Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published in USA
Apr 2007
352 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Information
She is Nefertiti - beautiful and revered. With her husband, Akhenaten, she rules over Egypt, the most affluent, formidable, sophisticated empire in the ancient world. But an epic power struggle is afoot, brought on by the royal couple's inauguration of an enlightened new religion and the construction of a magnificent new capital. The priests are stunned by the abrupt forfeiture of their traditional wealth and influence; the people resent the loss of their gods - and the army is enraged by the growing turbulence around them. Then, just days before the festival that will celebrate the new capital, Nefertiti vanishes.
Rahotep, the youngest chief detective in the Thebes division, has earned a reputation for his unorthodox yet effective methods. Entrusted by great Akhenaten himself with a most secret investigation, Rahotep has but ten days to find the missing Queen. If he succeeds, he will bask in the warmth of Akhenaten's favor. But if Rahotep fails, he and his entire family will die.
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"Starred Review. Drake displays great mastery of period detail, and if some readers are able to anticipate the identity of the person behind the novel's chaos, they'll still find themselves swept away to a far-off time with contemporary echoes." - Publishers Weekly
"Drake cites a few facts about the unrest of the times, but more background might have made the book stronger. Still, if the political dynamic is a little confusing, especially as the novel draws to a close, there's still sufficient adventure to keep pages turning in the author's fiction debut." - Booklist
"Authentic historical details combined with an engrossing mystery make for a first-rate debut. Not since Linda Robinson's Lord Meren novels and Brad Geagley's Year of the Hyenashas a mystery captured the ancient world so accurately. Highly recommended." - Library Journal
"[It] is full of surprises and brings a whole new meaning to pyramid selling." - The Evening Standard (UK)
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