The Curse of the Blue Scarab: A Monster Mash-up

by Josh Lanyon

Who or what is responsible for the gruesome deaths of members of the secret society known as the Order of Osiris?

Dr. Armiston, an irascible, confirmed bachelor who believes in medicine not mysticism, is certain the deaths are only tragic accidents.

The members of the Order of Osiris suspect something more sinister is at work. They profess to believe an ancient curse has been visited upon their society. Handsome and mysterious Captain Maxwell requests Armiston’s help.

Tarot cards? Egyptology? Spiritualism? Armiston has little patience with the superficial and silly pastimes of the rich, but he does love a good puzzle. Or could it be that he is more drawn to young Captain Maxwell than he wishes to admit?

Either way, Armiston must solve the secret of the cursed sarcophagus very soon, for Captain Maxwell is the next slated to die…

Genres: Mystery, Historical, M M Romance, Romance, Audiobook, Paranormal, LGBT

307 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 9, 2016

About the author

Author of 100+ titles of Gay Mystery and M/M Romance, Josh Lanyon has built her literary legacy on twisty mystery, kickass adventure, and unapologetic man-on-man romance.

Her work has been translated into twelve languages. The FBI thriller Fair Game was the first Male/Male title to be published by Italy’s Harlequin Mondadori and Stranger on the Shore (Harper Collins Italia) was the first M/M title to be published in print. In 2016 Fatal Shadows placed #5 in Japan’s annual Boy Love novel list (the first and only title by a foreign author to place on the list). The Adrien English series was awarded the All-Time Favorite Couple by the Goodreads M/M Romance Group. In 2019, Fatal Shadows became the first LGBTQ mobile game created by Moments: Choose Your Story.

She’s an EPIC Award winner, a four-time Lambda Literary Award finalist (twice for Gay Mystery), an Edgar nominee, and the first ever recipient of the Goodreads All Time Favorite M/M Author award.

Josh is married and lives in Southern California with her irascible husband, two adorable dogs, a small garden, and an ever-expanding library of vintage mystery destined to eventually crush them all beneath its weight.


Find other Josh Lanyon titles at www.joshlanyon.com
Follow Josh on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

Reviews

[Ms. Smartarse · Rating 2 out of 5]

In short: NO.

In brief: Good for Josh Lanyon for trying a new genre and writing style, even if it failed miserably.



I really like Josh Lanyon's writing style, and I'm also quite fond of mysteries featuring the curse of ancient Egyptian mummies. So in theory combining these two, should've made for an awesome experience.

Alas, a change in genre also brought with it a change in writing style... and that kind of sealed the fate of this book. In place of a story with few metaphors, blunt language and extremely likable characters, you'd get some haughty Englishmen, flowery language, pages upon pages of dialogue where nothing of particular interest was discussed... you know, an overly extended weather talk.



The narration style being first person narrative, should've helped things, seeing as it's something Lanyon does exceedingly well. Unfortunately, coupled with the change of style, character's age, and social conventions, actually alienated the main character even more.

Dr. Armiston is a 55-year-old doctor, proud bachelor, exceedingly vain, set in his ways, and ready to mock anyone at a minute's notice. Starting with his man-servant Bird (for his war stories), continuing with the stressed out Captain Maxwell, and the rest of cast as they get introduced to him.

Captain Hilary Maxwell has a weirdly feminine first name... that I couldn't get over. I have no idea how common a name this was during the Victorian-era, but it still sounded bizarre for me. Sure, he was handsome, and brave, and wounded in the line of duty, yadda yadda yadda: the perfect long-suffering hero. You know, kind of wasted on the main character.

Still, this being an M/M regency/victorian romance, I was hoping for some character development which would change my view. And it did... for the worse. Armiston got more and more involved in a plot that had absolutely nothing to do with him. As much as he claimed it was for the sake of his budding friendship, it felt more and more like his sole purpose was vanity: proving himself to be smarter than anyone around him. So of course, he gets in waaaay over his head, and has to be saved by the ailing Captain Maxwell.

Score: 2/5 stars

I tried to like it... I swear I really did, which may be EXACTLY why it didn't work?
I was hoping that as soon as the romance reared its head I would get distracted enough, to stop minding the characters' detached nature. Not only didn't that happen, but 50-year-old shy virgins are just not my thing.

I suppose the intent was for reader to find it endearing, instead of aggravating... But every little quirk just annoyed me to no end. So I guess I'll stick to the author's contemporary stuff.

[Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really regret giving my favorite author such a low rating.

I'm not sure if it was the unusual genre (and the 'Regency romance language' used here) or the plot, but this novel didn't satisfy me.

