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Threads of the Lost Myth
The Scorpion Thief
Not yet published
Expected 14 Apr 26A deadly Cold War political game.
A cursed Egyptian artifact.
Two one the treasure’s guardian, the other its thief.
Egyptologist Noura Marquette has spent her life piecing together remnants of the past, but nothing prepares her for the day her sister resurfaces in Cairo. Estranged for years, Estelle unleashes a web of whispered threats and dangerous connections that capture Noura in a treacherous snare of betrayal, espionage, and political gamesmanship.
As plans solidify to send King Tutankhamun’s artifacts on an unprecedented U.S. tour, forces far older than any tomb begin to stir. Revolutionaries lurk in the crowded streets. Art thieves circle like vultures. And in Washington, Nixon’s administration maneuvers to use the boy king’s treasures as a glittering tool of propaganda.
What begins as a family reckoning spirals into a deadly game where political agendas and ancient curses intertwine. In the streets of Cairo and the hurricane-lashed bayous of New Orleans, something older than history watches, stalking Noura as loyalties fracture and the lines between history and myth blur. Some curses never sleep and some debts can never be paid.
A cursed Egyptian artifact.
Two one the treasure’s guardian, the other its thief.
Egyptologist Noura Marquette has spent her life piecing together remnants of the past, but nothing prepares her for the day her sister resurfaces in Cairo. Estranged for years, Estelle unleashes a web of whispered threats and dangerous connections that capture Noura in a treacherous snare of betrayal, espionage, and political gamesmanship.
As plans solidify to send King Tutankhamun’s artifacts on an unprecedented U.S. tour, forces far older than any tomb begin to stir. Revolutionaries lurk in the crowded streets. Art thieves circle like vultures. And in Washington, Nixon’s administration maneuvers to use the boy king’s treasures as a glittering tool of propaganda.
What begins as a family reckoning spirals into a deadly game where political agendas and ancient curses intertwine. In the streets of Cairo and the hurricane-lashed bayous of New Orleans, something older than history watches, stalking Noura as loyalties fracture and the lines between history and myth blur. Some curses never sleep and some debts can never be paid.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication April 14, 2026
1 person is currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Janyre Tromp
17 books295 followersJanyre Tromp is a historical novelist who loves spinning tales that, at their core, hunt for beauty, even when it isn’t pretty. She’s the best-selling historical author of Darkness Calls the Tiger and Shadows in the Mind’s Eye and coauthor of O Little Town and It’s a Wonderful Christmas.
She’s also a book editor, children’s book author, and lives in Michigan with her family, two crazy cats, and a slightly eccentric dog. Hang out with her on social media or through her newsletter (sign up on her website www.JanyreTromp.com).
She’s also a book editor, children’s book author, and lives in Michigan with her family, two crazy cats, and a slightly eccentric dog. Hang out with her on social media or through her newsletter (sign up on her website www.JanyreTromp.com).
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you editor and Netgalley for this ARC.
The book takes us to 70's egypt, and New Orleans, to protect or steal, the artifacts of the king Tut collection.
Two sides, two sisters, steal or protect, which side will you be?
The book will take us through history directly to Cairo, in the 1970's, and will make us doubt every one and all of the characters, theres mystery, and a long term villain waiting for us at the end, also, there's some heartwarming sling of romance, but mostly we will be adventuring into the heat of Cairo's dessert, and then into the ragging buba tropical storm as it swamps New Orleans.
I loved the characters, the duality of sisters, the fragility of trust, and bonds, the winks to Egyptian mythology, it was a very beautiful book.
The book takes us to 70's egypt, and New Orleans, to protect or steal, the artifacts of the king Tut collection.
Two sides, two sisters, steal or protect, which side will you be?
The book will take us through history directly to Cairo, in the 1970's, and will make us doubt every one and all of the characters, theres mystery, and a long term villain waiting for us at the end, also, there's some heartwarming sling of romance, but mostly we will be adventuring into the heat of Cairo's dessert, and then into the ragging buba tropical storm as it swamps New Orleans.
I loved the characters, the duality of sisters, the fragility of trust, and bonds, the winks to Egyptian mythology, it was a very beautiful book.
November 27, 2025
3.5 stars. An action packed historical thriller that brings estranged sisters, Noura and Estelle, face-to-face on the streets of Cairo. Noura soon discovers that her sister is trying to steal the very thing she has devoted her life to protect, King Tut’s artifacts. When no one is who they seem, Noura must determine if she can trust her sister, her colleagues, or even herself.
This story has everything from Egyptian gods to New Orleans curses. You will be on the edge of your seat trying to uncover the truth buried beneath layers of lies, deceit, and family betrayal. The pacing of this book really picks up after the second half and is almost impossible to put down. There are so many twists and turns I didn’t see coming.
