Murder at the Feast of Rejoicing [Paperback]

Lynda S. Robinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 3, 1995

"DELICIOUS . . . Robinson makes history live and breathe again."

*The New York Times Book Review



The small group gathered at Lord Meren's country house to celebrate his homecoming is soon to become yet smaller. Beautiful Anhai, Meren's cousin-in-law, falls victim to murder--an act of violence as inscrutable as the sphinx. True, she had myriad lovers and a scorpion tongue, but why was her body arranged so meticulously, as if for sleep? The most dreadful possibility is that the crime has to do with Lord Meren's awesome undercover mission for the pharaoh, for which his feast of rejoicing is in part a cover. This mission cannot, must not, fail. Ruthlessly stripping bare the deepest secrets of the nest of cobras who are his nearest relatives, Meren finds the thread that leads to the truth and the unmasking of a shocking crime in the court of the living god. . . .



"As Robinson deftly juggles ancient Egyptian political intrigue and a riveting mystery, she proves again her mastery of the historical whodunit."

*Publishers Weekly (starred review)


From the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Poor Lord Meren. After the rigors of his last appearance (Murder at the God's Gate), he is expecting a quiet rest in his provincial home, far from the intrigues of the Egyptian court where he is confidant and advisor to the boy-king Tutankhamen. Left at the court is his adopted son, Kysen, charged with overseeing plans for secretly transporting the bodies of the Pharaoh's predecessors from their desecrated tombs to the new ones being secretly constructed. But Meren's sister has invited the relatives to celebrate his homecoming, endangering the covert operation. Complicating matters further is the rancor among Meren's relatives, each of whom dislikes another for past actions. Most viperish is his cousin Sennefer's wife, Anhai, who wants a divorce and seems to make even the most agreeable people angry. When her body is found after the feast, Meren and Kysen must investigate her murder while keeping a close eye on the tomb builders. Their job is made more treacherous by the arrival of the Pharaoh, who wants to take part in the investigation, and by the persistent snooping of Meren's daughter, Bener, who also wants to help. As Robinson deftly juggles ancient Egyptian political intrigue and a riveting mystery, she proves again her mastery of the historical whodunit.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA?This well-woven story of murder and intrigue immediately draws readers into the sun-seared landscape of the Egyptian Nile in the days of Tutankhamun. One of the young Pharoah's close confidants, Lord Meren, visits his family estate for a brief rest but finds, instead, that his sister has invited a tedious group of friends and relatives for a family celebration. One of these unwelcome guests has the bad taste to be murdered. The plot gathers speed through crisp dialogue and pungent description, giving readers a strong sense of Egyptian life almost without their being aware of it. Robinson does a skillful job of helping to sort out the plethora of strange names and relationships through the timely but simple use of well-placed appositives. This mystery, the third in a highly rated series, can be enjoyed on its own. Lord Meren is sensitively developed, and yet enough of his personality is left unexplored so that, by the end, YAs will be eager to accompany him on further assignments as the eyes and ears of the Pharoah.?Cynthia Rieben, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (January 3, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345482921
• ISBN-13: 978-0345482921
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.2 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,486,074 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Typical Family, August 6, 2001

By 

D. E. W. Turner "dewt" (Hereford, AZ, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Murder at the Feast of Rejoicing (Lord Meren Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Lord Meren is sent home to rest but his sister arranges a family reunion instead. How many of these characters actually come from your own extended family? I recognized the majority from mine <G>. This really makes Lord Meren into a human being rather than an historical personage. The series gets better with each book as I read them.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Family reunions and homicide: a surprisingly good fit, May 2, 2000

By 

A. P. Larson (Tacoma, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder at the Feast of Rejoicing (Lord Meren Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Just what we all needed: persuasion that relatives have been insufferable for millenia. That's actually one of the most engaging elements of Robinson's Lord Meren mysteries, as each one finds the noble detective reflecting on his less-than-stellar childhood memories and current familial dynamics. As a result Meren's vivid character easily gains our sympathies, and his tenderness and struggles are sensibly drawn. He's in need of our sympathy especially in this installment, as his pleas for quiet and peace have been flouted for a vicious little circus of togetherness. Who permanently hushed up his sister-in-law's wicked tongue and dumped her in the granary? Which aunt, uncle or cousin is going to insult him next in his own house? And just what is that mysterious cargo? The mystery itself isn't the sharpest element here, but still, very well worth the read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Murder in Ancient Egypt, April 28, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Pasadena, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder at the Feast of Rejoicing (Lord Meren Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

As far as Lord Meren is concerned, there is not much reason for rejoicing in this entry in Lynda S. Robinson's series of mysteries set in ancient Egypt. The Egyptian noble, the "Eyes and Ears of Pharaoh," has planned a visit to his country estate, away from prying eyes at court. The visit is intended to be a well-earned vacation as well as a smoke screen for an unenviable task - that of moving the mummified bodies of royal relations of the present Pharaoh Tutankhamun to a new temple, where their ka, their spirit, will again lie undisturbed. To cover the seriousness of this mission, one that Tutankhamun's enemies would like to discover, Meren has his son Kysen superintend the transfer while he prepares for a quiet trip to the country.

That is the plan. What transpires is far from the intent of a simple visit home, as Meren is soon forced to assume his role as Pharaoh's special agent and solve another mystery, this one very close to home.

Robinson's command of her setting (she has a Ph.D. in Anthropology, with an emphasis in Archeology) enables her books to be splendid visual settings as well as rousing good suspense stories. In this entry readers are treated to the intimate details of the running of a Egyptian noble's great estate, and to more of the social customs of the upper class -- some of whom have more class than others.

The unveiling of the culprit seems obvious, then another murder is committed, and more death occurs before Meren finds himself face to face with treachery and deceit, two traits that seem to go hand in hand during Tutankhamun's reign. Readers can expect nothing to ever be as it seems in Meren's world, which should keep bookshelves stocked with Robinson's books for some time to come.