Dead Letters

Forensic Handwriting Mysteries #8

by Sheila Lowe

ASIN B08WXF6XZY moved to this edition.

A heart-pounding hunt begins when Claudia Rose’s young niece goes missing with an archaeologist whose shady past spills into the present. The frantic search takes Claudia to Egypt, Gibraltar, and the UK, where her skills as a forensic handwriting expert of international renown are needed to help foil a deadly terrorist plot—if only she can find Monica before she becomes a casualty.


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Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Audiobook

302 pages, ebook

First published August 3, 2021

About the author

"Publishers Weekly gave Poison Pen a starred review and called it ""a dynamite debut.""

Award-winning author Sheila Lowe's stories of psychological suspense put ordinary people into extraordinary circumstances. Jefferey Deaver, No. 1 International Bestselling Author, said this: Utterly compelling! Outside the Line joins the ranks of those rare thriller that expertly blend nonstop plotting with keen perceptions of the characters--good and bad--who populate this wonderful tale.""

Like her fictional character Claudia Rose in the award-winning Forensic Handwriting series, Sheila is a real-life forensic handwriting expert who testifies in court cases. She also writes the Beyond the Veil paranormal suspense series and nonfiction books about handwriting and personality.

Stop by and sign up for Sheila's newsletter: www.sheilalowebooks.com/ "

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/sheilalowe
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www.sheilalowe.com (handwriting analysis)

Reviews

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

When it rains, it pours.

Claudia Rose's brother plans to join a few friends for a reunion of sorts. Unfortunately, he has a run-in with a man. The next morning, the man is found dead. Claudia gets a call from her brother asking her to get him a lawyer, as he's been arrested for murder.

Meanwhile her niece. Monica, is in Egypt helping out at an archeology site. She's supposed to check in with her dad or her aunt every single day. When no phone calls come in and she ignores text messages, Claudia becomes concerned.

With her brother having no choice but to remain at home, it is up to Claudia to make a trip to Egypt herself.

Checking with Monica's friends and advisor at the site, she discovers that Monica has disappeared. Talking to her best friend, hoping they've been in contact, Claudia learns that Monica has been seeing a young man from another site .. and he has also disappeared.

The frantic search takes Claudia to Egypt, Gibraltar, and the UK, where her skills as a forensic handwriting expert of international renown are needed to help foil a deadly terrorist plot.

As it's been 4 years since the last Claudia Rose book, I was keeping fingers crossed the book would be as well-written as the first in her series. I was not disappointed. The plot is intriguing and the story line well developed. The characters are solidly drawn. I learned a lot about Egypt .. it's culture, both past and present ... the people .. the artifacts that have been discovered. Although 8th in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone.

Many thanks to the author / Write Choice Ink / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 3 out of 5]

For anyone who is a parent or has someone they love like their own child, will find their worst nightmares come true in this thriller more than mystery. Claudia’s eighteen-year-old niece is off on her own in Egypt at an archaeological dig when she disappears. Claudia, a writing expert, rushes off to see what she can do to help track down her niece when her brother is kept home in the United States because he has been accused of murder! Some great atmosphere and lots of suspense. I’m a sucker for archaeological mysteries. This has some of that but it is much more grounded in the realities of the tensions that are all too real in the Middle East today.

Claudia has an interesting job and what she can figure out from handwriting alone sometimes seems like a psychic ability but is grounded in practice and study. Some of that comes in handy in the story but sometimes it is a bit of a stretch. Claudia is understandably frustrated when investigators don’t just believe that her niece would never be involved in anything illegal or just willingly go off without contacting them but she is also a bit annoying. The police have to be more impartial than a distraught family member. I understand that she has no desire to be reasonable, and if she was, there wouldn’t be a story, but still can be a bit annoying. At least she doesn’t attempt to take on the bad guy all by herself. That’s just a personal pet peeve. Some books it is easier to let it go than others. Maybe I’m just in an arguable mood.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I thought it was a good thriller. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

[Pratibha Pandey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book disappointed me because it had so less ( almost none ) handwriting analysis thing that I picked it for. It felt more like a usual mystery , and even that was a bit too easy to solve or felt very unreal and hapoenning just for the sake of it. I like the family bonds , some parta of Egypt a little. But after a point I could not be bothered with the history / beauty of any city. There was no atmospheric tension or dialogue to this.

