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Captain Lacey #11

The Alexandria Affair

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Captain Gabriel Lacey accompanies famous dandy Lucius Grenville to Egypt, a land that Lacey has long anticipated visiting. Lacey travels there for more than a simple holiday, however--James Denis has tasked him with finding an "object" in Alexandria and procuring it, whatever the cost.

The task does not turn out to be so simple. Locating what Denis wants in the teeming city proves difficult, sending Lacey and Grenville exploring tombs and temples down the Nile. Lacey must deal with treasure hunters, a shadow following him and his friends, murder, and missing his new family as he explores the exotic country he has so longed to see...

Book 11 in the Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries series.

298 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 17, 2016

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449 people want to read

About the author

Ashley Gardner

48 books678 followers
Ashley Gardner is the pseudonym for NY Times bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Ashley and nationally bestselling and award-winning author Allyson James. Her award-winning Captain Lacey Regency mysteries have garnered top reviews and an enthusiastic following. These books are now available as digital editions. More about the series can be found at http://www.gardnermysteries.com

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5 stars
564 (43%)
4 stars
504 (38%)
3 stars
194 (14%)
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36 (2%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
Profile Image for Zain.
1,884 reviews286 followers
June 13, 2021
A New Papa? 😎

With his best friend, Lucius Grenville, Captain Gabriel Lacey is traveling to Alexandria, Egypt. Despite wishing to stay home with his wife, who is expecting their child, Lacey reluctantly decides to go (he had no choice).

When longtime gangster, James Denis discovers that he is traveling to Egypt, he requires Captain Lacey to acquire an item, to bring back with him to London.

Unexpectedly, their vacation becomes a nightmare. Someone appears to be stalking them and there’s a murder. Looks like Alexandria is a lot like London.
Profile Image for Ingie.
1,480 reviews167 followers
February 2, 2019
Review written February 1, 2019

3.7 Stars - As always fun, enjoying and suspenseful

Book #11
— Published in December as audiobook and I of course quickly downloaded. More than a month later and it was great to start at last. A historical crime by Jennifer Ashley / Ashley Gardner is usually a good book choice for me.

~ Listening to a 8:15 hours audiobook edition narrated by, as the always perfect grumpy Captain, Mr James Gillies ~

« Captain Lacey‘s best friend Mr Grenville at last persuades him to join him in an expedition to Egypt, to visit various ancient sites. . . »

The series, author / pen-name, my reviews:

I LIKE - Yes, yes, yes !!
Profile Image for Jeannine.
1,059 reviews75 followers
December 18, 2022
Gabriel, Grenville, and Brewster (along with the footmen) in Egypt. The start of this book is so funny…I wondered how Ashley Gardner would get Gabriel on a boat while his wife was expecting in light of how excited he was about the baby. That first chapter was great.

Of course Gabriel’s innate sense of justice gets them in a few scrapes, but also brings about some allies along the way. The shadow has followed them and they encounter one of Denis’ agents, too.

The whole this is a great ride. It’s hard to believe a book without Donata, Marianne, and the rest of Gabriel’s circle could be this good, but it’s a great episode.
Profile Image for Grisette.
651 reviews83 followers
June 10, 2025

3.3 stars

My 11th Lacey! Story wise, I was taken into the story, JA's pen making it so easy to keep the pages turning, moreso in an exotic setting this time. Character wise, Lacey tired me out with his boyish overzealousness over everything 🙄. He wanted to dig, find treasures, find the book etc - for me it reminded me of the Lacey of early days who tended to jump to (wrong) conclusions because he was over-emotional over things. And that Lacey was not my favourite. It made him imho a bad sleuth in this book, following strangers only to fall into obvious traps and danger.

I was glad that in this book we got at last the explanation on who was threatening Lacey in the previous book. But frankly, Other characters, like Grenville, Bartholomew, Matthias and Brewster had much better character development/ scenes that I enjoyed.

All in all, a middling instalment, with both positive and negative aspects.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Rosie Chapel.
Author 73 books114 followers
October 11, 2016
Absolutely riveting book. I have read all the Captain Lacey Mysteries and each one is as good as if not better than the previous one. This time Captain Lacey accompanies Grenville to Egypt - or rather he finds that his wife has arranged to have him abducted and plonked on board ship, for although he has long wanted to see the land of the pyramids he didn't believe now was the most opportune time. Donata however was having none of it; so once Lacey has, reluctantly, accepted his fate, off they go.

