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Search the Shadows
Haskell Maloney was cruelly orphaned when she was just a baby. Now, twenty-two years later, she receives confirmation of the bitter truth she always the fallen war hero whose name she shares was not her father. Her quest for answers—and a personal history—brings Haskell to the famed Oriental Institute in Chicago, a city in which her mother lived and thrived before her strange, untimely death. But by rummaging around in the darkness, Haskell's exposing much more than she bargained for. And now she's racing against the clock to discover who she really is . . . and why someone is suddenly determined to kill her.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1987
99 people are currently reading
639 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Michaels
95 books688 followersBarbara Michaels was a pen name of Barbara Mertz. She also wrote as Elizabeth Peters, as well as under her own name.
She was born in Canton, Illinois and has written over fifty books including some in Egyptology. Dr. Mertz also holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in Egyptology.
She was born in Canton, Illinois and has written over fifty books including some in Egyptology. Dr. Mertz also holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in Egyptology.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
April 25, 2015
4th re-read of the year for Barbara Michaels done.
Barbara Michaels, the pen name for Elizabeth Mertz, was an Egyptologist for her other career. It’s expected that the accomplished woman who want to sneak Egyptology themes and settings into even her Gothic work under the Michaels name.
Even if this book is set with a museum curator’s work, there is nothing about artifacts and Egyptology here – instead the protagonist Haskell, obsessed with her mother’s death and who her father may actually be, is digging through another sort of potent history, her own biological tree.
The premise is sound, the pacing as structured as can be with this kind of story, but the plot is too calm. It’s not enough to warrant a full-length novel, so there is lagging.
An attempt or so on Haskell’s life paints a gothic splash, suspense is only there toward the end during a confrontation with the big bad, and the mystery – while not obvious exactly – isn’t that interesting because by the end I didn’t care much who the real father was. Romance is in the background to where I wasn’t sure who she’d end up choosing, but I was happy with the choice when it was made.
I do wish something different had happened with the elderly museum director, however. I think there was emotional potential when she discovered who he really was to her. Tragedy cut those strings too abruptly.
Overall this is an average read – Michaels writing style is addicting to me, so I could easily keep reading, but it’s a story that passes through the eyes and then out the brain again. Just not memorable. If you’re new to Michaels, start elsewhere, but if you’re a fan, it’s worth a read.
Barbara Michaels, the pen name for Elizabeth Mertz, was an Egyptologist for her other career. It’s expected that the accomplished woman who want to sneak Egyptology themes and settings into even her Gothic work under the Michaels name.
Even if this book is set with a museum curator’s work, there is nothing about artifacts and Egyptology here – instead the protagonist Haskell, obsessed with her mother’s death and who her father may actually be, is digging through another sort of potent history, her own biological tree.
The premise is sound, the pacing as structured as can be with this kind of story, but the plot is too calm. It’s not enough to warrant a full-length novel, so there is lagging.
An attempt or so on Haskell’s life paints a gothic splash, suspense is only there toward the end during a confrontation with the big bad, and the mystery – while not obvious exactly – isn’t that interesting because by the end I didn’t care much who the real father was. Romance is in the background to where I wasn’t sure who she’d end up choosing, but I was happy with the choice when it was made.
I do wish something different had happened with the elderly museum director, however. I think there was emotional potential when she discovered who he really was to her. Tragedy cut those strings too abruptly.
Overall this is an average read – Michaels writing style is addicting to me, so I could easily keep reading, but it’s a story that passes through the eyes and then out the brain again. Just not memorable. If you’re new to Michaels, start elsewhere, but if you’re a fan, it’s worth a read.
December 31, 2020
In re-reading this I realized that Barbara Michaels had a wickedly sly sense of humor that I really appreciated. Of course I knew that the author, when she was writing as Elizabeth Peters, was funny. As Barbara Michaels the humor was subtle and it made my new journey through this story new and quite special.
