Time’s Lost Treasures: Book 1
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
The shadows hold secrets darker than they ever imagined. . . .
In 1888 Victorian England, Ami Dalton navigates a clandestine dual life. By day, she strives to establish herself as a respected Egyptologist, overcoming the gender biases that permeate academia. But with a heart for saving black-market artifacts from falling into the wrong hands, she is most often disguised as her alter ego, the Shadow Broker.
After eight years in India, Oxford’s most eligible bachelor, Edmund Price, has come out of the shadows to run for Parliament and is in search of an Egyptologist to value a newly acquired collection. Expecting a renowned Oxford professor, Edmund instead finds himself entangled with Ami, the professor’s determined daughter. As they delve into the treasures, their connection deepens, but trouble emerges when a golden griffin–rumored to bear the curse of Amentuk–surfaces, and they’re left to wonder if the curse really is at play, or if something more nefarious is hiding among the shadows. . . .
Ami Dalton’s sole goal is to become a renowned Egyptologist—just like her professor father. She’s intelligent, savvy, and has a love of all things ancient, but she also has one big problem: she’s a woman, a quirky but beautiful woman.
Michelle Griep’s latest thriller, Of Gold and Shadows, is a mystery wrapped up in a romance punctuated by intrigue. When the most eligible bachelor in England, Edmund Price, seeks a reputable Egyptologist to evaluate a collection of Egyptian antiquities he’s acquired, he takes a chance on hiring Ami as her father is out of the country.
The collection has been delivered to Edmund’s home, Price House, for evaluation before it’s sold, and it’s there the mystery and possible curse of the Golden Griffin of Amentuk starts to manifest itself. While Ami and soon Edmund are confident of her knowledge and skills, something strange, something mysterious, is afoot when unexplainable incidents begin to happen. What starts as an employee/employer relationship, their spending so much time together, creates the perfect opportunity for a mutual attraction to develop even though Ami and Edmund have sworn off marriage to pursue cherished other goals.
With Edmund’s burgeoning interest in running for Parliament to serve the better good of his Oxford constituents and associates in India, Lord Bastion, a pretentious, overbearing man, has promised to sponsor Edmund in his bid for election. Edmund realizes too late that marrying Lord Bastion’s daughter, Violet is part of the bargain. Edmund loves Ami, but will his love for her trump his desire to serve and be a force for good in Parliament? Ami wonders the same, but she’s determined and not afraid of anything but… Maybe she should be.
Michelle Griep is a favorite author, and Of Gold and Shadows is yet another shining example of why. While involving the reader with relatable, intriguing characters, her skillful plot development and manipulation, masterfully builds the action to a breathtaking, pulse-pounding climax.
The hero and heroine are pushed to their absolute limit, leaving the reader gasping and feeling their anxiety, fear, and hope simultaneously.
Splendidly done and brilliantly contrived, Of Gold and Shadows is a historical romance at its absolute best. Expertly crafted, the reader is carried effortlessly along, fully absorbed in the adventure, intrigue, and yes—romance—definitely romance.
Michelle Griep has been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is a Christy Award-winning author of historical romances that both intrigue and evoke a smile. She’s an Anglophile at heart, and you’ll most often find her partaking of a proper cream tea while scheming up her next novel . . . but it’s probably easier to find her at MichelleGriep.com.