The biggest hold up I had was the introduction of most characters came very early and very fast, making it hard to keep track of everyone, especially characters that didn’t pop up again until the end. I spent the first 20-30% of the book very confused. I also could not understand why multiple characters (Estelle/Elle and Mr. Caddel/Frank) went by different names throughout the book. I found it very distracting that the names continued to bounce back and forth within the same paragraphs even. Overall I thought this was an addicting read and couldn’t wait to see how it everything turned out in the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grafted Page Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This story has everything from Egyptian gods to New Orleans curses. You will be on the edge of your seat trying to uncover the truth buried beneath layers of lies, deceit, and family betrayal. The pacing of this book really picks up after the second half and is almost impossible to put down. There are so many twists and turns I didn’t see coming.
The biggest hold up I had was the introduction of most characters came very early and very fast, making it hard to keep track of everyone, especially characters that didn’t pop up again until the end. I spent the first 20-30% of the book very confused. I also could not understand why multiple characters (Estelle/Elle and Mr. Caddel/Frank) went by different names throughout the book. I found it very distracting that the names continued to bounce back and forth within the same paragraphs even. Overall I thought this was an addicting read and couldn’t wait to see how it everything turned out in the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grafted Page Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 18, 2025
More than 5 stars for this book! It's not just a story, its an experience. Set in the times of ancient Egypt and present day New Orleans, lines are drawn between good and evil, gods and saviors.
The characters are extraordinary! Noura is often underestimated. She's intelligent, courageous and loves her job as an artifact curator. Estelle is shadow and light. She knows how to get what she wants. Theo is the most complex. He has many identities. He's brave and perceptive. There's also a "witch doctor ", and many other operatives working against each other for the prize.
I enjoyed how Egyptian gods made "appearances" throughout the book! It really piqued my interest and I often kept a tab open with pictures and descriptions of the gods. Another fun symbolism is the white falcon who shows up randomly!
I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from Grafted Page Press via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The characters are extraordinary! Noura is often underestimated. She's intelligent, courageous and loves her job as an artifact curator. Estelle is shadow and light. She knows how to get what she wants. Theo is the most complex. He has many identities. He's brave and perceptive. There's also a "witch doctor ", and many other operatives working against each other for the prize.
I enjoyed how Egyptian gods made "appearances" throughout the book! It really piqued my interest and I often kept a tab open with pictures and descriptions of the gods. Another fun symbolism is the white falcon who shows up randomly!
I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from Grafted Page Press via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 5, 2026
3.5⭐️s. Unique and suspenseful, the book focused on Egyptian artifact conservation and a plot to steal them, complicated by sisters on either end of that goal, among others, in a volatile political or cultural landscape.
I liked how action packed the book was, how there were plenty of twists and turns, and a lot of unpredictability. Many characters fell into the grey in their motives so it wasn’t always easy to figure out who was good or bad (and were often a mixture of both ultimately) which made for a good plot.
I did struggle with probably the first 20ish% of the book, as I found it extremely confusing. You kind of get dropped into the middle of an in-full-swing story with lots of characters and happenings but very little, if at all, context. While there were little clues dropped in here and there as you progressed, they were so small and vague. There was so much going on as a whole, it made it hard to make any semblance of a setting, characters, or understanding of the makeup of things until well into the book when it started to come together.
Overall I liked the book, the action and suspense were well done. I just wished it was a little less ambiguous or muddled getting there.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.
I liked how action packed the book was, how there were plenty of twists and turns, and a lot of unpredictability. Many characters fell into the grey in their motives so it wasn’t always easy to figure out who was good or bad (and were often a mixture of both ultimately) which made for a good plot.
I did struggle with probably the first 20ish% of the book, as I found it extremely confusing. You kind of get dropped into the middle of an in-full-swing story with lots of characters and happenings but very little, if at all, context. While there were little clues dropped in here and there as you progressed, they were so small and vague. There was so much going on as a whole, it made it hard to make any semblance of a setting, characters, or understanding of the makeup of things until well into the book when it started to come together.
Overall I liked the book, the action and suspense were well done. I just wished it was a little less ambiguous or muddled getting there.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.
December 29, 2025
The beautiful cover and promise of mystery and Egyptian history drew me in immediately. I love that the story is told from multiple view points and immediately emerges you in 1976 in Cairo and then propels you to New Orleans. The story was fun and exciting with many twists and turns that kept me engaged throughout the story. My favorite mysteries are the ones that come with a side of romance. This one did not disappoint. I loved following Noura and seeing her grow and rise from the tragedy happening around her. Admittedly, I don’t know a lot about Egyptian mythology but I thought they added another intriguing element to the story. Don’t miss out on following Noura through Cairo to New Orleans to solve a mystery she never saw coming.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grafted Page Press for the complimentary copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grafted Page Press for the complimentary copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A disappointing read. The blurb made this book sound exciting and full of action but I found it rather dull. The book was confusing from the start, too many names dropped into the mix without any clear idea of who they were. I couldn't connect to the main character Noura, she didn't stir my interest at all. A slow start and then the ending had too many twists to take seriously.
