Tutankhamun: The Book of Shadows

Starred review from May 3, 2010
At the start of Drake’s superlative middle book in his ancient Egypt trilogy (after Nefertiti), Rahotep, the chief detective in the Thebes police force, visits a horrific crime scene. Someone has mutilated a young man and removed his eyes—and possibly pacified him with narcotics during the assault. When the killer strikes again, Rahotep wonders if the murders may be connected with efforts to destabilize the regime of the young Tutankhamun. The ruler’s foes include Ay, the regent who effectively runs the country, and Horemheb, commander of the country’s armies. Rahotep must tread carefully to identify the parties behind both the killings and the threats to Tutankhamun without jeopardizing his life and the lives of his family members. Drake seamlessly introduces a serial killer plot line into his vivid evocation of the past. Admirers of such great historical novelists as Robert Graves and Mary Renault will hope that he continues working in the field after concluding this series.

Starred review from July 1, 2010
Rahotep, the chief homicide detective in Thebes, is asked by Ankhesenamun to find the person who is threatening her husband, Tutankhamun, with sinister "gifts" left in the palace. Rahotep, remembered by the daughter of Nefertiti as someone her mother trusted, begins a dangerous inquiry into the lives of those who surround the boy king. VERDICTIn the second book in his Egyptian trilogy (after "Nerfertiti", Drake vividly describes the political machinations of the courtiers and the undercurrents of physical danger always present in ancient Egypt. Readers walk in the old streets of Thebes, ride the chariots in the desert, and know the fear that any minute they can be tortured or killed by the powers that be. Marked by fine writing, Rahotep's story will captive historical mystery fans. [See Prepub Mystery, "LJ"3/1/10.]

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2010

An ancient Egyptian serial killer threatens the nascent reign of the nation's young Pharaoh.

Rahotep, the Chief Detective of Medjay, the Thebes police force, is summoned late one night to examine a singular corpse. Clearly a murder victim, the body of the young man has been ceremoniously arranged, the eyes removed and covered with gold leaves, with a third eye painted above. The first-person narration of methodical Rahotep, whose home life is as tumultuous (four children and a faithful pet baboon named Thoth) as his investigations are orderly, is characteristically crisp. But scarcely has he begun to formulate a theory of the crime than he's swept up in the excitement surrounding the imminent first public appearance of young Tutankhamun as Pharaoh. Though the streets are flooded with celebrants, Rahotep finds the atmosphere eerie, a feeling validated when Nefertiti's daughter Queen Ankhesenamun buttonholes him for a secret meeting and shares her fears for her husband's safety. Among the many plots within plots, the chief danger may come from inside the royal court. As Rahotep and his handsome young sidekick Khety begin their probe, additional ritualized victims begin to appear, along with a series of ominous gifts—like a small black figurine with the ruling family's name inscribed—arriving at the palace. Nevertheless, the boy King seizes the reins of power, appearing fearlessly in public, as Rahotep races against the clock.

Poet Drake's measured style and surfeit of historical detail—including maps, bibliography and family tree—add both verisimilitude and suspense to his second Rahotep mystery (Nefertiti, 2007). Fascinating.

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