First of all (big spoiler): There was no undead mummy! I was foolish enough to expect a walking mummy in this story. I mean, a 'monster' mash-up without a monster?

The plot, I frankly didn't fully understand.

Maundeville, a professor of Egyptology, brought a mummy case (with a mummy inside) back to London from one of his excavations. A couple of his students were reckless enough to try and pry the cover open. This allegedly brought a curse down on everyone, since the mummy was a mean priestess. With the (lacking?) intelligence and logic of rich young men of the 19th century, the guys decide to 'share' the curse by storing the mummy in the homes of every single man for about 2 weeks.

Only problem is: One guy after the other dies when the mummy goes to them. Dr Quentin Armiston, basically a random outsider who is the first person narrator, is called for help when one of the bodies is found. He soon makes the connection that the (same) mummy is always nearby when a death occurs. He moves on to become a member of the circle of young men led by Professor Maudeville (called the Order of Osiris), which seems to be some kind of strange fraternity of devoted lovers of all things Egyptian that even some high ranking admirals are part of.

Dr Armiston also falls in love with one of the young men, Captain Hilary Maxwell, and a large part of the book deals with Armiston helping the much younger guy deal with his opium addiction, which didn't seem to have any connection to the plot, except to enable a romance between them.
When the mummy (following a drawing of cards) goes to Maxwell, Quentin must do his best to save the man he loves before 'the mummy' strikes again.

My problems with the plot:
It was a murder mystery, there wasn't *any* supernatural being involved.
The murderer was more or less obvious right from the start. No twists whatsoever.
Why did the murderer even begin killing all those men? Just because he was in love with Ms Hennessey?! What kind of motive is that?? Would she love him all of a sudden if he removed all her other love interests - MOST OF WHICH WERE GAY ANYWAY!!!!
Why THE FUCK did Quentin start taking injections from Maundeville, as if he didn't know he was the murderer!! That was attempted suicide!! And when the murderer DID come for Quentin, he was totally passive and let everything happen like THE GREATEST FOOL in the world!! Those passages about Quentin's weirdness cost the book two stars in my rating.

And what was that youth serum talk? Why did Maundeville work on it? Just to impress Ms Hennessey? And that idiot Quentin then went after the serum in the same manner and for the same reason, except that his object of passion was a guy half his age instead of a lady.
As if Quentin didn't know quite well the dangers of substance abuse...
And the worst part was the end, when the Order of Osiris did not report Maundeville to the police, but forced him into suicide. And everyone, including Dr Armiston, CONDONED IT. Armiston even provided the lethal drugs! Sorry, but that's a no-go!

And I found myself laughing at the end, when the infamous mummy was revealed to be stored away in the murderer's basement like an old piece of furniture and Armiston and his lover return her to Egypt and BURY her again in some tomb! If I were the mummy I would certainly kill them by then. She was dragged all over Europe twice, which was certainly more travel than the lady saw in her life!


Also the writing was quite inconsistent. Lots of passages were featuring indirect speech, which is not something I'm used to from a Lanyon novel.

Sadly, only 2 stars this time!

[Trio · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story! Fast paced, clever dialogue and a mysterious mummy’s curse.

Dr. Quentin Armiston gets roped in to helping members of the Order of Osiris club after two of them are found dead. The deaths both occurred while the men had the mummy case in their possession. The more Armiston finds out about the whole affair the more intrigued he becomes, and he wants to prove there is no curse.

Armiston forms very interesting friendships throughout the book and the author really develops them. Captain Maxwell and Armiston are so charmingly awkward with each other at the beginning, their flirting is adorable. The exchanges between Armiston and Professor Maundeville are witty and incredibly fun to read. Because of these new friendships Armiston does some soul searching and reflection on his life thus far, and how he wants his life to be. The concepts of aging and prolonging life are woven throughout the book.

The story flows nicely and the author does a fantastic job with the prose. I loved the ending and we are even left with a few mysteries. Who made the dusty footprints outside Armiston’s room? And what about the beetles by the dead bodies? Maybe...?

A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Preeti · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a completely different vibe than anything else I have read by Josh Lanyon. If there was no romance plot or 1-2 kissing scenes or occasional mention of the word 'cock', the 1st half feels like reading Agatha christie.😁😁

I should also admit that I would have DNF it by 30-40% if I was not listening to it on audiobook in the voice of Alexander Masters. Because the 1st half was filled with too many details about Egyptian mythology and the members of the secret society. Too many unnecessary details, that kept dragging the plot.