[Paula Bernstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make way, Hercule Poirot and Amanda Peabody, Claudia Rose is coming to Egypt. I can't resist mysteries with an Egyptian setting and Sheila Lowe's forensic handwriting expert Claudia Rose doesn't disappoint. When her beloved niece disappears while on an archeological dig, Aunt Claudia knows she is in danger. Monica would never fail to call her father regularly unless she was in trouble. Claudia's reputation gains reluctant cooperation from local police, and she finds herself on a quest from Egypt to Gibraltar to London, to stop a terrorist attack and rescue Monica.
I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Loved it. Now I have to go back to the beginning and read all the other Claudia Rose mysteries.
Paula Bernstein
Author of the Hannah Kline Mystery Series.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had captured me by the title and the blurb. The other thing that drew me in was the Forensic Handwriting side of things as I am big on Crime and I geek out on things like personality tests and deciphering people/ profiling and all from their handwriting. The other thing that drew me to this book was that the main character Monica was on an archaeological dig in Egypt. Dead Letters starts with Monica in Egypt and meeting hottie Colin Vine who is a bit like an evil Indiana Jones-type character mixed with the slimy bugger from The Mummy - Benny. He is older than Monica and she is swept by his charm. The book moves forward swiftly and back home, Monica's dad went to his high school reunion and that ended up deadly. The book then jumps to Claudia Rose who is Monica's Aunt and her dad’s sister. Claudia starts to worry as she can't get a hold of Monica and so she does some digging of her own and discovers that Monica has disappeared along with Colin Vine. Some believe they are on a romantic trip away together but Claudia's aunty-radar senses something is off and so she heads to Egypt only to find that her niece has been kidnapped by Terrorists and black-market sellers. Now Claudia must race against the clock and use her crime skills and connections to find her niece before it's too late. I have to admit I was a little put-off and felt disappointed by the ending of this book and it kind of ruined the story a bit for me but besides that overall Dead Letters was an action-packed read filled with numerous twists and turns. Even though this is Book #8 in the series, it can be read as a standalone.

[Jennifer deBie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Dead Letters in exchange for an honest review. You can see the full review at https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/

Dead Letters alternates between Claudia Rose, a professional handwriting analyst like Lowe herself, and her niece Monica Bennett as they are pulled into a plot of international proportions after Monica goes missing and Claudia begins her pursuit. Pulse pounding from start to finish, this was described as a “cozy mystery” when I picked it up, but if you’re looking for gentle humor, quirky heroines, and low stakes you might want to look elsewhere. The stakes here start high and feel believably dire and only get higher as the pages turn and the plot thickens.

This is the Lowe’s eighth book centering on Claudia Rose, her crime-solving forensic handwriting expert, and Claudia’s family, and the time put into these characters is obvious. That said, the weight of their history should not be viewed as a barrier for entry to other prospective new readers—the obvious depth to these character relationships and casually referenced past adventures neither confuse nor detract from the story being told in Dead Letters. A satisfying thriller full of memorable characters, rich settings, and a tightly paced plot, Dead Letters is exactly the kind of novel to fill out your end of summer reading list.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, Claudia's brother, Pete, is accused of murder in Tucson, Arizona. Then her 18-year-old niece, Monica, goes missing from an archeological dig in Luxor, Egypt. Since Pete can't travel to find his daughter, Claudia goes to Egypt instead. Monica's trail leads Claudia from Egypt to Morocco, Gibraltar, and ultimately to London. Can she find and rescue her niece before disaster occurs? And then prove her brother innocent?

