Cleopatra’s Dagger

In New York City in the 1880s, Elizabeth van den Broek works as a reporter for the New York Herald. She writes the society column but longs for a more exciting assignment. On an evening walk she stumbles across a body wrapped like an Egyptian mummy. Elizabeth leverages the discovery as an exclusive scoop for the newspaper. As she investigates the first murder, others with similar Egyptian connections follow, and her research leads to information about the Egyptian god Osiris, Lord of the Dead. It becomes clear that a serial killer who thinks he is Osiris is on the loose. When the killer threatens Elizabeth’s sister, she finds she must take action rather than simply report. Lawrence (“Ian Hamilton” mysteries) skillfully weaves social issues of the time into her story, and her characters depict the wide range of people making up the melting pot of the city and the challenges faced during the era. Narrator Kate Rudd presents a no-nonsense Elizabeth, along with many varieties of people involved in the mystery.