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.
Click to the right or left of the sample to turn the page.
(If no book jacket appears in a few seconds, then we don't have an excerpt of this book or your browser is unable to display it)
"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)
The information about Nefertiti shown above was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's online-magazine that keeps our members abreast of notable and high-profile books publishing in the coming weeks. In most cases, the reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the reviews shown do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, please send us a message with the mainstream media reviews that you would like to see added.
Beirut Hellfire Society
by Rawi Hage
A searing and visionary novel set in 1970s Beirut that asks what it means to live through war.
Reader Reviews
"An American epic in the truest sense…"
—Entertainment Weekly
New from Clare Clark!
"Evocative prose and excellent pacing make this fine historical a must-read for art history buffs."
- Publishers Weekly
Visitors can view some of BookBrowse for free. Full access is for members only.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
Subscribe to receive some of our best reviews, "beyond the book" articles, book club info, and giveaways by email.
