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Rai Rahotep #1
Nefertiti: The Book of the Dead
She is Nefertiti—beautiful and revered. With her husband, Akhenaten, she rules over Egypt, the most affluent, formidable, sophisticated empire in the ancient world. But an epic power struggle is afoot, brought on by the royal couple's inauguration of an enlightened new religion and the construction of a magnificent new capital. The priests are stunned by the abrupt forfeiture of their traditional wealth and influence; the people resent the loss of their gods—and the army is enraged by the growing turbulence around them. Then, just days before the festival that will celebrate the new capital, Nefertiti vanishes.
Rahotep, the youngest chief detective in the Thebes division, has earned a reputation for his unorthodox yet effective methods. Entrusted by great Akhenaten himself with a most secret investigation, Rahotep has but ten days to find the missing Queen. If he succeeds, he will bask in the warmth of Akhenaten's favor. But if Rahotep fails, he and his entire family will die.
Rahotep, the youngest chief detective in the Thebes division, has earned a reputation for his unorthodox yet effective methods. Entrusted by great Akhenaten himself with a most secret investigation, Rahotep has but ten days to find the missing Queen. If he succeeds, he will bask in the warmth of Akhenaten's favor. But if Rahotep fails, he and his entire family will die.
352 pages, Paperback
First published May 3, 2006
203 people are currently reading
2512 people want to read
About the author
Nick Drake
33 books59 followersNick Drake was born in 1961. He lives and works in London. His first book-length collection, The Man in the White Suit (Bloodaxe Books, 1999), was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation, won the Forward Prize for Best First Collection in 1999, and was selected for the Next Generation Poets promotion in 2004. From The Word Go was published by Bloodaxe Books in 2007. His most recent projects include a stage adaptation of Philippe Petit’s To Reach the Cloud; the screenplay for the Australian film Romulus, My Father, starring Eric Bana, which won Best Film at the Australian Film Awards; Success, a play for the National Theatre's Connections project; and a trilogy of historical novels (Nefertiti, shortlisted for CWA Best Historical Crime Novel, Tutankhamun and Egypt: The Book of Chaos which Mammoth Screen are developing for TV). He is a screenwriter, and is also working the composer Tansy Davies and director Deborah Warner on an opera for ENO. In September 2010 he was invited to join Cape Farewell's trip to the Arctic to explore climate change, and from that journey arose a commission from United Visual Artists to create poems and texts for their ground-breaking installation High Arctic at the National Maritime Museum (2011). Those poems, together with others inspired by the Arctic and its voices, are gathered in his collection The Farewell Glacier (Bloodaxe Books, 2012).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 264 reviews
June 21, 2009
This story had the potential to be engaging, but it never made it there. First of all, it moved way too slow. I had trouble getting through the many short chapters, stumbling through the names, the references, the gods and the cities. Secondly, I have a problem with stories who present a main character who is perpetually in the dark and led astray, as was the case with Rahotep. But beyond that, after 348 pages, I never even felt a connection to any of the characters.
Rahotep should have been the easiest - he was, after all, the main character. But what did I know about him? He was smart, he was well-thought of in his home town of Thebes, and he was dedicated to his work and his family. Other than that, nothing. I found I didn't care when he was in danger or hurt, and didn't think much about whether or not he'd see his family again.
Nefertiti herself was drawn as a brave, intelligent, caring woman, but she still had her conniving, planning side, which was the catalyst for the entire novel. There were moments when she should have been portrayed as human, with all the nasty human emotions - fear, pride, sadness and love - but those emotions were somehow lost in translation.
I found I couldn't believe the circumstances around her disappearance, nor the events that followed. I sighed my way through dialogue, encounters that were surely meant to be thrilling but which fell flat, and deaths that were too bloody and gory for the setting, and which were never satisfactorily explored or explained.
The only character I actually liked was Nakht, and he was hardly ever in the story! Maybe if Rahotep had been written with the compassion and humanity of Nakht, I would have found the connection I had missed.
Rahotep should have been the easiest - he was, after all, the main character. But what did I know about him? He was smart, he was well-thought of in his home town of Thebes, and he was dedicated to his work and his family. Other than that, nothing. I found I didn't care when he was in danger or hurt, and didn't think much about whether or not he'd see his family again.
Nefertiti herself was drawn as a brave, intelligent, caring woman, but she still had her conniving, planning side, which was the catalyst for the entire novel. There were moments when she should have been portrayed as human, with all the nasty human emotions - fear, pride, sadness and love - but those emotions were somehow lost in translation.
