I received this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! The storyline is so exciting and addicting, I couldn’t stand to put it down. I have never read a book by LJM Owen but I was pleasantly surprised! I’m just cutting my teeth in mystery novels and this was a nice introduction. The storyline is easy to follow and makes it simple for the reader to get involved with the discovery process with the characters. There is a lot of history in this novel as well, but it doesn’t feel forced. Owen does a good job of explaining various historical facts via flashbacks and general layperson’s exposition throughout the novel. This book seems to be 3rd in a series, but is it’s own stand alone novel: you can read this without having read the others.

Our story opens with Dr. Elizabeth Pimms, an aspiring Egyptologist and her pen pal/travel companion Henry in Egypt. They are there to visit the various pyramids and burial sites of ancient Pharaohs and must pose as a married couple for safety. Before they even get a chance to explore much of Egypt, Elizabeth’s hotel room is broken into and her journal is stolen. It’s an odd pick for a thief but I suppose they have their reasons.
Back home in Australia, Elizabeth’s family dynamic is changing. There’s a secret sister (met in a previous novel, I assume) who is still trying to find her place in her new family. Taid, Elizabeth’s grandfather, suffers a break-in at his own library and a heart attack. Although the timing isn’t the best, Elizabeth learns that a colleague of hers has access to scans of various mummies from the Golden Tomb and others. The mystery of trying to figure out who the tomb belongs to ensues! I made a guess and I was wrong, wrong, wrong...a few times and by a few hundred years. In the end, all is sorted and things are well...until Elizabeth’s stolen journal from Egypt pops up again. I guess we’ll have to wait for book #4 to see what shakes out!

Having enjoyed this author’s previous works, taking place mostly in Australia with fictionalized history tours to the old civilizations of Mesoamerica, this entry tackles Egypt, possibly the only place that would have even more fodder for stories like these. Though it follows the pattern of trying to solve an old archaeological mystery, this book has less in the way of modern conundrums. Most of the story involves who’s in the sarcophagus, but other than a stolen notebook and a break-in, there’s no real mystery until the end, and that’s only a setup for the next book.
The one thing I love the most about this character is her memory palace, and the way it works as a library. If she wants to remember something, it comes up as though brought to her by a librarian. Pretty cool. Just as fun is her amazingly diverse family, if you don’t count all the cats.
It’s funny that the author takes the time to write out the Welsh dialogue, as it’s never pronounced like it’s spelled.
Despite liking Egyptian archaeology very much, I’m not enjoying this nearly as much as I did the previous books, with the flashbacks in Mesoamerica. But if nothing else, this book rekindled my interest in the 18th and 19th dynasties of Egypt. And all the references to Buffy, Firefly, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. . . seriously, this writer is from my tribe.
Long recipes and glossary at end, along with dedications. Wait, my archaeological crush Dr. Kara Cooney was in there and I missed her? Ouch. Please don’t tell her.
There was one point I disliked. In one of the sections taking place in ancient Egypt, the rulers tasks her scribe to check the records to “seek guidance from the ancients.” He does find something similar in the past, but it never occurred to the ruler that, in this time where anyone could be a suspect in the conspiracy, this guy could make up anything he wanted. . .

I not sure if this can truly be a fair review because I did not read the previous books in this series. Because of that I felt like I was missing parts of the plot---mainly to do with her family background. That being said I went into it with an open mind and I was hopeful that I would enjoy this based on the description. I love mysteries, I love Egypt, I love strong female leads. I felt that this would be a home run for me, but, alas, it was not. There was something about the writing I didn't enjoy. It felt too forced and clean at times (if that makes sense). Everything was so tidy in the way it was presented and many times it came across as artificial. I wished the setting was in Egypt the whole time, as I think this would have added to the overall ambience. I felt like there were too many smaller story lines going on at once that it took away from the main one making it all seem underdeveloped and boring at times. I did, however, really enjoy the parts where we where following Tausret. I think if they had more chapters from this point of view I would have given it a higher rating because this felt like a story I wanted to read more about. Overall, not the book for me.
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

EGYPTIAN ENIGMA by L.J.M. Owen
The Third Dr. Pimms Intermillennial Sleuth Mystery

Despite the theft of her journal and having to curtail evening outings due to harassment by the local men, Dr. Elizabeth Pimms enjoys a marvelous vacation in Egypt with Henry, her friend from New York. While the entire trip rekindles her love of Egyptology, it is a visit to the Golden Tomb which leads Elizabeth and her friends to a new adventure. With modern day technology and good old fashioned research they plan to discover just who is buried in the Golden Tomb.