There are several threads within this story; the inscrutable James Denis - crime lord extraordinaire, tasks Lacey with recovering a lost manuscript supposedly from the library at Alexandria, the untimely appearance of another Captain Gabriel Lacey - claiming our beloved Gabriel is an imposter, how dare he! - causes confusion and mayhem; the search for ancient treasures - can't miss out on that; the odd murder, being entombed alive and several rather serious clashes have you turning the pages with increasing rapidity.

Some of my favourite characters are also along for the ride. Brewster - who I think is such a great foil to Gabriel and Grenville - Mattias and Bartholomew and although, at first it seemed odd without Donata and Marianne, the tale unfolded so quickly I barely had time to miss them. A hotchpotch of other mercurial personalities add life and colour to this fascinating tale.

All of the characters are beautifully drawn and the descriptions of Egypt were so vivid I could see, hear and smell the scenes. Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Joan.
481 reviews51 followers
August 30, 2018
So far, this has been the best book in the series for me. The Alexandria Affair takes Captain Lacey to Egypt in the year 1818 and along this journey are dandy Grenville (without his odious mistress Marianne), bodyguard Brewster, and footmen/brothers Matthias and Bartholomew. It was so refreshing that the story was entirely focused on the machinations and mysteries far from London and without a lot of personal drama weighing the story down.
Profile Image for Suzette Kunz.
1,109 reviews29 followers
March 22, 2021
Lacey and Grenville head off to Egypt to tour and dig for antiquities. While there, Lacey finally comes face-to-face with the man who has been impersonating him. Meanwhile they hunt for a book from the library of Alexandria, get buried underground in an ancient tunnel near the pyramids...lots of other adventures.
Profile Image for Lorena.
1,084 reviews213 followers
March 31, 2018
I will confess to being a complete sucker for stories set in Egypt during the height of the (admittedly irresponsible and culturally ruinous) rediscovery and excavation of all the ancient sites.
Profile Image for Robin.
314 reviews19 followers
June 23, 2016
Captain Lacey's next case of amateur sleuthing occurs while he's vacationing in Egypt. At first, it seems this mystery will just be about locating an artifact that James Denis wishes him to procure, but of course it's not really a Captain Lacey tale if there's not a dead body. Throw into the mix the mysterious impostor who wants Lacey dead, and a rogue henchman of Denis' and there's a lot going on in this novel!

While I wouldn't have previously said that the London setting in most of the first ten books was getting stale, this one definitely shakes things up a little bit by showing us a glimpse of what was going on in another part of the world during this time period. It was very refreshing and I'm now kind of hoping Lacey will take other vacations elsewhere in future books (my fingers are always crossed that there will continue to be many more books to come in this series).

Historical Readsing & Reviews
206 reviews8 followers
December 22, 2016
A "ripping good yarn"