Not my cup of tea.
I received a free review copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest and unedited review.
Not my cup of tea.
I received a free review copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest and unedited review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was quite a journey! It’s got suspense, history, tension, espionage, political intrigue, murder, crazy family dynamics, and even a bit of romance.
Overall I enjoyed this read. This was a bit more suspense than I usually gravitate towards but that’s not reflected in my rating. The author is extremely talented and her research into Egyptian culture, history and mythology was extremely thorough and very well done!
The reason I settled on 4 stars was because the first chapters are a bit like “jumping into the deep end of the pool”. There’s A LOT of backstory and characters introduced, while also jumping fairly quickly into the current action. I almost wonder if a prologue of some kind maybe could have helped set the stage a bit better so that the opening chapters weren’t such an influx of information? It was a little hard to really perceive what the issue was between the sisters until further into the story because the backstory was explained in little bits & pieces while at the same time jumping into the current action.
There is a lot of action and it does keep up the pace fairly well through out. There’s a lot of twists & turns that kept me guessing and some plot twists that I didn’t suspect. I did feel like the author tied up all of the many threads quite well!
It’s definitely suspense filled & fairly intense in some parts but I felt like it ended really well on a nice hopeful note!
*Thanks to NetGalley for my advanced copy. All opinions are strictly my own and in no way influenced.*
Overall I enjoyed this read. This was a bit more suspense than I usually gravitate towards but that’s not reflected in my rating. The author is extremely talented and her research into Egyptian culture, history and mythology was extremely thorough and very well done!
The reason I settled on 4 stars was because the first chapters are a bit like “jumping into the deep end of the pool”. There’s A LOT of backstory and characters introduced, while also jumping fairly quickly into the current action. I almost wonder if a prologue of some kind maybe could have helped set the stage a bit better so that the opening chapters weren’t such an influx of information? It was a little hard to really perceive what the issue was between the sisters until further into the story because the backstory was explained in little bits & pieces while at the same time jumping into the current action.
There is a lot of action and it does keep up the pace fairly well through out. There’s a lot of twists & turns that kept me guessing and some plot twists that I didn’t suspect. I did feel like the author tied up all of the many threads quite well!
It’s definitely suspense filled & fairly intense in some parts but I felt like it ended really well on a nice hopeful note!
*Thanks to NetGalley for my advanced copy. All opinions are strictly my own and in no way influenced.*
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I hate to leave a negative review but this book is so confusing and unintriguing that I DNF'd it at 25%. I generally keep reading to the end if it's a Netgalley book but I just don't see it getting any better. There are so many character names to keep track of (there's a character list on Janyre's website which is helpful but not helpful enough), there are so many facets to the story (why so many political comments with little or no explanation of their pertinence?), and I felt like there are just words on the page for there to be words on a page. The writing itself is good but it's like a bunch of paragraphs are put together. It seems like this is book 2 or 3 in a series instead of book 1. I have no idea what's going on and I promised myself I'd get to 25% before calling it. 2 stars rounded up to 3 stars since I can't confirm that the rest of the book is just as mediocre (although many other reviews indicate that this is the case). Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. I will not include this book in my 2026 reading challenge.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
“In order for life to mean something, Noura has to stand up and race toward what is right.”
Welcome to the world of the Cold War 70s and a subversive group who is trying to steal artifacts from the King Tut Exhibition slated to begin touring the USA.
Noura is in Cairo getting the exhibit ready for transport with the help of a team including Theo. She does not know who to trust when she suspects someone of setting things up to abscond with relics for nefarious reasons. Things and people are definitely not what they seem. Noura questions which side she is on and even if family could be involved.
Lots of intrigue, manipulation, dangerous situations and a bit of romance. This was a well plotted story and I enjoyed the references to Egyptian mythology that tickled my imagination. With a climax in the midst of a hurricane in New Orleans, you couldn’t ask for a more interesting story.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Grafted Page Press via NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*
Welcome to the world of the Cold War 70s and a subversive group who is trying to steal artifacts from the King Tut Exhibition slated to begin touring the USA.
Noura is in Cairo getting the exhibit ready for transport with the help of a team including Theo. She does not know who to trust when she suspects someone of setting things up to abscond with relics for nefarious reasons. Things and people are definitely not what they seem. Noura questions which side she is on and even if family could be involved.
Lots of intrigue, manipulation, dangerous situations and a bit of romance. This was a well plotted story and I enjoyed the references to Egyptian mythology that tickled my imagination. With a climax in the midst of a hurricane in New Orleans, you couldn’t ask for a more interesting story.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Grafted Page Press via NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews