Michelle Griep does it again! Her newest novel, Of Gold And Shadows, is the perfect choice for fans of historical romance with a good dose of the mysterious. I loved the Victorian-era setting with a nod towards Charles Dickens. Find out more below.
The shadows hold secrets darker than they ever imagined. . . .
In 1888 Victorian England, Ami Dalton navigates a clandestine dual life. By day, she strives to establish herself as a respected Egyptologist, overcoming the gender biases that permeate academia. But with a heart for saving black-market artifacts from falling into the wrong hands, she is most often disguised as her alter ego, the Shadow Broker.
After eight years in India, Oxford’s most eligible bachelor, Edmund Price, has come out of the shadows to run for Parliament and is in search of an Egyptologist to value a newly acquired collection. Expecting a renowned Oxford professor, Edmund instead finds himself entangled with Ami, the professor’s determined daughter. As they delve into the treasures, their connection deepens, but trouble emerges when a golden griffin–rumored to bear the curse of Amentuk–surfaces, and they’re left to wonder if the curse really is at play, or if something more nefarious is hiding among the shadows . . . .
Michelle Griep has been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She seeks to glorify God in all that she writes–except for that graffiti phase she went through as a teenager. She resides in the frozen tundra of Minnesota, where she teaches history and writing classes for a local high school co-op. An Anglophile at heart, she runs away to England every chance she gets, under the guise of research. Really, though, she’s eating excessive amounts of scones while rambling around a castle. Michelle is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and MCWG (Minnesota Christian Writers Guild).
My Impressions:
Of Gold And Shadows was the perfect choice for the longer nights of Autumn. Atmospheric in its setting, this novel’s nod to Victorian England includes the fascination with all things Egyptian and Charles Dickens. Ami Dalton is an aspiring Egyptologist set on proving that women can have expertise in the area of archeology. She teams up with the much sought after Edmund Price as she values his large haul of antiquities. Ancient curses, political machinations, scheming partners, and a thoroughly despicable villain combine to make this an intriguing and fun read. But it is Ami and Edmund’s immediate chemistry that made me love this book. The opposites attract trope was skillfully handled with these two quirky and lovable characters. The book has a twistingly good mystery as well — I thought I knew what was going on, but boy was I surprised. I liked that a lot!
So if you love a historical novel that immerses you in a long gone time and place, gives you a fun reading romp, and satisfies your desire for an HEA, then Of Gold And Shadows is for you. An added bonus is this is just the first installment in Griep’s Time’s Lost Treasure series. More great reading to come!
Highly Recommended.
Audience: Adults.
(Thanks to Bethany House for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
This was the first book I have read by her, even though I have several sitting on my shelves. I loved it and will be reading more from her 😉