[Kimberly Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of the Claudia Rose series and equally excited to embark on this new journey as Claudia finds herself to be quite the world traveler in Dead Letters. My favorite handwriting expert was trying to enjoy her wonderful homicide detective husband whom she very rarely gets to see due to both of their careers, receives a message from her brother who was attending his college reunion. What she soon finds out is that her brother has been accused of murder. To add insult to injury, her niece, Monica, isn’t exactly staying in contact with her or her father and that was wreaking havoc on Claudia’s mind and soul.

First things first. Claudia and her husband fly to Arizona to get Paul, her brother, out of jail. But before they can do so, she had to find the best attorney for the job in which she does. Once the attorney is in place, she then learns that her niece is missing. Hmm? You may be wondering where was her niece and why was she missing? Good questions. Monica was in Egypt on an archeological dig through a program her Aunt Claudia helped her into. In fact, it was because of all the books Claudia gave her niece is what fueled her passion. So, imagine how Claudia is now feeling that her only niece, whom she adores, is now missing and her father, who is sitting in jail, has no idea his daughter is gone. The pain was mind blowing.

Claudia gets Paul settled and she then tells him that his daughter is missing. Pain, fear and anger begin to settle quite nicely through his veins, and he is ready to hop a plane and bring his baby back home. Under any other circumstances that would have been fine, but with his conditions of being released from jail, he can’t leave the country. Of course, and you guessed it, since he couldn’t go and Claudia feels totally responsible for this whole mess, she decides to go to Egypt and find out what happened to Monica, and that, readers, is where our story soars.

I have to admit it took me a minute to warm up to this story. I’m not sure if it was the location in which this story took place or the fact that Claudia was being more of a detective, which she’s been known to do, and not so much a hands-on handwriting expert on an up close and personal case? Lowe wrote the story quite well as she always does and she gave us two stories in one as I love when authors do that, but it didn’t grab me at first as I’ve become accustomed to in the Claudia Rose series. But once I got into the rhythm of the story and learned all the sinister characters and shady dealings happening, I couldn’t get enough of it. The detail of Egypt was quite captivating, and I enjoyed learning the lay of the land.

Overall, the Sexy Nerd gives Dead Letters four lively additional letters! You may find the story a tad slow at first, but once you get into the crux of what is happening, you are glued to the pages like never before.

To read original post, please go to: https://www.thesexynerdrevue.com/2021...

Thank you!

[Elanor Banks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 8th book in a series about hand-writing analyst Claudia Rose, the various crimes she helps investigate and the escapades she gets caught up in on the way. I haven't read any other books in the series, but Dead Letters works as a standalone novel. Lowe makes reference to characters and events from previous books, but I never felt that I missed out on important context.

Dead Letters is a romp that takes Claudia across the Middle East and Europe in pursuit of her niece, always one step behind her, unravelling details of the terrorist cell who have apparently taken her. It builds to a dramatic "will they get there in time" finish - no spoilers here! It's a quick and engaging read with lots of short chapters.

Claudia is like a snarky, modern-day Miss Marple, frequently acting outside the law and stubbornly getting herself into awkward and dangerous situations as she goes after the truth. She gets several opportunities throughout the chase to use her specialist expertise in handwriting and move the investigation forward.

Lowe works in some interesting history about the countries and sites the novel visits, and particularly about Egypt and archaeology in the first part of the story, before the action ramps up. She takes you on a journey through several cultures, and if some of the characters' accents and idioms are a little exaggerated at times, each location has a sense of place that feels well-observed.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fun cosy crime with just the right amount of grit and danger!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who wouldn't want to read this book when it starts like this: "Sometimes, there is a moment when everything that comes afterward--the excitement that fizzes up and bubbles over, the fear that threatens to overwhelm, even the pain--when every decision, every act feels as though it were pre-ordained."

