A fun mystery reminiscent of Elizabeth Peters!

While I haven’t read the whole series (I started with book 1 ages ago) I enjoyed even just dropping in to this one! I especially enjoyed the dual time elements, mystery, touches of romance, and especially the setting.

Highly recommend for fans of historical mystery and those who enjoy a lot of lovely historical details!

My rating: 4.5*
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Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

In true Agatha Christie style, Secrets of the Nile delivers a great cozy mystery. A dual timeline, set in Egypt, tells of Lady Emily and her husband trying to solve a murder at a dinner party. The splendid cast of characters keeps the plot rich and intriguing. This is the first book I read in this series and I enjoyed the main character's strength and how the author weaved together the dual timelines. It kept me turning the pages and wanting to solve the mystery. I would definitely read more books in the series.

This is book # 16 in a series but could be read as a stand-alone.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the e-ARC!

I am a goner for historical mystery/suspense/adventure stories and if it’s pertaining to Egypt I’m sold! You should be too!

This story was no exception and I had no idea when I requested this that is was part of a whole Lady Emily series!! In fact this was book #16… queue my shocked but wholly delighted face!! I will be starting from book one ASAP!

Lady Emily and Colin are back! In egypt this time, they’re looking forward to a small vacation together. Along for the ride is Colin’s mother who doesn’t quite get along with Lady Emily and lady Emily’s step daughter Kat who likes to stir up trouble. There little getaway doesn’t stay romantic or uneventful. A close friend of Colin’s mother dies shortly after arriving at his home for dinner. Everyone points the finger at the other. The story had many moments reminiscent of Elizabeth Peters Amelia Peabody mysteries: lady Emily wearing pants and the Hargreaves children doing something very much like Ramsey while his parents were away. I haven’t been enjoying the stories from the past in these past few books and this one was no different. It just didn’t go along with the main story and I never feel like they add anything to it either. I enjoyed the main story and how the conclusion came about. The ending was surprising but made so much sense.

This was the first novel in the Lady Emily series I have read, and I enjoyed it immensely! Set on the Nile in 1904, Lady Emily and her husband Colin endeavor to solve the mystery of the sudden death of their host. I did get Agatha Chrisie and Amelia Peabody vibes, which just added to my enjoyment. The setting was wonderful, and I also appreciated the second story which was woven in, about the ancient Egyptian artist. All in all, a very worthwhile use of my reading time. I will definitely seek out more in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

A delightful Lady Emily whodunnit in the romantic Nile Valley. A dual timeline, also, which was fun, as the earlier story is told from the viewpoint of a woman who was an Ancient Egyptian sculptor. The mysterious beauty of Egypt abounds, as well does the clever deductions of our favorite sluethful leading lady.

This ARC was the first book I had read in this series, so the characters and general format of the book were new to me; readers who have followed Lady Emily on her travels and mysteries before will know the basics of her family structure – she is an educated and scholarly British woman, married to Colin, an “Agent of the Crown”, and has an amazing ability to run into trouble wherever she goes; to solve the attendant mystery; and put things right. This book takes place in 1904, in colonial Egypt, but also during a year in Ancient Egypt when the reigning Pharaoh was preparing his tomb.

Lady Emily, Colin, his widowed mother Ann, and his newly discovered grown daughter Kat travel to Luxor at the invitation of an old friend of Ann’s, Lord Bertram Deeley. At the end of dinner the first night, Deeley dies suddenly and dramatically after drinking a Tisane. It becomes immediately clear that Deeley was murdered, by cyanide. The remainder of the story involves Lady Emily and Colin’s work to discover the identity of the murderer. Other archetypical guests are introduced, an old friends, political colleagues, a doctor hired especially for the stay in Luxor, a disagreeable self-absorbed noble widow with her young, paid companion, an archeologist, the butler, cook, and servants in the house, and a pushy newspaper reporter. As the book progresses, most of these characters are examined closely, former lives are discovered, and possible motives for murder emerge from each of them whose history has been delved into.

In alternating chapters, we learn about a family who lived in the village that the current archeologist is excavating, where the artisans working on the Pharaoh’s tomb lived, Pa Demi. Meryt, a woman sculptor, has been asked to make a series of Ushabtis (small carved figures that will be placed in the tomb). A series of disasters befalls this family, and a shocking death ensues.

Eventually, we learn the connection between the events in Ancient Egypt and art that comes from this small village and the current (1904) death of Lord Deeley, and Lady Emily and Colin solve the mystery of his death.

