Gulfsa Delani is puzzled, and annoyed, when a Karachi police detective calls her in the middle of the night and insists that she accompanies him to the scene of a drug bust in a distant cave. When she gets there, she understands why he called her. Inside is an Egyptian sarcophagus with a perfectly preserved mummy. What makes it even more special is that the mummy appears to be of a Persian royal princess, the first ever found.
Dr. Delani is a curator at the Karachi Museum of Heritage and History, and she has years of experience in Egyptology. The police chief is reluctant to release the mummy to her, but she convinces him she is the only one who can study and preserve the delicate body. It soon becomes apparent that others very much want the royal lady. Some are even willing to kill anyone who tries to stop them.
While Gul tries to study and preserve her princess, she has to deal with a myriad of stressful situations. They include having to fight for her career in a male dominant field, looking for her missing and beloved niece, protecting a vulnerable child, and staying alive.
The author provides an intriguing look into the Pakistani culture, including the good, the bad, and the ugly, through the eyes of a strong and resourceful protagonist. The mystery has plenty of twists and turns, with the tension building to an explosive ending. Highly recommended.

An amazing book! I couldn't put it down! This amazing blend of political thriller, spy novel, archeological investigation, and missing persons case blew me away. I was hooked from the first page, and my interest never waned for the briefest moment. Phillips has done a masterful job and carefully doling out clues and action sequences. The pacing was perfect. And could this be the beginning of a series? I hope so!

A drug ring, artifact smuggling, missing people, and old legends; this twisty mystery has it all. Dr. Gul Delani is called late one night to lend her expertise as an Egyptologist when the police find a mummy among a drug lord's stash. As she begins to research the mummy, potentially an ancient Persian princess, it brings up her feelings of grief surrounding the disappearance of her beloved niece, Mahnaz, three years prior. With the help of her friends, she attempts to discover the truth about what is going on, while making her a target of the drug lord and his conspirators in this gritty story.
I enjoyed learning more about Pakistan as well as the history of mummification as well. Very well written and informative.

Inspired by a real life event, an archaeologist is called in to examine a mummy found during a drug raid in Pakistan and soon realizes the investigation is personal.

When a mummy is found during a shootout with local drug dealers, museum Egyptologist Dr. Gul Delani is called to the grisly scene. As Gul battles with forces within the police department and within her own museum over possession of this intriguing mummy, questions about its authenticity arise. And the web around the mummy begins to encircle Gul’s life, putting her in danger. Unsure who she can trust, Gul also struggles with her own personal trauma, the disappearance of her beloved niece, which already had brought her near mental collapse. Desperate to find answers both about the mummy and about her niece, Gul begins investigating on her own, despite warnings to stop.

Khan Phillips has written a heart-stopping, richly detailed thriller, featuring a strong female protagonist with secrets of her own. I sincerely hope this is the beginning of a series featuring Dr. Gul Delani.

Thank you to NetGalley and Soho Crime for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Maha Khan Phillips’ The Museum Detective is an intriguing mix of mystery, archaeology, and personal loss. The story follows Dr. Gul Delani, an archaeologist and curator in Karachi, who is unexpectedly called to a remote desert site. She hopes the police have found a lead on her missing niece, Mahnaz, but instead, she’s faced with something just as shocking—a mysterious mummy with markings from the Achaemenid Empire. As she digs deeper, she finds herself caught in a dangerous conspiracy that threatens to derail both her investigation and her personal search for answers.

The premise is fascinating, and the book has some great twists that kept me engaged. Gul is a strong, determined character, and I really enjoyed following her journey. That said, some of the side characters fell a little flat. Sania didn’t seem to have much personality until the very end, and Balil—well, he felt like a bit of a clueless fool, getting himself into massive debt without ever realizing his “friend” was a fraud.

Overall, this was an interesting and unique story with some unexpected surprises along the way. If you enjoy mysteries with a historical twist, it’s definitely worth a read!

“On thinking about Hell, I gather my brother Shelley found it was a place much like the city of London. I, who live in Los Angeles and not in London, find, on thinking about Hell, that it must be still more like Los Angeles.”
–Bertolt Brecht

Dr. Gul Delani is the curator of the Heritage and History Museum in Karachi, Pakistan. When she is awakened one night by a call from the police, asking her to travel from her home in the capital to a remote desert area for an unspecified reason, she is not exactly pleased. But it’s the police, and it is not in her nature to refuse such a request.