What mystery includes so many twists and turns that will keep you guessing and wondering what will happen next? An intelligent, unique mystery--that incorporates graphology throughout as the mystery unfolds. Understanding people through handwriting analysis is intriguing, and in the author's latest novel, I learned even more about handwriting analysis--including it's use in multiple languages AND ancient Egyptian texts.

I've been reading Sheila Lowe's "Claudia Rose" novel series...but not in order. And that's okay. You don't have to start with book one. I had thought I would just read one, but I keep wanting to read more because of Lowe's unique device of using graphology/handwriting analysis in the storyline. This book ought to be a movie!

[Molly Weston · Rating 5 out of 5]

DEAD LETTERS took me out of my armchair straight to Egypt and then around the globe. When handwriting expert Claudia Rose is asked to examine some handwriting samples, she only hopes it will tell her something about the whereabouts of her beloved niece who disappeared without a trace. I was mesmerized as one clue led to another, always meandering through exotic cities.

No doubt about it Sheila Lowe knows how to blend information into a well developed mystery!

PS Sheila Lowe will be my guest on Molly on Mysteries on 8/19/21 at 2:00 EDT. All are welcome for this free series!

To join: Go to MyCary.org
* Log in & create a password
* Complete your profile
* Scroll down to #3 “Browse for Programs”
* Search for “Molly on Mysteries”
* Skip “Refine Search Results”
* Scroll down until the MoM results come up

You’ll get an email the day before as a reminder and giving you the password for the session.

[Nina Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a ride!! This is a gripping mystery set mostly in Egypt and Gibraltar, with a graphologist sleuth trying to find her missing niece. The ending will have you on the edge of your seat but, quite frankly, so will the rest of the book. Sheila Lowe mixes action with a realistic story line and also gives her readers some fascinating archaeology facts in the process.

[Allan Grim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished Dead Letters. I loved it,
especially the endings to each chapter
arousing you to continue on. I liked the
thriller aspects of venturing to different
locales, including a new one for most
people at Gibralter. The climax was a
true nailbiter and the ending was very
satisfying but tragic too. I was very curious
to see how she would have young Monica handle
all her confinement and relationship
with Colin. Very enthralling although I
read little fiction.
I was delighted with all the handwriting
analysis as well as the legal procedures-
reminder of my own careers. Well done.

[Tracey Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could taste the dusty Egyptian air! Take an adventure ride with this action packed forensic mystery/suspense novel. From California to Egypt and Morocco to England, Sheila Lowe gives you an unforgettable perspective of these exotic locations. She brings you so close that you'll have to wipe the desert sand from your shoes! This is my first Claudia Rose Book and I'm hooked!

[Laurie Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Dead Letters. Well-researched, well-written, with compelling characters and an intriguing plot. Never been this up close and personal to terrorists!

[Sherrill Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get your passport in order! Dead Letters will take you on a whirlwind tour, from California and Arizona, then Egypt, Morocco, Gibraltar, and London before returning to the U.S.

Claudia Rose is back as one serious globetrotting aunt on a mission: to rescue her teen niece Monica and the young woman's archaeologist boyfriend Colin Vine from suspected Islamic terrorists; and, to clear her own brother of a murder charge.

Author Sheila Lowe has created a suspenseful page turner, channeling her own skills at forensic handwriting analysis into Claudia, who, often bests the police when using her own methods of investigation right up to the shocking ending.

You'll read for the adventure and settings but also for Claudia's devotion to family. All are on full display.

[Drmarion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. It is nicely paced, has interesting locations (Egypt! so fun), good character development, and was honestly hard to put down. It's got a few surprises, and like the other books in the series, has plenty of handwriting analysis tips. This is the 8th book in the series--I am reading them as I go along, and not always in order. It's a great series, highly recommended.

