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(More customer reviews)If you have been following PC Doherty's Amerotke series, about a judge/ investigator for the Pharaoh, this is by far the book with the most depth to it. The plot is more developed and convoluted, and there are more characters. As with all of the series it is set in the ancient Egypt of Pharoah Hatusu, (about 1473-1458 BC), who is better known by the name of Hatshepsut and is most famous as the female Pharoah who ruled alone and not just as a figure-head, in a time of peace and prosperity. This is such an interesting time I wish Doherty would put more effort into the setting and the era and of how it must have been to have a woman ruler---everyone seems to take it for granted she was totally accepted, which seems to me as doubtful. Also, the question of her commoner lover, Senenmut---that is, everyone from her time to ours assumes he was her lover---of course he would have caused hate, envy and jealousy. It would be interesting to have some of the volumes cover these issues. Doherty covered the Akhenaten/Tutankhamun era so well in his trilogy "An Evil Spirit Out of the West", The Season of the Hyaena" and "The Year of the Cobra", I wish he would turn these rather light mystery novels into something of the sort as he did with the era of Pharaohs Akhenaten/Tutankhamun in the trilogy just mentioned. But, those were larger, in depth and more serious novels and this series is definitly more easy, quick, mysteries, the previous ones to be read at a couple of sittings, but never the less enjoyable. I also wish more effort was put into Amerotke, his wife and family. One never feels as though one really knows him even after all the books so far. I have little feeling if any of what he looks like for example, or of the real relationship between his wife and himself, she and the children are shadow characters to be pulled out every so often to assure us he has a happy family. Having said THAT though, Doherty does excell at making you feel you are IN ancient Egypt, at bringing to life the sights, sounds, images of the place.
In part the problem MAY be that the author is such a prolific writer, go to his web site, under several names he has written over 50 books, all set in historical eras, (he is a historian) but how anyone can keep up such a pace is mind boggling!! I wish he would slow down, settle on a time (such a my favorite ancient Egypt) and write a real masterpiece!!!
To clarify the order of the series of Amertoke is: 1.The Mask of Ra 2.The Horus Killings 3.The Anubis Slayings 4.Slayers of Seth 5. Assassins of Isis 6.Poisoner of Ptah. (All titles refer to an Egyptian god or goddess).
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A new novel of murder in the reign of Pharoah Hatusu featuring Judge Amerotke as the crime-solver. At a peace treaty signing between Egypt and Libya in Thebes, three of Egypt's leading scribes die violently on the Temple forecourt, the victims of a vile poisoning. To add to the mounting unease, a prosperous merchant and his young wife are found drowned. Rumours soon sweep the imperial city. The Poisoner of Ptah has returned. It falls to Amerotke, Chief Judge of the Halls of Two Truths, to investigate these hideous crimes - his hunt for the Poisoner leads him to discover yet more suspicion and potential danger. This story sees the Judge pit his wits against a cunning opponent who seems intent on spreading his death-dealing powders. Amerotke enters the twilight world of glorious Thebes where life can be so rich and yet death so swift and brutal.
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