Every time I finish a Dr. Pimms mystery I feel smarter. I learn so much, about past civilizations and modern archaeological techniques, combined with strategy and deductive reasoning, my intelligence surely must be increasing!

L.J.M. Owen skillfully weaves a modern day mystery with a historical story, probing interpersonal relations and gender. The third Dr. Pimms Intermillennial Sleuth Mystery looks at patriarchy in its various forms. Wherever there are strong women wielding power, there are men looking to diminish it. Degradation, belittling, discrimination, and harassment are just some of the things women are forced to deal with. Sadly, the women in the modern day story have things worse than Pharaoh Tausret in this regard!

EGYPTIAN ENIGMA gives a fascinating look at ancient Egypt including its politics, religion, and daily life of the ruling classes. The modern day portion of the book provides more insight into the Pimms family, including the tragic death of Elizabeth's father, and just as we think we're to be given more answers, readers are left with a stunning ending that raises even more questions. My jaw dropped to the ground and I can only hope to have it closed by the time I'm able to read the next Dr. Pimms Intermillennial Sleuth Mystery.

I really enjoyed the historical story and of course all of the historical Egyptian tidbits. I like that LJM Owen always delivers these historical anecdotes in her novels. Sometimes it was a bit difficult for me to follow all of the cast of potential mummies especially because they're named so similarly! There is an appendix for this, it just didn't want to sit straight in my mind until the end. I was a little disappointed by a few loose threads, however, I will definitely be continuing the series! I really enjoy these books they are light reading but yet I always learn something.

I really enjoyed the opening of this mystery in modern-day Egypt. It was very atmospheric and gripping. There was action and adventure in the prologue, a great start. The next chapter, in which we move back in time to Year 12 of the reign of Pharoah Seti II, 1192 BCE (Before Current Era) and meet Tausret, the pharaoh’s wife, was also intriguing and I settled down for an enjoyable reading session.
However, I’m afraid from chapter three I rapidly loss interest. We were back in Australia with Elizabeth and her family by this point, and I didn’t find any of them likeable, our heroine included. She seemed quite feisty and fascinating in the prologue, but soon slipped into self-absorbed. There was a long dream section which got us nowhere. I’m never a fan of dreams in fiction, and this is the reason! This dream section also called for a huge chunk of text in italics. We already have the modern day story in one typeface, and the ancient Egypt story in another. This third variation on presentation was too much, and not easy to read. The action after this became somewhat slow and involved. We dipped in out and of the pharaoh timeline story, which I enjoyed more than the modern-day plot line, but it got a little bogged down here and there. There was a feminist theme throughout the whole book that raised interesting points but seemed a bit laboured, I felt, and I only finished the book out of stubbornness, rather than enjoyment. There were more loose ends than I liked, although I appreciate these may be tied up in the next book. However, I for one shan’t be reading it.
Overall, a competent and undoubtedly well-researched novel that promised a lot at the beginning but was rather disappointing.

Dr. Elizabeth Pimms has returned from Egypt believing that information that she found in the Cairo Museum is incorrect. With er band of sleuths she aims to find the answer. Meanwhile we get to discover the story of the reign of the pharoah Tausret.
This is my second book in the series that I have read, I think for me there is just too much personal history in the story. The writing, the main character and the story just didn't catch my imagination and found it difficult to engage in the story.

WOW! This was my first time reading a book by L.J.M. Owen and I am not disappointed. I was sucked into reading this book solely based on its title and summary. While I do agree with some of the other reviewers regarding the main characters, I was enchanted with the book overall. I felt the author did a great job of explaining the oh so confusing family tree of the Egyptian royal family of the 19th and 20th Dynasties. The chapters describing the intrigue of the Egyptian court is on point with what I have read in research by Egyptologists. The book combined the elements of old fashioned sleuthing with that of modern technology. I am disappointed by the lack of further development on some of the side plots. I am still on the edge of my seat about the ending!! Fun, enjoyable read and I will go back and read the first two in the series. Three cheers for Double-Oh-Dewey!!

