Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict

April 27, 2026

Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict

Lady Evelyn Herbert, daughter of Lord Carnarvon, was as fascinated by ancient Egypt as her father was. She accompanied him on a number of archaeological digs in Egypt, but while her father was searching for treasure, Eve was secretly looking for the tomb of Hatshepsut, the female pharaoh, who was virtually erased from history.

Historical fiction about two almost unknown women, one from the pharaonic dynasty in the 15th century BCE, the other from an aristocratic English family in the 1920s. The two women have a lot in common, trying to carve out a non-traditional place for themselves in their male-dominated worlds. While there is no answer to the mystery of why Hatshepsut was practically erased from history, the author puts forward a unique solution. But the story isn't only about the roles of women. Benedict also delves into colonial politics, describing Egypt's drive for self-government in the 1920s, striving to get out from under the fist of British rule. She also ponders the question of who has the right to artifacts found in excavated tombs, the people who financed the excavations or the people of Egypt. Her archaeologists point out that if it wasn't for the Europeans excavating the tombs, the Egyptian government was content to let the tombs molder away and for tomb robbers to slowly steal all the treasure. Recommended for fans of historical fiction or ancient Egypt.

Hatshepsut's mummy was actually discovered by Howard Carter when he was searching for the tomb of Tutankhamum. When he found the mummy, Carter believed it to be unimportant and left it where it was found. The mummy was identified as Hatshepsut in 2007 by Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass when a tooth that had been stored in a royal treasure box and labeled as belonging to Hatshepsut was proven to match the mummy's skull. Hatshepsut was found with her royal wetnurse and lifelong servant Sitre-In.

Hatshepsut's mortuary temple, one of the largest temples in the Valley of the Kings

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

January 22, 2021

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

Ruth Galloway is a forensic archaeologist, studying old bones from the Iron Age. She is 40-ish, overweight, and frumpy, living in a remote cottage with her two cats, living a quiet, orderly life. When a child's bones are found in the sand of a beach near her home, the local police suspect they are the bones of a child who disappeared about ten years earlier. But to Ruth's delight, the bones are much older, about 2,000 years old from the Iron Age. But then another child disappears and Ruth begins receiving threatening letters similar to the letters that the police received when the first child disappeared. 

This is the first book in the Ruth Galloway series.  It's a creepy mystery, very atmospheric, lots of dark and fog with the tide coming in and cutting off escape routes. Although Ruth describes herself as dumpy and unattractive, there are several men who are interested in her. I didn't care for this series enough to continue reading any more of the books, but many people enjoy it.