The Anubis Slayings - Hardcover

Doherty, P. C.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312276583 ISBN 13: 9780312276584

Publisher: Minotaur Books, 2001

Synopsis

A series of grisly slayings ignite passions in Pharaoh's Egypt. Is it the work of humans or has the god Anubis himself come to earth intent on sabotaging peace negotiations with the dreaded Mitanni? Only Amerotke, wise and trusted judge of the powerful female Pharaoh, Hatusu, can sort through the tangle of intrigue that surrounds the killings and discover the truth. It began in the temple of Anubis. With the hated but humbled Mitanni camped outside Thebes, preparing to prostrate themselves before Pharaoh, few things could be worse for Egypt's bargaining position than a series of sensational murders right in the inner sanctum of its most heavily guarded temple. Except perhaps the daring theft of its most cherished national treasure. Or maybe the mysterious deaths of several Mitanni ambassadors who'd been assured Pharaoh's divine protection . . . Now Amerotke is up to his ears in intrigue. As the body count grows, it becomes apparent that someone-or something-wants his name added to it. But is the jackal-headed god, Anubis, really stalking his enemies? Or is there a logical explanation? It will take all of Amerotke's powers of reason to find the answer before Egypt's enemies move the strong and seductive Pharaoh into checkmate.

About this title

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 Publishers Weekly

In 1478 B.C., in the Egyptian capital of Thebes, the judge Amerotke confronts a fascinating maze of puzzles, death and knife-edged political intrigue. Envoys from the defeated Mitanni nation have come to beg for a peace settlement by kissing the painted toes of the Divine Pharaoh-Queen Hatusu, but seem to nurture more sinister purposes. A priest on vigil in the Temple of Anubis, locked inside a chamber with a large amethyst sacred to the jackal god, is found fatally stabbed the jewel missing, the lock secure. A dancing girl lies dead in a temple garden, with no signs of violence. Fish float lifeless in an ornamental pool. Amerotke must discover how these incidents are related, and uncover the identity of the shadowy figure glimpsed garbed as the divine Anubis, while other murders occur and the judge himself faces peril in the lion-haunted desert outside the city. It is difficult, after all, to notice minor wounds among the flea bites everyone bears, and priests cannot be tortured to extract confessions. The fecund Doherty (The Mask of Ra; The Horus Killings) brings in (and wraps up as tight as a shroud) several subplots evoking the Egyptian culture of death, where "Powerful Theban nobles and merchants even arranged dinner parties and invited guests to come and inspect their latest caskets." This is another fine performance from this prolific author, sure to pass inspection by his many fans. (June 11)reviewed in Forecasts, Jan. 22; his new Alexander the Great mystery, The House of Death, in Forecasts, Apr. 30.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0312276583
• ISBN 13: 9780312276584
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288