Alexander's 16th "Lady Emily Ashton" escapade finds Emily, her dashing husband Colin Hargreaves, and his precocious teenage daughter Kat at a house party at Lord Deeley's lavish home in Luxor, Egypt. After an elaborate dinner on the first night of the party, their host drinks a poisoned tisane and dies. The Egyptian police are convinced that one of Lord Deeley's servants killed him, but Emily and Colin take it upon themselves to investigate other possibilities. In true Agatha Christie style, Alexander spins a sophisticated tale with a convoluted story line and an eclectic cast. The novel highlights murders in two distinct timelines: Lady Emily's present-day 1904, and a marvelous mystery set in ancient Egypt. As always, Lady Emily shines in her unconventional, leave-no-stone-unturned approach to sleuthing; she's a standout character: a doting wife and loving mother, both feminine and feminist. The novel's mystery is self-contained, but Alexander's long-running series is best read in order. VERDICT Fans of avant-garde women sleuths, Dame Agatha, and plot-driven mysteries will enjoy this twisty read.--Debbie Haupt

In 1904, wealthy British politician and dilettante archaeologist Lord Bertram Deeley organizes a holiday party for a cruise up the Nile to his villa in Luxor, Egypt. Joining the party are British Crown agent Colin Hargreaves; his wife, Lady Emily; and Kat, his adult daughter from a prior liaison. The party is shocked by Deeley's death by cyanide poisoning following an elegant meal at the victim's antiquity-filled villa. After cursory questioning, the Egyptian police accuse an Egyptian servant, but Colin and Emily don't buy it. Joined by Kat in their conversations with the other guests, Emily and Colin learn unsettling details of Deeley's life, including some underhanded dealings in antiquities. The main plot draws texture and context from the story of Meryt, the daughter of a master craftsman working on the Pharaoh's tomb in the Valley of the Kings during the reign of Ramses II. The ushabti (funereal equipment) that Meryt makes for her father's tomb have a distinctive mark--the link between the two stories. Fans of this long-running series will appreciate the skills Kat brings to Lady Emily's sleuthing in this absorbing historical mystery.

In bestseller Alexander's intriguing 21st Lady Emily mystery (after 2021's The Dark Heart of Florence), Lady Emily and her intelligence agent husband, Colin Hargreaves, travel to Egypt in 1904 at the invitation of Lord Deeley, an antiquities collector. At Deeley's first dinner party, amid friends and acquaintances, he's poisoned and dies. As usual, Alexander offers multiple suspects who have long personal histories with the victim--including Lady Emily's mother-in-law--and plenty of clues and red herrings to discover and interpret. Lady Emily's investigation alternates with chapters focused on a young woman sculptor named Meryt who lived along the Nile thousands of years before. Meryt's struggles to carve figures out of alabaster while attempting to discover who vandalized her studio and threatened her family provide a nice counterpoint to Lady Emily's investigation and efforts to build relationships with her mother-in-law and her stepdaughter, Kat. A murder in the past, meanwhile, turns out to have a link to Lord Deeley's death. The resolution is surprising, with a twist readers won't see coming. Alexander consistently entertains. Agent: Anne Hawkins, John Hawkins & Assoc. (Oct.)

In 1904, an Egyptian vacation turns into a quest to solve several mysteries. Lady Emily and her husband, Colin Hargreaves, a former agent of the British Crown, accompany his mother, Ann, who's been invited by her lifelong friend Lord Bertram Deeley to visit his home in Luxor. Also in their party is Colin's daughter, Katharina von Lange, a product of his affair with an Austrian countess who was a fellow spy. Katarina, an impetuous young lady with shockingly modern ideas, has a rocky relationship with Emily. Even so, the trip up the Nile by boat is delightful. Colin and Emily remain onboard in Luxor rather than stay at Lord Deeley's home, but they do dine there and meet the other houseguests Deeley has been so happy to bring together: Caspian Troubridge; the politician Inigo Granard and his wife, Adelaide; Lady Wilona Bestwick and companion Pandora Evans; and Dr. Oliver Rockley. The first night's dinner guest is archaeologist Tristan McLeod. When Deeley offers a toast and then collapses and dies--the smell of almonds reveals that there was cyanide in his glass--cracks immediately appear in the relationships among the guests. The police are convinced the poisoner was a servant, but Emily and Colin's long experience of solving murders suggests otherwise. As it turns out, Deeley was not as beloved as he first appeared, but tracking down possible motives and winnowing out the truth will not be easy. The unusual background and Agatha Christie twist make for an enjoyable and informative read. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.