Daughter of the God-King

September 30, 2013
Whether readers will enjoy this average romantic historical thriller from Cleeland (Murder in Thrall) set in the early 19th century may hinge on their reaction to heroine Hattie Blackhouse's response to witnessing a violent assault on a friend: "Wellâthis won't do." Cornwall native Blackhouse has traveled to Egypt from Paris after learning that her Egyptologist parents have been missing for three months. Their discovery of a lost tomb in the Valley of the Kings containing the remains of the "the god-king's daughter," seems to be at the root of the problem. Even those who do not find Hattie's interior monologue unrealistic must still get past this conventionally plotted adventure's ornate prose, in which we're told, for example, that a man "made quiet and efficient love to Hattie in the bottom of a wooden fishing boat while the crickets resonated and the eternal stars of Egypt burned overhead." Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.

November 1, 2013

Miss Hattie Blackhouse has lived most of her 18 years in the dull Cornish countryside, and she's determined to break free of her confinement in traditional Regency style: she'll marry. Arriving in Paris in search of her likeliest candidate, childhood friend Robbie Tremaine, Hattie is surprised to find herself with a growing number of suitors, all of whom are as interested in her scholarly parents' recent discovery of the God-King Daughter's tomb in Egypt as they are in wooing her. Finally told her parents have been missing for months, Hattie sets sail for Egypt with her companion Miss Bing, and a few mysterious suitors, to dig up her own answers. VERDICT With a large array of shady characters and red herrings for misdirection, this mystery will keep readers happily guessing until the end. But it's Hattie and her ability to be equally observant and naive that will have them hoping this might be the start of an appealing series. Fans of classic Agatha Christie, historical fiction, and light romance will all find something to enjoy in Cleeland's (Murder in Thrall; Tainted Angel) latest outing.--Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH

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