Nile Cat

By Angela Reid

A GIRL. A CAT. A PERILOUS MISSION THAT MUST NOT FAIL.

It is 1871. Fourteen-year-old Rose and her twin sister, Lily, set sail for Egypt on board the SS Australia. When Mr John Baxter, an Egyptologist, joins the ship, Rose soon realises that he is following her. Everywhere she goes, there he is too. She realises he wants her dead, but has no idea why. Rose is afraid, dreadfully afraid - but no one else, not even Lily, senses the danger.

Even the gift of a small, beautifully carved, stone cat fails to comfort Rose. Now she is haunted by the unfolding story of Miut, an ancient Egyptian temple cat, and Hori, the boy who cares for her. Heteb, High-Priest of the Temple of Osiris, has died unexpectedly. To protect the temple from its enemies, he needs his Seal of Power to cast his spells in the afterlife. Hori and Miut must take the Seal to Heteb's tomb before it is closed. Their path is dark and dangerous ­- the followers of the god Seth will stop at nothing to seize the Seal for themselves.

The threads of past and present merge in the streets of Cairo and in the deserts beyond. Rose knows she has to overcome her fear. She has Mr Baxter to defeat, and a mission to complete. She cannot do it alone. She and Lily must work together. The penalty for failure is death.

AWARDS:
NILE CAT was shortlisted for the 2021 Rubery Prize. It has also received a B.R.A.G. Medallion (2021).