Why am I passionate about this?
I am a novelist and travel writer specializing in Egyptology. My research has taken me to Egypt many times, and I write both fiction and nonfiction related to my studies. Like all Egyptologists, I understood from a young age that ‘They that drink of the Nile always return.’ When not hopping across continents, I can be found in Wisconsin, enjoying something I call porch time.
Del's book list on books about Egyptology
Why did Del love this book?
The might of Ancient Egypt, even in the form of one little Shabti, should never be questioned. This book charmed me on so many levels. The haunted artifact in the museum's collection is a force to be reckoned with and provides more than enough intrigue to carry the adventure forward. The two protagonists, Dashiel and Hermann, are flawed, past their prime, and used to living on the fringes of society. I fell in love with both of them, as I did with the larger cast of characters–flim flam or otherwise.
The emotional story is very sweet, which suits the characters perfectly and which is still with me. The setting (greater Chicagoland in the 1930s) is expertly recreated down to the regional and period dialect, which is always delightful. I would absolutely relish a sequel, and this hardcover will never leave my shelf.
2 authors picked The Shabti as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
Can you flimflam a ghost?
It's 1934. Former medium Dashiel Quicke travels the country debunking spiritualism and false mediums while struggling to stay ahead of his ex-business partner and lover who wants him back at any cost. During a demonstration at a college campus, Dashiel meets Hermann Goschalk, an Egyptologist who's convinced that he has a genuine haunted artifact on his hands. Certain there is a rational explanation for whatever is going on with Hermann's relics, Dashiel would rather skip town, but soon finds himself falling for Hermann. He agrees to take a look after all and learns that something…