This long-awaited book in the Captain Lacey series didn't disappoint. Well-written and edited as are all Ashley Gardner books, it was a pleasure to read. The Egyptian setting gave the author plenty of scope to play with and the result is a "ripping good yarn", with various colourful characters including Turkish cavalrymen, a murderous Turkish soldier, and an English woman with designs on Grenville. James Denis is still up to his tricks and is using Lacey to do his dirty work for him unbeknownst to Lacey, who thinks he is on an entirely different mission. The mysterious stranger who is trying to shoot Lacey turns up in Egypt and we get some resolution as to his identity and reasons, however, we will have to wait for the next book which will hopefully give us the rest of his story.
Profile Image for Jo .
2,679 reviews68 followers
May 31, 2016
Captain Lacey is one of my favorite characters. This time his wife has had him bound, gagged and put on a ship for Egypt. This is a trip with Lucius Grenville and has been planned for a year. Lacey tries to back out but he is doing a little too much hovering so off he is sent. I loved the history that is brought out in the book. This was a time when any and everyone was digging up the past in Egypt and sending it out of the country. There is a lot going on in the book. Lacey has been asked to find a book from the original library in Alexandria. Someone is still trying to kill him. He makes a new enemy. All in all a really good story that adds more depth to the series. This can stand alone but reading the series from book one is much more fun.
507 reviews2 followers
January 5, 2018
-In this latest episode of the adventures of Captain Gabriel Lacey, Lacey is soon to be a father. His wife Donata is several months pregnant, and even though he had plans to go to Egypt with his friend Grenville, he is insisting on cancelling in order to be present for his wife. Donata knows that it would be best for him to go, and so, she arranges for him to be “kidnapped” and taken aboard the boat that was hired to take him and Grenville to the Middle East.
-Accompanying the pair are their servants, Bartholomew and Mathias, as well as Brewster, who was assigned by James Denis to watch over Lacey and make sure no harm came to him. In the last book, there was a man who looked very much like Lacey and who tried to kill him, but Brewster stepped in front and took the bullet that was meant for Lacey. That killer had escaped and, until he was apprehended, Denis did not want Lacey to go anywhere without protection.
-Though this was supposed to be a pleasure trip to search through Egypt for buried treasures, James Denis had given Brewster a letter, for Brewster to give to Lacey. Denis had a request of Lacey, and, while in Egypt, he was to search for an ancient scroll that was rumored to exist, though there was no definite proof about its existence.
-Lacey, being Lacey, manages to involve himself with criminal elements who he is I afraid of battling, manages to ingratiate himself with the Pasha who is ruling Egypt, Muhammad Ali, and finally confronts the man who is trying to kill him. New characters are introduced and there is a great deal of research done by the writer to depict the Egypt of the early 1800’s. Descriptions given very well portray the flavor of the people and places, while additional mysteries present themselves for Lacey to solve.
-This is another very enjoyable journey through part of the life of Lacey and those around him and the book lives up to the high regard I have for the previous books in the series.
Profile Image for Inés.
389 reviews1 follower
October 29, 2024
This new story is a double departure from the previous books in the series. First, the story takes place in an exotic setting (Egypt) instead of England. Second, although there's a mystery, it reads more as an adventure, with Captain Lacey (accompanied by Grenville) in a quest to find a long lost papyrus and digging out an ancient tomb.
It says a lot about the author's ability and the strength of the characters she's created that, despite this detour from the usual approach, she still delivers a great story, with Lacey and his partners staying true to themselves. As an added bonus, after ten books, the reader doesn't get the feeling that the series is in any way exhausted or becoming repetitive.
One detail that, although insignificant, still grated to me (probably, because I'm spoilt by the author's care with historical accuracy): Lacey claims that the Spanish call dry riverbeds that fill during floods "arroyos". The word is afterwards used for a couple of chapters to refer to one such dry riverbed. However, in Spain the right word for this would be "rieras" or "ramblas", while "arroyo" is used to mean brook. I believe it's a confusion derived from the fact that Spanish (as English) is not exactly the same on both sides of the Atlantic. As I said, nothing important, but since Lacey picked his Spanish while fighting in the Peninsula, he would never have thought of using the word "arroyo" here and, as a "Spain-Spanish" speaker, I found it jarring.
1,243 reviews8 followers
August 21, 2017
Captain Lacey finds mystery wherever he goes

Captain Lacey finally gets his chance to visit Egypt with his friend, Grenville, leaving his pregnant wife at home with her parents. Before they even reach Egypt, they discover that the mysterious man who has been threatening Captain Lacey has followed them abroad. In addition, James Denis has instructed Lacey to obtain a rare papyrus for him while he is in Egypt. They also become embroiled in the murder of a Turkish soldier and have an opportunity to hunt for antiquities in the desert. It's a race against time to see if Lacey and friends can check off all of the items on their to do list and still make it back to England in time for the birth of Lacey's child.
This installment contained lots of adventure as well as interesting details about Egypt at the time. Captain Lacey's character continues to develop and it's fun to see the diverse friendships he makes along the way.
1,150 reviews2 followers
April 29, 2020
Captain Lacey is at it again, only this time the setting is 1818 Egypt, where archaeology is just getting ramped up and the Turks are giving away digging permits and the artifacts uncovered like so much candy. Naturally, if Gabriel and his best friend Grenville are there, a mystery will ensue. I found this one a little strained, however. Convenient aristocrats Grenville knows, mysterious Spanish majordomos, dead Turkish soldiers and their devoted friends, Gabriel's doppelgänger...plus, Brewster is along for the ride and he discovers a European criminal underground in the middle of Cairo with ties to his own boss back in London. Sandstorms, Nile Crossings, and crime all interlace to create suspense. But the whole thing had a bit of a soap opera cast to it and I was glad when the whole party sailed back to London, their more natural habitat.
Profile Image for A.M..
Author 7 books58 followers
October 30, 2024
Gabriel has to be kidnapped to go on vacation with his friend Grenville… and Mr Denis, has sent along his usual minder, Brewster. He also has a job for Lacey: find an ancient scroll on mathematics.

But the man who has been attacking him and impersonating him around London, has also seemed to follow them.

I am not sure this one worked as well - he was so out of his depth - and it may be historically accurate but the looting by tourists was just rage inducing to read. Grits teeth.



3 stars
Profile Image for Myrna.
324 reviews
December 27, 2017
I felt Gabriel's frustration.

