This is a thoroughly enjoyable novel. Basham's writing style is a pleasure to read. She has included a good dose of humor from time to time as well as witty dialogue. And the characters are fun. Lady Astley is a hoot. Her personality is very well crafted. Having read some books on solving mysteries and being an avid novel reader, she often makes investigative moves the officials would never think of. But then, that gets her into trouble too, like desperately hanging on to a runaway camel. Her ever faithful husband to the rescue. He is an enjoyable calming influence to her active nature. Orphan Zahra is a good addition to the mix. Working under the training of Lady Astley, I can only imagine what adventures those two will experience in the next novel.

This is a fun historical mystery in an exotic location. The exciting adventures are balanced with the touching relationship between Lord and Lady Astley. It does take a while to get to the exciting part of the book so don't be too disappointed before the first murder. The adventures in the second half of the book are worth the wait. This is the second novel in a series but there is enough backstory included that this one reads well on its own.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

I loved this book that is witty and suspenseful. I love Grace and Frederick. I loved the descriptions of some of Egypt and of what was found in some tombs. I laughed a lot. I received a copy of the book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

So much fun! This is the second book, so after the couple is married and going on a their honeymoon trip to Cairo. It has conniving relatives, mystery and thrills! And romance! I loved everything about this! I don't do mystery a ton, but this one checks all the boxes!

What an adventure Freddie and Grace have on the first leg of their honeymoon trip! I enjoyed this trip to Egypt and seeing all the ways that Grace’s fictional mind conjures up adventures and sleuthing opportunities.


** I was given an ARC of this in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to Netgalley for this opportunity.

Grace, Fredrick, and Elliott are some of my all time favorite characters. I enjoyed getting to know them more through this book. Egypt, as a setting however, is not a favorite of mine. I also prefer more dialog to the detailed descriptions this story offered. The descriptions slowed the pacing for me. The large cast of characters was difficult to keep up with as well. I wish Grace and Fredrick had been more of a focal point. Overall, the writing was good and the last portion of the book exciting. I look forward reading the next in the series.

I can understand why this has been compared to Clue. I felt like it especially during the second half of the book. Who did what and where and why? This is the sequel to The Mistletoe Countess. While it's a good idea to read the first book, Pepper does a good job of explaining what happened before in this one too.

While I enjoyed meeting up with Frederick and Grace again, i, like other reviewers, felt like there were too many characters. I had to remember who was who as I read the story, which caused me to not be as drawn in or captivated as I was in the first book.

There was plenty of action and Grace finds herself in unnecessary peril a few times, but that adds to her character. I appreciated her ability to have faith conversations even in those times.

I look forward to more Frederick and Grace adventures.

Thank you to Net galley and Barbour Publishing for an advance e-book copy. All opinions are my own.

The Cairo Curse, the sequel to the Mistletoe Countess was very enjoyable! I loved the continuation of Grace and Fredricks story and hope there will be more!

Grace and Freddie are as absolutely irresistible as I have come to expect, but a few random events have them venturing from the English countryside and into Egypt. There they are thrust into a superb ensemble of characters who might either be great friends, sworn enemies, tomb raiders, garden variety thieves, or completely insane. It’s difficult to tell their friends from their enemies but as the story develops and the hijinks and mystery ensue, people wind up missing, reappearing, or dead…and anyone could be next! There is always an opportunity to rely on God’s grace and guidance, sort out the good from the evil, and learn more about your newest favorite couple. This book is a follow up to The Mistletoe Countess but could easily be read as a stand alone. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher and was not obligated to leave a positive review.

I really enjoyed this second Freddie and Grace mystery!

Indiana Jones meets Clue is the perfect description for this Egyptian adventure. Complete with conjecture, conflict, camels and a curse, this mysterious trek will drop the reader into the midst of a vast array of eccentric characters. In fact, this series would make great movies!

I must say, I did not see this romance coming! I would never have guessed this character would be the new romance of this story!! So unexpected but loved learning more about him and his past. He is such an endearing character.

Freddie and Grace are such the perfect pair! Freddie is the grounded husband who adores his wife and allows her to be her fiction loving self while Grace brings so much joy and freedom to his life. Their love story proves to be a bit more fiery since they are a married couple, but I can always trust that these “sizzlingly romantic” scenes do not cross the sweet and clean romance boundaries.

My only question is where do Freddie and Grace go from here? I hope I find out soon!

This book is suitable for teens and older with no inappropriate intimate scenes and no bad language. I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review.

