Great read. Must travel the Nile and reflect. Exceptional author. ( )

Some aspects of the book were interesting but I kept finding myself getting annoyed or bored and putting the book down for long periods of time. I finally finished it and the ending was most unsatisfactory - no resolution whatsoever, at least not in my mind. Lady of Hay is a much better book. ( )

Not a bad read, not Erskine's best, but certainly good enough to pass the time on a longhaul flight! ( )

Follows the dual storyline of Anna and her ancestor Louisa both embarking on an Egyptian cruise. Louisa is gifted a small bottle which houses the warring spirits of the priests of Isis. In Anna's time she takes the bottle back to Egypt and it triggers the spirits again.
This was more supernatural than some of Erksine's other books but it worked. The characters were interesting, but there was the usual slightly violent/menacing males which seem to be a trademark of Erskine's books. ( )

This is my first book by Barbara Erskine but if given the chance to read another I will certainly do so. I found myself thoroughly loving (most of) the characters and certainly the locale of this book. I have a fascination for books that take place in Egypt; so mysterious, so old. In this tale Anna Fox is recently divorced and is feeling totally diminished by an ex-husband who used her as nothing more than a social secretary. Encouraged by her aunt she takes off to Egypt to follow in the footsteps of her somewhat famous great-great grandmother, Louisa Shelley, a water-colorist. Louisa has left a diary of her experiences and a mysterious scent bottle.

The story is told in three parts; Anna's current day adventures, Louisa's Victorian tales and the mystery of two Ptolemaic priests who are looking to reclaim the scent bottle and it's "Tears of Isis." The three stories are seamlessly bound together as Anna starts seeing the sames visions of the priests that Louisa did.

As Anna reads Louisa's diary and becomes more involved in Louisa's life she becomes more afraid of the ghosts of the priests. In her current world her new acquaintances on the cruise ship in Egypt including two men who both want different things from her - including Louisa's diary - try to woo her for their own purposes. Just who can Anna trust?

This was a fascinating book with a good story at its core. I enjoyed Anna's present and Louisa's past. Anna's relationship with Toby (one of the two men) was fun and well developed. The other man, Andy was not as well developed and he seemed a bit one note but it didn't detract much from the overall book. I found myself turning the pages wanting to know what would happen to Anna and what did happen to Louisa. ( )