February 26, 2017
Amazingly, this is the first Barbara Michaels I’ve ever read. It was a good page-turner, and the mystery was satisfyingly atmospheric in its gothicness and twisty with its misdirection. The romance, however, felt sort of tacked-on at the end. I was pleased to have a romance with an intentionally unlikeable heroine, for a change. She’s rude and selfish, snide towards all other women, and feels very little sense of guilt over neglecting her relations. She also does not hesitate to use any tools available to her to achieve her own ends, including people. But of course, she is also beautiful and unaware of it, feeling that her dark coloring makes her unattractive in comparison to her fair-skinned and fair-haired mother. This makes pretty much every man she encounters willing to walk over fire to help her.
I read this for the 2017 Romance Bingo. It fits the Gothic Romance square, as it has most of the elements of gothic literature, except the usual supernatural one, if you discount several characters who seem to have almost psychic thought connection or leaps of intuition.
I read this for the 2017 Romance Bingo. It fits the Gothic Romance square, as it has most of the elements of gothic literature, except the usual supernatural one, if you discount several characters who seem to have almost psychic thought connection or leaps of intuition.
May 15, 2022
Search the Shadows tells the tale of an orphan who heads to Chicago to discover who her real father was. It’s a serviceable mystery, but it’s not up to the usual high Barbara Michaels standard.
June 24, 2015
Kind of dated, typewriters and telephones, no computers or cell phones, but it's not too glaring. The book was written in the 80's and has a slower feel to it. I think it was slower to try to build tension, but it didn't work too well in my opinion.
The characters were all somewhat two dimensional, but stuck to the tropes from which they came, with the exception of the "big bad" and the aunt, who was much more prominent in the beginning than she was when the ridiculously named hMC left for Chicago.
The romance was predictable, but completely unbelievable. Slight spoiler ahead.
I detest young female protags with a much older man. It is skeevy to me. Yes, it happens in real life. I rather not read it in my fiction. Personal pet peeve.
The love square was rather unnecessary and had me rolling my eyes. The hMC was the typical "beautiful but didn't know it" character. Also, all of the other females were either old and beloved, old and sad and frumpy and bitchy or young, only used as a bitchier foil for our hMC to make the rather judgmental and naive hMC appear in a better light.
It didn't work. I didn't really like the hMC or her eventually love interest. Slight spoiler, he was too much of a brute who man-handled her. He's kissing her and causing bruising? He has hold of her by the shoulders and gives her a hard shake, causing her head to snap back, IN PUBLIC, the FIRST TIME they meet? Hell-to-the-no.
The best part of this book for me was the writing, specifically the interactions involving our young and naive hMC with an older and wiser female. Though in the beginning our hMC had a few zingers, the older and wiser women ruled in my opinion. I especially liked Jessie and Aunt E. (can't recall her full name right now).
The parts that actually described the work our hMC was doing was very interesting. I love research and digging through old books and journals and hunting for treasures in boxes of dusty old junk. It sounded heavenly! A whole cellar in a mansion of antiquities to sort through and old journals to transcribe, to hunt down when and where each piece was procured. Right in my wheelhouse.
Imagine how disappointed I was to get banal conversation while our hMC and one of her guys was eating. Boooriiiing!
More boring? The mystery about who was her biological father. Don't care. Give me more research! I want more research! (Stamping foot and pouting, arms crossed.)
Not a bad book, but it doesn't compare to her "Houses of Stone", which I enjoyed more. Had a more supernatural feel, more danger and more excitement.
Full disclosure, I skipped from page 280 to about 30 pages to the end because I got too bored to continue reading straight through. If I read ONE MORE scene of the hMC and someone else eating, the book was going to be pitched across the room. The only "exciting" part wasn't even exciting, with the fire happening while our hMC was half out of it and therefore was a semi-conscious narrator. As a result, less than terrifying fire scene and rescue.
If you like her other works, you will most likely enjoy this. I wasn't thrilled, but it wasn't bad. An entertaining way to spend the morning of afternoon. Three solid stars.
The characters were all somewhat two dimensional, but stuck to the tropes from which they came, with the exception of the "big bad" and the aunt, who was much more prominent in the beginning than she was when the ridiculously named hMC left for Chicago.
The romance was predictable, but completely unbelievable. Slight spoiler ahead.
I detest young female protags with a much older man. It is skeevy to me. Yes, it happens in real life. I rather not read it in my fiction. Personal pet peeve.
