Review: Nefertiti`s Heart by A.W. Exley (Artifact Hunters #1)

 

Nefertiti's Heart (Artifact Hunters #1)

by A.W. Exley (Goodreads Author)

Cara Devon has always suffered curiosity and impetuousness, but tangling with a serial killer might cure that. Permanently.

London, 1861. Impoverished noble Cara has a simple mission after the strange death of her father - sell off his damned collection of priceless artifacts. Her plan goes awry when aristocratic beauties start dying of broken hearts, an eight inch long brass key hammered through their chests. A killer hunts amongst the nobility, searching for a regal beauty and an ancient Egyptian relic rumored to hold the key to immortality.

Her Majesty's Enforcers are in pursuit of the murderer and they see a connection between the gruesome deaths and Cara. So does she, somewhere in London her father hid Nefertiti's Heart, a fist sized diamond with strange mechanical workings. Adding further complication to her life, notorious crime lord, Viscount Nathaniel Lyons is relentless in his desire to lay his hands on Cara and the priceless artifact. If only she could figure out his motive.

Self-preservation fuels Cara's search for the gem. In a society where everyone wears a mask to hide their true intent, she needs to figure out who to trust, before she makes a fatal mistake.

When I first started reading, and by this I mean actually getting into books and appreciating them, when I was young, all I wanted to read was mystery books. I was introduced into this wonderful world by The Hardy Boys Mysteries. After a while, I kinda grew bored of the genre because its basically the same.

This book, Nefertiti`s Heart, OMG, did I enjoy it. This book reminded me of why I LOVED mystery novels to begin with. Neferititi`s Heart is not your ordinary mystery novel. It full of one hellfire cat, a devilishly handsome pursuer, pirates, steampunk, murder, and a mystery that you just wont figure out until the end. Unless of course you do what I accidentally did and pick up the book and see words and say "OMG I must read!" and accidentally give the ending away. But still, even when I read it from cover to cover, its a very solid mystery.

Another thing I loved about this book -- the mythology. Of sorts. While I find it odd that basic Egyptian mythology and legends found their way to Britain, I will say its pretty cool. I always enjoy learning new things about other countries, and Egyptian things are quickly becoming some of my favorite. Scotland, however, you will always hold the number one spot in my heart.

The secondary characters were amazing. They werent some boring, drab fillers. They each had spunk and I adored reading about them. I wish that there were small secondary stories about them.

I finished the book in about two days, so it was a pretty fast read. I didn't want to put it down. And lemme tell you, the ending is near about perfect. Not too much, not too little, and THANK YOU for not putting a cliffhanger!

I absolutely suggest this book to anyone who loves steampunk, or mystery, or even both! Its a perfect combination, and add in all the other elements -- Egyptian history/ mythology, sexy rouges, strong lead character, and steamy romance-- its honestly a perfect fit for any book lover. I'm glad I chose to read these books.

Also, a note to the romance -- this book is mainly suggested to a more mature audience due to sexual content.

I received a print book in exchange for an honest review. It in no way swayed my opinion. The author is just that good.