by Joan Hess
First published 2008
Claire Malloy has married Lieutenant Peter Rosen after their unusual courtship, but their Egyptian honeymoon isn't going as planned. She finds herself in Luxor with her teenage daughter Caron and Caron's friend Inez while Peter disappears for secret government consultations. Claire wants nothing more than peaceful sightseeing and shopping at the luxurious Winter Palace hotel. Her plans crumble when unknown pursuers chase the girls through dark alleys. Then a blonde college student they recently met gets kidnapped by two men on horseback in broad daylight. The kidnapping looks like something from an old movie, but the danger is real. Claire realizes something sinister is happening in this tourist destination. Despite wanting to avoid trouble, she cannot ignore the threats surrounding them. She must uncover what's behind these crimes before more people disappear.
Genres: adventure, suspense, mystery, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-detective, fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Luxor, Winter Palace Hotel
Period: 20th-century
519 pages · Hardcover · Wheeler Pub Inc