Review: WENDY DARLIN TOMB RAIDER - BOXED SETBY BARBARA SILKSTONE
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 18, 2013
Having these three books in a boxed set is a wonderful idea. This way there is no confusion on which order they should be read. I became totally engrossed in thesebooksa while back and found them thoroughly enjoyable. I have taken snippets of my previous reviews of the individual books and combined them here.The Lost BoysandLondon Broil,I reviewed before joiningBooks and Pals book review blog.Cairo Caper,I reviewed forBigAl’sBooks and Pals,it has also been re-posted at Awesome Trilogies and Seriesreview site, which I have also started writing reviews for.InThe Lost Boys,we meet Wendy Darlin who has a very good heart, and it gets her into some very serious problems. She is an intelligent business woman with a lot of savvy and a snarky wit that will have you laughing out loud. This ingenious mystery is fast moving with lots of twists, not all of the characters are who they say they are. The stakes are high and the dangers are real.InLondon Broil,Wendy handles a loan shark, bumbling criminals, a psycho ex-girlfriend, a secret society agent, and a pair of pet guard geese with her sharp mind and lots of snarky attitude; all while she is falling for sexy archaeologist Roger Jolley, as they hunt for the Thirteenth Lost Boy, an Egyptian archeological treasure that is still missing. When Roger gets drugged and kidnapped by another real villain things get tense. This is truly an intelligent ride with non-stop action, plenty of curve balls, murder, mystery and intrigue you are sure to enjoy.InCairo Caper,Wendy Darlin joins her archaeologist boyfriend, Professor Roger Jolley, in a quest across Egypt looking for another lost artifact for the Egyptian Antiquities Society that will assist them in locating Antony and Cleopatra's burial tomb. All they had to do was get from Cairo to the Temple of Taporisis Magna alive. However, not everyone is who they say they are and they find themselves running for their lives. The non-stop action starts in the first chapter as we follow Wendy and Roger on a comedic run through a crowded Egyptian market place. Unsurprisingly, Wendy soon becomes instrumental in being able to fulfill their quest.With the addition of characters like Habib, Petri Dische, and librarian, wannabe-author Fiona Feelgood, who was looking for her own Egyptian treasure and material for her book Erotica for Dummies, put me in mind of Silkstone’s own true fiction book,TheAdventures of a Love Investigator.Then there is the mystery of who is legit and who is involved in the antiquities black market. The way Ms. Silkstone plays with words is unrivaled and the way she incorporated segments from favorite movie clips was genius. She uses sharp wit throughout her stories, her plots are strong, and the action nonstop. I really enjoyed reading about Wendy and her tomb raiding adventures and hope to see more of Habib and quite possibly Tickemoff, the friendly street peddler, in future Wendy Darlin books.All of Ms. Silkstone’s books that I have read have been uniquely entertaining, full of adventure, intelligent humor, and well edited.**Originally written for "Awesome Trilogies and Series" review page. May have received a free review copy. **