In Drake's hands, ancient Egypt comes to life with all its treachery, vengeance, passion and power. A stunning achievement M. C. SCOTT Drake takes an ancient, long-lost civilization and makes it feel frighteningly familiar. I was captivated from first page to last GILES KRISTIAN Richly imagined, fiendishly plotted, gruesomely evocative, this is the storytelling equivalent of 'shedeh' - the most prized of ancient Egyptian beverages PAUL SUSSMAN Well, this is hardly cause for celebration. Not because the book is bad-far from it: it's great - but because it's the final volume in Drake's magnificent trilogy... The book is full of noirish phrasings, modern-day slang, and characters who might feel right at home in a contemporary mystery novel. Some might accuse Drake of anachronistic prose, but many will find genius at work. Like the best adaptors of Shakespeare, he makes it work. This much can be stated with assurance: this novel will be a huge hit with fans of the series, of Egypt-themed mysteries, of period mysteries, of modern-day thrillers, and - what the heck - anyone not included in those groups. The only downside is that, if Drake sticks to his guns, this would be the final Rahotep mystery. A shame, that. BOOKLIST 20111115 Drake's dramatic finish to his trilogy set in ancient Egypt is every bit the equal of its standout predecessors, Nefertiti and Tutankhamun...Everything works, from the dogged but flawed hero to the seamless melding of the murder inquiry with the larger political intrigue. Publishers Weekly 20110905
