As both a former history major and teacher, the historical aspects of this book are what drew me. I mean, who wouldn't enjoy meeting the likes of Lawrence of Arabia and, pre-King Tut discovery, Howard Carter? Egypt, tombs, dust and heat, and seemingly spies everywhere. As a result, I enjoyed the loosely history based story even if I came away thinking I'd have enjoyed it more were I familiar with previous Fiona books. That may be on me. Let's just say, I'm the kind of reader who when told as part of the backstory that the mysterious Kitty locked Fiona in a toilet last mission, goes, "Wait! What? Why? How?" rather than just register the event and move on. To each reader their own style, however.
The cast of characters is fairly long, many with foreign or unusual names and I felt like I needed a score card to keep up at times, not to mention keep it straight as to who was on which side. Even though Fiona is firmly on the side of the book's good guys, the British, I've got to admit that I didn't find her particularly likable. Although she comes across as fairly straight-forward, that translates to having no real sense of humor and taking herself way to seriously. Previously a file clerk, she's taken to spying with gusto, collecting various spy gadgets (not to mention having a skirt with ample pockets for concealment special made) and almost giddy at the chance to take on a disguise, of which she has several.
In the process of taking herself too seriously, she seems to look upon Kitty's more carefree public persona with disdain, seeming to feel she doesn't take the job seriously enough. Never mind that Kitty seems to have skills and talents we haven't even seen yet. Yet, in her prim, self-importance, Fiona does show initiative and caring, with ideas about female roles far ahead of the 1917 world she lives in. Just as the story-line seemed to be just beyond my grasp at times, Fiona spends much of the book not quite grasping the situation, so I could sympathize with her. After all, spies don't always have all the facts, right?
In any case, I won't detail the plot, it's full of twists and turns, suspects, and red herrings galore. If you're a history buff, particularly if you're fascinated by Egyptian history and/or archeology, you'll find this an intriguing read. The author did an excellent job setting the atmosphere with its Egypt's unique architecture and mystique, not to mention creating interesting, if puzzling, characters. I may have been bemused at times but I'm inclined to think I'll be checking out Fiona and Kitty's future missions.
Thanks #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for introducing me to Fiona and Kitty, not to mention Kitty's feisty little dog Poppy. Love the history aspect of this series and am looking forward to learning more about all involved. As it was, I learned something, too, as I looked up Gertrude Bell while reading. I'd have admired her, I think. Learning something new is always a big plus.
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