However, what she finds upon arriving at the site astounds her: during a bungled drug raid, the police have discovered, hidden in a cave, an ancient life-sized mummy, complete with a decorated sarcophagus. From a brief inspection, Gul believes the items are most likely authentic, but she urgently needs to secure them and move them to a controlled environment where she can verify her initial assessment.

We soon learn that Gul has traveled a difficult road to reach her current position at the museum. Born into a wealthy family—her father founded the country’s first homegrown financial institution—she was determined to pursue her studies and build a career of her own. But her conservative parents had a different plan, one involving marriage, children, and a life of subservience. Gul found a way to achieve her ambitions, but the path was far from easy. Now, following her father’s death, the family business is run by her brother, Bilal—a shrewd financier with whom Gul fell out some time ago. Their estrangement, however, is overshadowed by the disappearance of Bilal’s daughter, Mahnaz, a sharp and witty young woman with whom Gul had formed a close bond. Despite extensive searching, Mahnaz’s whereabouts remain unknown.

After securing the mummy and sarcophagus, Gul assembles a small team to fully assess this extraordinary find. Could it really be, as the symbols on the ancient sarcophagus suggest, over two thousand years old and linked to Persepolis, the capital of the Achaemenid Empire? Her work is quickly hindered—first by the unwanted interference of a well-connected male colleague at the museum, and then by a ruthless drug lord determined to steal the artifacts back. It is far from certain that Gul will be allowed to complete her examination.

This novel delivers plenty of mystery and adventure, with intricate puzzles waiting to be unraveled. The fast-paced narrative is driven by compelling characters, particularly the intelligent and determined Gul. But beyond the action, the book also offers a vivid portrait of modern-day Pakistan—especially Karachi, a city shaped by relationships, networks, and deeply ingrained hierarchies. It highlights the challenges of being a career-driven woman in a society that often resists change. Once a cosmopolitan haven for minorities and those fleeing persecution, Karachi, as some now claim, has changed.

If you’re looking for a novel that delivers both a thrilling story and insightful social commentary, this one will certainly fit the bill.

The Museum Detective bundles together a compelling murder mystery with insights into the modern Pakistani world – truth telling and exploration of challenging societal issues – which makes it feel fresh. Featuring a protagonist who faces conflict in her personal and professional lives and other memorable characters (some good, some toxic), it is highly enjoyable, and at times, emotional. Recommended read, particularly for fans of the Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth series, by LJM Owen. 4.0-4.5 stars

Long a fan of Soho Crime for its international mysteries, I was thrilled to be approved for a NetGalley preview of The Museum Detective. What a fast compulsive read! I loved it for the writing, strong characters, wonderfully described setting, and - of course - the archaeology, history and mythology. I would definitely read more about Gul and her exploits if this became a series. A great pick for fans of Vaseem Khan's Malabar House mysteries, Nev March, and of Lyn Hamilton or Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series.

Quite a delightful read with a lot of twists and turns! It was informative in that I got to learn about the police system in Pakistan and some archaeological details with some knowledge related to mummification. The author’s narration was gripping and descriptive enough to imagine the setting of the scenes at different stages in the storyline.

The Museum Detective is a thrilling debut that follows archaeologist and museum curator Dr. Gul Delani as she investigates the discovery of a mysterious mummy during a drug bust in Pakistan.
As her quest for truth leads her deep into the world of stolen artifacts, Gul uncovers secrets that challenge her professional expertise. Along the way, she also comes close to unraveling the mystery behind a family member’s long-unsolved disappearance.

After a prolonged reading slump, The Museum Detective was the book I didn’t know I needed. The premise pulled me in—a unique blend of art, history, and mystery.

While the reveal didn’t leave me reeling as I expected, it still kept me thoroughly engaged. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next books in the series.

The Museum Detective will surely pique your interest and make for a satisfying literary escape.

I chose this fab debut because of main character, archaeologist Dr. Gul Delani, a woman in a typically male profession in a country less open to female achievement. The exotic setting, intriguing story of an antiquities scandal, and the intelligent gutsy protagonist kept me made me cheer! Can't wait until the next book in the series.

Dr. Gul Delani is a force to be reckoned with—balancing the heartbreak of her missing niece with the discovery of a mysterious mummy that unravels a web of corruption. The vivid setting of Karachi and its underbelly of crime add layers of intrigue, while Gul’s determination and wit shine through. A masterful blend of archaeology, mystery, and raw emotion, this debut leaves you breathless.