But, later I liked the talk about addiction and a bit of romance. I also liked the classic smart villain though Dr Arminston was not interesting enough to play an amateur sleuth.

Overall an okayish book but only because I am a fan of Historical mystery. I don't think other readers of JL will think differently.

[Ami · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars rounded up

A different 'read' coming from Josh Lanyon. This story takes place on the yesteryear (I think around 1910's?) and I felt that Lanyon adapted writing style of that era. I remember reading a lot of Agatha Christie's books with this style. I couldn't exactly explain it, I could only say that it felt "old" and made me feel detached with the characters throughout the story.

The mystery was good, though. I did guess the villain the exact time Quentin did. Which was why I thought this book went few chapters too long after that, with Quentin laying trap to catch the villain. PLUS, I really didn't like the resolution to the crime. They practically told Maundeville to kill himself. Is that the kind of justice that needs to be done??

Not my favorite of hers; I prefer Lanyon's 'modern, give me a punch-on-my-solar-plexus-emotion writing'

[Ije the Devourer of Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

A secret society,

A series of untimely deaths,

An Egyptian mummy and a curse,

and an intrepid doctor who is determined to get to the bottom of things!

This is a good story but rather different to many of the other stories by this author. It is similar in style to Sherlock Holmes, or Agatha Christie and it has a frisson of Raiders of the Lost Ark!

And this shadowy mystery also involves a slow romance, hidden love and polite early 20th century society.

This is a kind of re-telling of the 1912 story 'The Mummy' by Riccardo Stephens.The story is told in the first person and so it is narrated to us and this adds to the feeling of the story, with dim lights on the streets, the mist and fog of London as night falls, and large old style cars with bright headlights that cut through the darkness.

And it is during the darkness that mystery and murder collide and our hero is gradually drawn into it. As he says.....

“A wise man of fifty has tremendous possibilities. He knows what he wants. He knows what isn’t worth bothering about. He has possibly half of an enjoyable life still before him.”

Dr Armiston does not believe in magic and he doesn't really believe in mystery either. He believes that mysteries can be solved and having solved a murder case before, he is something of an amateur investigator. Armiston is therefore quite intrigued and also very sceptical when he realises that the recent deaths of two young men are supposed to be due to a Mummy's Curse.

He becomes even more intrigued when he is invited to join the secret society known as the Order of Osiris. The two young men who died were also members of this society and Armiston is invited to help members of the Society throw light on the curse. Is this a real curse? Is the mummy really killing young men? Are the members of the Order really in danger or is there plain murder afoot?

This is an interesting story, but not like the usual Josh Lanyon mysteries. It has a very different style. It has a much slower pace and for the first half of the story there is no clear romantic involvement, but instead a subtle attraction, a kind of attraction that dare not speak its name.

The reader will soon find out that the most important thing in this story is not necessarily the attraction or the slowly unfolding romance, but the mummy.

Is there a real curse or is there a murderer? And if there is a murderer why is the person killing members of the Order of Osiris?

Although this feels very different to traditional JL stories, the sense of slow mystery and adventure is quite similar to Strange Fortune also written by the author. There is a sense of quest, a sense of questioning, an adventure with risk taking, and a very deep sense of secrecy. It isn't formulaic or what we have come to expect from this author and it doesn't follow the usual pattern of a 'who dunnit' murder mystery.

It is a slow but spooky mystery and the characters themselves lend an aura of spookiness to the story. There is Mr Maundeville who is a talented historian and collector of artefacts, Mr Maxwell who is a young attractive man with a weakness, young Miss Hennessy who everyone seems to desire and a number of other characters.

And there is the mummy of an Egyptian priestess, dug out of her tomb and brought to London. If there is a curse what can undo the Mummy's Curse? Armiston throws himself into this mystery because he himself is dissatisfied with his life. Having reached the age of 51 he feels that he hasn't made his mark on society and he's intrigued by learning and by knowledge, particularly as a man of science. He feels that he might be able to disprove that there is a curse and this is what he sets out to do, but he finds himself slowly and unwittingly drawn into murder, mystery and death.

Although the story is based on another book, I could sense the Lanyon style in the telling. It has a way of bringing the original version of the Mummy into the 21st century, telling the story of the Mummy for a 21st century audience.

The characters are all very interesting and it embraces a sense of history. There is the secrecy of the gay relationship, the way in which women are regarded in society and their expected role. Society is very male dominated and other lands are seen as places to explore and exploit. There is the subtle illustration of class differences and societal expectations of class and gender.

I think it's an enjoyable story, but slow in the way it gradually unfolds. It reads like a classic and has a rather historical feel to it with some descriptions and turns of phrase that I had to google. This adds to the story because it has a way of drawing you in to the historical context.