I found I couldn't believe the circumstances around her disappearance, nor the events that followed. I sighed my way through dialogue, encounters that were surely meant to be thrilling but which fell flat, and deaths that were too bloody and gory for the setting, and which were never satisfactorily explored or explained.
The only character I actually liked was Nakht, and he was hardly ever in the story! Maybe if Rahotep had been written with the compassion and humanity of Nakht, I would have found the connection I had missed.
December 14, 2020
Historia entretenida que nos lleva en el tiempo a la época del reinado de Nefertiti y Ajnaton.
August 5, 2010
Really, my rating depends on what you are expecting from this book. If you are reading it as a historical novel, I think it merits a 4--I really liked the writing, and the descriptions of the setting, and I'm totally biased in favor of this topic because I enjoyed the Amarna exhibit at the UPenn Museum (Amarna is another name for Aketaten). But as a mystery, it's really closer to a 2 or a 3. Mysteries often struggle to find a balance between being too easy to figure out, because that's not exciting, and too hard to figure out, because that's just random and bizarre. The best kind are where you have enough clues to form your suspicions, but you can't confirm them until the big reveal, after which, looking back at all the clues, your preferred solution is clearly the most probable. This mystery definitely seems to choose a random ending; it's not implausible, but it's not any more plausible than 3 or 4 other alternatives, and there's not really anything that would lead you to the proper conclusion. I'll read the second one, because I'm a nerd, but if you're more interested in the mystery than the history, you may want to look somewhere else.
November 28, 2011
I could not get into this, I think because I felt no real connection with the characters and despite the lengthy descriptions at times, I did not feel the ancient Egyptian setting was really evoked. For example, you'd think a novel set in ancient Egypt would use the title "Pharaoh" quite frequently but it is only used once in the entire book. "King" is the usual title used instead.
I also felt the writing style was trying hard to be heavily philosophical and it got to be too much. I wound up just skimming over those parts. I'm all for some good philosophical quotes now and again but give it a rest already!
The plot in the first half moves very slowly, if at all. The second half was better than the first though, enough to carry me through to the end but not enough to make me really like the book overall.
I also felt the writing style was trying hard to be heavily philosophical and it got to be too much. I wound up just skimming over those parts. I'm all for some good philosophical quotes now and again but give it a rest already!
The plot in the first half moves very slowly, if at all. The second half was better than the first though, enough to carry me through to the end but not enough to make me really like the book overall.
November 24, 2013
I love historical mysteries. I think this was my first time 'walking' with an investigator in ancient Egypt. It took me a bit to get into the character and storyline, but once I did, the story flowed quite wonderfully.
More than a mystery, it showed power hungry people and the ones who got stepped on in the process.
Nefertiti, beloved Queen, has disappeared. Akhenaten wants her found and threatens death to Rahotep, the detective placed in charge of the investigation.
Nicely paced with plenty of twists and turns. Glad I have another in the series on Mt Git'r'Read.
More than a mystery, it showed power hungry people and the ones who got stepped on in the process.
Nefertiti, beloved Queen, has disappeared. Akhenaten wants her found and threatens death to Rahotep, the detective placed in charge of the investigation.
Nicely paced with plenty of twists and turns. Glad I have another in the series on Mt Git'r'Read.
September 24, 2020
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A thriller with a noir feel surrounding the ancient days of Egypt? Sign me up!
The first thing that stood out was the author’s detailed narrative. The author did a very nice job of building the world. He steps away from the traditional feel of Egypt and makes the characters down to Earth. Pharoahs like Akhenaten and Nefertiti come across as normal people that you can connect with. The story gets intense as it progresses, where Rahotep has to solve the mystery before the Festival or risk his family.
Another reason why I really enjoyed the story is because the author changes the direction of the plot midway. I will not go into the details, but it was fun to see the tone of the story change from finding a missing person to solving a bigger conspiracy. There are also some shocking deaths that I did not expect. On a side note, I also liked some passages written in hieroglyphics as that gave the story an authentic touch.
Rahotep is nice in the lead and I liked how he carried out his investigation in a systematic process. Khety was a fun sidekick and I enjoyed his dialogues with Rahotep. Mahu is also interesting as the negative police who targets Rahotep on his mission. I also liked the sub plots like the rivalry between Ramose and Meryra
However, the story does take time to setup. The author spends significant time setting up the environment. Although this sidetracks from the plot, I still enjoyed the author’s details to make the story realistic. Additionally, the story also concludes in a nice manner that sets the tone for the following book. Overall, this was a interesting and thrilling book set against Egyptology as the backdrop and I really liked it!