A mysterious mummy is discovered during a drug bust in a cave in Pakistan. The sarcophagus has Egyptian references. How can this be? Dr Gul Delano, archeologist and curator at the Museum of Heritage in History in Karachi, is called in to consult. The writings on the sarcophagus seem to reference a princess long thought to be only legend. Is this find authentic or is there something more sinister? Running parallel to this discovery is Gul’s continued search for the truth behind her niece Mahnaz’s disappearance many years ago. Mahnaz’s disappearance also caused a rift between Gul and her brother & sister-in-law. Are the sarcophagus find and Mahnaz’s disappearance connected? Gul must work around the corrupt Pakistani law enforcement to find answers. Nothing will stop her. During the ensuing investigation the puzzle pieces begin to come together. The Museum Detective is a good crime thriller. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This is such a fascinating plot! The book itself was well-written, the characters were diverse and dimensional, and the narrative was paced well. I loved that the mystery was historical and cultural and that we got to learn about several fields of study along the way.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Museum Detective.

I love how the premise was Inspired by a real-life antiquities scandal in Pakistan.

Egyptology is fascinating and I learned a lot about the process of mummification from the main character, archaeologist Dr. Gul Delani.

The plot is interwoven with Dr. Gul's niece who disappeared three years ago and whose unknown whereabouts has caused further complications with her estranged brother and sister-in-law.

There are betrayals, secrets are revealed, corruption, and unsavory and cowardly men are exposed, but Dr. Gul has some great allies, her bright students, a formidable neighbor, and the only incorrupt detective on the force who has her back.

I liked the plot and Dr. Gul is a well developed character, but I didn't like her much. I actually liked the supporting characters better.

Despite her upbringing and the painful choices she has made in her personal life, I found her incredibly naive.

Even after everything that happened, exposing corruption within the police force and in her own family, she still believed the authorities would have located her niece, protected her and the antiquity.

She lives in a country rife with poverty, corruption, and danger and believes playing by the rules will ensure her safety and good will prevail?

Is she optimistic or just foolish? Her sister-in-law possesses more street smarts than Dr. Gul.

The writing style took some getting used to; info dumping would occur midway through a chapter when a new character was introduced and the author wanted to explain this character's relationship to Dr. Gul.

It threw off the pacing of the narrative and distracted the main focus of the story.

I'm always interested in a series led by a female character and look forward to the next book in the series.

this was a pretty good book. I did think the archaeology was interesting, and overall i think the story was good. I do, however, think that there was a lot of slow and dull moments in this book, which made it hard to get through. It was a slow read, but it was good at the end of the day...


Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

I enjoyed this Pakistani detective in Karachi who sets out to find out the mystery behind an embalmed woman's body found in the desert, complete with a sarcophagus, resembling the preserved Egyptian mummies of old. Detective Gulfsa Delani is persistent and knows a lot about the archaeology of the region and about Egypt in particular.

I like that there is a personal side to Detective Gul, who desperately searches for her beloved missing young neice, Mahnaz.

I learned a lot about the city of Karachi, about the history of mummies in the area, and the archaelogical finds in Egypt. The setting is as important to the book as is the story, and the personality of Gul is intriguing, as she is unusual in her career, one of the few women who is dedicated to a profession usually reserved for males.

Atmospheric and suspenseful, this was an enjoyable read.

An interesting read on many levels - historical, current, and political.

I really enjoyed this book despite the often sinister backdrop of the story. It was well researched and the story well executed. The setting and characters were believable and I was caught up in the narrative. I would recommend, thank you.

This is such a great book! Like a family curry, it has a lot of ingredients that come together with a lot of heat and flavor. An archaeologist, who is a very independent professional trained in Egypt, is called out to scene by what may be the only honest policeman in Pakistan. They've found a mummy in a cave, and if it's authentic it may prove a historical relationship that has been theorized by never proven. But it could be fake, created out of a contemporary corpse to fool a wealthy collector. Our intelligent and brave protagonist has to battle a jealous coworker while also anxious to discover what happened to her missing niece, a political active feminist teen who vanished without a trace. It's all wrapped up in an adventurous plot that keeps taking surprising twists.

While I did suspect the bad guy early on, I especially loved the vividly-evoked setting in Pakistan, the science, and the fascinating character of Dr. Gul Delani, who I would love to see in action again. Well done, Soho, for giving me a better appreciation of a part of the world rarely seen in fiction (apart from spy, military, and action thrillers mostly featuring Americans).