I really wanted to like the Egyptian Enigma. I am sure there is someone out there who would find this book wonderful but unfortunately it is not me. Some of the information presented is interesting in an " I want to look that up" way. But--I found the writing lacking. It failed to engage me to the point I cared what happened to the main characters in the book. It seemed almost clinical and cold to me but I know some people like that in a book but not me. I started this book three separate times and just could not be drawn into the story. I hate giving bad reviews but someone will love this book just not me. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

Egyptian Enigma

By L.J.M Owen

Published By: Echo/Bonnier Publishing Australia

Publish Date: March 1, 2018

Bookies Rating: 📖📖📖.5 / 5

// I received this ARC from #netgalley for free in return for an honest review //

Egyptian Enigma is the third installment of the Dr. Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth series. The story follows Dr. Pimms (Elizabeth) as she visits Egypt only to find something doesn't seem right in the Cairo Museum as she studies the display of one of the mummies and its corresponding papyrus. While in Egypt, Elizabeth's journal is stolen for an unknown reason and Elizabeth wonders what she has gotten herself into. As she returns home, she meets with her fellow colleagues and they begin to unravel the mystery of the suspicious papyrus and The Golden Tomb. They learn of Egyptian royal murder and also find that their work can bring unwanted consequences for Elizabeth's own family.

Egypt?! Archaeology?! Mystery?! There are few other strings of words that could make me want to read a book more than these. The archaeologist/historian/book nerd in me was screaming to get access to this upcoming book. Owen does a great job of weaving historical facts with the mystery without making the facts sound boring. I actually found myself enjoying reading about the royal families and the history aspects more than the majority of the modern aspect of the story. I wish I could have liked the overall story more, however it was very hard to do so. I don't know if it is a product of not reading the previous two stories, but I didn't feel like I could connect to any of the characters other than Elizabeth and even that was hard. It was hard to figure out where the author was trying to go.

The entire book I was wondering why her journal was stolen, why her grandfather was attacked and why I needed to know anything about her tutoring at the college. I felt as if there were too many questions and not enough answers. Having loose ends that tie into the next book is fine, but it is my opinion that through the book you have to at least give the reader some hints or clues to major events before the end of the book. But for the flaws (and every book has them), it was a neat little book that spoke to my inner history buff. I did enjoy the science that the group used in order to solve the mystery and I was often reminded of Bones, the TV show, which I am a huge fan of. I'm hoping to snag the previous two books and will keep an eye out for the next. I'm happy I had access to this one. Thanks NetGalley!

Book – Egyptian Enigma (Dr. Pimms, Intermillenial Sleuth, #3)
Author – L.J.M. Owens
Star rating - ★★★☆☆
Cover – Gorgeous!
POV – 3rd person, one character
Would I read it again – Maybe
Genre – Cosy Mystery, Historical, Crime, Archaeology
Triggers – historical cannibalism and incest (none on page), child brides (briefly mentioned)


** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **


I have to admit, I was really looking forward to this one, because I'm an Ancient Egyptological fan and student. However, it just didn't grab me the way the previous historical stories did. I was disappointed to find that only one chapter actually took place in Egypt! I was really looking forward to seeing Elizabeth and Henry's adventures in Egypt, but they lasted only for the Prologue and ended up having almost no bearing on the overall storyline, bar one theft that was overexaggerated and one hint that didn't mean anything until nearly 80%

The formatting was much better than book 2, more on par with book 1, but I still found that the formula of the writing grew tiresome. The more books I read in the series, the less enthusiastic I am about reading them. They're all plotted to the same formula, which would have been fine if it actually had an impact on the central character, but Elizabeth makes the same mistakes over and over again, until it makes me angry. How is it possible that this ultra intelligent woman can be so obtuse?

The story highlights some important topics: child brides, harrassment of women, subjugation and erasing of women from history records. They all do some good, but I found the feminist aspect – that runs throughout the entire series – so heavy in this novel that it really put me off. I'm a feminist myself, but the constant barrage of discussions, the snide remarks, the constant beating at my brain about it, grew very tiresome. It also confused me, since the majority of readers of cozy mysteries are women, so why brow-beat us with this constant reminder of how we've been, as a gender, treated throughout history?

Another facet of this was the heavily emphasised feature of all historical stories in this series having a single theme – one woman using politics and murder to outwit a man who didn't give her the credit she was due. Fair enough, but they're all seeking violent revenge instead of using their wits to outsmart or out-politic the men, and only one of the three historical women actually succeeded with any real degree of longevity.

I'll admit, I didn't find the plot as engaging. I mean that for both timelines. I thought I would love the historical scenes from Ancient Egypt the most of all the series, but I actually didn't. I found them almost two or three times more full of historical details, usually unnecessary, than the other stories. It became quite apparent that the author was more comfortable in Ancient Egypt than the Olmec or Mayan eras, as the scenes were longer, more detailed, and far more heavily weighted towards a complete storyline than the others. Sadly, this actually worked against my enjoyment of those parts of the story. I found myself bogged down with too many details, too much 'historical accuracy' – which is not something I ever thought I'd say!