The book is well-written, with a wealth of historical background provided, both relating to the British Empire of 1904 and life in Upper Egypt at that time, and also to the historical period in which the stone carvers and painters of the Pharaoh’s tomb lived. One feels a sort of homage to Agatha Christie in placing the story in both the Egypt of the early 20th century and Ancient Egypt, but the voice of the author is clearly her own. An enjoyable and instructive book.

In Tasha Alexander’s the Secrets of the Nile, the 16th installment in the Lady Emily historical suspense series, this captivating tale would keep you at the edge of your seat. For Lady Emily and her husband, Colin Hargreaves, they’re in Egypt and traveling along the River Nile. At the bequest of Lord Deeley, they were invited to his party with her mother-in-law and step-daughter Kat, when they met the other guests. When they ventured along the cavern where ancient Egyptian canopic jars and vases were discovered, we’re flashed back to the story of Meryt, a young Egyptian married woman, who’s a sculpture, and the mystery of who tormented her. In the 1900s, back at the party, when Lord Deeley mysteriously dies from cyanide poisoning, it’s up to Emily and Colin to figure out who’d done it and why in this locked-room mystery by interviewing all the guests and finding out Deeley’s sordid hidden past. In the end, the shocking truth would come out, once and for all.

This compelling historical suspense novel is captivating and gripping on each page. I cared for Emily and how close she was getting to the truth without being in harm’s way. She cares for her twin sons and for her step-daughter Kat. I also cared for Meryt in her own historical story. The location of Luxor, Egypt in the 1900s was perfect to tell this tale. The theme of the story is revenge is best served cold to right the wrongs in the past.

This historical suspense is thrilling and intriguing. I rated this book, four out of five stars for no reason. If you love heart-stopping suspense novels with dramatic action, plenty of heart-stopping suspense, and twisted turns, the Secrets of the Nile is for you. This book is recommended for those who love historical fiction and suspense novels, fans of Rebecca Cantrell, Ken Follett, and those who love Egyptology.

As a huge Agatha Christie fan, I was excited to dive into this tale. However, as the story unraveled (literally, for me) the alternating chapters between Ancient Egypt and 1904 Egypt grew wearisome and defeated any forward motion of the story. The character work was okay, but a lot of the dialog, especially that set in Ancient Egypt, felt very anachronistic and took me out of the reality of the piece. As it approached the end, I realized I didn't care about these characters or the central mystery (that had been so diluted with the back-and-forth). Can't recommend this one.

Secrets of the Nile is book number 16 in the mystery-adventure series starring Lady Emily, written by Tasha Alexander. It's also the first book in the series I've read, although I hope it's not the last.
A story that follows two time lines that come together at the end of the book, which makes the story very fast and interesting: the first line covers events that occurred in Ancient Egypt in a village of artists in charge of building pyramids and the second timeline is in 1904 Luxor and follows Lady Emily on a trip down the Nile, accompanying her mother-in-law who has been invited to spend a season at the residence of her former friend Lord Deeley.
The book is very well set, the dialogues are well written and the plot keeps the reader attentive to the events that unfold throughout the story.
I thank the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
The opinion I have expressed above is based solely on what I think and feel about this book.

A cozy mystery reminiscent of the Amelia Peabody character, as well as Agatha Christie. Love the independent Lady Emily, her strength and independence that challenge the norms. This is my first book to read of the Lady Emily series will definitely pick up more. The chapters alternate between mysteries in different time periods, and by the end the mysteries are connected and brought to a satisfying conclusion.

I'm a big Agatha Christie fan (I'm currently binging episodes of Miss Marple again) and looked forward to this novel--although it's my first Tasha Alexander book and it's probably not smart to start with #16 without having reading the other books in the series. That said, I enjoyed this intriguing historical mystery novel.

The primary storyline takes place in 1904 Egypt. Lady Emily and her husband investigate a murder at an elaborate dinner party with --of course -- a big cast of characters. The second storyline is sent in ancient Egypt, about Meryt, a young female sculptor. I enjoyed reading both parts of the book. Lady Emily and her husband make a great pair of detectives. Now I have to check out the earlier books in the series.

This is the sixteenth book in The Lady Emily series. Emily and Colin are established and are likable characters. However, the mystery was very predictable. Overall, it was a solid mystery. However, I expected more. I recommend Secrets of the Novel for fans of cozy historical mysteries. I recommend this novel for fans of Tessa Arlen, Jacqueline Winspear, and Deanna Raybourne!

I didnt love this one largely because it felt like it really wanted to be Agatha Christie but was missing actually being Agatha Christie. The characters I found a bit dull and underdeveloped but I’m not 100% sure what goes on in the other 16 of these books so maybe I need to orient myself before jumping into book 16?