The love square was rather unnecessary and had me rolling my eyes. The hMC was the typical "beautiful but didn't know it" character. Also, all of the other females were either old and beloved, old and sad and frumpy and bitchy or young, only used as a bitchier foil for our hMC to make the rather judgmental and naive hMC appear in a better light.
It didn't work. I didn't really like the hMC or her eventually love interest. Slight spoiler, he was too much of a brute who man-handled her. He's kissing her and causing bruising? He has hold of her by the shoulders and gives her a hard shake, causing her head to snap back, IN PUBLIC, the FIRST TIME they meet? Hell-to-the-no.
The best part of this book for me was the writing, specifically the interactions involving our young and naive hMC with an older and wiser female. Though in the beginning our hMC had a few zingers, the older and wiser women ruled in my opinion. I especially liked Jessie and Aunt E. (can't recall her full name right now).
The parts that actually described the work our hMC was doing was very interesting. I love research and digging through old books and journals and hunting for treasures in boxes of dusty old junk. It sounded heavenly! A whole cellar in a mansion of antiquities to sort through and old journals to transcribe, to hunt down when and where each piece was procured. Right in my wheelhouse.
Imagine how disappointed I was to get banal conversation while our hMC and one of her guys was eating. Boooriiiing!
More boring? The mystery about who was her biological father. Don't care. Give me more research! I want more research! (Stamping foot and pouting, arms crossed.)
Not a bad book, but it doesn't compare to her "Houses of Stone", which I enjoyed more. Had a more supernatural feel, more danger and more excitement.
Full disclosure, I skipped from page 280 to about 30 pages to the end because I got too bored to continue reading straight through. If I read ONE MORE scene of the hMC and someone else eating, the book was going to be pitched across the room. The only "exciting" part wasn't even exciting, with the fire happening while our hMC was half out of it and therefore was a semi-conscious narrator. As a result, less than terrifying fire scene and rescue.
If you like her other works, you will most likely enjoy this. I wasn't thrilled, but it wasn't bad. An entertaining way to spend the morning of afternoon. Three solid stars.
December 5, 2022
Eh... This one was so slow to get started! It needed either more fleshing out to make it more engaging in the first half or to be trimmed down. (Trimming down would probably be preferable!) As it is, you're waiting for something to happen-- for the book to take a definite direction-- for far too long. When things finally get moving, it's okay-ish, but certainly not one of the author's best novels.
Random Thoughts:
-- I find it amusing that this author clearly considered herself very "with it" and feminist, and yet her writing has some painfully cringe-worthy sexist stereotypes. The way she describes one female character in particular, in this book, is just... Wow!
-- The main character is a woman named "Haskell". A bit odd, and yes, I know I have a nerve to say so, since I'm a female Michael... But I acknowledge that my name is rather odd, too.
-- I realize she "had" to do it to get the story going in its intended direction, and ultimately you understand why, but it seemed very strange to me that Haskell breaks off her engagement simply because she suspects that the man she thought was her father (but who she had never even met) wasn't her biological dad. I get that it might be startling and make you want to investigate and locate your biological father, but it's a weird reason to call off an engagement! She treats Jon poorly throughout the book, really.
-- It will never cease to be gross and yucky and utterly unappealing when male characters with a romantic interest in female characters call them "child", "kid", or otherwise refer to them as being childlike. "Oh, Haskell ... You are so damned young"?
-- It always rubs me the wrong way when an author makes irritating "asides", observations, or excuses about how a character has said something that's grammatically incorrect. Argh! We know you know how to "write good", okay? Give it a rest!! Let the characters speak naturally, please! Stop berating them (for the words you put in their mouths) and drawing undue attention to the fact that everyday speech is frequently not grammatically correct. We already know that.
One example:
"What do you want to know that for?"
"Your grammar is as befuddled as your reasoning," Dave said cuttingly.
-- Twice near the end, Haskell thinks something to the effect that cigarette smoke smells nice. My personal favorite? "I lay still, savoring the beautiful gray light and the exquisite aroma of cigarette smoke that permeated the sheets." This was published in 1987, so yes, cigarette smoking was more common than it is now, but even back then, didn't most people think cigarette smoke reeked? If not, it was probably only because they were smokers themselves and were nose-blind to it. I don't know... I'm just not buying this love for the so-called "aroma" of cigarette smoke. Then again, I suppose we can sometimes enjoy/appreciate objectively stinky smells simply because we associate them with someone we love.
