (the setting for Downton Abbey).When we meet her, it is 1972, she is 71 years old and in the hospital recovering from a stroke.

It was in 1922 when both Eve and her father discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun (King Tut) in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt. An amazing discovery, one that was the best thing that happened to her. Along with Howard Carter, the three of them found the steps leading into the ancient tomb...they were the first to go inside after three thousand years! Able to get inside and crawl inside and have a look around, they found the actual burial site, along with the antiquities surrounding the coffin, a room surrounded with rich artifacts many of them in solid gold. At that time, they took it upon themselves to take several pieces of the ancient pieces that were buried with King Tut. But all was not wonderful, as there was said to be a curse upon those who took from King Tut.

This story is not just about ancient Egypt and the Valley of Kings. Between the two timelines, we see a picture of a family in the setting of the early 20's. We see young Eve and her "obsession" to become a lady archaeologist, and we follow her with her father to Egypt who is paying for the "dig" and the discovery. We meet other members of the family as well. We also follow along with Eve and her recovery as she tries to remember her past, all done through flashbacks. Now in her 70's, with the loss of memory it is becoming more difficult to remember her years as a young woman while she tries to bring back that discovery to life. Was the tomb cursed? Did any tragedies take place that could link the two together?

Gill Paul has given us a story that merged perfectly and interestingly. When you read how fascinating the discovery was, and the thrill of the find, it gives you chills. To think how one would feel going into a tomb that was three thousand years old and you were the first to be down there where the ancients once walked...OMG!! The story was entertaining, the family was indeed entertaining.

My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This will be reviewed on my blog, Goodreads and Anazon.

I really liked this book, and thought it was a great time period for an historical fiction novel. I liked finding out about the history behind finding King Tut's tomb. It was entertaining, but did not bog the reader down in a ton of Egyptian history. It was very sad at the end though

The story begins with Eve, a woman in her early 70s waking up from a stroke. The story is told from both Eve and her husband’s, Brograve, perspective. We learn early on that Eve has had several strokes in the past 38 years, and each one a little worse than the other. As Eve is recovering from her latest stroke, she gets word that a Dr. Ana Mansour wants to interview her about the initial Tutankhamun’s tomb discovery.

This triggers many memories and her experiences as a young woman in Egypt. Eve’s flashbacks have you witnessing the tomb’s discovery, the treasures inside, and the beautiful scenery. But this story isn’t really about the tomb. It’s more about Eve and Brograve’s love for one other and their life together. The steps they had to take to finally be together, the loss of those she loved the most (her father and fellow archaeologist-was it caused by the tomb’s curse?), and giving up her big goals to find happiness as wife and mother.

Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow books for this ARC!

This book is an obvious choice for historical fiction lovers. It features Eve, the daughter of Lord Carnarvon, the man who funded Carter and hence the discovery of King Tut. Set in dual timelines, we follow Eve at the end of her life as she tries to solve a mystery of a stolen item and Eve as the Tomb is discovered.

I thought the story was full of interesting Information, but I felt it dragged in parts. I also had a hard time connecting with the characters, although in fairness I also don’t like third person narrative, which this story was written in.

Thank you, Harper Collins for the advanced review copy, in exchange for my honest review.

London, 1972. Eve is in her early seventies, and after another stroke she is working to regain her speech at a rehabilitation center. It’s here that she receives a visitor from Egypt - Dr. Ana Mansor. Mansor has been engaged in a research project and has found some anomalies in archives around the finds of the Tutankhamun’s tomb. The memory of the discovery gives Eve a spark and motivation for improving her speech, but there is something she doesn’t want to reveal.

Luxor, 1919. Eve comes from a privileged family, a daughter of Lord Carnarvon, who funds the exploration of the Tutankhamun’s tomb. While her mother plans to marry her well, meaning to a man of certain social standing, Eve dreams of an equal partnership, a man who will share a passion for travel and who will accept her being a lady archeologist. She has been coming to Egypt with her family since she was six year old, but never had a chance to visit Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. At eighteen, she is here at last and Howard Carter, who with her father indulged her curiosity from a young age, shows her how to dig during her first winter in the Valley. It is the beginning of an extraordinary journey, which also has some questionable events afterwards. After the discovery of the Tutankhamun’s tomb, there is a chain of illnesses experienced by different people. Some claim it’s due to the disturbance of the spirits in the tomb. Is it?

Egypt becomes an independent state shortly before the discovery of the Tutankhamun’s tomb. Thus, the rules regarding the finds in any tomb are changing constantly. It is fairly normal for archeologists to keep some mementos.

It’s a wonderful experience to be right there when the discovery happens and how it all leads to it and what happens afterwards; and to get to know all those who were involved in this discovery. It is a lifetime experience that we’re granted through this story. Nevertheless, keep in mind that most of the story is set in England.

The story is revealed in flashbacks switching between two timelines. It beautifully gains depth, both in character development and in keeping readers in suspense around the discovery of the tomb. The flashbacks are woven artfully having a smooth flow and carrying enjoyable storyline. This is an engaging story written with depth and suspense.

Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense.com

I tried really hard to love this book because I thought that it could be a really interesting story about the discovery of King Tut's tomb. I was left disappointed. The story bounced back and forth, in my opinion, erratically between the past and the main characters present life. I was hoping for greater detail and focus on the discovery of Tut’s tomb and the events that followed because I felt like that was what the book initially promised. Many of the characters were not very fleshed out, and seemed to be inserted into the story without any real value. This is especially true about the character named Ana. I felt like she did not serve any real purpose other than to show up out of the blue to harass a poor old woman recovering from a stroke. Ana’s backstory did not have any real value, and the main characters memories/present day struggle could have been used in a way that would have kept the focus on the tombs discovery. Again this could have been a great book and more interesting if the story focused more on the past.

I became a fan of Gill Paul after reading Jackie and Maria. I was thrilled to be able to read this title! The book centers around Lady Evelyn Herbert, the first woman to step inside the tomb of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun, alongside her father and renowned archaeologist Howard Carter. The story smoothly moves back and forth between the early 1970s, when Eve is in her 70s, to the early 1920s, when the tomb was discovered. I did not know much about this historical event, but I was prompted to do my own research after reading this novel.

It is evident that the author's research was extensive. While reading, I was transported to the events of the story, and I grew to adore and appreciate most of the characters. Along the way, I was eager to learn the truth of the secrets held and how the story would resolve. I don't like giving away too much of the story, but I will say that this has been a recent favorite of mine and I highly recommend it.

Howard Carter, the archaeologist who discovered King Tut's tomb, his benefactor Lord Carnarvon, and Lord Carnarvon's daughter, Evelyn, lied to the Egyptian authorities and entered King Tut's tomb earlier than they said they did. A few souvenirs were taken, and seemed to be forgotten over time. Due to the "curse" that was supposedly placed on the tomb, Evelyn was eventually the only one left. A mysterious woman shows up, claiming to be an archaeologist looking for lost items from Carter's inventory of the tomb. A mystery ensues that takes place over several decades and several continents, only to end in a most unexpected way. Anyone interested in archaeology or egyptology would enjoy this book, even though the author plays with the timeline a little bit. A highly enjoyable read.