Grace is on another mystery with her husband of 3 months, Fredrick, "Freddie", but this time they are headed on their honeymoon with a deter to Egypt. Add in camels, which Grace is very interested in and in tombs, mummies, and all that comes with a archaeology dig and it's going to be a incredible journey with Grace and Freddie! We are off to Egypt with Grace, Fredrick, and don't forget Elliott, Fredrick's valet. Full of mystery and with Grace in her true to form American charm in a British world. As the mysteries unfold and Grace charges into each with her compassionate heart but also her American joy of life. As they work through the mysteries that keep Freddie and Elliott on their toes trying to keep track of Grace's exploits in Egypt.
Once again, Pepper Basham has done it. What a great sequel to the first story, " The Mistletoe Countess" and it is a great growth of our characters! If you loved Grace and Freddie in the first, then grab and read this great sequel about them.

Fantastic! I'm not much of a mystery reader, but I was totally drawn into this one. Really enjoyed all the aspects and thought it was a fun part 2 of Grace and Freddie's story!

So much fun to be on an adventure to Egypt with Frederick and Grace. This left me turning the pages to find out who the villains were. My favorite characters were Grace, Zahra and Elliott.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

The Cairo Curse is book 2 and highly anticipated for fans of Pepper Basham. I know many who will enjoy this book for the setting, characters, and plot. Her books are always fun, centered on the gospel, and character-driven (things I always appreciate). Definitely recommend, esp for fans of The Mistletoe Countess!

The Cairo Curse by talented author Pepper Basham is Book Two in her Christian historical romance mystery series A Freddie and Grace Mystery. Book One is the Mistletoe Countess. I have not read Book One yet and wish that I had. I was a bit confused when beginning The Cairo Curse, but it got easier to follow the more I read. It may be read as a standalone, but I would recommend Book One be read first.

In this novel we join Frederick and Grace in 1914 England as they prepare to take their honeymoon in Italy via Egypt. These two characters are adorable and absolutely meant for one another. I love married couple romance in books, and author Basham is a pro at that. Minor characters are brilliant. I loved Mr. Elliott, Blake, Ms. Sinclair, and all of the others.

Author Basham has a way of delivering captivating novels. This one is no exception. I was riveted to the story. It had everything I wanted, romance, humor, mystery, twists, inspiration, intrigue, history, and animals. In this case, the animal was a camel! The descriptive way of her writing makes it easy to become invested in the story and characters. Obviously she did extensive research before writing this, and I was able to glean some knowledge from that.

This is a wonderful trip to the land of sand, mummies, and camels that I definitely recommend. I laughed, tried to solve a mystery, and became friends with lovely characters. It gets a 5 star rating from me. A copy was provided by CelebrateLit but these are my honest words.

3.5 stars.
Tombs in Egypt have warnings on them, but they aren't connected to real curses, right?

Newlywed couple travels to Egypt to visit family as a pre-honeymoon getaway. But they get a little more than they ask for!

An exciting read!

Bringing to mind fond memories of reading Nancy Drew books, I could not stop reading at the end of each chapter! I simply HAD to turn the page to find out how Lady Astley would get herself out of her present calamity. Lady Astley, an amateur sleuth with a loveable sense of innocence reminiscent of Anne of Green Gables, views the world through the lens of the fictional novels she so enjoys. Her new husband, Lord Astley finds himself increasingly drawn into mysterious circumstances as he attempts to keep his wife out of trouble during their delayed honeymoon trip to Egypt. Stolen jewels, runaway camels, and sandpit traps are just a few of the calamities Lady Astley encounters as she attempts to solve the mystery of the Cairo Curse. Once again, Pepper Basham does not disappoint.
I received a free ARC copy of Cairo Curse. This review is my own opinion.

This was an excellent sequel to _The Mistletoe Countess_! (And yes, they should definitely be read in order. :D)

It's funny, with plenty of literal LOL moments; it's nerve-wracking, with excellent plot development and tension; and it contains scads of references to other books, including plenteous assessments on Grace's part based on things she's read in a book (sounded _all_ too familiar; Grace continues to be an excellent fictional representation of ... myself, haha!).

Similar to _The Mistletoe Countess_, I wished a couple scenes had faded to black a tad bit earlier, but it certainly could have been worse, and I defo recommend the read, that note aside. A lot of fun!

