Review: Voice of a Mummy by Kay Oliver

A millennia-spanning mystery with all the thrills of a classic treasure hunt, Voice of a Mummy by Kay Oliver is the jaw-dropping compendium of novellas in the Dr. Kaili Worthy Series.

On a historic mummy hunt for the legendary Cleopatra, Dr. Kaili Worthy has no idea that she’s stepping into the path of a mysterious curse that stretches back nearly 4,000 years. Though the remains they find end up being from Cleopatra’s daughter, Selene, the doctor is soon back to her sleuthing ways when she discovers that she can converse with the trapped spirit of Cleopatra Selene – and Seti I – through ancient bones and a table of sand.

Summoning images of alien communication techniques from “Arrival,” the intrepid investigator is pulled into an ancient cold case, the inexplicable disappearance of these royal figures, and their subsequent spiritual captivity, in this modern-day ancient mystery. Kaili isn’t the only one working a case either – her husband, the San Jose police chief, is buried in his own deadly mess, and while the connection between these two plotlines isn’t immediately apparent, Oliver does a wonderful job of weaving these two core characters into a compelling narrative nexus.

Once Kaili enlists the help of Doris, another academic sleuth, the novel truly begins to spiral into thriller territory. Kaili’s mystery of the mummies is a more dynamic story than her husband’s murder investigation, but Derek’s procedural scenes provide variety, as well as necessary peaks and valleys in the flow of the story. The unusual nature of the plot – science mixing with spirituality – lends itself to plenty of interesting philosophical themes, such as the nature of the soul, ghosts, and life after death, but it never falls into the realm of proselytizing or religious messaging. Blending historical legend with present-day drama, this book ticks plenty of boxes for action-loving readers.

While the writing is generally strong from a storytelling sense, the technical aspects of these novellas are somewhat lacking. There are superficial errors in the writing that could be cleaned up with a basic proofreading sweep, as well as simplistic lines of narration and dialogue that tend to fall flat. Throughout the novel, these jarring errors force readers to go back through sentences and clarify the intention, whether it is due to a misspelled word, a missing preposition, a “their” instead of “the,” and other easily rectified mistakes.

Additionally, telling readers about moments of excitement, fear, joy or suspicion can become tedious, whereas showing these emotions through organic character development is much more engaging and believable. Certain formatting issues also stand out, such as stating “point of view” in chapter headings, and abruptly ending scenes, only to restart them a few pages later, without a clear purpose for the interruption. In this sort of supernatural setting, the suspension of disbelief is essential for readers, but there are also some notable plot holes that raise an eyebrow. Slowing down the pace and fleshing out certain scenes and conversations would make the story feel less rushed and unformed.

As a whole, this is an unpredictable and adventurous thriller, and a great introduction to the macabre and ancient mysteries that Dr. Kaili has faced down in this unique, diamond-in-the-rough series.