This is a fairly good Captain Lacey story (a 3.5 if I could give one); I'm not using the word "mystery" because while there were several threads that needed to be tied off, we didn't get to witness Lacey's usual relentless pursuit of the culprit or culprits involved. Plus, as a big girl myself, I was irritated at the depiction of the plump Lady Mary. Couldn't her other qualities have sufficed to make her unattractive?
There were several high points, though, such as learning the identity of Lacey's attacker, the dangerous treasure hunt, and Gabriel's favor for the pasha.
If you are pressed for time, you can skip this title, but I'm going to dig right in to the next title!
Profile Image for Bettye McKee.
2,188 reviews156 followers
August 10, 2017
An adventure in Egypt

Captain Lacey and his friend Grenville, along with their menservants Bartholomew and Matthias are traveling to Egypt. James Denis has ordered Lacey to find an ancient scroll, a survivor of the destroyed Alexandria Library, and bring it to him. He has sent his man Brewster to watch over Lacey.

Captain Lacey has an enemy, also calling himself Captain Lacey, who is attempting to kill him. After dangerous adventures in Alexandria, the group continues on to Cairo where more danger and adventures await.

22
Profile Image for Cindie.
533 reviews2 followers
August 20, 2018
I imagine the challenge of an author to keep the plots and characters interesting and believable, this one started very convoluted and difficult to follow. It was nice to have a change in location from England and was very true to the Egypt of the time. Again Capt. Lacey has to make some tough choices, this time bringing Grenville along the line. Things become less and less black and white, it is something we miss here in the States, not everything is always so simple as innocent and guilty. A good read.
Profile Image for Viccy.
2,240 reviews4 followers
June 18, 2021
Captain Gabriel Lacey travels to Egypt with his friend, Lord Grenville, along with an entourage containing his guardian, Brewster, and the twins Matthias and Bartholomew. James Denis, a crime lord in London, has asked Lacey to find an ancient papyrus, purportedly from the Library of Alexandria. Exploring tombs and catacombs along the Nile proves dangerous, especially when Grenville and Lacey are trapped underground. Lacey refuses to give up because he must return to England for the birth of his child. Another very entertaining read in this long-running series.
Profile Image for Kat Green.
1,147 reviews19 followers
March 11, 2021
Book number 11 of the Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries. A trip to Egypt to
in search of antiquities, a murder, a thief, and a hidden tomb. The “imposter” is revealed after several more attempts on Captain Lacey’s life. The exploring and searches done on an archeological dig are wonderful, but returning home can be even better. Since I was working today I listened to James Gillis give an extraordinary audio performance of Ashley’s book. ❤️
127 reviews3 followers
August 15, 2018
Captain Lacey Tomb Robber

It is good to take a vacation from time to time , so this novel can be viewed as a break from the normal format of Captain Lacey mysteries.
An adventure in Egypt with no real crime to investigate .
Interesting background history of a time when Egyptology was equivalent to tomb robbery and ladies were happy to wear jewelry stolen from the dead.
141 reviews3 followers
January 22, 2022
A ripping good yarn

Capt Lacy, Grenville, and Brewster with Bartholomew and Matthias go adventuring in Egypt. Shades of Indiana Jones plus the mystery lookalike from the previous book and a whole cast of new characters make for a fun romp !....with of course James Denis pulling strings. Enjoy !
Profile Image for ~Shawna the crazy coffee reader~.
514 reviews42 followers
December 15, 2017
Finally! I have been waiting for the time when they would go to Egypt! I was excited to discover the identity of his stalker and all the events after. This is a must read and once again i read it in one day!!
Profile Image for Kat.
103 reviews3 followers
August 31, 2018
Excellent

I read over 200 books a year. I tend to prefer series by authors I trust. Let me put it this way, I got the first Captain Lacey book and then immediately bought all the others.
577 reviews5 followers
October 7, 2018
Land of the Pharaoh’s

Very well written story about Captain Lacey. No matter where he goes there is a murder to solve. This story had him looking for an old book, meeting with several ruffians and trying to not be killed by a cousin he did not know about. HAPPY READING
Profile Image for Lyndsay Sutton.
65 reviews1 follower
December 8, 2019
I keep reading this series because I enjoy spending time with the characters. This particular book had a lot of typos and the writing was less than stellar at times. Still, I’m hanging with it because I’m fond of the characters.
5 reviews
November 27, 2020
Love this series

It's fun and informative. Her descriptions of the dress and language of this part of history is so Interesting. I can't wait to read the next book I learn some more. The story lines are Interesting and intriguing.
Profile Image for Nicole.
997 reviews14 followers
May 8, 2022
Interesting descriptions of Egypt and the people. I wanted more descriptions I think, but I liked the story. Didn’t realize this was so far into the series. I might go find the early ones, stories stand well on their own.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews

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