[S. Jeyran Main · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead Letters is a mystery crime story about Claudia Rose’s desperate hunt for her missing niece, Monica, who goes on an archaeology dig in Egypt. The more Claudia researched, the more drama and adventure she encountered. Claudia’s expertise in international forensic handwriting comes in handy in discovering a terrorist group involved. The journey then continues as she risks her life to save her niece.
I particularly enjoyed how Claudia went through thick and thin in her discovery. I was rooting for her success and instantly found myself bonded to her cause. I would have appreciated a little more emphasis on the handwriting expertise and thought the story’s mystery dominated any specific details.

I enjoyed the family love and bond and appreciated the description of Egypt. The journey is certainly an adventurous one, and Claudia’s personality suited the situation very well.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes international adventure and crime stories.

[Jill Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a great series! I have reviewed titles in the Claudia Rose series in the past (including Poison Pen and Outside the Lines, and offered an excerpt from Last Writes), and have always found them to be a delightful way to escape from my life into that of someone infinitely more interesting (and infinitely more prone to find herself in trouble!). The forensic handwriting angle really makes these books unique. I am consistently surprised by the amount of information contained within the loops, swirls, and angles of handwriting, and Lowe does a fantastic job explaining the science without ever losing the thread of her story.

In this installment, Claudia finds herself in Egypt – a place I too have long found mysteriously fascinating. Her niece has gone missing, and the trail is deader than the pharaohs. Or is it? Claudia’s ability to insert herself into investigations, murders, missing persons cases, and historical mysteries with aplomb, humor, and cheeky wit is one of the things I most enjoy about this series. While you do, more than occasionally, have to suspend disbelief at the willingness of other jurisdictions to allow her to so insert herself, the doing so never lessens or affects the impact of the insertion. She’s a marvelous detective in her own right (write?), seeing things from a perspective that is unique and quirky enough to make her deductions and realizations credible and entertaining – particularly when you incorporate her detective husband’s ever-presence at her side.

The story is fast-paced and the history of the tombs – and tomb robbers – is engaging and well presented, offering both entertainment and information about a time and place that were rife with intrigue and drama. The writing is consistently good, offering just the right blend of description and action to keep things moving along in a vividly imagined way.

If you’re not familiar with the series yet, start at the beginning. You could read this as a stand-alone, but you’d be missing a lot of the richness and depth of characterization that are a hallmark of the series for me. Besides, you’ll definitely want to hit each title – they’re great stories and will take you all over the world and back again, with mysteries to boot!

Thanks to the author for my obligation-free review copy.

[Jocelyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the eighth book in the Forensic Handwriting Mystery Series. Claudia and Monica's suspenseful journey is action packed, and entertaining, filled with adventure, mystery, secrets, and a lot of twists and turns. Claudia, a forensic handwriting analysis expert, is a fantastic character. She is smart, and determined. Her niece Monica a beautiful character, naive, and strong. The cast of supporting characters is impressive. I loved Claudia's husband Joel, and her brother Pete. The suspenseful plot is well crafted, and intricate. This was a heart-pounding roller coaster ride! Somehow, parts of the story reminded me 'Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?'. Impossible to stop listening! Anna Crowe did an amazing job with the narration. This is a great thriller, and I enjoyed it. Looking forward for more in the Series.

[Norma · Rating 4 out of 5]

( Format : Audiobook )
"Dig."
It was Monica's Aunt Claudia who had imbued in her the passion for Egyptian history so, when just eighteen she was given the opportunity of a lifetime to join an archeological dig in Egypt, she somehow managed to persuade her very protective father to let her go for the summer, conditional on regularly keeping in touch. The sites and tombs were all she'd hoped for. Trouble is, she met a rather delicious professional archaeologist named Colin, charismatic and brave even if he did come with a less than perfect reputation. Phoning home didn't always seem like a good idea. So on the weekend that Monica and Colin went away together, she didn't call her dad and consequently not only did he not know where they had gone, she had no idea that he had been arrested - for murder! It was going to be a busy time ahead for internationally acclaimed handwriting.expert, Claudia Rose, to try to find her niece and save her brother.

