Murder in the Place of Anubis (Lord Meren Mysteries)
3 journalers for this copy...
Rec'd via Paperbackswap.com.
--
From Publishers Weekly
More than a period puzzle, this exceptional debut melds ancient Egyptian religious belief and practice with court intrigue to produce a riveting mystery. The court of the young Pharaoh Tutankhamun still suffers some of the tumultuous aftereffects of the reign of his father, the iconoclastic monotheist, Akhenaten. When the body of the scribe Hormin is found with an obsidian embalming knife sticking from its neck at the Place of Anubis, Tutankhamun assigns the task of finding the murderer--and the desecrator of holy places--to his "Eyes and Ears," Lord Meren. Meren and his adopted son Kysen begin with Hormin's family, whose members lay both murder and the theft of an expensive beaded collar at the feet of Hormin's mistress, the sultry Beltis, who returns the charges. To solve the murder, Meren and Kysen retrace the scribe's last day, using surprisingly sophisticated, but credible, investigative techniques. Especially appealing is the personality of the boy king who wants desperately to join the investigation but refrains in deference to his exalted position as monarch. His interaction with Meren, who thinks of him as a son, is a poignant addition to a memorable tale. Even readers who aren't usually drawn to historical mysteries will likely delight in Robinson's fully developed characters and her deft building of suspense.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--
From Publishers Weekly
More than a period puzzle, this exceptional debut melds ancient Egyptian religious belief and practice with court intrigue to produce a riveting mystery. The court of the young Pharaoh Tutankhamun still suffers some of the tumultuous aftereffects of the reign of his father, the iconoclastic monotheist, Akhenaten. When the body of the scribe Hormin is found with an obsidian embalming knife sticking from its neck at the Place of Anubis, Tutankhamun assigns the task of finding the murderer--and the desecrator of holy places--to his "Eyes and Ears," Lord Meren. Meren and his adopted son Kysen begin with Hormin's family, whose members lay both murder and the theft of an expensive beaded collar at the feet of Hormin's mistress, the sultry Beltis, who returns the charges. To solve the murder, Meren and Kysen retrace the scribe's last day, using surprisingly sophisticated, but credible, investigative techniques. Especially appealing is the personality of the boy king who wants desperately to join the investigation but refrains in deference to his exalted position as monarch. His interaction with Meren, who thinks of him as a son, is a poignant addition to a memorable tale. Even readers who aren't usually drawn to historical mysteries will likely delight in Robinson's fully developed characters and her deft building of suspense.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Started reading yesterday.
Finished today.
This is...pretty average. I thought that it was pretty obvious who the murderer was from the moment the character was introduced, and all the subsequent deaths and 'red herring' clues were tossed in to drag the book into a full-length novel. (Although even at full length this is pretty short, I think.) The dialogue is really wooden and inconsistent; sometimes the characters speak in a formal, archaic style that tends to use grammar differently from our normal speech and sounds stilted when read aloud. Other times the characters are using a much more "normal" pattern of conversation.
This time in Egyptian history would have definitely been quite interesting, as King Tut (still quite young) struggles to bring the gods of his fathers back and erase the 'heresy' of his father/uncle/brother/depends what the historians are saying today.
The ending pretty much sucked though. I mean, after the mystery was solved, that final scene with Tut and Meren was just awkward.
Finished today.
This is...pretty average. I thought that it was pretty obvious who the murderer was from the moment the character was introduced, and all the subsequent deaths and 'red herring' clues were tossed in to drag the book into a full-length novel. (Although even at full length this is pretty short, I think.) The dialogue is really wooden and inconsistent; sometimes the characters speak in a formal, archaic style that tends to use grammar differently from our normal speech and sounds stilted when read aloud. Other times the characters are using a much more "normal" pattern of conversation.
This time in Egyptian history would have definitely been quite interesting, as King Tut (still quite young) struggles to bring the gods of his fathers back and erase the 'heresy' of his father/uncle/brother/depends what the historians are saying today.
The ending pretty much sucked though. I mean, after the mystery was solved, that final scene with Tut and Meren was just awkward.
Journal Entry 3 by k00kaburra at -- Mail or by hand-rings, RABCK, meetings, trades, Florida USA on Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Also listed on PaperBackSwap.com.
Travelling to Woodstock, IL.
Haven't read yet, but won't let me post "rec'd" unless I say something....sooooo... looking forward to reading! Bought the first three of the series. Love everything about ancient Egyptian history.
