Book cover of Nephthys by Rachel Louise Driscoll

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Extracts

Extract: Nephthys by Rachel Louise Driscoll

The Spider and the Lily

This page-turning gothic mystery sees Esther, a young painter, uncover the hidden story behind a famous Arthurian legend. 
 
A legend. An obsession. A secret that won’t stay buried. 
 
When Esther inherits an old tapestry from her father, she doesn’t think much of it at first. It seems to tell a strangely altered version of the Arthurian tales she loves so well. Then one night she accidentally knocks a candle onto the fabric and it doesn’t burn at all. Even more startlingly, the floral decoration around its border starts to change and bloom. 
 
Esther embarks on a quest to understand the tapestry’s mysteries. But then she starts to receive coded notes, written in the language of flowers, which threaten her and indicate there is someone else out there with an interest in the tapestry, someone with far more nefarious plans. 
 
PRAISE FOR RACHEL LOUISE DRISCOLL: 
 
‘Brilliant… I loved it’ Santa Montefiore 
‘An irresistible page-turner’ Susan Stokes-Chapman 
‘An intoxicating tale of adventure and obsession’ Emilia Hart 
‘A joy of a book’ Fiza Saeed McLynn

Rachel Louise Driscoll won the Curtis Brown Creative scholarship in 2020. Originally from the South West, she lives in the North East with her husband, son and cat, Cleopatra. The Spider and the Lily is her second novel, after her Egypt-set debut Nephthys.

Rachel Louise Driscoll

Enchanting prose married beautifully with a darkly compelling plot which flows as smoothly as the Nile, Nephthys is a dazzling debut and an irresistible page-turner. With an unforgettable heroine you cannot help but root for, I was spellbound from the very first page to the very last.

Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of No. 1 bestseller PANDORA

An intoxicating tale of adventure and obsession, told in prose that shimmers like the Nile. I loved it!

Brilliant and meticulously researched. . . [I]devoured it in two days. A gripping & skilfully written Victorian adventure set in Egypt & based on mythology. I loved it.

Santa Montefiore, No.1 bestselling author

Gothic shivers beneath a blazing Egyptian sun. This terrific tale of a female Victorian Egyptologist battling a cursed past and uncertain future unfolds and reveals like a precious papyrus manuscript. Loved!

Seamlessly blending extensive historical research and ancient Egyptian mythology with exquisite storytelling, Nephthys is an astonishingly accomplished debut from an exciting new talent.

Jessica Bull, author of MISS AUSTEN INVESTIGATES

Exquisite writing...an absolute joy to read... a powerful story of self-discovery, a deft interweaving of Egyptian symbology with the beliefs of the Victorian era.

Fiza Saeed McLynn, author of THE MIDNIGHT CAROUSEL

A glorious tale of adventure set beneath the blazing sun of Egypt... A thoroughly enjoyable read.’

Bursting with love of family, unexpected betrayals, a goal-oriented adventure, and a heaping dose of self-reflection. The storytelling will keep you turning pages as the protagonist worms her way right into your heart.

Malayna Evans, Egyptologist and author of NEFERURA

A remarkable debut novel. . . Rachel Louise Driscoll is a writer to look out for.

Driscoll's clever and haunting exploration of nineteenth-century Egyptomania had me turning pages late into the night. . . An eerie tale in the best Victorian gothic tradition, this book is a treat for anyone who has ever been entranced by the mythology of ancient Egypt (and that's everyone, right?).

Anna Rasche, author of THE STONE WITCH OF FLORENCE

In this glittering debut, Rachel Louise Driscoll takes readers on the adventure of a lifetime down the Nile River Valley. Lush and evocative, Nephthys asks us to consider the difference between love and obsession. I adored every moment of Clemmie's journey—from the cold halls of the Bickmore estate in England to the sandy isle of Philae, readers will be enchanted by Clemmie's efforts not only to break a curse placed upon her family but also to begin the work of addressing her role in the colonialist effort to steal Ancient Egyptian history from the Egyptians. Rachel's beautiful book asks us all to consider: what do we owe to the people and places we love? I can't wait to see what else Rachel has in store for us.

Shannon Ives, author of THOSE FATAL FLOWERS

‘Brilliant… I loved it.’ Santa Montefiore 
 
A FORGOTTEN EGYPTIAN GODDESS. A FAMILY IN DANGER. 
 
Victorian Egyptologist Clemmie’s dark talents have torn her family apart. Now she has one chance to atone for the past. 
 
Clemmie’s gift for reading hieroglyphs shines at the Egyptian relic parties which have made her father the toast of Victorian society. But at one party, the words she interprets from an unusual amulet strike fear into her heart. The childhood game she used to play about the immortal sisters, Isis and Nephthys, takes on a devastating resonance and it is only by following Nephthys' story back to Egypt that she can undo the mistakes of the past. 
 
‘An irresistible page-turner’ Susan Stokes-Chapman, author Pandora 
‘An intoxicating tale of adventure and obsession’ Emilia Hart, author of Weyward 
‘A joy of a book’ Fiza Saeed McLynn, author of The Midnight Carousel 
 
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE HWA DEBUT CROWN* 
 
Readers ADORE Nephthys: 
 
‘A total page-turner! ... Wow! What darkness this book holds!’ 
‘Unique and gripping.... this tale of Egypt and England was full of twists and turns.’ 
‘A captivating blend of Victorian society, ancient Egypt, and dark secrets.’

Rachel Louise Driscoll

Praise for Nephthys

Enchanting prose married beautifully with a darkly compelling plot which flows as smoothly as the Nile, Nephthys is a dazzling debut and an irresistible page-turner. With an unforgettable heroine you cannot h ...

An intoxicating tale of adventure and obsession, told in prose that shimmers like the Nile. I loved it!

Brilliant and meticulously researched. . . [I]devoured it in two days. A gripping & skilfully written Victorian adventure set in Egypt & based on mythology. I loved it.

Enchanting prose married beautifully with a darkly compelling plot which flows as smoothly as the Nile, Nephthys is a dazzling debut and an irresistible page-turner. With an unforgettable heroine you cannot h ...

An intoxicating tale of adventure and obsession, told in prose that shimmers like the Nile. I loved it!

Brilliant and meticulously researched. . . [I]devoured it in two days. A gripping & skilfully written Victorian adventure set in Egypt & based on mythology. I loved it.

Enchanting prose married beautifully with a darkly compelling plot which flows as smoothly as the Nile, Nephthys is a dazzling debut and an irresistible page-turner. With an unforgettable heroine you cannot h ...

An intoxicating tale of adventure and obsession, told in prose that shimmers like the Nile. I loved it!

Brilliant and meticulously researched. . . [I]devoured it in two days. A gripping & skilfully written Victorian adventure set in Egypt & based on mythology. I loved it.

Books by Rachel Louise Driscoll

Articles featuring Rachel Louise Driscoll

Extract: Nephthys by Rachel Louise Driscoll

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