Review of ‘Wings of Death’ by Ellen Read
Release date: May 17th, 2026
Publisher: Serenade Publishing
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What the story is about:
Death will slay with his wings whoever disturbs the peace of the pharaoh.
Cassandra Bain has built her life on cold ambition and harder edges. A razor-sharp Melbourne fashion designer, she has long since buried the woman she once was — the one who wanted children, a husband, a heart. Four miscarriages and a hollow marriage will do that to a person.
Then her lover, the dangerously magnetic Leigh Kershaw, presses a lapis lazuli scarab into her palm. Beautiful. Ancient. Cursed. The Egyptians used scarabs in place of the mummified heart. Cassandra can't help but notice the significance of such a gift.
When a professor of Egyptology warns her of the Curse of the Pharaohs, Cassandra dismisses it as theatre. But then the headlines start. An Egyptologist dead. Another body. A shadowy Egyptian figure trailing her through the streets of Paris, Rome and Cairo. And a sickness that creeps through her blood like something old and deliberate.
From the gilded salons of London to the dust-choked souks of Cairo, Cassandra is pulled deeper into a labyrinth of betrayal, poison and murder — where the people closest to her are hiding more than she ever imagined, and where the line between curse and conspiracy begins to blur.
Someone wants the scarab. Someone is willing to kill for it. And the greatest danger of all may be sleeping under her own roof.
In the shadow of the pharaoh's tomb, trust no one. Pray the wings of death pass you by.
REVIEW
Author Ellen Read is full of surprises! The variety of genres she writes in and so well, shows her immense talent. The Wings of Death is a historical mystery loaded with some fascinating scientific references. It also explores the ancient Egyptian culture and customs: their belief in curses and the poisons they used to protect the dead. The tone of the novel definitely fits the topics and time period and I constantly was thinking of Howard Carter’s expedition which obviously was some of the inspiration behind the novel.
The Wings of Death is set in 1956. The main locations covered are Melbourne, London, Paris, Rome and Cairo. We are given a fascinating ride to each place but the psychological effects of the locale on Cassandra are what I found most intriguing.
Cassandra, a fashion designer, as a main character— is not one we fall in love with. She calls herself lazy and others say she is spoiled and selfish. But she is also ambitious and during that drive for success and personal loss, she has become hard and even heartless—a far cry from where she began. She is a woman who has had four miscarriages and now her marriage seems empty and unfulfilling. If we were to psychoanalyse her, we would say her experiences have caused her to put up walls and led her into self-destructive behaviour. As she continues to sabotage her marriage by engaging in affairs, we wonder about her husband’s patience and if he will leave her at some point.
Cassandra’s lover, Leigh Kershaw, gives her a gift while she is in London. The only one she has ever received from him in their time together. A priceless artefact, the scarab beetle from Imhotep’s tomb. The Egyptian was attributed with many things but mostly he was a doctor who combined magic with natural remedies.
I often think about the meaning of names—particularly in a novel. When an author names a character, are their hidden meanings in the choice? Will the name reflect the person’s personalities or qualities? I don’t know if Ellen did this with her main character Cassandra but she certainly reflects the Greek myth surrounding the name. Cassandra was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo but when she refused his advances, he cursed her so that nobody would ever believe her predictions. A bit of this is in seen in the Cassandra of Wings of Death. She carries the burden of truth but is disbelieved or misunderstood. After Leigh introduces her to Egyptologist Peter Trembath and she has a chat with him, he gives her quite a history lesson on Egyptian curses. This plants fear in her mind that maybe the beetle she wears may bring her bad luck or even death. And on top of this, she suspects someone is following her but others around her initially seem unconcerned. This stirs up a bit more mystery in the plot.
The information in the novel (and what I read elsewhere) on amulets is quite interesting. They were placed on the chest inside the mummy wrappings to protect the heart and act as a stand in organ in case the real one was destroyed. This was important for they believed it needed to be there for the ‘weighing ceremony’ in the afterlife, when the deceased heart was weighed against the feather of Ma’at (truth and justice) to determine if the person was worthy. It is interesting to note that Leigh giving Cassandra the amulet had a similar significance: it was to act as a stand in with hopes of it helping her ‘heart’ to get back on track. Ancient Egyptians believed the heart was the centre of memory and morality and Cassandra had lost herself over time and had become cold and uncaring, with little feeling for others. The beetle represented to the Egyptians protection, rebirth and personal growth. The colours as seen on the book’s cover reflect the culture, too: blue/green for life rebirth, healing and the yellow gold for the brilliance of the sun and eternity.
Every character in this story is well developed and has a major role to play. Even the personal assistants are more than they appear. Gina particularly seems overly efficient, always a step ahead. Cassandra becomes quite dependant on her and although a lot of trust is put in her, I kept feeling something was amiss and Cassandra’s trust in her could be challenged. Although she appears somewhat reserved, there is something smouldering beneath the surface.
It is full of suspense, intrigue and drama and we are kept guessing and wondering if there is truth in the curse of the pharaoh. Is it possible that the stories are true that the lapis lazuli beetle from the pharaoh’s tomb holds a curse and if anyone removes it from the tomb they will die (thus the name Wings of Death)? Well, Ellen cleverly sets everything up in the plot that certainly makes you believe in it. But how much do the characters play in this charade of death? Well, when a number of people become ill and even die that are connected to this artefact, it is easy to fear that what has been said is true. Though we are given quite a good explanation of the scientific side of things until the mystery is solved and what an unexpected twist!
This is such a fun exploration of truth and myth, magic and mayhem of a mesmerising mystery with intriguing characters, riveting plot in glorious settings! Being well researched and exceptionally written, the Wings of Death story is clever, convincing and compelling. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Ellen for the review copy.