One storyline of Lady Emily, her husband, mother-in-law, and stepdaughter on a trip to Luxor, Egypt in 1904. Invited by a life-long friend of Mrs. Hargreaves to revisit where she met and fell in love with her husband. Their first night at their destination their host dies by poisoning after a festive dinner with other long-time friends as guests. As Lady Emily and her husband try to figure out who the murderer is, conflicting motives for many of the guests are discovered.
There is also a second story line, set in ancient Egypt in a village of tomb craftsmen.
You don't need to have read any of the other books in this series.

This book is SO GOOD! It is intriguing, gripping, full of twists and turns, and so much more! Whenever I picked up "Secrets of the Nile", I was whisked back in time, and had such a difficult time putting this book down.

Tasha Alexander is such an amazing author! Her writing style is full of detail, visceral, and I was gripped from the very first page. She seamlessly weaves the various pieces of the puzzle of her mystery, and I found myself hooked from the first page to the last.

This book takes place during two timelines: Ancient Egypt and the early 1900's. I do not want to say too much about the plot due to spoilers, but, I will say, this book has so much in it. In the early 1900s, someone is murdered, and Lady Emily and Colin must find out who killed the person. In Ancient Egypt lives, Meryt, a young artist who works with others on building different aspects of Pharoahs' tombs. How are these two time periods connected? Can the past help to lead in discovering who the murderer is? You will just have to read to find out. Full of mystery, archeology, history, and so much more, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat.

If you enjoy historical mysteries, I highly recommend this book! It kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next, and I look forward to reading what Ms. Alexander writes next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the e-ARC of this book, and to Minotaur Books for sending me a physical ARC as well. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

For fans of Lady Emily, this latest installment features a trip to Egypt that turns into the investigation of the death of a friend. Things are not as they seem, however, as the scene abounds with suspects and clues. Chapters alternate between Luxor in 1904 and ancient Egypt. I enjoyed the chapters about ancient Egypt quite a lot, probably more than the slower moving 1904 chapters. Although the story moves along somewhat slowly, readers should stick with it to the intriguing ending when all is revealed in a satisfactory manner. The details about archaeology and Egypt make this a worthwhile read.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

The setting and time period of this story appealed to me, and I requested a publisher's Arc. I'm so glad I did, as I enjoyed the story immensely, even though it was 16th in a series. I will be reading more in the series, although future stories may have a hard time living up to this destination!

Out of all the vacations I've taken over the years, my absolute favorite was floating down the Nile with my family and a small group of strangers on a dahabiya. With the romance and beauty of it all, it was impossible not to romanticize about my favorite mystery author, Agatha Christie, being on such a journey. This book was a definite nod to Christie and stories set in this era.

I will not tell the whole plot, as others have done so. I will add that there was a storyline set in the ancient past that had its own very different mystery, and there seemed to be no connection between the two. When we were in Egypt I enjoyed seeing the references to the great craftsmen and artisans of that era, and it was so interesting to to have a storyline centered around these people. At the very end of the book we get a tie in between the two story lines. I throughly enjoyed both stories and I look forward to reading more of this author.

This was my first novel by Tasha Alexander in this series. The writing is decent and kept me hooked till the end. The plot follows two timelines, one is ancient Egypt at the height of it's civilization, and the second is the early 20th century. While the 20th century reminded me about the novels by Agatha Christie, I personally didn't much enjoy the connection between the two timelines. Despite this, I would recommend this book

While it’s never ideal to jump into a long-running series at book number 16, I decided to give this a try and I’m glad I did. I have loved the many Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters that I’ve read, and this one, I hoped, looked to have something of that feeling to it, so I jumped in.

The main storyline takes place in Egypt in 1904, with a bunch of British travelers and antiquity enthusiasts. There’s a death at an elaborate dinner party given by Lord Deeley and Lady Emily and her husband set about investigating who the murder might be. It’s a sort of locked-room mystery, with the dinner guests and servants being the only ones under suspicion. In between chapters taking place in 1904, we are treated to chapters set in ancient Egypt, which read like a diary of a young woman who is a talented sculptor. I absolutely loved those chapters! Eventually, you’ll find out what the connection is between the two stories.

Lady Emily and her husband make an intriguing pair and now I’m interested in going back to read up on their earlier adventures and learn more about their backstory.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book, although I’m a bit late to it. I bounced between the ARC and the published audiobook, courtesy of my public library. The narrator, Diana Amato, did an excellent job with the various voices and accents.