January 16, 2018
I enjoyed this .
I would of liked to of read more about the relationship between Nefertiti , Ay and Akhenaten , but otherwise a good Egyptian mystery novel.
I am going to order the second one in this series
I would of liked to of read more about the relationship between Nefertiti , Ay and Akhenaten , but otherwise a good Egyptian mystery novel.
I am going to order the second one in this series
December 9, 2020
I enjoyed this read very much. It was fun and interesting to read all the egyptian details - beer for breakfast? And I love Nefertiti, so I liked getting a glimpse, even fictional, into her life. I really liked the detective work, up to his discovery - after that things seemed less believable, but the story was still pretty gripping. I loved the pomp of the festival. I found I had to look up a word here or there, which hasn't been the case in my reads for awhile. An example of the writing style: "Khety and I watched as hundreds of small barques, most rented from an enterprising man on the dock, bobbed about on the black water, their paper lanterns creating shifting archipelagos of illumination for the lovers who occupied them." This was a fun book, and I recommend it to anyone who loves Egypt.
#afictionornonfictionbookaboutaworldleader
#afictionornonfictionbookaboutaworldleader
December 28, 2008
Nefertiti is a novel that begins like your typical historical detective story but about halfway through turns into something else entirely. The first half of the story sees Rahotep investigating the queen’s disappearance and uncovering conspiracies and a growing number of corpses along the way. All far so good, and there’s a frisson of tension to help the proceedings along. Drake has clearly done his research and the evocation of late-era Egypt is a good one, as the reader can almost feel the sand in his throat and the burning temperatures on his skin.
However, around the halfway mark this book seems to lose focus and becomes caught up in the political machinations of the royal court. I have to say this half of the story lost me somewhat; despite a handful of strong scenes, it feels like a novel in search of a plot or a simple exploration of the Egyptian political scene of the period, bringing in religion etc. along the way.
If Drake had wanted to write about the life of Nefertiti and her struggles for power, he should have done so – perhaps making her the central character. If he’d wanted to write a historical detective yarn, he should have kept up with the detection all the way through. Instead the detective stuff feels like a half-baked way to get him and his leading character where he wants to be, in order to comment on courtroom intrigue and the various shady figures running Egypt’s economy. It’s an okay read, but I wish the author would make his mind up as to what he wanted this book to be about.
However, around the halfway mark this book seems to lose focus and becomes caught up in the political machinations of the royal court. I have to say this half of the story lost me somewhat; despite a handful of strong scenes, it feels like a novel in search of a plot or a simple exploration of the Egyptian political scene of the period, bringing in religion etc. along the way.
If Drake had wanted to write about the life of Nefertiti and her struggles for power, he should have done so – perhaps making her the central character. If he’d wanted to write a historical detective yarn, he should have kept up with the detection all the way through. Instead the detective stuff feels like a half-baked way to get him and his leading character where he wants to be, in order to comment on courtroom intrigue and the various shady figures running Egypt’s economy. It’s an okay read, but I wish the author would make his mind up as to what he wanted this book to be about.
October 7, 2012
Um - wavering between the standard shelf and Never Finished because I could not manage to read this in its entirety. The reason: it's far too gruesome for me. But, having skimmed this, I can say the following:
1.Mr. Drake writes well - very well indeed, on a sentence by sentence level. That's why he started off with 4 or 5 stars.That said-
2. I actually could not read some of this because of the graphic violence. Some readers don't mind that sort of thing, but it really turns me off. And-
3. Though I thought the palace intrigue was well-handled, it frustrated me that there was no justice for the most gruesome crime, the murder of a young police officer. Also-
4. I could not believe for one minute that, as far as the main murder was concerned, the murderer would not have known exactly who the victim was. I hope that's a readable sentence - trying to be spoiler-free here!
In short, I tend to agree with Dorothy Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh that a mystery novel is a "dream of justice", justice the readers may not always find in the real world. We want right and order to be restored; we want a catharsis. Though in many ways an admirable story, "Nefertiti" does not offer this, at least to me. I'm not sure I'll be reading any of the others in this series; I prefer the stories by Lynda Robinson. My two cents!