Two stories for the price of one. Sheila Lowe has a pleasant easy to read writing style which both imparts immediacy as well as an intimate relationship with the story protagonists. The insightful elements of handwriting analysis are another fascinating bonus. Dead Letters is an enjoyable thriller, as are all of her books, although I personally did not find the latter part of Monica's story fully convincing and would have preferred Pete's defence investigation to have been more interspersed throughout the story rather than seemingly tacked on at the end as an afterthought.

Narration was by the very competent Anna Crowe, a pleasure to hear, the reading well paced, her modulation good and with individual voiced characters. Unfortunately, however, being a Brit myself and with a number of the characters coming from, or the scene actually being set in Britain, some of the pronunciations did not quite fit (for rxample, navy instead of navvie) which became irritating as the book progressed.

I was most fortunate in being freely gifted with a complimentary copy of Dead Letters, at my request by the rights holder via Audiobook Boom, Thank you. It was a most enjoyable read and some of the earlier descriptions of the Egyptian tombs were fascinating. A definite recommendation: another thriller with more than just a mystery at it's heart.

[FS Meurinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not my usual read, but it had me intrigued as I have studied a little bit of handwriting analysis and involved Egypt's history. The story is a mystery that will have you intrigued. I liked the action and storyline. The archaeologist part of the story was a good addition to everything. The author took a good researching process to write the story.




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[James Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the real world, the author is also a forensic handwriting expert, as is her heroine, Claudia Rose, a recurring character. Rose tends to stray from identifying criminals by analyzing their handwriting, and gets involved in pursuing them, to the delight of readers. In this outing, Rose is in pursuit again. Her brother is suspected of murdering a man at their college reunion, who bullied his late wife. While the brother is being investigated, his daughter, Claudia’s niece, is on an archeological dig in Egypt where she “takes up” with Colin, a handsome, older British archeologist. In no time, both go missing. Claudia Roes goes to Egypt to find her niece. The search takes her on a trek through Egypt, Gibraltar, and London, during which she encounters an interesting cast of characters: a surly teenager, an equally surly archeologist, tomb robbers, a jewelry fence, a knife-wielding thug who tries to cut her throat, and some really nasty terrorists. The nice is not having a picnic either. What (she thought) began as a romantic holiday turned into a smuggling operation. From there, it went downhill into captivity. It turns out that Colin is wired into some seriously sinister characters and in deep trouble. It took a few pages for the tension to build, but once Rose was in Egypt, I literally did not put the book down. The story will keep me guessing and on edge until the very end. Even though this is not my normal kind of read, it was enjoyable.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monica is volunteering at an excavation site in Egypt. While there, she meets Archaeologist Colin Vine. Monicas friend McKenna Ryan warned her about Colin. He’s rumored to be a womanizer and was reportedly almost fired for hanging out with known tomb robbers!

Monica’s aunt Claudia Rose is a famous graphologist who studies handwriting. Her husband Joel Jovanic is a homicide detective. Claudia and Joel are at dinner when they get a call from Monica’s father Pete - he’s been arrested for murder in Arizona. Turns out that an old college acquaintance Mitch, who had tried to assault Pete’s dead wife in college, was murdered after an altercation in a bar. Pete says he’s innocent so they hire Robin Cross to represent him. Will she find the truth?

When Monica goes off the grid in Egypt, Claudia heads there to find her. She discovers incriminating info in Colin’s room during her search. What kind of danger has he gotten Monica involved in. Will Claudia be able to find her?

This is my first book by this author and my first read in the Claudia Rose series. Although I hadn’t read any of the prior books, I was able to follow along. I look forward to going back and reading the others.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a rabid international traveler, I relate to the awe of walking on ancient stones and gaping at historical architecture and wonders such as mosaics. So, I am always keen to learn more. And I was expecting to learn more about archaeology than what was presented in this book. However, Egypt as a setting is lovely and always captures my interest. The nod to the incomparable Tower of London is great as well.

