Murder in the Place of Anubis [Hardcover]

Lynda S. Robinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1994

Who has dared to desecrate the sacred place of embalming with a murdered corpse? Pharaoh Tutankhamun orders Lord Meren, his chief investigator, to find out quickly, before power-mad priests use the incident to undermine his royal authority.
Everyone is a suspect, for the body belongs to the notorious scribe Hormin, hated by all who knew him. However, Lord Meren is no mere courtier but the Eyes and Ears of the living god. In the terrifying Place of Anubis, where unquiet spirits dwell, in the sunstruck city of Thebes, where Hormin's sons and his beautiful concubine plot, and in the royal court, where intrigues abound, Lord Meren hunts his quarry, peeling back the secrets of nobles and slaves in his quest for the truth. But more important by far is Meren's responsibility to protect the young Pharaoh from his enemies -- who are no farther away than the length of a dagger . . . .
"This exceptional debut melds ancient Egyptian religious beliefs and practices with court intrigue to produce a riveting mystery." -- Publishers Weekly

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

More than a period puzzle, this exceptional debut melds ancient Egyptian religious belief and practice with court intrigue to produce a riveting mystery. The court of the young Pharaoh Tutankhamun still suffers some of the tumultuous aftereffects of the reign of his father, the iconoclastic monotheist, Akhenaten. When the body of the scribe Hormin is found with an obsidian embalming knife sticking from its neck at the Place of Anubis, Tutankhamun assigns the task of finding the murderer--and the desecrator of holy places--to his "Eyes and Ears," Lord Meren. Meren and his adopted son Kysen begin with Hormin's family, whose members lay both murder and the theft of an expensive beaded collar at the feet of Hormin's mistress, the sultry Beltis, who returns the charges. To solve the murder, Meren and Kysen retrace the scribe's last day, using surprisingly sophisticated, but credible, investigative techniques. Especially appealing is the personality of the boy king who wants desperately to join the investigation but refrains in deference to his exalted position as monarch. His interaction with Meren, who thinks of him as a son, is a poignant addition to a memorable tale. Even readers who aren't usually drawn to historical mysteries will likely delight in Robinson's fully developed characters and her deft building of suspense.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Investigating protagonist Lord Meren, a keen-minded 34-year-old, serves Tutankhamun as privy councilor and friend, so when Theban embalmers find a stabbing victim in their sacred precincts, the teenaged king dispatches Meren to solve the crime. With the aid of his adopted son, Kysen, Meren questions artisans in the Valley of Tombs and members of the victim's family. The key to the murder ultimately resides in a shapely and aggressive concubine who uses sex as a tool. Not bad for a first historical mystery and series opener.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 190 pages
• Publisher: Walker & Co (February 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802732496
• ISBN-13: 978-0802732491
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,690,139 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Murder in Ancient Egypt isn't easy to solve., October 9, 2000

By 

A. Tresca - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder in the Place of Anubis (Lord Meren Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

The first in this series of novels has Lord Meren investigating a murder in the sacred Place of Anubis. For those unfamiliar with Egyptian religion, Anubis was the God of Embalming. Bodies were embalmed, a long and laborious process, before being entombed. Egyptians believed that without the proper spells, amulets, and procedures after death, a soul, or ka would not enter the afterlife.

This being known, it is unthinkable that someone would kill in the Place of Anubis. This person must have been most desperate and bold in order to do so. Meren discovers there is no lack of suspects. The man was disliked by his collegues and his family alike. Suspects are going fast, however, two of them are murdered before the true nature of the crime is discovered. At the heart of these crimes is an unholy greed that could consume Meren and his son Kysen before they discover the truth.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The start of a Fascinating Series, June 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Murder in the Place of Anubis (Lord Meren Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Ancient Egypt comes to life again in this book. I enjoyed the period details and the relationships among the characters. The glimpses we get of court life follow what we learn about royalty and their courts from history rather than fairy tales. They didn't live "happily ever after." After reading what our young pharaoh and Lord Meren, his "eyes and ears" have to put up with, the sensible reader will give thanks for being a nobody. Even though I knew that people didn't live as long back then, it still seemed a bit strange to have Lord Meren, soon to be a grandfather, consider himself as getting up there in years when he's only 34. Meren's son, Kysen, has been a father for several years at an age where young American men today would just be turning old enough to vote. The only quarrel I have with this series is the portrayal of Queen Ankhesenamen. I first "met" her as a very sympathetic character in Morrison's *The Lost Queen of Egypt*, so the harsh portrait of her that Robinson draws is difficult for me to swallow. However, neither that nor knowing that Lord Meren must lose his beloved Pharaoh at a young age, prevented me from reading the other books. This is one of the authors for whom I am unwilling to wait for the paperback. Even now I can hardly wait for the next book. Ann E. Nichols

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New series bring Ancient Egypt to life, February 7, 1998

By 

Helen Howerton (La Puente, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder in the Place of Anubis (Hardcover)

Lord Meren, the "Eyes and Ears of Pharoah," must deal with the murder of a royal scribe in a sacred place, where bodies are prepared for their travel to the afterlife. The task seems to Meren to be an easy one, until we learn that there is more to this mystery than simple hatred. Robinson's extensive knowledge of ancient Egypt (she has a Ph.D. in Anthropology) creates an unforgettable picture of a complex and fascinating society. Readers of historical mysteries will appreciate this latest contribution to the genre, and should look forward to the further adventures of Lord Meren, Pharoah and the other inhabitants of Egypt, circa 1330 B.C.