In the England of 1912, some parts of society are experimenting with the 'science' of eugenics. There are several theories about how to 'improve' genetic characteristics in humans and many believe it to be an acceptable method of breeding out all kinds of diseases and disabling conditions.
Against this background, the 8 year old Jessie Kenton has lost her brother. Georgie disappears in the night and, in his place, there is Timothy. Against all the odds, and her despair at the loss of a much lived younger brother, Jessie comes to love Timothy, too. 20 years later, when he, too, disappears, after attending a seance, she determines to find him, no matter what.
Timothy and Jessie bonded over their love of Conan Doyle's 'Sherlock Holmes' stories and Jessie quickly realises that Tim has left her a string of clues, based on this shared passion. Following the clues, she re-visits the scene of the seance and finds that the owner of the ramshackle country seat, Sir Montague Chamford, wants to help her with her search.
Does Monty have his own agenda? Perhaps he knows more about Tim's disappearance than he tells Jessie. Things begin to point towards Tim being involved in illegal activities concerning Egyptian antiques. As they travel to Egypt, where Tim has worked on digs before, Monty and Jessie become ever closer. When Jessie, too, disappears, Monty is frantic for her safety.
What Jessie finds in the desert brings her to the knowledge that her family is completely different from her understanding but, nevertheless, family can be more that blood and breeding.
This book was billed as '……a rollicking good read….' and '……a fast moving plot…….' by the Daily Telegraph. I don't entirely agree. There are plenty of good bits in the novel, and the plot twists in a very satisfactory way, with a few surprises, but there were places where I wished for tighter writing and more pace. Still, the background of eugenics experiments in the early 20th century is a neat basis for the story and I enjoyed reading this book.
Shadows of the Nile by Kate Furnival is published by Little Brown, ISBN 978-0-7515-4337-7
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