Book Review: Harley James and the Emerald Tablets of Egypt by Leah Cupps

Will Harley Uncover the Emerald Tablets of Egypt, before it’s too late?

Harley James finds herself in the fabled Pyramids of Giza, facing a familiar enemy… none other than Magnus Murdoch.

When the legendary Emerald Tablets of Egypt go missing, Harley must use everything in her power to solve the riddles of the past in order to save the tablets from being used for their mind control power.

Follow along with Harley as she navigates the hidden tunnels beneath the pyramids, solves ancient riddles, and uncovers the secrets of ancient Egypt.

This book is great for fans of:

• Nancy Drew Mysteries

• Gravity Falls

• Get a Clue

• A to Z Mysteries

• Boxcar Children

• Encyclopedia Brown

• Hardy Boys

• Ballpark Mysteries

• Video Games Featuring Exploration

• Video Games Featuring Puzzle Solving

• Point and Click Adventure Games

GENRE: Middle Grade Adventure / Chapter Books (Ages 8-12)

PURCHASE LINKS: Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Leah Cupps is an author, designer and entrepreneur. She came up with the idea for Harley James with her oldest daughter Savannah. Savannah had taken an interest in Mayan history and so the two of them worked together to come up with the idea for the first Harley James book; the Mystery of the Mayan Kings.

Leah lives in Indiana with her husband and three children. She is also the co-founder of Vision Forty Press, a small family owned publishing company. www.harleyjamesadventures.com

Review & Recommended Listening

Harley James is back! The fifth book of a delightful middle grade series, Harley takes us to Egypt — the perfect place to go on a Tomb Raider-esque adventure. Like all the others, however, this book stands alone well on its own, despite Harley facing an old enemy.

Harley is as smart and strong-willed as ever, and she starts to take on a mentor role by this installment. The growth is really nice to see, even if I've not actually been able to read all the books in this series yet. We also learn about her mother and get insights on Harley's relationship with her. Family continues to be something that's important to her, alongside being an agent of S.M.A.L.L..

The book is a fast and easy read, filled with riddles as well as bits and pieces of history, and beautiful illustrations all throughout. It's intended for middle grade readers, but it can also be enjoyed by other age groups, or read by parents/teachers together with their children/students. If you go to the official website, you can even download a printable activity book where you can solve puzzles and other brain teasers.

If you enjoy middle grade adventures in exotic locations, you just might love this series! And here are the other books:

The Mystery of the Mayan Kings

Amateur cryptologist Harley James has just landed in the sticky jungle of Tikal, Guatemala—home to the famous Mayan ruins. She’s made a few friends, a few mistakes… and a ground—breaking discovery.

The legendary statue of a long-lost Mayan King.

Just as she is about to impress her archeologist father with her discovery, the statue is stolen. Right from her own room!

And what’s worse? The legend says if the lost statue is reunited with the other two missing statues, they’ll bring back an army from the dead to rule the world.

The Peril of the Pirates Curse

Harley James’ adventures take her to Port Royal, Jamaica—home to the famous sunken pirate city of the Caribbean. Her mission? Prevent a mythical blue pearl from being found—before the city is demolished.

As a self-proclaimed cryptologist, Harley must rely on her expertise to solve riddles, find clues… and save the city. But the longer she’s on the island, Harley wonders who to trust. She can’t seem to differentiate between her friends… and enemies.

Join Harley as she steals an ancient diary, meets the ghost of a young pirate and rushes to preserve the secret of the Perla Azul.

The Secret of the Falcon Queen

Harley James lands in the beautiful Scottish countryside, but green clovers aren’t the only thing awaiting her arrival. Harley is greeted with one of her greatest enemies yet—the mysterious Magnus Murdoch.

S.M.A.L.L. has a new mission—to protect the secret of the legendry Falcon Queen. Harley works with old and new friends while sleuthing across Scotland. She must solve challenging riddles and find clues that lead to the queen’s secret chamber.

Join Harley as she thunders through the Scottish countryside on horseback, discovers a mysterious silver feather and uncovers a secret that will change history.

The Puzzle in Paris

Like any amateur cryptologist and adventurer extraordinaire, Harley James has just one wish for her 12th birthday: to join her peers in an exploration of the city of Paris. With her father’s approval, she makes her way to France, ready to discover the secrets of the City of Light.

But just as she arrives, Harley learns that an item has been stolen from the Louvre Art Museum—the legendary amethyst Rose de Paris. Soon after, she receives a message from S.M.A.L.L. with her next mission: find the stolen artifact before it falls into the wrong hands and return it home to the Louvre.

Sounds easy enough, right?

Even for an adventurer like Harley, this mission will be her toughest yet... because she isn’t the only one with eyes on the amethyst. Albert Monet, the mastermind and thief responsible for the museum heist, wants the Rose de Paris for himself—and his intentions are anything but good.

Now, to stop Monet and reclaim the stolen amethyst, Harley must team up with local Parisian, Veronica Dubois, on a journey through Paris and deep beneath the city where others fear to tread. It’s there, in the ancient tunnels known as the Catacombs of Paris, that the daring duo discover more than they expected.

Not only are the miles of tunnels home to the bones of over six million people buried centuries earlier; they also hide some dark secrets that were never meant to see the light of day.

Once again, it’s a dangerous race against time as Harley must use her codebreaking skills and fearless thirst for adventure to recover the stolen amethyst. Can she and new Parisian friend work together to solve the mystery of the Rose de Paris and prevent the success of Monet’s deadly plot?

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommended Listening: As I mentioned in my open call for books to review, I’ll now be adding a song to my reviews! It’ll be one that either sums up the book for me, what I’d imagine in a trailer were it a movie, something that I associate with the story or one of the characters for whatever reason… or maybe even an original inspired by it 😉