Carole Lawrence's Cleopatra-Inspired Dagger – An Ancient Egyptian-Style Weapon for Your Collection

Susan C. Jarratt: I loved the way the author used her knowledge of ancient Egyptian religion as the murderers' symbolic language. This makes so much sense in the context of 19th-century England, when Egyptology was so much an object of fascination. All the historical details of 19th-century New York were so vivid. I loved that women were at the center of this story. Highly recommended!

United States on Dec 13, 2023

Diana D: I liked the mix of mystery and history in this novel. I have always been fascinated by New York City history, and Lawrence included lots of interesting historical information, without taking away from the mystery Elizabeth was trying to solve. The novel did seem a little slow in the beginning; the main action of the murders didn't really get going until about chapter 10, and one major element was never resolved (an assault on Elizabeth), but overall I found the novel interesting on several levels. I'd like to see a sequel to this, with Elizabeth continuing her crime reporting and developing deeper friendships with the characters introduced in this novel.

United States on Nov 22, 2023

Sue M: No dull spots and a really interesting storyline. Loved the protagonist and her fearless pursuit of equality and solving the mystery!

Canada on Sep 15, 2023

Amanda I: Not the sort of nokk I normally go for but I enjoyed reading it. It was fairly well paced and the writing was descriptive

United Kingdom on Apr 07, 2023

lyntrom: This is the first book that I have read by this author and it was a good mystery. I learned a great deal about New York City in the 1890s from the wealthy class to the slums and poverty of the immigrant neighbourhood; the gangs and corruption that seemed to be a part of most aspects of life including the city's police force. It was an insight into how people lived and survived in that world and how the unfortunate did not. The heroine appeared naive to her own safety until she unexpectedly encountered the danger in her job as the Herald's first woman crime reporter. It was an insightful read as well as a mystery.

Canada on Jan 15, 2023

William: A gripping and unusual plot which is expertly developed and elegantly crafted. The depiction of New York is vivid and colourful and the characters very well delineated. I hope to read more by this author.

United Kingdom on Jan 13, 2023

Duonehamov: Came recommended by Amazon prime read, plot sounded good and it didn't disappoint
May be some interaction with Higgins on Egyptology?!

Australia on Mar 20, 2022

Bichon Mom: Cleopatra's Dagger is an engrossing and entertaining murder mystery. It is well written with a lot of historical details and references. The setting is New York City during the Gilded Age era and the author does a good job of describing the mores and characters at both ends of the economic spectrum.

Elizabeth van den Broek is a very likable character, a young woman determined to make a difference and achieve her ambition to be a meaningful journalist despite all obstacles. Stumbling across a body gives her career as a crime reporter the jumpstart she needs to make her mark and she pursues the story.

I found the characterizations and descriptions of the settings to be the best part of the story with the mystery itself taking second place. That is not to say that it is not well plotted, only that the characters and setting are what kept me reading. The serial killer’s actions are described in chapters that are interspersed throughout the book. It’s his story that highlights the Egyptian theme as well as providing a consistent framework for Elizabeth’s investigative reporting.

This is a well written historical mystery with a plot that keeps the narrative...

United States on Mar 03, 2022

Galaverna: I feel this wasn't quite a 4 star book, for reasons I will go into below, but it was more than 3 stars; so let's go with 3.5.
I didn't dislike this book, but it wasn't anything extraordinary. But take my rating with a grain of salt, before discarding this book as an option to read. Here's why:

I have read a lot of classics, written in many time periods, as well as very good writers of historical stories. I tend to be very attuned the nuances of speech and actions of characters and whether they sound authentic to the time period vs being more modern. Not all readers care about this and simply love a good story, regardless of all these details. That's perfectly fine.
So if you are a reader who enjoys a story for entertainment or distraction, regardless of time period and don't particularly care about subtle things that aren't quite authentic to the historical setting, I do recommend the book. From that point of view then this is perhaps closer to a 4 star book.

The author clearly did her research in order to paint an accurate setting historically. The descriptions of late 19th century New York are detailed and the historical details correct.

But attention...

United States on Mar 02, 2022