All in all I think is a good read but not a fast one. I had to slow down to really appreciate it but I did enjoy it

Copy provided by the author in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Ulysses Dietz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Curse of the Blue Scarab (A Monster Mash-Up)
By Josh Lanyon
By the author, 2016
Cover by K.B. Smith, artwork by Svetlana Rib
Four stars

I withheld one star from my rating for this book purely because, as Ms. Lanyon makes clear, this book is a mash-up along the lines of “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.” I think she has done a brilliant job, but she has not done it entirely by herself. For inspiration, Lanyon took the fairly obscure 1912 mystery by Riccardo Stephens, “The Mummy” and used it as the framework for her novel.

To be sure, Lanyon makes her book far more engaging and emotionally suggestive than poor Stephens ever did. She holds onto the crisp, dry style of the period—evoking Wilkie Collins (whose work I love—the first mystery novelist in the English language), as well as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Indeed Stephens’ Dr. Quentin Armiston is a creature rather along the lines of Sherlock Holmes’s Dr. Watson. Armiston is a mildly successful London physician with a solid practice treating the servants of the great and powerful. But where his character touches us (presuming you to be like myself in one way or another) is that she also makes Dr. Armiston a fifty-year-old bachelor who has managed to sublimate his homosexual desires into a life of oblivious chastity. As I suspect was true with many gay men and women a century or more ago, the best way to avoid the risks of being an invert was to avoid being sexual altogether.

However, when Armiston meets Captain Hilary Maxwell, he is not only dragged into a mysterious death against his better judgment, but also finds that his carefully suppressed libido begins to stir for the first time in decades. Maxwell is far younger—perhaps thirty—and the inappropriateness of his own feelings bothers Armiston as much as the strangeness of the circumstances surrounding the death of a wealthy young man sheltered within a cozy social circle of upper-class Londoners.

In contrast to the intentional absurdity of Seth Grahame-Smith’s mash-up with Jane Austen, Lanyon’s mash-up is seamless, only evident to a modern reader’s eyes because of the frank treatment of subject matter as taboo as drug addiction and same-sex relationships. Her tone, her settings and her characters all play their parts perfectly. The narrative is authentically cold-blooded to the point that, when real emotion appears, it is truly shocking. Armiston’s initial reaction to both the mystery and his attraction to Maxwell is no surprise: “I was too old for mysteries…and far too old and set in my ways for…well, improbable adventures.” But the emotional awakening of Quentin Armiston is just as interesting and important as is his awakening as a man of science and knowledge. The real core of this novel is Armiston’s journey from comfortable, blinkered mediocrity into a richer, more empowered humanity. In its quiet, restrained way, it is a story about the transformative power of love.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a fan of literary mash-ups ever since I read Pride and Predjudice....and Zombies. When I saw this book by Josh Lanyon and realized it was a mashup of The Mummy by Riccardo Stephens....I just had to read it! I'm a HUGE fan of classic monster stories...and I haven't read anything by Josh Lanyon. A classic mashup....and discovering a new-to-me author! Woot!

Not only am I new to Josh Lanyon's writing....but this is the first time I've read a book with M/M romance. Lanyon has written more than 60 books...action, adventure, mystery, all with M/M romantic subplots. I don't usually read romance novels of any sort....just not my thing. But mix in the Mummy....and let the main character have some romantic emotions come into play all while trying to escape a classic monster....yeah, I'm in.

**If you are not one to enjoy a LGBTQIA story.....then pass this by. For those who do enjoy them, don't expect graphic love scenes or a sex-filled subplot. That isn't what this book is about. It's a mashup of a classic monster tale written in 1912. Lanyon just added a bit of romantic tension, plus some mashings from a couple other books on opium addiction. The Mummy is a well-written classic book, but the style is antiquated when compared to more modern writing. Be aware the style and writing in the original book has been preserved. I saw several reviews that complained about the "flowery language,'' slow moving plot, differences between the writing in this book and in Lanyon's other books, etc etc etc. I think those readers/reviewers didn't understand that Lanyon was adding elements to the text of a book written in 1912. This story is a MASHUP....that means Lanyon took the text of the classic book and added elements. The language, writing style, main plot and basics are all more than 100 years old. Keep that in mind when reading. I find it awesome that Lanyon tackled such a project -- skillfully, I might add!**

All in all, I enjoyed this book! And I bought an ebook copy of the original book by Stephens. At first it was just to compare this book with the original, but I got pulled into the story and ended up reading both versions. Great monster story!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from JustJoshin Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

[M'rella · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNFing at 45%

I must be stuck in a bad dream! DNF Josh Lanyon? Give her book 1 star? Yep, this is happening! 😱

Warning:
- No paranormal element whatsoever. This book has been mislabeled.
- Unnecessary death of a very likeable secondary character.