-- I wasn't sure who Haskell's father would be, to tell the truth. There are a handful of equally plausible possibilities, and by the time it was revealed, I just kind of shrugged... "Yep. That was one of the possibilities I considered. She sure did find out who her bio dad is. (...yawn)"
-- I was similarly uncertain of how the romance aspect of the book would work out, until fairly near the end. It was a bit out of the blue. It felt like she was steering us in a different direction for most of the book... Then you could tell that was a no-go, and she suddenly changed tack, which is something I don't particularly like in romances. I want a chance to root for a pairing, not have two or three kind of "meh" options and no clue about where things are headed. So yes, this was slightly disorienting, but unlike some other readers, I found the last part of the book (where the romance is resolved) generally more entertaining to read than much of the rest of it. I might have liked the book better if more pages had been devoted to the romance instead of the dull, plodding mystery/who's-the-daddy storyline!
-- I was disappointed by the lack of exciting treasure-hunting and sorting through artifacts. I guess I should've known that wouldn't materialize, because it would be difficult to write in an interesting way without distracting from the rest of the book, but still... I felt let down.
-- There was very much less of the paranormal than I expected. Some of this author's novels lean heavily on the supernatural, and for some reason I thought this one might, as well. I wasn't so much disappointed as mildly surprised by the lack.
Conclusion: It took me a while to work my way through this book, and I wouldn't recommend it unless you're already a fan. I think I've always found her works annoying in some ways, but I think I used to enjoy them more than I do now. At this point, it seems likely that either I'm pickier now or I'm remembering liking some of her other novels better than I actually did. I can't believe I just happened to read all the better ones first.
Random Thoughts:
-- I find it amusing that this author clearly considered herself very "with it" and feminist, and yet her writing has some painfully cringe-worthy sexist stereotypes. The way she describes one female character in particular, in this book, is just... Wow!
-- The main character is a woman named "Haskell". A bit odd, and yes, I know I have a nerve to say so, since I'm a female Michael... But I acknowledge that my name is rather odd, too.
-- I realize she "had" to do it to get the story going in its intended direction, and ultimately you understand why, but it seemed very strange to me that Haskell breaks off her engagement simply because she suspects that the man she thought was her father (but who she had never even met) wasn't her biological dad. I get that it might be startling and make you want to investigate and locate your biological father, but it's a weird reason to call off an engagement! She treats Jon poorly throughout the book, really.
-- It will never cease to be gross and yucky and utterly unappealing when male characters with a romantic interest in female characters call them "child", "kid", or otherwise refer to them as being childlike. "Oh, Haskell ... You are so damned young"?
-- It always rubs me the wrong way when an author makes irritating "asides", observations, or excuses about how a character has said something that's grammatically incorrect. Argh! We know you know how to "write good", okay? Give it a rest!! Let the characters speak naturally, please! Stop berating them (for the words you put in their mouths) and drawing undue attention to the fact that everyday speech is frequently not grammatically correct. We already know that.
One example:
"What do you want to know that for?"
"Your grammar is as befuddled as your reasoning," Dave said cuttingly.
-- Twice near the end, Haskell thinks something to the effect that cigarette smoke smells nice. My personal favorite? "I lay still, savoring the beautiful gray light and the exquisite aroma of cigarette smoke that permeated the sheets." This was published in 1987, so yes, cigarette smoking was more common than it is now, but even back then, didn't most people think cigarette smoke reeked? If not, it was probably only because they were smokers themselves and were nose-blind to it. I don't know... I'm just not buying this love for the so-called "aroma" of cigarette smoke. Then again, I suppose we can sometimes enjoy/appreciate objectively stinky smells simply because we associate them with someone we love.