1.Mr. Drake writes well - very well indeed, on a sentence by sentence level. That's why he started off with 4 or 5 stars.That said-
2. I actually could not read some of this because of the graphic violence. Some readers don't mind that sort of thing, but it really turns me off. And-
3. Though I thought the palace intrigue was well-handled, it frustrated me that there was no justice for the most gruesome crime, the murder of a young police officer. Also-
4. I could not believe for one minute that, as far as the main murder was concerned, the murderer would not have known exactly who the victim was. I hope that's a readable sentence - trying to be spoiler-free here!
In short, I tend to agree with Dorothy Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh that a mystery novel is a "dream of justice", justice the readers may not always find in the real world. We want right and order to be restored; we want a catharsis. Though in many ways an admirable story, "Nefertiti" does not offer this, at least to me. I'm not sure I'll be reading any of the others in this series; I prefer the stories by Lynda Robinson. My two cents!
February 16, 2012
The writing was good, the plot shaky. Rahotep, a chief detective from Thebes is sent to Akhetanen’s new capital to solve the “great mystery”. We discover the mystery is the disappearance of Nefertiti. Several murder attempts are made on Rahotep’s life even before he gets to the capital and I still couldn’t figure out at the end of the book why he was selected, by Nefertiti it turns out, to ‘find’ her. Way too many holes in this story for it to be engaging for this reader.
March 10, 2012
In the 12th year of Akhenaten's reign Nefertiti disappeared. There are no more records of her and no explanation. Nick Drake's goal was to build a story around this mystery, but his resolution doesn't match what we know of history. He also makes us dig his story out of piles of description. This poet lost the balance between words and events.
I paused in NEFERTITI to read a couple of more enjoyable books. I won't be continuing with the series.
I paused in NEFERTITI to read a couple of more enjoyable books. I won't be continuing with the series.
February 17, 2025
For genre fiction mystery this is a very solid novel. Feels real, good pacing, flurries of authentically written action, and and a satisfying ending. Modern lit does have trouble with believable closure, especially in stories like this. We are given a smart narration that answers the questions it asks with fun flourishes in an exotic historical setting.
The power of women and cats on fine display. Would recommend to mystery or historical fiction fans.
The power of women and cats on fine display. Would recommend to mystery or historical fiction fans.
March 14, 2014
I enjoyed the historical details in the story. I love when a book teaches me something while telling me a story.
October 8, 2024
I will also do a video review here at my channel: http://www.youtube.com/magicofbooks
"Nefertiti" is book 1 in the "Rai Rahotep" series by Nick Drake. Set in Egypt under the reign of Akhenaten, detective Rai Rahotep is ordered to investigate the disappearance of Nefertiti, wife of Akhenaten. With a festival set to celebrate the new capital in motion, it's imperative that Nefertiti be found quickly. Rahotep discovers a city stripped of it's traditions and power struggles for dominance over authority and wealth. Rahotep has ten days to find the missing queen or risk the safety of himself and his family.
This was a nice start to this series. It works nicely as both a historical piece and a mystery thriller. Through some quick research, apparently the real Nefertiti did disappear for unknown reasons, so this book is Nick Drake's "what if" response to what could have happened while taking into consideration the political upheaval and changes that Egypt was going through during this time period. I think where this book lost me a bit was that the energy and chaos was mounting, only to get to just past the mid-point of the novel where certain things get revealed and I felt like the narrative kind of lost it's momentum. I felt like certain revealed got...well...revealed too early, and it was kind of easy to predict what was going to happen at the end. But prior to all of that, I was absolutely intrigued by the mystery of the missing queen. It also helps with the sense of urgency by giving detective Rai Rahotep a schedule of ten days to find the queen...or else.
I really liked Rai Rahotep. We are witnessing events through his point of view. He's young. He's one of the youngest detectives in his city. And, he, of all people, is called by the king to investigate the disappearance of the queen. Rahotep is intelligent and thoughtful. He thinks rationally about everything, trying his best not to jump to judgement. He loves his wife and daughters. He has a very dry sense of humor. And he totally does not like a bully. There are many forces out to stop him on his quest to find Nefertiti. For the first several chapters, before he even reaches the capital, he's plagued by attempts to halt his tracks and even a near assassination attempt. Someone clearly does not wanting him finding the queen. Once he is in the capital, the head of the local Medjay (which is also a sort of police unit) butts heads with Rahotep from the get-go. Rahotep sees a brand new capital that has been stipped of it's traditions, the priesthood and the worship of old gods taken away, and political upheaval as a result. There's poverty against the glamour and spectacle of those in power.
