The Mask of Ra (Ancient Egypt Mysteries) - Hardcover

Doherty, P. C.

3.89

1,782 ratings by Goodreads

9780312205607: The Mask of Ra (Ancient Egypt Mysteries)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312205600 ISBN 13: 9780312205607

Publisher: Minotaur Books, 1999

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His great battles against the sea raiders in the Nile Delta have left Pharaoh Tuthmosis II weak and frail, but he finds solace in victory and the welcome he is sure to receive on his return to Thebes. Across the river from the Egyptian capital, however, not all take pleasure in his homecoming.

Reunited with his wife, Hatusu, and his people, Tuthmosis stands before the statue of Amun-Ra, the roar of the crowd and the fanfare of the trumpets ringing in his ears. But within an hour the Pharaoh is dead, and his unfinished tomb ritually polluted by a witch.

The people of Thebes cannot forget the murder and the desecration any more easily than they can forget the frightful omen of wounded doves flying overhead. Rumor runs rife, speculation sweeps the royal city, and Hatusu vows to uncover the truth. With the aid of Amerotke, a respected judge of Thebes, she embarks on a path destined to reveal the great secrets of Egypt.

The Mask of Ra is a compelling and dramatic novel set against the background of Egypt's eighteenth dynasty--a time of great change, as warlike Pharaohs fought to control not only the tribes on their western and southern borders, but to bring their subjects firmly under their rule.

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About the Author:

P.C. Doherty is the author of several acclaimed mystery series including The Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan, the Hugh Corbett medieval mysteries, and the Canterbury Tales of mystery and murder. He lives in England.

From Kirkus Reviews:

Author of many novels set in the England of past centuries, Doherty (Ghostly Murders, 1998, etc.) here presents the first of a series about Ancient Egypt. A war with enemies along the Nile Delta has just ended, and a triumphant Pharaoh Tuthmosis is returning to Thebes after stopping at Sakkara, site of the Pyramids. He has barely stepped from ship to his palaquin and the welcome of wife Hatusu when he keels over and dies, seemingly from the bite of a viper. Captain Meneloto, head of the Pharaoh's Guard, is put on trial for negligence at the court of Amerotke, chief judge of Thebes, who temporarily reserves judgment. Another problem, reported by Chief of Police Asural, is the persistent theft of small precious objects (not unlike the things sold by Amerotke's devoted servant, the dwarf Shufoy) from tombs that are sealed. The Chief Judge, though, sees a far greater problem: as reports of enemy armies approaching the city become rampant, the circle surrounding Queen Hatusu has divided into enemy camps, with councillors Seth and Semenmet at odds with Vizier Rahimerecontroller of palaces and temples. Soon the enemy must be faced, and so Queen Hatusu leads the royal regiments into battle while Amerotke, after falling into a near-fatal trap, eventually deciphers the means, the motive, and the hand behind the death of the Pharaoh. Chaotic plotting; an oversupply of busy, forgettable characters; enough detail of clothing, buildings, tombs, interior design and everyday life to fill a small textbook. Surely, life in medieval England was more fun than this. -- Copyright �1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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