Margaret H. (ExPeruanista) -
This is a wretched, bad book and a misuse of Jane Austen's characters. SPOILERS: Do we really think Mr. Darcy is so dumb as to be tricked by Mrs. Bennet into taking her along on the family visit to Egypt? There's even that hokey old chestnut, the treasure map obtained from the dying man. There's geographical ignorance: "Of course when you arrive at the Valley of the Kings, you will be amazed at how spectacular the pyramids are." Nope - the great pyramids are not within sight of the Valley, as a bit of map consultation would show, and there are no pyramids in the Valley. Also, at one point the Darcy party is said to walk from their house in Cairo to the pyramids. - unlikely. No cliche is left unused - secret tunnels, the Curse of the Tomb. At one point someone drops a pocket watch on the sand 'to mark the spot' - and expects to be able to find it again?! There's also a lot of ineptly written canoodling among the pyramids by Mr. & Mrs. Darcy. Shame on you, Amanda Grange! Your other books are so much better.
The cover of the book is also not very good fiction: the co-author, Jacqueline Webb, is described there as 'an Egyptologist,' although apparently all she's done is write a couple of historical romances set in Egypt during the Edwardian period. If you'd like to read something better, by a real Egyptologist, try Elizabeth Peters' many-volume Amelia Peabody series of novels.
The cover of the book is also not very good fiction: the co-author, Jacqueline Webb, is described there as 'an Egyptologist,' although apparently all she's done is write a couple of historical romances set in Egypt during the Edwardian period. If you'd like to read something better, by a real Egyptologist, try Elizabeth Peters' many-volume Amelia Peabody series of novels.
