Nefertiti

by: Nick Drake

Published by: Harper Collins

Reviewed by Jeff Foster

In his debut historical mystery, author Nick Drake spins you back through time to the cool waters of the Nile River and the windswept sands of ancient Egypt during the times of the Pharaohs.

There has been a change in the dynasty that has ruled Egypt for centuries. Akhenaten, son of Amenhotep, is now king of the two kingdoms of Egypt. After his ascendancy he throws polytheism (multiple gods) to the winds and proclaims himself a god. Akhenaten closes the century's old temples in Luxor and Thebes, asserting they are only making the priests wealthy and the country poor. He constructs a new city, Akhetaten, to focus his new religion in one physical place. All Egypt is ordered to cease paying homage to the gods of the past and instead worship the Aten, or sun god, of which Akhenaten is the sole earthly deity.

In Thebes, Rai Rahotep, a young Medjay and Seeker of Mysteries--Egyptian police detective--is summoned to an audience with the powerful King Akhenaten. Rahotep cannot avoid the summons and travels to Akhetaten to meet the King.

When he arrives, the tension in the city is evident, a planned Festival of Light is only ten days away and the new city is in disarray. The streets are flooding quickly with people from all over the empire, and Rahotep discerns that there is an underlying tension amongst the citizens.

During his audience Rahotep is informed that Queen Nefertiti has vanished. He has been summoned to find her before the festival--or he will pay with his life. Instantly, Royal court intrigues play against Rahotep as he is led along a path of murder and deception that is expertly constructed by unseen forces bent on keeping him from finding out the truth about the Queen's disappearance.

Nefertiti does what historians have been trying to do for centuries, give us a plausible reason for the disappearance of one of the most revered figures in Egyptian history. His prose is eloquent when required, such as describing the lush green banks of the Nile and the heat of the Egyptian sun. He also shows his ability to be brutal where needed, murder scenes are detailed better than most crime scene units of today.

Armchair Interviews says: For those that love historical fiction, this story is like treasure from a previously unopened tomb.