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Looking for an adventurous romp in turn of the century Egypt?
This book picks up right after Mistletoe countess and follows Fredrick and Grace in more of their story.
We are introduced to new characters and a mystery. All while surrounded by the mustique of Egypt.
For me the really interesting story line was Elliot. I was definitely intrigued by him and kinda wished he got his own whole book. But I loved the glimpses of him that we got. The mystery is in a classic "who-done-it" style and I couldn't help but think of Death on the Nile. My favorite in the series so far is still book 1, but this book carried much of the same energy with a rambunctious heroine and honorable heroes.
So of you are looking for a book with the egypt setting with a mystery that doesn't get too heavy, this may be the book for you.
I recieved a complementary copy of this book from the publisher through Netgally. All thoughts and opinions are honest and completely my own.

I’d like to think that unusual for all the right reasons is still a good thing. This statement fits this wonderful book so well. Another Freddie and Grace mystery that keeps you guessing all the way through, wondering if our intrepid investigators will be able to figure this one out. Freddie has improved so much in those very important skills and Grace, if anything, figures out the answers with more skill than fiction.

This most enjoyable book will have you laughing out loud at times and at others, just giving a sigh at how well these two seem to fit together. Their trip to Egypt brings plenty of excitement with possible murders, pyramids, tomb raiding and even the discovery of a long lost - you really must read it to find out!

This early copy was received through Barbour Publishing and NetGalley. These impressions are my own and were in no way solicited.

Why I chose this book: I fell in love with Pepper's work when I read Hope Between the Pages. I read Mistletoe Countess and, well--it was fine...cute...but not the same as other books I've read of hers. I wanted to give this book a try to test the waters again.
Type of Book: Funny how this book is catagorized as Fiction / Christian Romance and not mystery. I mean, the front of the book says "A Fredrick and Grace Mystery" and advertised as "Clue meets Indiana Jones." So...you chose. :)
Overall: Overall, I didn't like it, but remember--I am coming at this from an Editor's POV. The storyline itself is okay. I didn't feel like the main characters really had anything to lose. They are developed enough to carry the story but I wanted more tension. I think the editor could have done more for Pepper. Also, there are many characters that bump in and out and it pulled me out of the story (like, "wait, where's ____?" or "wait, where did he come from?")
There are multiple mistakes that a good editor should have caught. For example:
"Grace reached up to rub an absent hand across her errant curls....Long gone was the well-styled bun adorned with her broad-brimmed hat from the train; although, at least the hat wasn't a lost cause as many of his bride's other hats became."--two things, what is an "absent hand" and if it's absent, how can you rub it? And why would you refer to yourself in third person ("at least the hat wasn't a lost cause as many of her other hats had become")? Again, these are things an editor should have caught.
There are other things I highlighted that needed fixing but I won't repeat them all here. You want to know if you should read the book. Yes, I think it's a fine story to read. I enjoyed the overall story idea. The end of the story picked up the pace as well as my interest--once I knew who the characters were and I could then care about them and their interactions with the main characters.
There is a large cast of characters--think Agatha Christy's Death on the Nile or the more modern Knives Out--and I got confused on who was who, especially when their names started with the same letter. Instead, I would have suggested creating a mini scene with each one so we, the reader, can have a mental picture of who's who. There was a small scene later in the book with Smallwood at the museum that did just this--made a mini scene to see him interact with our MC, Grace. This was well done.
I know Pepper Basham has the capability to write a story that draws you in and captivates you. Is Fredrick and Grace what she loves to write? Or is it at a publisher's request? I don't know. I would love to see more from Pepper, in quality and depth, as Hope Between the Pages was. I first found Pepper when reading My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge- Laurel's Dream. I enjoyed that "slow-cooker romance" as she calls it.
Favorite Quotes/Characters: I did not have a favorite character. On the personal side, I didn't "get along" with the main character, Grace. She comes off too "light headed" for me; ditsy? Ditsy is a difficult character to cast as a lead character. You need to write her well. I think she's supposed to be sweet and naïve and I believe she could be a very likable character with a little more development.
Bookshelf worthy? It will not be on my bookshelf but read it for yourself and see.
Teenability: Not appropriate for teens. This is a married couple's story and there are definitely scenes that I skipped. (And yes, I'm a married woman). I would not suggest this book for my teen daughter, another reason it will not be on my bookshelf. There are scenes that could have been lighter instead of describing how she unbuttons her shirt and it falls to the floor. Or how she's undressing her husband. I know Pepper loves to write romance, but there is a difference between Romance and Show-mance. Romance will draw your heart with a tension that makes you swoon. Show-mance will just be stuff that you'd skip if it was on TV because you don't need to see that and won't miss anything if you do skip it.

(I received a copy of this story via Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)