-- I wasn't sure who Haskell's father would be, to tell the truth. There are a handful of equally plausible possibilities, and by the time it was revealed, I just kind of shrugged... "Yep. That was one of the possibilities I considered. She sure did find out who her bio dad is. (...yawn)"
-- I was similarly uncertain of how the romance aspect of the book would work out, until fairly near the end. It was a bit out of the blue. It felt like she was steering us in a different direction for most of the book... Then you could tell that was a no-go, and she suddenly changed tack, which is something I don't particularly like in romances. I want a chance to root for a pairing, not have two or three kind of "meh" options and no clue about where things are headed. So yes, this was slightly disorienting, but unlike some other readers, I found the last part of the book (where the romance is resolved) generally more entertaining to read than much of the rest of it. I might have liked the book better if more pages had been devoted to the romance instead of the dull, plodding mystery/who's-the-daddy storyline!
-- I was disappointed by the lack of exciting treasure-hunting and sorting through artifacts. I guess I should've known that wouldn't materialize, because it would be difficult to write in an interesting way without distracting from the rest of the book, but still... I felt let down.
-- There was very much less of the paranormal than I expected. Some of this author's novels lean heavily on the supernatural, and for some reason I thought this one might, as well. I wasn't so much disappointed as mildly surprised by the lack.
Conclusion: It took me a while to work my way through this book, and I wouldn't recommend it unless you're already a fan. I think I've always found her works annoying in some ways, but I think I used to enjoy them more than I do now. At this point, it seems likely that either I'm pickier now or I'm remembering liking some of her other novels better than I actually did. I can't believe I just happened to read all the better ones first.
September 23, 2024
What a fun read! I know little about Egyptology, but enjoyed the story anyway. I wouldn't really call it a romance, but there is love in this book. Adventure, mystery, intrigue!
June 19, 2017
Whenever I'm not sure what to read next, I know I can always pick up a Barbara Michaels book and be able to slip right in. They're especially good when I'm suffering from a book hangover (when you finish a book that was so good you couldn't put it down and when you do finish it way too soon you have trouble pulling yourself out of the world of that book), making them, I guess, a good chaser.
Haskell Maloney has been raised by her aunt, losing her mother when an infant and the man she thought was her father before she was even born. When, as an adult, she discovers that man couldn't possibly be her father, she sets out to solve the mystery of her parentage, going back to the academic world her mother inhabited in her Egyptological studies.
When researching her origins, she becomes involved with the eccentric, crazy, and sometimes crazed people her mother interacted with in her own youth. She also finds that someone doesn't want her to find out who her father was.
A good suspense with a little romance thrown in and an eclectic cast of characters, this got me through my book hangover admirably. Now, what to read next?
Haskell Maloney has been raised by her aunt, losing her mother when an infant and the man she thought was her father before she was even born. When, as an adult, she discovers that man couldn't possibly be her father, she sets out to solve the mystery of her parentage, going back to the academic world her mother inhabited in her Egyptological studies.
When researching her origins, she becomes involved with the eccentric, crazy, and sometimes crazed people her mother interacted with in her own youth. She also finds that someone doesn't want her to find out who her father was.
A good suspense with a little romance thrown in and an eclectic cast of characters, this got me through my book hangover admirably. Now, what to read next?
September 5, 2015
Had read it before, but enjoyed it again -- even though I did vaguely remember the outcome. But living in Chicago now and knowing the University of Chicago and its environs gave me extra enjoyment on this re-reading, as a large portion of it is set in Chicago and the U of C area.
Fun mystery about a young woman who sets out to find out about her mother's life and figure out who her biological father was, and about the trouble dragging up the past brings -- especially among archaeologists.
Fun mystery about a young woman who sets out to find out about her mother's life and figure out who her biological father was, and about the trouble dragging up the past brings -- especially among archaeologists.
November 10, 2020
Very, very dated in its treatment of gender roles and dynamics—lots of the sassy, "feminist" character being bossed around and coddled by men. I'm not surprised, since this was originally published more than 30 years ago, and because I've read quite a few others by this author. It's been a long time since I've read one that I could rate higher than this, though, and I'm starting to wonder whether that has more to do with my changing reading tastes than it does the books themselves. I think maybe I have less patience for how dated it is than I did when I was in my twenties.