This story drags. Between slow action, characters' endless babbling, the absurdity of everyone gay wanting to marry this one woman and making her the sole beneficiary of their will, the inane pact to keep moving the mummy around even after it became clear that it was a suicidal affair, and - most important- an obvious suspect, I was bored out of my wits.

Like the cover, but the mummy looks male. The mummy in the book is female.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the mystery part. The romance wasn't that strong. There was no wooing, really. I'm okay with there being no sex scenes, but I would have loved seeing the two men spending more time together, especially since one of the two spent most of the book being sick. The story had some parts that were boring and felt dragging, if those moments had instead been spent having the two MCs getting to know each other (the knowing each other better parts were all off page and told, rather than shown), then it would have been much more interesting. The four stars are for the mystery.

[LenaRibka · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a while already since I finished this book, and I have to admit, I’m still is in two minds about it.

Considering the writing quality and the fact how the style and language harmonized with that period and with a created historical atmosphere The Curse of the Blue Scarab is a nice piece of fiction.

However, judging by my personal enjoyment, I cannot give this book more than 3 stars, and I am generous here.

Had the author published it under another name, I would have never guessed that it came from the pen of Josh Lanyon. That fact shows, on the one hand, a wide range of JL’s writing skills, on the other hand, it shows that readers don’t meet with approval every experiment. It takes courage to try something new, and we have to respect it, but we are habit creatures regarding our reads.

This book is excellently written, as I’ve already mentioned. However, by and by, exactly the writing became my problem. I found it very interesting, unusual and perfectly suitable to the story line at the beginning, but as the story unfolded, it became increasingly frustrating to concentrate on the events and the story line.

What happened here: a good writing became an obstacle to the story itself. It started to be difficult to come through long-winded passages in old-fashioned language - that matched perfectly with the historical atmosphere- but that became difficult for me to enjoy.

The story is slowly paced that have never been a problem for me, if I’m connected with the characters and If I am intrigued with the story and its development. Unfortunately I couldn’t really connect with the MCs and I found the story rather boring than enigmatic and, in regard to a mystery concept, rather illogical than mysterious. I didn't get why the mummy has to be moved from host to host, leaving dead bodies behind, if the main owner could simply keep it in his house without bringing anyone in danger of death.

The ending I liked more than the majority of the readers, and I am glad that it didn’t turn at the end into a horror-paranormal-novel with the revitalized bloodthirsty mummy that one could have initially presumed.

It was my first book in a mashup genre, and it is nice to be introduced to it. I knew it solely from movies (like The Naked Gun, if I can qualify this series as such).
I didn't read the original The Mummy that serves as the basis for The Curse of the Blue Scarab, but I know that it is not actually funny, quite the opposite. However, considering the mashup genre I think, I’d have had much more fun reading The Curse of the Blue Scarab, if it had been told with more humor.



***Copy provided kindly by the author in exchange for an honest review.



Reading Challenge 2017 - 6. A book from a genre/subgenre you've never heard of.("mushup")

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

A complementary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't find this exciting. This story is missing the usual JL snark and banter and clever comebacks. It does has a light dosing of those things but the wit isn't the same. The pace was too slow for me and I sadly found myself bored and skipping sections.

I give JL lots of props because this story looks like she did a lot of research to get the dialogue correct and the style of life and how the world worked at the time.

The tone of this is much darker than JLs usual stories. The relationship between the MCs was extremely slow to develop and I never understood their connection.

This will appeal to lovers of historical romance with a hint of paranormal. Had this been tempered with JLs usual banter I would have given this 5 stars. But alas I give it 2 because I just couldn't lose myself in the story.

[⚣Michaelle⚣ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Not my favorite Josh Lanyon, but still entertaining. I do have to admit that I was a bit disappointed that there was no actual PNR aspect despite the build-up and tagging as I was in the mood for some supernatural shenanigans. There were other issues, too; see Martin's review for specifics.

That said, Alexander Masters did a great job with the narration; his voice fit the story-telling style and setting perfectly. Also, love that the love interest was a man named Hilary as that is the given name of one of my favorite characters on Primeval: Captain Becker. (Ben Mansfield is so effing hot.)