Overall, I did enjoy this first book and am looking forward to the next two books. I honestly can't comment on the historical accuracy. I'm a sucker for things taking place in ancient Egypt, but I don't know the inner workings of the time period. Nick Drake gave me a nice idea of what Egypt could have looked like, felt like, during this time period, and that was satisfactory enough for me. I'm sure a scholar of the era would have a lot to nitpick about, but I had a fun time. I do think there were some language choices that felt way too modern at times. I saw another reviewer mention the fact that Akhenaten is only ever referred to as king, rather than the more appropriate term of pharaoh, which I agree. Even using the word "detective" felt odd for some reason. I honestly don't know what other term could have been used. Nick Drake does use the word "Medjay" which made way more sense to me---felt more appropriate. The phrase "seeker of mysteries" is used at one point, so I wish Nick Drake had maybe stuck with that and the reader would have got the idea that Rahotep was a police detective. But either way, I enjoyed the novel despite a few little issues and I would recommend the series for anyone looking for a historical mystery thriller set in ancient Egypt.
"Nefertiti" is book 1 in the "Rai Rahotep" series by Nick Drake. Set in Egypt under the reign of Akhenaten, detective Rai Rahotep is ordered to investigate the disappearance of Nefertiti, wife of Akhenaten. With a festival set to celebrate the new capital in motion, it's imperative that Nefertiti be found quickly. Rahotep discovers a city stripped of it's traditions and power struggles for dominance over authority and wealth. Rahotep has ten days to find the missing queen or risk the safety of himself and his family.
This was a nice start to this series. It works nicely as both a historical piece and a mystery thriller. Through some quick research, apparently the real Nefertiti did disappear for unknown reasons, so this book is Nick Drake's "what if" response to what could have happened while taking into consideration the political upheaval and changes that Egypt was going through during this time period. I think where this book lost me a bit was that the energy and chaos was mounting, only to get to just past the mid-point of the novel where certain things get revealed and I felt like the narrative kind of lost it's momentum. I felt like certain revealed got...well...revealed too early, and it was kind of easy to predict what was going to happen at the end. But prior to all of that, I was absolutely intrigued by the mystery of the missing queen. It also helps with the sense of urgency by giving detective Rai Rahotep a schedule of ten days to find the queen...or else.
I really liked Rai Rahotep. We are witnessing events through his point of view. He's young. He's one of the youngest detectives in his city. And, he, of all people, is called by the king to investigate the disappearance of the queen. Rahotep is intelligent and thoughtful. He thinks rationally about everything, trying his best not to jump to judgement. He loves his wife and daughters. He has a very dry sense of humor. And he totally does not like a bully. There are many forces out to stop him on his quest to find Nefertiti. For the first several chapters, before he even reaches the capital, he's plagued by attempts to halt his tracks and even a near assassination attempt. Someone clearly does not wanting him finding the queen. Once he is in the capital, the head of the local Medjay (which is also a sort of police unit) butts heads with Rahotep from the get-go. Rahotep sees a brand new capital that has been stipped of it's traditions, the priesthood and the worship of old gods taken away, and political upheaval as a result. There's poverty against the glamour and spectacle of those in power.
Overall, I did enjoy this first book and am looking forward to the next two books. I honestly can't comment on the historical accuracy. I'm a sucker for things taking place in ancient Egypt, but I don't know the inner workings of the time period. Nick Drake gave me a nice idea of what Egypt could have looked like, felt like, during this time period, and that was satisfactory enough for me. I'm sure a scholar of the era would have a lot to nitpick about, but I had a fun time. I do think there were some language choices that felt way too modern at times. I saw another reviewer mention the fact that Akhenaten is only ever referred to as king, rather than the more appropriate term of pharaoh, which I agree. Even using the word "detective" felt odd for some reason. I honestly don't know what other term could have been used. Nick Drake does use the word "Medjay" which made way more sense to me---felt more appropriate. The phrase "seeker of mysteries" is used at one point, so I wish Nick Drake had maybe stuck with that and the reader would have got the idea that Rahotep was a police detective. But either way, I enjoyed the novel despite a few little issues and I would recommend the series for anyone looking for a historical mystery thriller set in ancient Egypt.
April 14, 2020
‘I am wary of the words “right” and “wrong”. We use them far too easily to judge things
which we have no competence to judge....
This is a historical mystery set in the 18th dynasty with Akhenaten as the pharaoh,the mystery being the disappearance of is very beautiful and famous wife, Nefertiti, before a great ceremony to unveil the new city of Akhenaten.