I found Elizabeth grated on my nerves much more in this novel. Still doing stupid, reckless, unnecessary things – like chasing a robber who stole only her journal, by jumping over a railing and descending a flight of stairs with the drop, as well as confronting a burglar – she's clearly learned nothing since book one, which is a huge disappointment. I expected more from her. Maybe if the theft in Egypt had been her necklace or something more valuable than her journal, which she wouldn't really need because of her eidetic memory, then I might have bought the outlandish behaviour, but it all seemed so over the top that I just rolled my eyes and moved on.

Again, I find myself bogged down with food, though thankfully not as much as before. Either that or I've learned to skim past the extensive passages by now. The family dramas were also in full effect. And I also noticed that every single family discussion revolved around Elizabeth. And I'm not even a little shocked. Nor that it took her two books to realise that Judy was a little weird. Or that Mai was suffering from a serious case of depression since book 1. All things I worked out in book 1 and have been waiting for her to realise. And I don't have a PHd.

I didn't like the addition of “Oliver” – Agatha Christie – as the mysterious “You!” from the end of book 2. Sorry, just too cheesy for me, as a massive Agatha Christie fan. It fits my idea of Elizabeth as someone with an overinflated sense of ego, but it just didn't sit well with me, at all.

All the mansplaining and Franklined just went to prove my theory about Llew from book 2, while reinforcing my warm and fuzzy feelings for Nathan and Henry, both of which Elizabeth seriously underestimates and doesn't appreciate properly. I don't believe or understand the 'attraction' she has towards Llew, that constantly makes her knees weak. It's a purely physical reaction to his looks and his voice, yet everything about his screams user and sexist.

Yet, I find myself asking why so many highly intelligent people ask so many stupid questions and do so many stupid things. And that question is never answered. I feel like they're all made out to be idiots so that Elizabeth can waltz into the conversation with some earth-shattering revelation from her brilliant mind, where she gets to lecture the characters and readers about techniques and requirements that we're clearly too dumb to understand without her. Yeah, it got old really quickly. Just like when she describes her actions as “maybe not selfish exactly but self-centred” ← figure that one out, if you can.

Unsurprisingly, I then asked myself what the point of Nathan, Rhoz and Llew was, exactly, within this investigation. Well, Nathan proved his part later on, but Rhoz and Llew just phoned a few contacts and spent the rest of the book hovering around Elizabeth wondering at her brilliant intelligence and investigative skills like a pair of groupies, having feminist arguments and making literary jokes.

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Overall, I just found it far too taxing and exhausting, trying to keep up with the many twists and turns. Elizabeth doesn't ever learn from her mistakes, has limited social awareness, is selfish and self-involved, and is always forgiven for any mistake she makes, whether large or small. She only checks in with people, like Nathan, Henry and Alice, when she wants something from them or needs someone to talk to and listen to her woes. She becomes more woe-is-me the more the book progresses and becomes more annoying with each chapter. Even the storyline of Mai being included in her family centers around Elizabeth and how she's Mrs Miracle, who manages to do everything herself, solve everyone's problems, work three jobs, and all on little to no sleep, without making a single mistake. After a while, it gets really tiresome to read.

What's worse is that Matty is now emulating her, having a go at Mai, who has serious depression as if she has any control over it or how she feels about things. People accept Elizabeth's behaviour too readily, she's too favoured by her grandfather and never held in check for her actions, even against Sam in book 1, or Mai in book 2. No one ever tries to warn her of the consequence of her actions and she never pays the price that us mere mortals would pay if we did the things she did. I also wasn't a fan of the 'miraculous' recovery Mai made from a lifetime of chemically induced depression that 'after just a few weeks' she was already better. It's a false representation of depression and it didn't sit well with me how it was used as a plot line to explain away Mai's emotions or how quickly it was all brushed under the rug and resolved.

But, to top it all off, every book ends with a huge cliffhanger and unanswered questions. Now, I don't mind a series or a cliffhanger or two, but ending every book with one and leaving me asking questions about the resolution of events that take place during the book just isn't my kind of series. We spent half the book wondering about Taid and his mysterious red book – that no one, not even Elizabeth mentioned at any point – and why he lied about the robbery, as well as Judy's mysterious letter, yet we end the book without the answer to either situation. I just can't find it in myself to care enough to read the next book to get those answers.

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