That said, in the grand scheme of trying to get through the entire Barbara Michaels catalogue, this was a pretty good read. It had a bit of a slow start—not uninteresting, but a little meandering—but sometime after page 50 I really got into it. The bits of the mystery were fun to follow, and I was very interested in the resolution of it. I can't say that I guessed it, but I wasn't surprised at how it ended up. It's one of those books that leaves so many options open that you could hardly be surprised at any of them. Probably, I would have rated it 4 stars if not for a little bit tacked on at the end, re: romance. Spoilers below, if you care.
I'm not mad I read this (unlike some others of hers). 3 stars that I could probably be persuaded to bump to 3.5 if I was feeling generous.
That said, in the grand scheme of trying to get through the entire Barbara Michaels catalogue, this was a pretty good read. It had a bit of a slow start—not uninteresting, but a little meandering—but sometime after page 50 I really got into it. The bits of the mystery were fun to follow, and I was very interested in the resolution of it. I can't say that I guessed it, but I wasn't surprised at how it ended up. It's one of those books that leaves so many options open that you could hardly be surprised at any of them. Probably, I would have rated it 4 stars if not for a little bit tacked on at the end, re: romance. Spoilers below, if you care.
I'm not mad I read this (unlike some others of hers). 3 stars that I could probably be persuaded to bump to 3.5 if I was feeling generous.
January 27, 2019
I very much enjoyed all the specialized knowledge the author had about Egyptian antiquities. It's like this book was a precursor to the Amelia Peabody series but set in modern times. I had trouble feeling close to the main character, though (the same problem I have with Peabody herself), and found myself also having a bit of trouble believing who she finally hooked up with. I saw it coming but couldn't think of a good reason why it should be that particular person. I much preferred one of the other male characters, and even though he wasn't chosen to be the hero, I'm also thankful that he wasn't the bad guy. That's what usually happens when I like a Barbara Michaels character. I had the villain figured out fairly early on but I enjoyed the various red herrings and twists that got in the way of my certainty. I would have liked a good bit more closure at the end, though. Too much was left in the air with a shrug that could have made for a stronger ending. Not sure I'd recommend it but it's not awful, just not up to the standards I've come to expect from other Barbara Michaels books.
April 22, 2025
This was an easy read with an enjoyable writing style, but I really wish the story would have gone deeper into... well, anything. The references to egyptology were just enough to fascinate me, but then disappointed me with its lack of depth or relevance. The big reveal ends up not being satisfying at all, and the book just ends with the final pairing coming completely out of nowhere.
And why did we need any romance at all, anyway? Haskell's dalliances with Carl were annoying, and her reasoning for ending her engagement with Jon was preposterous. What about Jessie?!? The ending should have included Jessie. Who cares about these romantic interests? An actual satisfying conclusion would have included reuniting with Jessie. She was the best character in the book, anyway. It really feels like the author was last-minute trying to appeal to the romance audience when this book really wasn't supposed to be one.
Actually, the ending and lack of Jessie in general are so frustrating that I'm changing from 4 to 3 stars in the middle of writing this.
And why did we need any romance at all, anyway? Haskell's dalliances with Carl were annoying, and her reasoning for ending her engagement with Jon was preposterous. What about Jessie?!? The ending should have included Jessie. Who cares about these romantic interests? An actual satisfying conclusion would have included reuniting with Jessie. She was the best character in the book, anyway. It really feels like the author was last-minute trying to appeal to the romance audience when this book really wasn't supposed to be one.
Actually, the ending and lack of Jessie in general are so frustrating that I'm changing from 4 to 3 stars in the middle of writing this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2018
Although I enjoyed the story and mystery, I felt like the book went off on long, detailed, and unneeded storylines. The characters were underdeveloped and Michaels conjured romances for the sake of a happy ending.
To me, a good mystery novel has a sense of ambiguity and lack of knowledge, but Michaels wanted us to know every second of Haskell's day even if it didn't pertain to the central conflict. While I was reading, I would forget what her goal also was.
I did enjoy the references of Egyptology and archaeology since I studied those topics in my undergraduate career and found it all fascinating! I also enjoyed the final scene when we know the truth about her father and mother. It was exciting and I wished there were more scenes that were as thrilling.
To me, a good mystery novel has a sense of ambiguity and lack of knowledge, but Michaels wanted us to know every second of Haskell's day even if it didn't pertain to the central conflict. While I was reading, I would forget what her goal also was.
