The Shabti - by Megaera C Lorenz

About the Book

Short Summary: When a reformed fake medium accepts a dinner invitation from a charming Egyptologist, he doesn't expect to find himself grappling with an ancient ghost. As a dark figure from his past closes in, he must choose between saving his hide and following his heart.

Book Synopsis

Can you flimflam a ghost?

It's 1934. Former medium Dashiel Quicke travels the country debunking spiritualism and false mediums while struggling to stay ahead of his ex-business partner and lover who wants him back at any cost. During a demonstration at a college campus, Dashiel meets Hermann Goschalk, an Egyptologist who's convinced that he has a genuine haunted artifact on his hands. Certain there is a rational explanation for whatever is going on with Hermann's relics, Dashiel would rather skip town, but soon finds himself falling for Hermann. He agrees to take a look after all and learns that something is haunting Hermann's office indeed.

Faced with a real ghost Dashiel is terrified, but when the haunting takes a dangerous turn, he must use the tools of the shady trade he left behind to communicate with this otherworldly spirit before his past closes in.

For readers who enjoy A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske, The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, and Malice by Heather Walter

Review Quotes

"[T]he novel is distinguished by its characterizations. Hermann is endearing--quiet, unassuming, and wholesome. . . . Even so, it's Dashiel who steals the show." --Foreword Reviews, a Foreword Book of the Day

"Enormously enjoyable, atmospheric, satisfyingly informed with real knowledge, and a pleasure to read: I gulped it down in two sittings." --K. J. Charles, author of The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen

"I adored this book! Dashiel is a fascinating, complicated character and his romance with Hermann is simply lovely. Romance, intrigue, and excitement--The Shabti has it all." --Jordan L. Hawk, author of Widdershins

"Lorenz's debut novel is completely original and utterly marvelous. A mix of horror, suspense, romance, and humor, informed by the author's knowledge of Egyptology, makes for a story you won't want to have end." --Elisa DeCarlo, award-winning author of The Devil You Say and Strong Spirits

"Megaera Lorenz's delightful tale of a spiritualist debunker who faces his own worst nightmare takes readers on a chilling journey filled with all the vivid imagery and thrills of classic horror stories. I couldn't put it down! The Shabti is a must for fans of Egyptology and archaeology." --M. A. Monnin, Agatha Award nominated author of the Intrepid Traveler Mystery series

"This diverse period piece will appeal to a wide array . . . as it pulls from genres ranging from historical fiction and thriller to romance and fantasy; a fine selection for its genre-crossing interest." --Booklist

"With her beautifully nuanced main characters, and secondary characters who fill the stage around them with wry humor and calibrated malevolence, Megaera Lorenz has created a rich and textured novel that, in the end, is greatly satisfying." --Ulysses Grant Dietz, author of Cliffhanger

About the Author

Megaera C. Lorenz was born in Little Rock, AR in 1984, but spent most of her childhood on Guam. The daughter of a geologist and a mathematician, Megaera broke from the family's STEM tradition when she became obsessed with ancient Egypt as a child. She enrolled in college at the University of Guam at age 13 and eventually earned a Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. Over the years she has worked as a museum educator, an instructor of undergraduate and graduate-level Egyptology courses, a field archaeologist, and a professional tech writer and editor.

She has also been writing fiction and creating art for the sheer joy of it since early childhood. In addition to her love of Egyptology, Megaera is fascinated with early 20th-century American history and culture. She's also a connoisseur of the strange and uncanny and is particularly interested in the history of the Spiritualist movement in America. These combined interests sparked the inspiration for her debut novel, The Shabti.

Megaera has lived in the Chicagoland area for nearly 20 years. She currently resides in St. Charles, IL. When she isn't writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, experimenting with digital art, studying Yiddish, and coming up with increasingly bizarre and arcane in-jokes with her friends.