Friday, March 30, 2018

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: The Tempering Agent by Victoria Pitts Caine

About the Book

Book Title: The Tempering Agent

Author: Victoria Pitts Caine

Release Date: February 14, 2014

Dr. Priscilla Hackling finds herself thrown back into the murder investigation of her fiancé, Trey Whittington. While she was a suspect three years ago, she’s now working with the police to find the murderer, Egyptian artifact trafficker, Zarka El-Din. During a sting operation in Siwa, she and Agent Donnie Barnes are drawn to each other but Priscilla, overcome by personal ghosts from her past, decides a relationship isn’t possible. Priscilla realizes she’s the bait in the ruse and uncovers others involved with El-Din. Will she and Donnie reconcile and unravel the reason behind Trey’s death before El-Din kills her, too?

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My Thoughts:

What a fun adventure The Tempering Agent was to go on. I have always been fascinated with Egypt and I like movies like Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, and the Mummy (the Brendan Fraser one) so I was excited to step into this story. Adventure and dangers abound it seems when searching for buried treasure. Dr. Priscilla Hackling knows that first hand after her fiancé was killed three years previous over an important artifact. Now three years later she is in danger over the same piece and by the same man who supposedly killed him. Put into a rather dangerous position as bait, she relies on Agent Donnie Barnes to help her. Neither one was aware how much their hearts would get involved.

As I was reading, I at first felt that maybe their romance was rushed too quickly. However as I got deeper into the story and their inner thoughts, I felt with the brevity and uncertainty of life, especially since their lives were in danger and that they were in their 30’s, I changed my opinion. At times Donnie pushed too far then not far enough, so I did feel for Priscilla in this seemingly tug of war.

I was very interested in the local of Egypt and I liked how serious Priscilla took her job of uncovering ancient history. Knowing and learning about this world’s history I feel is very relevant to today and I could envision myself on the digs as well. One really unique aspect of this story is at the beginning of each chapter we have descriptions of a different precious gem, its uses, and possible meanings in history. Author Caine is a new author to me and I look forward to more of her work.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Victoria Pitts Caine is a native Californian and lives in the central portion of the state. Her varied interests include genealogy and exotic gemstone collecting both of which she’s incorporated into her novels.

The author has received recognition in both fiction and nonfiction from: Enduring Romance top 10 picks for 2008, William Saroyan Writing Conference, Byline Magazine, Writer’s Journal Magazine, Holt International Children’s Services Magazine, and The Southern California Genealogical Society. Her first novel was published in 2007 followed by two more as well as novellas and short stories in anthologies.

Victoria is a former staff technician in air pollution control. She is the mother of two daughters. Now retired from the work force, Victoria and her husband enjoy travel, cooking, and are self-appointed “foodies”.

Guest post from Vicki Caine

Since childhood, I have been interested in genealogy and ancient Egypt. Two of my prior novels, Alvarado Gold and Cairo, let me follow my fantasies into those two areas. Donnie the hero in The Tempering Agent is also in the other two books, and it was his turn to find his own romance. When archaeologist Dr. Priscilla Hackling finds herself drawn back into the murder investigation of her fiancé and the missing breast plate of the high priest, Agent Donnie Barnes, is just the man to help her out, even if she doesn’t think so.

Traveling along with Priscilla and Donnie, I discovered some interesting facts about ancient Egypt, from the ruins in the Siwa Desert to the mystery of the Valley of the Kings. The genealogy factor in my novels is Donnie is loosely based on my cousin. Alvarado Gold tells the story of my family while Cairo and The Tempering Agent fueled my inquisitiveness about Egypt.