[Jax · Rating 3 out of 5]

This took me nearly a week to read, which is unusually slow for me. It's well written, as you'd expect from Lanyon, but the story just didn't interest me much and the romance is a very minor component of the tale. But if you're a fan of the period or the original The Mummy, you should enjoy this.

[KC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! The atmosphere, the mysteriousness and thrilling sense of adventure, the characters, and the humor permeating the story. And Bird. But perhaps most of all, i loved the poignant, emotional, breathtaking scenes between Armiston and Maxwell.

[♣ Irish Smurfétté ♣ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review on Prism Book Alliance®


Everything about this novel felt reserved or restrained, held back. This worked regarding some aspects for the story and not so much in others.

One of the best things about this story is Armiston, arguably the main character since he’s one among many, who is comfortably inside the range of middle age. Well, comfortable in terms of the number but not so much in how he views himself when in the company of younger people. This is particularly true regarding Captain Maxwell, and the way he slowly but surely makes his way into Armiston’s surprised heart and life.

I like when a mystery is slow to unfold. I don’t want to be rushed through or forced into conclusions or discoveries. In this way, Lanyon is as successful as ever in allowing the details, consequences, and answers to reveal themselves in natural time.

Something that misses the mark, however, is the manner of speech most of these characters use, in thought and in conversation. I’m going to guess that it might be appropriate for the time period but it felt overused in telling a story for a modern audience. Sometimes the rhythm of the prose felt out of sync, and was probably exacerbated by this choice of language type.

I enjoy a good mashup, with magic and paranormal and mystery and historical all getting tossed into the blender to see what kind of exciting treat we get. The mystery is top notch but it’s not served well by the ancient Egyptian mystical forces that are supposed to be at work here, dealing in life and death. For as much detail as we’re given, this felt underdeveloped and therefore disconnected from the rest of the story and the character development as I moved along in the book. Regarding this aspect, it felt like I was dropped into the middle of this particular part of society and should have already known more about it, but I wasn’t provided enough backstory to accomplish that. Whenever the mummy and related forces showed up, they felt more like interruptions than integral parts of the plot.

In terms of the characters, they’re varied in personalities and motivations and I enjoyed the feeling like I was a part of the dance as they worked to figure out what all was going on with the mummy and its connection to them. Sometimes the development felt only surface-deep, but then came bright moments of intense revelation and emotion, like mighty spikes on an otherwise steady graph. Armiston and Maxwell are definitely examples of this, as well as the guy who ends up being the creepy cool baddie of the whole thing. Although, the reasons for his actions were murky. But hey, he leaves no doubt as to what he wants and what he’ll do to get it.

The last 20% of the book felt rushed in comparison the rest. Thankfully, both Armiston and Maxwell, especially, are wonderfully drawn characters and were able to counteract the drag that this speedy race to the finish tried to wrap things up with what was insufficient resolution of some parts of the plot.

This is much more a mystery, a slight examination of friendship, and an awakening of an emotional shelf left empty for too long than it is a romance. You all know by now that this isn’t an issue for me. What are issues are the things I’ve laid out here. On the flipside, I much more often than not like and support when a storyteller tries something new to them and decides to share it with us. So, despite this not being one of the most enjoyable Josh Lanyon stories for me, I’m glad I read it and I hope we get more of this type, just with more ‘there’ there.

[Wandering Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful story from this author.

Dr. Quentin Armiston is a physician known best by his West End neighbors for his practical, stoic and unflappable nature. Attended to by his manservant and confidant, Bird, Dr. Armiston’s days are predictable and regimented until he is called in to consult on the unusual and premature death of an affluent young man. The circumstances of this death and, as they mystery deepens, additional deaths of other members of a secret society known as the Order of Osiris seem to point to a mummy’s curse.

This beautifully written historical is more mystery than romance (a slow burning May-December affair,) and follows Dr. Armiston’s investigation, his involvement with the Order’s members and a mutual growing attraction with Order member, Captain Hilary Maxwell.

I enjoyed the settings, character mannerisms, humor and suspense in this story. Highly recommend it to Josh Lanyon fans and anyone interested in lighter fiction featuring Ancient Egyptian curses.

[La*La · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

I haven't read The Mummy, and I didn't realize that mash-up meant literally taking whole sentences from other books and creating a story with a slightly different plot. Guess this is why it didn't feel like reading a Lanyon story at all....I have read ALL of her books, and be it historical, contemporary or fantasy - Josh Lanyon has a unique, distinctive style of writing, and here I didn't feel more than a barest hint of it. This was a dragged out, boring affair, the writing was awkward and stilted, some moments didn't make much sense, and be it any other author, I would have never finished it. Even the mystery part was boring...I much prefer Josh's cozy mysteries a-la Agatha Christie.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Josh Lanyon is my absolute favourite author, so to be giving one of her books 1 star is so unlike me. But I just didn't like anything in this book. I forced myself to finish it just because it was by Josh Lanyon, and because I kept a spark of hope until the end that something would make me like it even a little more. But no--I was just bored throughout the whole book. I guess even Josh Lanyon cannot make me love historicals.

