8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Prequel to the series? Not Really..., September 14, 2003
This review is from: Flesh of the God (Mystery of Ancient Egypt) (Mass Market Paperback)
I usually abhor prequels categorically; however, after faithfully reading the first half dozen novels in this series, I was hoping to learn the full story of Lieutenant Bak's exile from the charioteers to his placement in Buhen as an inexperienced policeman. Unfortunately, in this latest published novel from Lauren Haney, there was less than adequate information in this area. Instead you are given a bit more of an expanded story that has been alluded to before, and instead you get to join the freshly appointed policeman on his first investigation.
With that said, 'Flesh of the God' is a highly entertaining addition to this series and explores the real reasons why Buhen was located so far along the Nile - as a convenient access for routes to the gold mines found in the southern deserts. Haney deftly tells volumes about Egypt by guiding the reader through Bak's investigation of the murder of Buhen's capable commandant. What would otherwise have been a conventional murder mystery is transformed into an educational and entertaining story that keeps you guessing until the very end.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a treat for historical mystery fans..., February 23, 2003
This review is from: Flesh of the God (Mystery of Ancient Egypt) (Mass Market Paperback)
For those of us who always wondered what it was that Lieutenant Bak had done to anger Maatkare Hatshepsut so very, very much that she had him sent into virtual exile in Wawat (Lower Nubia),"Flesh of the God" answers that question in spades. It reads like the first installment in the Lieutenant Bak mystery series, and is (no surprise) a truly exciting and compelling read, dealing with murder, theft and corruption.
Once a proud officer and a trained warrior, Bak has been stripped of his rank and sent from Kemet (Egypt) to the Buhen fortress in Wawat (Lower Wawat) as punishment for having raided a house of pleasure much frequented by powerful Egyptian men. Now, instead of leading his charioteers into battle, Bak has been placed in charge of the Medjays (a police force of sorts) under Commandant Nakht. The situation at Buhen is a bit tense and complex. While many men and women from Kemet live within Buhen, it is still in the heart of Wawat, a land brutally conquered by the Egyptians many years ago. The Egyptains still do not fully trust the Nubians, esp given that the rebels still attack the caravans. But the really sticky point is that the Medjays are made up mainly of Nubians who have trained and grown up in Kemet, men with a foot in each camp and distrusted by both the Egyptians and the Nubians. It is up to Bak to make the people of Buhen realise that the Medjays are here to enforce the law and that they can be trusted. Not an easy task at all. But Bak's job becomes even more difficult when on his very first night on the job, the Commandant of Buhen (Nakht) is murdered and all the evidence seems to point to the Nakht's beautiful foreign wife, Azzia, as having committed the murder. In spite of all the circumstantial evidence however Bak is not so sure of Azzia's guilt. Pressured by the Chief Steward of Buhen to bring charges against Azzia, Bak is not sure what to do. Is Azzia guilty of murder? Or is Bak reacting to his attraction for her when he refuses to believe that she is guilty of Nakht's murder, by believing in the hunch that's telling him that there is more to all this than meets to eye? With only three days to unmask the real killer Bak must use all his intelligence and wits so that his lack of experience will not jeopardize an innocent lady's life...
"Flesh of the God" proved to be a fantastic read. And it answered all the questions that had nagged at me while I was reading the other mysteries in this series. At some point someone has to explain why books in a series are not always published in sequence. The storyline was a thrilling and exciting one, with quite a few twists and turns, as we follow Bak trying to solve the mystery at hand, bump into new ones and deal with his lack of experience and expertise. Character development was superb (esp that of Azzia and Imsiba, Bak's right hand man), and the plot unfolded smoothly and flawlessly. "Flesh of the God" was a real treat, and one that historical mystery fans (esp those who like mysteries with ancient Egypt as a setting) should not miss.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
As wonderful as all of the other Lt. Bak novels, March 31, 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Flesh of the God (Mystery of Ancient Egypt) (Mass Market Paperback)
This is another wonderful novel in the Bak series...but if anyone is expecting a "prequel," he or she will be disappointed...this books deals with Bak's first case in Buhen after his exile...it doesn't give us any more information about his fall from grace than the last book did. So..it may be the first book in the series, but it's not a prequel!
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