Wrapped

by Jennifer Bradbury

[inlibrisveritas]

Wrapped was a random pick of mine when I found myself in a rare mood where nothing was interesting. I really enjoy anything having to do with Egyptian things and based on the instant cover love I knew I had to read it. As it turned out it was an excellent choice for a down day where only comfort reading was possible.

Wrapped is set in 1815 in London where high society struggles to continue onward like there is no war with Napoleon. In an attempt to make a stirring start to the new season Lord Showalter sets up a mummy unwrapping for his guests, and when it seems the wrong mummy was given to the Lord things start to become increasingly dangerous for Agnes.

One of the things I hated about this time period (though there are not many) is the fact that people thought having a party centered around desecrating a mummy was a good idea. Never the less the set up is great for this Amelia Peabody-like mystery, because it’s not something you normally see in YA and that really is a shame because it’s a great atmosphere for strong women and great clothes. Agnes is suddenly thrust into something that is way bigger than her or her debut season and I enjoyed seeing how she dealt with each new turn. She’s one of those lovely resourceful Victorian ladies, who when put in a pinch will do what they deem necessary to get what needs to be done, done. Of course some of her decisions are a bit fool-hardy but she’s incredibly brave and when she’s flustered she handles things with her intellect and wit. Any girl who loves to read AND knows how to speak ten different languages has my approval. Caedmon works at the museum and spends much of his time within the dusty collections from Egypt. Like Agnes he finds the ancient culture fascinating and when she comes to him with a mystery of her own he can’t help but get involved. I really like these two together, they make a really good team and I loved their over all dynamic.

Overall the book isn’t anything mind-blowing but for me it had such a nice flow and pace, and I really enjoyed the mystery presented. It’s definitely something I would define as a comfort read and I really look forward to the sequel, even though it seems to be two years away from being published.