As the title alludes to, death is enshrouded in mystery, an arrest is made and the accused held in a detention center. Meanwhile, Monica and Colin find themselves in a very dangerous and twisty pickle which has far-reaching implications. Claudia's special skills come in handy as do those of her husband, Joel, as they chip away at the numerous layers.

Learning more about handwriting would have been so wonderful! For some reason this book seemed to be a bit one dimensional, lacking verve and believability.

My sincere thank you to Write Choice Ink and NetGalley for allowing me to read the e-ARC of this book.

[Tracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eighteen year old Monica Bennett has gotten a chance to join an archaeological dig in Egypt. Once there, she falls for the magnetic archaeologist Colin Vine, who is on another dig and they take off for a romantic weekend. Meanwhile in California, her aunt Claudia, a graphologist with a homicide detective for a husband gets a call from Monica's dad that he has been accused of murder at a reunion in Tucson. Monica helps her brother but he cannot leave the country, so she leaves for Egypt, then Gibraltar, and then London, England searching for her missing niece and Colin and some missing artifacts and possible terrorists. The story moves quickly and though this is book 8 in the series, readers still get enough of the backstory to enjoy this one. I picked up this book because it was about archaeology and having the brothers/dad story bookend it detracted it for me a little. Still, the characters are interesting and I will read another title by the author. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Jo Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This is my first Claudia Rose novel and it can easily be read as a standalone.

There are several interesting aspects to this story. Claudia's beloved niece, Monica, decided to go to Egypt to participate in an archeological dig. The information about the process and logistics involved in such a project, as well as the relics and their history, was fascinating. Unfortunately, the family learns that Monica has gone missing and it is up to Claudia to travel to the site to aid in the hunt.

Claudia is well known as a forensic handwriting expert. She uses her analytic abilities to determine the characteristics of the perpetrators.

There are many twists and turns as the mystery unfolds. The investigation takes us to Egypt, Gibraltar, and London. In the process, we learn something about each of these locales.

I look forward to future Sheila Lowe novels.

[Nan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book as part of the Blackbird Writers Mystery bundle contest. Ms Lowe is a new author for me. I have always had an interest in Egyptology, which played a part in this book. I enjoyed the characters and story. A lot of travel in this one! I did have to wonder how much was spent in airfair, car rentals and hotels!!! A handwriting investigator, Claudia, comes to the rescue when her brother is accused of murder and her niece is missing/kidnapped. The plot moves fast from CA to AZ to Egypt, Morocco, Gibraltor, to England and back. All works out for the best in the end It may be best to start at the beginning of the series so that you know all the characters, friends, etc - but it was just fine all by itself. I will say - I am not an often reader of e-books, so I'm not sure it this is the usual, but there did seem to be a good number of typos, missing letters and misplaced words. Not a problem - just a bit distracting!!! I will look for more.

[Sandra Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are two kind of main characters in this story: Claudia, a handwriting expert, and her niece Monica, a recent high school graduate who is spending the summer in Egypt working with archaelogists and graduate students at an archaelogy dig. It's her dream come true. She meets a handsome young man Colin, who is working at a different dig site. Fun things happen and then not so fun things begin to happen. Aunt Claudia enters the picture when bad things happen, with hopes of coming to the rescue. Claudia plays a bit of amatuer detective, uncovering more than the real detectives - and so it goes. I get a little irritated with the dangerous situations Claudia allows herself to gets into, but otherwise, it's an interesting, suspenseful story.

[Bill Haddad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate to pan a book, but the more I read the less I liked the story. I really wish I could have edited this because there are Clive Cussler-level typos, usage errors and revision cleanup failures. There are two essentially unrelated crime stories, one of which is merely a device to keep our plucky heroine's husband and brother out of the way. There is entirely too much woman-splaining, ie detailed attempts at describing her feelings. One thing that worked really well is the depiction of the offensively demeaning attitudes of the terrorists toward women. Sorry, I felt I owed a critique. At least I got to the end. The main story line was pretty good.