Eater of Souls

Lord Meren #4

by Lynda S. Robinson

Someone--or something--is slaying innocent persons on the night streets in the royal city of Memphis. Frightened citizens believe it is the gruesome work of the Devourer, the eater of souls, one of the most fearsome gods in the Egyptian pantheon. Even Lord Meren, the Eyes and Ears of Pharaoh, is baffled by this series of horrific crimes whose victims have only one thing in common: the grisly manner of their deaths.

Is the evildoer truly the Devourer, risen from the netherworld, or just a mere mortal? Between Lord Meren and the truth lie dangerous mysteries--in the city's back alleys and in the bosom of his own noble family...

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Egypt, Historical Mystery, Historical, Fiction, Crime

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Lynda Suzanne Robinson (b. July 6, 1951 in Amarillo, Texas) is an American writer, author of romance (under the name Suzanne Robinson) and mystery novels (under the name Lynda S. Robinson). She is best known for her series of historical whodunnits set in Ancient Egypt during the reign of Tutankhamun and featuring Lord Meren, "the Eyes and Ears of Pharaoh." She lives in Texas with her husband and has a doctorate in anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Reviews

[Scott Rezer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve come to the conclusion in these wonderful stories that I don’t really care about the separate murders Lord Meren must solve. I only care about one—the murder of Queen Nefertiti, which is the overarching plot running through the entire series. The other murders are merely distractions as the Eyes of Pharaoh seeks to unravel this treacherous puzzle, which could also have dangerous repercussions for the young King Tut. If you want to read a great ancient mystery series set in Egypt, look no further than the Lord Meren series by Lynda S. Robinson. There is none better.

[A.L. Sirois · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent 4th entry into the "Lord Meren" series. This one delves more deeply into Meren's semi-dysfunctional family, as the monstrous Eater of Souls, a monster part crocodile, part lion, and part hippo, that sits beside the scales of Maat as a departed soul is judged by the gods, seemingly prowls Memphis murdering people. Meanwhile, Meren is having difficulties with his young daughters: the youngest, Isis, a genuine beauty full of herself, wants to marry someone Meren deems unsuitable -- while her older sister Bener is proving to be smarter and cannier than Meren ever suspected, epeatedly inserting her into his investigations. Meanwhile, headstrong young Pharaoh Tutanhkamun chafes to get experience on the batlefield, while Meren is trying to keep him safe from jealous courtiers and, even worse, the person or persons responsible for the death of his beautiful aunt, Queen Nefertiti. The book. takes us through several strata of Egyptian society, and is masterfully and suspensefully written by Lynda S. Robinson. If you haven't made the acquaintance of Lord Meren yet, you really should!

[Eden · Rating 4 out of 5]

2022 bk 88. What do you get when a serial murder is so subtle that folks don't realize you have a serial murder on their hands? The Eater of Souls. Deaths are occuring in Memphis, deaths in which the victims seemingly have nothing in common. Lord Meren is stumped. And then there is the problem of his 14 year old daughter who thinks herself in love, his older daughter who insists on becoming involved in the mysteries he has to puzzle out, and his oldest son setting retainers to follow him. What is one man supposed to do? Think, Investigate, and then breathe slowly when the Pharoah shows him favor in front of all (and I mean all) of Memphis. Problems keep piling on. I found this a little harder to get into because I'm not really into the 'night stalker/horrible deaths' scenarios in which truly horrific and gruesome details are spelled out. However, Robinson's writing just keeps drawing me in.

[Darth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow, overly convoluted, and it felt like it there was a huge rush to finish.
Like she was as tired of writing it, as I was of reading it.
Not sure why she is so compelled to add so many similarly named characters, especially those who do not really do anything integral to the story.

The setting is the only thing keeping me going on these, well, and that I already have the next 2 in the series on my bookshelf.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay so on first glance at the title I thought this was a pure horror novel, a glance at the book jacket revealed it to be a murder mystery set in ancient Egypt (my favorite time period) and so I was sold..This book transports you the time of the reign of Tutankhaman, the boy pharoah and his illustrious court..The main character Meren is the Eyes and Ears of the Pharoah and expected to learn and protect the pharoah at all costs which leads him to pick up the old death of Nefertiti and the implications that she was poisoned. In finding out how Nefertiti, wife of the heretic king Akenhaten died Meren feels he can better gauge the intentions of those around the pharoah and thwart any future attempts at murder..As he begins to explore that mystery however a killer emerges and leaves bodies in the beautiful city of Egypt missing their hearts..The heart theft crimes and the old mystery of Nefertiti's death are the main stories here and a bunch of interesting side plots emerge around this to include the life of his adopted son anxious to assist his father, the budding intelligence of his daughter Bener and the impetuous childlike beauty Isis and her romantic dalliances..I was intrigued by the idea of the Eater of Souls, an underworld spirit that hangs beneath the balance of life and death as your soul is weighed against the truth of a feather, which is what the Eater of Souls leaves in the hearts of its victims..As interesting a story that is and the brillant character development of Meren and family should equate to an awesome read, alas the end comes and I was extremely disappointed..Not only is one mystery left unsolved but the other mystery is laughably concluded with an unbelievable villan..It drew me in and lost me the last twenty pages and I tried to savour this one..maybe another Lynda Robinson mystery will do it for me as this one was kinda a letdown..