I did enjoy the references of Egyptology and archaeology since I studied those topics in my undergraduate career and found it all fascinating! I also enjoyed the final scene when we know the truth about her father and mother. It was exciting and I wished there were more scenes that were as thrilling.
July 21, 2021
Flüssig geschrieben und gerade am Anfang sehr gut zu lesen. Die Beziehung von Jessie und Haskell, deren Wunsch, die Vergangenheit zu klären... alles sehr glaubhaft mit gut beschriebenen Charakteren. Im Mittelteil wird es dann etwas langfädiger, aber nicht fad. Aber es hätte hier durchaus ein paar Seiten weniger gebraucht. Die Auflösung ist spannend und teils unerwartet. Der Schluss, der die private Entscheidung von Haskell beschreibt, jedoch ist... auf Englisch wäre es wohl "cheesy". Kitschig. Tut dem ganzen an sich keinen Abbruch, ist aber schade und irgendwie peinlich. Echt unglaubhaft, aus dem Nichts kommend, schmalzig und einfach lachhaft :)
December 11, 2023
Barbara Michaels never disappoints!
Reading this specific book was also interesting because I recently visited the Oriental Institute Museum in Chicago. Granted, I didn't get past the first hall in the 2 hours we spent there, but it was fun to read a book partly set in a building I've recently been in.
*SPOILER (maybe?)
I will say, though: I'm not generally a plot-guesser, but I had 2 of the 3 "reveals" figured out by the time I was halfway through the book. So, if you ARE a plot-guesser, just know that this is a relatively easy one.
Reading this specific book was also interesting because I recently visited the Oriental Institute Museum in Chicago. Granted, I didn't get past the first hall in the 2 hours we spent there, but it was fun to read a book partly set in a building I've recently been in.
*SPOILER (maybe?)
I will say, though: I'm not generally a plot-guesser, but I had 2 of the 3 "reveals" figured out by the time I was halfway through the book. So, if you ARE a plot-guesser, just know that this is a relatively easy one.
January 31, 2022
i would’ve rating this book higher, but i thought the first half was slow and kind of hard to get into! definitely worth pushing through tho, once the action kicks in it’s super intriguing and the ending is totally unexpected and really answers all questions. the romance at the end felt forced tho, didn’t really make sense.
May 6, 2018
I liked it until the ending, but It is still a read-worthy book, I'm just very picky personally to give something a lot of praise,ect. I like the fact the author was very educated and esp on this subject and after I read it I found out she had passed away:(
July 10, 2022
I couldn't finish this one either. I skipped to the end to get a small taste of what happens. It just was just taking too long to progress for me. I feel like a failure for not finishing, but I knew if I didn't make a decision, I would never move on.
September 16, 2022
A fun read. A mystery that has several potential bad persons. Collecting ancient artifacts becomes an obsession for some people that puts people within the target not to mention 20 year old indiscretions
June 26, 2017
Another less than stellar book. Very disappointing...
July 8, 2017
A young girls tries to find her real father
May 5, 2018
Not one of my favorites. Didn’t like the main character at all. She was annoying .
October 30, 2018
great novel ,should read by anyone who love a fast pace whodunit
August 6, 2019
Always like Barbara Michaels. (And Elizabeth Peters, and Barbara Mertz)
August 26, 2019
I got very tired of Amelia Peabody and her bratty son. This is not one of those books, but a stand-alone egyptology romantic-suspense.
August 22, 2020
There's nothing like a Barbara Michaels book to absorb one's attention. These are some of my best friends to deal with today's outside horrors.
December 27, 2020
Love losing myself in her stories.
March 20, 2021
Great book, if a little slow to get going. Not very convincing on the romance side, but a great yarn all the same. I definitely want to read more!
May 30, 2021
Sloooow but an exciting ending; not her best (that would be the Amelia Peabody series, of course) but ok for her Gothic period.
July 16, 2021
it was free lmfao i found it on the streets of france 😍
idk it was okay the last like, ten pages were fantastically horrendous but everything else was interesting enough
idk it was okay the last like, ten pages were fantastically horrendous but everything else was interesting enough
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