The Murder of King Tut: Book summary and reviews of The Murder of King Tut by James Patterson & Martin Dugard

The Murder of King Tut Summary

Thrust onto Egypt's most powerful throne at the age of nine, King Tut's reign was fiercely debated from the outset. Behind the palace's veil of prosperity, bitter rivalries and jealousy flourished among the Boy King's most trusted advisors, and after only nine years, King Tut suddenly perished, his name purged from Egyptian history. To this day, his death remains shrouded in controversy.

Enchanted by the ruler's tragic story and hoping to unlock the answers to the 3,000 year-old mystery, Howard Carter made it his life's mission to uncover the pharaoh's hidden tomb. He began his search in 1907, but encountered countless setbacks and dead-ends before he finally, uncovered the long-lost crypt.

Now, in The Murder of King Tut, James Patterson and Martin Dugard dig through stacks of evidence - X-rays, Carter's files, forensic clues, and stories told through the ages - to arrive at their own account of King Tut's life and death. The result is an exhilarating true crime tale of intrigue, passion, and betrayal that casts fresh light on the oldest mystery of all.

The Murder of King Tut Reader Reviews

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Rated of 5 by Cloggie Downunder
Case closed? Probably not!
The Murder of King Tut by James Patterson and Martin Dugard is described as the Ultimate Cold Case Re-opened. In the format of James Patterson’s signature (extremely) short chapters, the story is set out over three time periods: modern day, where we follow James’ progress in writing the book; the late 19th and early 20th century and the discovery of King Tut’s tomb; and 14th century BC, contemporary with King Tut’s life. It makes for an easy way to assimilate some ancient history. Whether or not this cold case is solved by the James Patterson treatment is debatable.

Rated of 5 by Catherine Wondrash
How can this book be deemed non-fiction
I cannot believe that the literary community would consider this a book of non-fiction. The "story" is interrupted twice for us to visit Patterson on Donald Trump's golf course or in his office where he is so busy multi-tasking. Patterson leaves us with three choices of murderers. It is absolutely ridiculous.

James Patterson & Martin Dugard Author Biography

After initially being turned down by twenty-six publishers, Patterson's first novel, The Thomas Berryman Number (1976), was published and went on to win the Edgar Award for Best First Mystery Novel. However, it was not until the success of Along Came A Spider (1992) that the former chairman of advertising company J. W. Thompson left to take up writing full time. 

As of 2006 it was estimated that he has sold about 130 million books worldwide.  In North America alone he sold 12 million copies in 2006.  In 2005 he had five consecutive #1 New York Times bestselling hardcovers and is the first author to simultaneously hold the #1 spot on both the New York Times adult and children's bestseller lists.

A prolific author,...

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