[Filip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I'm torn over this one. Without going into spoilers the type of the killer and his motive is the one that I hate in such stories the most. There was not that much actual action, the plot of sort of flowed until it got resolved a bit too easily. Yet... this book was just a page turner. Maybe it was the fact that the book blurred the lines between the magic and mundane REALLY well. Or maybe it was the characterization of Meren, Kysen and the other key players. Or the overarching mystery of Nefretiti's death. Or maybe it was Bener. By Amun, I love Bener.

Either way, a very, very good book.

[Konstantina Anastasiadi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but not excellent.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first in the series of mysteries set in Egypt with Lord Meren, who is the eyes and ears of King Tut, when he is 14 years old. This is a good mystery novel. The main reason I got this book was to learn more the Eater of Souls, Amut. Amut sits in the netherworld of Egypt and devours the souls of the evil after your judgement. Amut is supposed to stay in other world but she has entered the world of living and has been killing. Ammut has the head of crocodile, the body of lion with rhinoceros skin with one eye. Lord Meren is the eyes and ears of King Tut, when is 14. This is historical mystery with good detail on the palace of King Tut and Egyptian rituals and customs. This is an Egyptian supernatural series of books. Lord Meren has a son, Kysen, a daughter Beren and Isis. This story involves murders with a duck feather of each body and only kills people that are in dung heeps or corrupt, there are 4 mysterious murders that Meren has to solve. Lord Meren is supposed to be solving the murder of Queen Nefertiti while these murders are happening. The police chief dismisses the murders as just people being killed until the Prince of the Hittites is killed. Ammut stalks the city of Memphis look for the one that not favored and has evil in heart and has evil ka and wants to take down the favored one. If there is evil in your heart, you will be judged and Ammut will devour your soul. There is immortality and a lot of intrigue. The is only 200 pages and is worth the read. It has good detail about the court and King Tut. I like the character of Kysen and how he gets to be a spy and enter the houses of ill repute. Lord Meren has visions and the story will continue to develop. I like this Egyptian mystery. It contributes to the Egyptian story telling. I look forward to read the other 2 books.

[Fiona · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not like the first three books in the series. There's more emphasis on the scenery and some views from the killer's perspective. I don't agree with how the author treated Lord Meren in this one.

SPOILERS:
Lord Meren throws his knife (his one weapon) in the dark at a target and misses, and now he's without a weapon.

There's no way the killer should've gotten through Lord Meren's several lines of security.

I also don't agree with the final reveal. It's like the author really had no idea who the killer was and had to come up with someone.

I read the next book in the series but couldn't get into it. I highly recommend the first three books in this series. I can't recommend this one.

[Heatherinblack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as fond

I am not sure why. It was a pretty good mystery. I think it was all the setting up for the next book that went on. It distracted from the current story. Glad Isis (the daughter not the goddess) got what she deserved. Meren is quite the genius and tactician. I like his relationship with Kimg Tut. It probably wasn’t all fun and games being a boy king (regardless of how Steve Martin made it sound) :)

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Agatha Christie, King Arthur, Sherlock Holmes, Ancient Egypt. All favorite topics of mine. I have read the first four books in this series and I was fascinated. This one did not "flip my skirt" as much. I'm not sure why, I enjoy the characters and the story was strong, just didn't earn more than three stars.

[Raquel Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A série continua em crescendo, desta feita com assassinatos em série.
Uma palavra de louvor para o esforço em incluir pormenores do antigo Egipto, que tornam estes livros especiais.
Por exemplo, continuamente se usam expressões como "O teu coração não está a pensar bem". O cérebro não tinha relevância no antigo Egipto, não sendo preservado na mumificação.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Recensione scritta nel 2008)
Quarto libro della serie: ha un qualcosa di diverso rispetto agli altri libri, sembra meno approfondito l'assassino (praticamente impossibile da indovinare, da parte mia), mentre i personaggi vengono analizzati di più. Tuttavia è ugualmente piacevole da leggere (non volevo staccarmi!) e attendo con ansia il 5°...