[Chris, the Dalek King · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well...that didn't get any better on the reread. On the other hand, it probably didn't get any worse either. Just stayed firmly planted on "rather boring book, with a bad ending."

I normally love this author's work, but here it just fell flat near the end. I just really hate the reasoning behind what ultimately happens.

I'd honestly say, skip it, unless you are a Josh Lanyon completest.

2.5 stars

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect. Josh has perfectly captured the spirit of the classic early 20th century mystery. The characters, language, mannerisms and manners of the period and the locations are fully drawn.

[John Wiltshire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so wonderful I'm actually dreading finishing it. I want it to go on forever. Beautifully written, amazingly atmospheric and extremely authentic, this is the best Lanyon I've read since the last one...(Body at Buccaneer's Bay). After a little dip, he's rapidly shooting back to my top-author slot. In this genre he definitely is. Set in late nineteenth century London (possible early twentieth), starting this novel is like plunging into a wonderful Algernon Blackwood or MR James story where splendid chaps with lots of money and wonderful manners have adventures together. Of course, one or two of them will be 'confirmed bachelors', gruffly laughing off anyone's attempts to set them up with the beautiful young thing all the others are (politely) lusting after. The young gentlemen all have valets and butlers and houses in town and the country. It's all utterly delightful. Add to this a genuine mystery: why are these young men who agree to house a supposedly cursed Egyptian mummy dying? Doctor Armiston is roped in to find out.
I've never read a story of Lanyon's where I've been concerned that the hero might not get his man--it's a fairly foregone conclusion that his books end happily, which I why I like them. But this one is seriously making me anxious. I'm 60% in but equally dreading and longing to get back to it tonight. It's all rather tense.
As usual, I'll update when done...
Ah, excellent. Finished and very happy with Lanyon (again). Given the splendid ending, this might be the start of a new series. I'd be very happy if this were the case.
Highly recommended for lovers of a cosy mystery.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. This monster mash-up story was very entertaining. I enjoyed the mystery and at times expected the Mummy to be turning the corner.

The cast of characters were well fleshed out and I enjoyed all their different personalities and quirks. The mystery and main characters' relationship had a little of the Watson/Holmes vibe and I ate it up. The romance was cute too. I can see why this author is so popular.

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the slow build up of this story — the pace felt very true to its era. I've never read a mash-up book before so I was curious to get my hands on this one. Well, it didn't disappoint! Lanyon's voice blends well with Riccardo Stephens' who wrote the original book that inspired Lanyon to write hers. In fact, I was hooked from the line "Drip. Hiss. Drip. Hiss." on the very first page. A sure sign of a Lanyon book: always making me committed and intrigued with the first lines of the story.

I fell in love with the trio Armiston, Maxwell and Percival! These three AND several other characters are delightfully crafted, just like Josh Lanyon's characters always are. Also the fact that the plot was a compelling one kept me entertained — and sane! — during the evenings of the busiest, most stressful days of December. Not a small feat, that.

A fun detail — since English is not my native language I hugely enjoyed learning new-to-me "old English" words. It was a lot like finding small treasures along the way, really. I also liked how being gay was described so delicately in the book. In fact Armiston's words about Captain Maxwell actually describe the whole book real well: "There was strength, intelligence and courage, but something not quite...regular." Yes. I definitely recommend this one. It's not quite regular, but definitely intelligent and powerful.

[Mat · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very disappointed I normally love josh lanyon
I paid for the book it wasn't given to me free to review and quite honestly I would want my money back
I don't really think this is Josh's normal writing style in my view a very slow boring story and conversations between characters are confusing it's like josh has tried to imagine how people from that period would have talked , nobody knows unless they lived then and this dialogue just comes across as confused boring twaddle I really think authors should attempt new things but this really failed for me to the point I don't really relate to this being a josh lanyon book the characters don't really question anything i.e. Murders it's all too polite which doesn't make for an interesting read as the characters don't come across as interesting . I hope josh gets back to her normal writing style as this was such a let down I've given it one star as I normally like the authors work I also think it's wrong some reviewers are given a free copy to review reading their reviews they've either not read it or been reluctant to give a bad review I think this book would put people off reading the authors other books and that's a shame .

