Book 4 of 2024
Summary
Jane Wunderly is going on vacation with her Aunt Millie to the fascinating lands of Egypt. It is 1926, and Egypt is ready to be explored for all his wonder and history. Piqued by her curiosity of the ancient ruins and her interest in the archaeological finds of the day she is excited for this trip. She hopes that the Mena House Hotel will be just the respite that she is looking for; one for the mind and body. A place to give into historical curiosity and throw off the restrains of societal expectations. Jane soon discovers more than she had expected when a murder occurs in the Mena House Hotel of a young woman, Anna Stainton, who was abrasively making herself publicly known with absolutely HORRIBLE social behaviour. Now, Anna is dead and Jane Wunderly finds herself placed on house arrest at the hotel while the determined police go about attempting to discover who the murderer is; they are not short on suspects as Anna had many confrontations with other hotel guests. As Jane’s mind goes through the motions caught in an endless loop of boredom she hopes that she will still get the opportunity to discover the pyramids of Giza herself.
Thoughts and Review
Family turmoil or secrets are great elements to have in an exciting novel. However, in this novel there are two different sets that are beautifully braided and interwoven into the background of a story that keeps you turning the pages. They don’t take the stage dominantly but rather run in the back of the readers mind just taking the stage in brief epiphanies of Jane’s mind. She is an unexpectedly determined and creative character. Her insatiable drive to uncover the true killer partially so that she can finally be free of scrutiny and partially to satisfy her own curiosity is easily seized by the reader. As the pages turn you find yourself deducing and brainstorming along with her.
In a strange land surrounded by strangers an unexpected friendship blossoms with Mr. Redvers and he becomes an unexpected ally when Jane wasn’t even looking for one. Together with veiled mistrust they tackle the unexpected while surprising thesunshineout of each other while blasting their assumptions of one another to pieces. With each making assumptions of the other it is a delight as the reader to find the humour in those pauses of, “wow, I thought wrong,” that each of them have.
Jane Wunderly is a refreshing heroine as she is not a damsel in distress at all. She is an independent woman with a past slowly revealed to the dismay of a careful audience. Jane is different than other people not just because she is tenaciously independent but with how she carries her past like a fuel to live life fully. She knows she is stronger than others perceive her to be She is able to use that to her advantage in the backdrop of a cultural societal image of the typical woman of the time. Jane knows what she is capable of and she knows no one deserves proof of that fact other than herself.
To find real life inspiration within the pages of a novel of fiction can be difficult; a diamond in the rough. But here I found it within Jane Wunderly. From a horrific past to a future where anything could happen inspiration was found. She can inspire anyone that they could move beyond their own past and find (and be) something more. That kind of inspiration can be priceless when someone needs to hear it.
Recommendation
If you are looking for a novel with a strong woman who is the unexpected this could be for you. She is a woman who has been trying to fit the mould of what is expected of her while realizing that that expectation just does not work for her. Jane Wunderly proves to be a sleuth that even Hercule Poirot would find fascinating both in her process and her character as a person. The descriptions of characters, landmarks, setting, or the energy of a room are described beautifully letting the readers imagination fill in the details. With all our tried and true great detectives I think this is a great start that will see Jane Wunderly find her place in the ranks of the greats that we return to time and time again.