The Collector's Daughter: A Novel of the Discovery of Tutankhamun's Tomb by Gill Paul

Lady Evelyn Herbert was just a young woman when her father, the Earl of Carnarvon, decides to help fund the work of Egyptian archaeologist Howard Carter.  While her mother is pushing for her debut into society so that she can find a good marriage match, all Evelyn wants is to join her father and Howard on the expedition.   When she joins her father on the trip of a lifetime in 1922, they make the extraordinary discovery of the burial place of Tutankhamun.  Defying rules and convention of the time for archaeologists, the three decide to secretly enter the tomb on their own before announcing the discovery.  Lady Evelyn is the first to go inside.  But the thrill and joy of it soon turns to tragedy and she wonders if "the curse of Tutankhamun" has found her.  Fifty years later, as Evelyn as suffered yet another stroke, an Egyptian academic has found her and has questions about their discovery citing some missing artifacts.

I really enjoyed this novel based upon true events.  The trio's entering of the tomb before the official opening is common knowledge and there are written accounts in the form of journals and letters.  The story goes back and forth in the Point of View of Evelyn as a young girl and an older woman and that of her husband, Brograve.  The author based her character of Eve on the photographs and the written accounts and imagining what it must have been like.  Her historical afterword is very interesting knowing how she put her story together including the belief of a good percentage of the population in the curse of King Tut's tomb.  Her research into stroke and brain injury was also interesting as to what was available for scans and care in the mid century.  Though a touch slow in a couple of parts, all in all a great read.  

I rated it a 9/10