[Lee Rey · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book*
A great mystery of a mummy with a curse. Dr. Armiston is brought into give his expertise on a death that brings him to cross paths with many new people and one in particular named Maxwell. Throughout the story Armiston tries to solve if the deaths are paranormal or murders. He also grows close to Maxwell, who is dealing with a disease that Armiston offers to help cure. Armiston ends up playing a deadly game and begins being corrupted by the mummy and the stuff surrounding it. It is up to Maxwell to save Armiston even while he himself needs help. The mystery was interesting but I solved it myself at the halfway point, and was fun to see it at all play out. I did have slight trouble understanding the dialect of the book but after a couple of read throughs of chapter 1, it no longer became a bother.
*I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book*

[ValérieW · Rating 2 out of 5]

J'aime beaucoup la série Adrien English et le mélange mystère/ romance/ Egypte m'a tout de suite séduite c'est pourquoi c'est sans hésitation que je me suis précipitée sur ce livre dès sa sortie VF.
Le début plutôt prometteur m'a emballée et je partais plutôt confiante. Hélas, trois fois hélas! Quel ennui! J'ai trouvé le style pompeux, le mystère sur cette fameuse malédiction finalement pas si mystérieux que ça et la romance aussi trépidante qu'un encéphalogramme plat!!
J'ai eu un mal fou à rentrer dans l'histoire et à la fin de certaines pages j'avais déjà oublié ce que j'avais lu quelques minutes plus tôt. Dommage, l'idée de départ était plutôt bonne mais ça n'a pas du tout fonctionné pour moi.
Bref, en ce qui me concerne, aussitôt lu, aussitôt oublié.

[Finnegan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was completely baffled by this book, as it is very unlike Josh Lanyon's other books (except the romance, that was on par with her other books, although the lack of heat left me frustrated!) and then I read in the notes it was a mash-up of a 1912 novel - The Mummy - with some of Josh's original writing thrown in - almost like Pride ans Prejudice and Zombies . Or when authors do fanfiction.

Whatever it was, it didn't work for me. The story was illogical, maudlin, depressing and not even a good mystery. I read it because I love Josh, but it was not my cup of tea.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to get into.

[Alaïne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Josh Lanyon est une de mes auteures préférées dans le genre policier MM, et je n’avais jamais été déçu. C’est malheureusement choses faites. On m’avait prévenu que ce n’était pas son meilleur titre, mais au début de l’ouvrage, je m’attendais quand même à mieux. J’ai un autre ancien titre à lire d’elle, je vais reculer le moment.

Perceval et Maxwell font appel à Armiston après que le médecin ait pu constater la mort de deux de leurs amis. Le cinquantenaire découvre des réunions secrètes et une malédiction égyptienne qui touche un groupe d’amis. Est-ce réellement le sort d’une ancienne déesse ou les actes d’un criminel ? Et pourquoi ? En enchaînant les repas et réunion, Armiston va se rapprocher d’un jeune homme qui saura lui faire battre le coeur, et pas que.

Commençons pas l’aspect enquête qui m’intéressait le plus quand j’ai voulu lire ce roman. Cette auteure fait partir d’un petit nombre où la romance m’importe peu. Malheureusement, le niveau de suspense n’était pas au rendez-vous. Sans entrer dans les détails pour ne rien dévoiler. Le choix du partage de la malédiction n’a pas tellement de sens ni au départ, ni à la fin. Donc toute l’intrigue finit par être bancale.

Le suspense apparaît relativement vite, ainsi que la cause. On espère toujours qu’un énorme rebondissement arrive et nous étonne. Mais spoiler alerte : ce n’est pas le cas. Pour combler et essayer d’alimenter du suspense, nous avons des longueurs qui cassent totalement notre rythme de lecture. Avec moins de chapitres, et plus d’essentiel, ça aurait peut-être pu être une meilleure lecture.

Passons à la romance, qui en soi ne m’a pas dérangé puisqu’elle est relativement inexistante. Avec le résumé, on l’attend dès la rencontre, puis on désespère et quand ça arrive, on est perplexe. Ce n’est pas le sentiment voulu. Cela reste globalement une relation très charnelle et ce n’est pas dans l’habitude de l’auteure et ça se sent dans la proposition de scènes intimes.

En résumé, ce sera une déception car étant fan de l’auteure, je n’ai pas retrouvé ce que j’aime chez elle, habituellement. Un début prometteur a fini par devenir une lecture ennuyeuse. J’attendrais pour lire son one-shot, mais je serai toujours au rendez-vous pour sa saga Holmes & Moriarity !