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naluju's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Barker and Llewelyn 1894 London ,
duchessofreadin's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my goodness! If you are a fan of mysteries, somewhat in the style of Holmes and Watson - you will LOVE this book! I could not put it down!
A mummy, a mysterious jewel, a missing husband - these are the things that start the investigation into the young schoolteacher who goes missing after discovering a jewel in the chest of an ancient mummy. When his body turns up, the investigation will take several twists and turns. Who is responsible, and where did the jewel go?
Absolutely a stunning and well-crafted book. I could not put this one down at all! The audio version was fantastic, and I listened through it almost non-stop (minus 30 minutes in the car with kids). Cannot wait to read more from this author!
A mummy, a mysterious jewel, a missing husband - these are the things that start the investigation into the young schoolteacher who goes missing after discovering a jewel in the chest of an ancient mummy. When his body turns up, the investigation will take several twists and turns. Who is responsible, and where did the jewel go?
Absolutely a stunning and well-crafted book. I could not put this one down at all! The audio version was fantastic, and I listened through it almost non-stop (minus 30 minutes in the car with kids). Cannot wait to read more from this author!
krhysling's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
stricker's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
4.0
In the manner of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, the author has created Barker and Llewelyn who travel through London in the 1890's seeking to solve a murder mystery while dodging those seeking to discover the whereabouts of a large heart shaped ruby found in a mummy thought to be that of Cleopatra.
heather_whoo's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
jonie_rich's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
favouritepages's review against another edition
4.0
The Heart of the Nile is part of the Barker and Llewellyn series. It's the fourteenth. I hadn't read any of them previously, so this one can definitely be read as a stand-alone.
Llewellyn and Barker are private enquiry agents, basically private detectives, in late 19th century London. The wife of a volunteer at the British Museum comes to them for their help finding her missing husband. Llewellyn and Barker start making some enquiries only to find out he's been murdered. Signs point to him being murdered for a precious gem he found in a mummy at the museum. What ensues is their desperate attempt to figure out who the murderer is while being put in danger themselves.
I absolutely love cozy mysteries, and this reads very much like one. With the exception that our main characters were male and not amateur sleuths. I loved our main characters, with one of them being a little bit mysterious and very influential and the other acting as his sidekick, even though he's a full partner in the firm. This is going back a ways, but they reminded me of the detective duo in the movie From Hell, Inspector Fred Abberline and his Sergeant, Peter Godley, played by Johnny Depp and Robbie Coltrane respectively, as they try to track down Jack the Ripper.
The mystery in the Heart of the Nile was very intriguing, I loved the museum and archeological connection. There were a couple of interesting twists to the story that kept me guessing as to who the killer was. The book was fast-paced, while there was quite a bit of 19th-century terminology, and I did look up a few words. It was easy to read. It also felt very true to the time period.
If you like:
Llewellyn and Barker are private enquiry agents, basically private detectives, in late 19th century London. The wife of a volunteer at the British Museum comes to them for their help finding her missing husband. Llewellyn and Barker start making some enquiries only to find out he's been murdered. Signs point to him being murdered for a precious gem he found in a mummy at the museum. What ensues is their desperate attempt to figure out who the murderer is while being put in danger themselves.
I absolutely love cozy mysteries, and this reads very much like one. With the exception that our main characters were male and not amateur sleuths. I loved our main characters, with one of them being a little bit mysterious and very influential and the other acting as his sidekick, even though he's a full partner in the firm. This is going back a ways, but they reminded me of the detective duo in the movie From Hell, Inspector Fred Abberline and his Sergeant, Peter Godley, played by Johnny Depp and Robbie Coltrane respectively, as they try to track down Jack the Ripper.
The mystery in the Heart of the Nile was very intriguing, I loved the museum and archeological connection. There were a couple of interesting twists to the story that kept me guessing as to who the killer was. The book was fast-paced, while there was quite a bit of 19th-century terminology, and I did look up a few words. It was easy to read. It also felt very true to the time period.
If you like:
mslaura's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75