A Cruel Deceit (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "Stop! Thief!" Two men raced along the busy street, darting around the many people ambling among piles of produce on the ground or looking at..." (more)
Key Phrases: barque sanctuary, storehouse archives, interconnected houses, Maatkare Hatshepsut, Captain Antef, Beautiful Feast of Opet (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

To Honor The Gods Amid Treachery and Death

From far and wide, they have come to the capital city of Waset for the opulent Feast of Opet-- sovereigns and supplicants, the pious and proud, gathering for the eleven-day-long revelries. While greeting friends and fellow Medjay officers at the bustling harbor, Lieutenant Bak is distracted by foul murder, the discovery of the body of a Hittite horse trader, his throat savagely cut. Bak has no authority to investigate what could be a simple matter of Hittite politics -- until similar murders occur within the sacred precinct of the Lord Amon. Though this city is not his own, Bak eagerly agrees to aid in the investigation. But his determined search for connections embroils him in a terrifying conspiracy that points to the court of Queen Hatshepsut herself. Untold others may be joining the ranks of the dead before the villain is done -- with Lieutenant Bak numbered among them.

About the Author

Lauren Haney, a former technical editor in the aerospace and international construction industries, is the author of four ancient Egyptian mysteries featuring Lieutenant Bak: The Right Hand of Amon, A Face Turned Backward, A Vile Justice, and A Curse of Silence. She lives in Sante Fe, New Mexico, and travels to Egypt at every opportunity.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Avon (September 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380812878
• ISBN-13: 978-0380812875
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #270,502 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best so far.., October 21, 2002

By	H. Mayson (PORTLAND, OR USA) - See all my reviews

I've enjoyed all of Lauren Haney's Egyptian mysteries, but this one was by the farthest the hardest to put down! I finished it the same day I got it, because it was the story was so interesting. I really enjoyed the book being set around a festival, because it gave me more of a feel for the history of Ancient Egypt. And the descriptions really makes you feel like you are there in Kemet while everything is going on about you.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant as usual, September 20, 2002

By	tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

It seems as if it's suddenly raining bodies at Waset, and as usual, Lt. Bak of the Medjay police is in the thick of it!

Lt. Bak and his company are enjoying a brief stopover in Waset before they move on to assume their new posting in Mennufer. Coincidentally, the people of Waset are celebrating the Beautiful Feast of Opet -- an opulent eleven day celebration, at which people from all over Kemet (Egypt) gather to commemorate and give thanks. It is a time of great festivity and rejoicing -- definitely not for hunting murderers and rooting out foul and monstrous deeds! And yet that is exactly the situation that Lt. Bak finds himself in (not that he's complaining though).

While walking about with his fellow Medjay officers at the busy Waset harbor, Lt. Bak stumbles onto the vicious murder of a Hittite horse trader. And while Lt. Bak would dearly love to look into the murder of this man, he (unfortunately) has no authority to act while he is in Waset. That is until the auditor Worserhet, is found murdered at one of the sacred warehouses of Lord Amon, in a manner similar to the Hittite's. Now, it so happens that Worserhet had been conducting an audit of the warehouses, making sure that the records tallied with the inventory. The Chief priest of Lord Amon himself, Hapuseneb, had given Worserhet this special assignment. But because Hapuseneb is currently busy with the many duties that overseeing the Beautiful Feast of Opet, Lt. Bak will be unable to question him as to why Worserhet had been working on the audit, and so discover the motive behind his murder. Instinct tells Bak that Worserhet had discovered some form theft at the warehouses. But User, the Overseer of Overseers of the storehouses of Amon, stoutly denies that any such hanky-panky could be going on without his knowing about it. Instinct also tells Bak that Worserhet's murder and that of the Hittite horse trader's are somehow linked. But exactly how, is a question that perplexes him. Given that task of unraveling what's going on by Amonked (the storekeeper of Amon, and cousin to Queen Hatshepsut), Bak is determined to get to the bottom of what's going on, and to discover what links Worserhet's murder to the trader's. But as the investigation progresses, so does the body count mount. And Bak soon makes a very chilling discovery -- just as he is hunting a dangerous killer, so too is the killer hunting him! Searching for this ruthless and intelligent killer could prove to be Bak's most dangerous case yet.

I've found that I can always count on Lauren Haney to provide me with a mystery novel that is always clever, intricate and provides hours of fun reading. As usual, the plot was a rather brilliant one that was beautifully set out, complete with plot twists and red herring suspects to keep you guessing to the very end. The level of suspense was skillfully maintained throughout, and the authour had peopled the novel with characters that were both colourful and multi-faceted, thus making "A Cruel Deceit" a much more satisfying read. All in all, "A Cruel Deceit" made for some truly riveting reading, and is one historical mystery novel that should not be given a miss.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Cruel Deceit, January 7, 2003

By	Tess Collins Ph.D. (San Francisco, CA. United States) - See all my reviews

Lauren Haney draws a picture of ancient Egypt that is
downright mesmerizing. I've followed her Lieutenant Bak
through several books and A Cruel Deceit has him moving
through a county--not his own--but with his same doggedness
that makes the reader stay up late to find out what
happens next.