About the Book

TheTemperingAgent_Cover_med

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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About the Author

Victoria Pitts Caine Head Shot 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 Review from Mindy Houng

This is the first book by Victoria Pitts-Caine that I have read. It is a surprisingly fast-paced book, filled with twists to the somewhat suspenseful who-done-it plot and a good deal of action. The title of the book is very clever (and you’ll have to read the book to find out why). The plot and its premise are both intriguing and fun. And as for the characters….who doesn’t like a strong female archeologist and a strong male law enforcement/Indiana Jones-type?

Priscilla, a respected archeologist, and Donnie, an agent working for the Egyptian government, are thrown together to bait and capture an Egyptian artifact trafficker who may also have been Priscilla’s deceased fiancé’s murderer. Priscilla is a Brit who has done much of her life in Egypt and Donnie is an American who has been transplanted to Egypt for the last few years (I haven’t read Cairo but apparently that’s the first book in the series that explains Donnie and the friends he shares with Priscilla). Priscilla is still grieving her loss and needs to find her way out from that dark place. Donnie tries to help but their relationship starts out rocky and tumbles like a rollercoaster ride for most of the book. Their romance is kind of fast but love at first sight happens, right?

I really appreciated the strong current of faith and trust in this book. Priscilla has a hard time letting go of her past and her fears stemming from her past. God gently and slowly works on her heart and also allows others to surround that broken heart so that healing can occur.

I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher via Celebrate Lit Tour. I was not required to write a favorable review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

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.