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty gripping, can't say I loved the conclusion but there was a lot of intrigue and plot in there. Looking forward to the next.

[SuedePuzzler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked this one much less than the previous books in the series. It is a bit weird in ways I don't remember the previous books being.

[Logan Potts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diet Game of Thrones with an Egyptian flare.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good effort from this author. What intrigued me was the fact that one of the story line was not resolved at all - I know this is a series, but that seems unusual.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is amazing. I am normally a reader of ancient or medieval fantasy, but as a murder mystery set in the time period of Egypt is intriguing. As the political strife between a large party of characters, a series of murders start happening at night. The main characters, Meren and his adopted son Kysen, go on several investigations to understand what links all of the deaths together. With the worn tensions between nobles, priests and other governmental figures, everyone becomes a suspect and no one is safe. Sorry to repeat any portion of the summary, but that is what intrigues me about this story.
Each character's past, doubts and relationships force you to attempt and figure out a puzzle that makes little sense at first until you find the right perspective. As someone not too familiar with the mystery genre, I recommend this book to anyone. First book of Lynda Robinson I've read and I plan on looking for another.

[Laura Ruetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had this on my bookshelf for awhile. I did not like the first chapter overly much and thought that the book might be dull and boring. I was disappointed because I really enjoy history and I especially enjoy Egyptian history. Then, it started to pull me in. The characters really bring to life an era that so many of us know so little about. The facets of life back then and their beliefs are woven around a very engaging mystery that really picked up the pace after the first chapter. Welcome to the life of Lord Meren, the eyes and ears of the King Tut, the boy king. Robinson gives us not just a well-crafted mystery but a slice of Egyptian life, something that most of us know so little about. The mystery kept me guessing, it was certainly not a twist that I was able to guess. I highly recommend this for both mystery and history lovers.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

A man named Meren is out to solve the mystery behind Nefertiti's "murder" but unfortunately his lackluster abilities are thrown off when ammut begins running amok around town.
Since it was written in 1997, it has quite some garish (albeit hilarious) historical flaws. Quite the slow read, filled with useless clues and information. It feels like a children's book at times. Author takes too big a step to spice Egyptian symbolism into sentences. Example: “Her thoughts slowed to the speed of the Nile current in a year of drought. Then they grew even more sluggish, like the mud slurry in a desert wadi after a storm."
It has some wonderful detailed parts on emotions, scenery, and tactics, but that doesn’t make up for the flimsy plot and story. I love the Ancient Egyptian genre though, and the author captured that well.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third Lord Meren book that i have read and i found it very different to the others. In this one the side plot is more concentrated on than previous books almost as though it may be the subject matter for the next book. Also the other two books were very straight forward in the way a murder takes place Lord Meren interviews the suspects and catches the killer. Whereas this book edged more on the supernatural beliefs of the egyptians. The family relationships within the book have also grown and altered. All in all a great read and i can't wait to find another one so i can read about what happenes to Lord Meren!

[K. G. Whitehurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to handle a sociopathic killer in an age when that term hadn't even been conceived? Discuss self-absorption admidst manipulation and power politics in pharoah's court and cover it with mythology. It works really and provides great distraction to the characters for whom the mythology is religion. The misdirections and bureaucratic stupidities provide quite a number of red herrings--as do addled wits and headstrong teenage girls.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

another great series set back in Ancient Egypt. This series goes through all the historical goings on surrounding the mysterious death of Ankehaten and his son Tutankhamun as well as Nefertiti.At the same time the book follows the kings advisor as he solves murders in the inner city. Really great quick reads.

[EBM · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is a bit of a different style/pace than the other mysteries, as it weaves in the overarching mystery of who killed Nefertiti, but still great! Ancient take on a serial killer—I wish the reveal and explanation was not brushed over so quickly, because it wad super interesting. As always, Meren, his family, and Tutankhamun are all excellent characters to root for!

[Becci · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with the others in this series, it was fantastic.
The first time I read it, I had suspicions about whodunnit but couldn't confirm it until Meren figures it out which is how a mystery should be.
I love the blend of mythology and 'real' Egypt. You really get a sense of what life was like for them.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the route this series is taking...they're complete mysteries in each book, but with just enough information about the larger plot at hand that it moves everything forward and keeps you looking forward to the next.

[Holly Lindquist · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ancient Egyptian sleuth Meren finds himself on the trail of an unknown killer in the gripping 4th installment of the Lord Meren mysteries. To make matters creepier, the killer seems to resemble a particularly nasty monster from Egyptian myth. A solid addition to the series.

[Xarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 4th book in the Lord Meren series.

[Maryruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good mystery (I couldn't guess who did it) and like-able characters.