The writing in this book was absolutely breathtaking, I already knew it was written by a poet before I read about the author.The descriptions were very immersive and you could tell that the author went through a great effort and really did his research
I was a little disappointed with the story itself,the mystery was not engaging and the main character also our narrator was not very compelling ,I felt that the author was trying to fashion him after Sherlock Holmes, as a straight forward detective but did not quite pull it off.
The other thing was the modernity of some words that the author used like 'forensics' took me out of the story sometimes.
I also wish that the story ended the way it did in real life, we all know Nefertiti was never found after she disappeared and to me that would have been a more interesting avenue to explore.
All in all this story flitted from being interesting and fast to painfully boring and slow but I stuck it out and overall enjoyed it.
which we have no competence to judge....
This is a historical mystery set in the 18th dynasty with Akhenaten as the pharaoh,the mystery being the disappearance of is very beautiful and famous wife, Nefertiti, before a great ceremony to unveil the new city of Akhenaten.
The writing in this book was absolutely breathtaking, I already knew it was written by a poet before I read about the author.The descriptions were very immersive and you could tell that the author went through a great effort and really did his research
I was a little disappointed with the story itself,the mystery was not engaging and the main character also our narrator was not very compelling ,I felt that the author was trying to fashion him after Sherlock Holmes, as a straight forward detective but did not quite pull it off.
The other thing was the modernity of some words that the author used like 'forensics' took me out of the story sometimes.
I also wish that the story ended the way it did in real life, we all know Nefertiti was never found after she disappeared and to me that would have been a more interesting avenue to explore.
All in all this story flitted from being interesting and fast to painfully boring and slow but I stuck it out and overall enjoyed it.
April 3, 2022
It's all about power and who can take it. Akhenaten might be able to but only with the visible support of his revered wife, Nefertiti, and she's gone missing. At the same time, there are powerful, disenfranchised forces who want Akhenaten's religion and his new city destroyed.
The detective, Rahotep, must restore Nefertiti to the throne in time for the great festival to celebrate and legitimize Akenaten's religion. If he doesn't, he and his family in Thebes die.
The author brings to life this period of ancient Egyptian history. He manages to breathe life into Akenaten and Nefertiti, but the most interesting character is his cohort, Khety, and his near nemesis, Mahu.
It was an intriguing story about a fascinating period in ancient Egypt.
The detective, Rahotep, must restore Nefertiti to the throne in time for the great festival to celebrate and legitimize Akenaten's religion. If he doesn't, he and his family in Thebes die.
The author brings to life this period of ancient Egyptian history. He manages to breathe life into Akenaten and Nefertiti, but the most interesting character is his cohort, Khety, and his near nemesis, Mahu.
It was an intriguing story about a fascinating period in ancient Egypt.
July 8, 2018
هر چند خیلی کشش داده بود ولی رویاپردازی هایش در مورد شهر مصر اونزمان جالب بود با جزئیات
August 28, 2019
I loved this book! It really transported me back to ancient Egypt, a place and time that I've always wanted to visit. An interesting mystery, well written and I hope there are more books about Egypt written by this author.
September 23, 2017
Well written but tediously slow.
June 27, 2009
I was so disappointed with this book. It never convinced me the story was set on Ancient Egypt. In first place, the style of writing, as a journal, seemed more like a noir movie, where not even the femme fatale was missing. In second place, words like "villa" and "forensic" seemed anachronisms as the idea one has of a "villa" was born it the Roman era, meaning, almost a millennium after the time in which the action of this book supposedly takes place, and the word "forensic" shows the same problem, as it appears as well with Latin, to name the debate in front of a forum and not, so much, the material evidences of crimes. Only the character's names and the historic plot would call my attention to the fact that the chronology was, somewhat, related to the Ancient Egypt.
With only a few days to the inauguration of the new city of Akhetaten, Nefertiti disappears putting in risk the stability of Akhenaten's, her husband, government already somewhat weakened due to economic difficulties and external pressures. Rahotep is then called by the pharaoh to solve the mystery and return the Queen in time for the festival. In between the "detective" meets some draw backs, mostly due to the political games of the court.
Despite the expectations, these were dashed as it has little mystery and, although it sheds some lights over these troubled times in Ancient Egypt, it doesn't satisfy as well in historical terms. It seemed to have potential for much more, but not even the fact that the main character needed to act against the clock grabbed me. The characters were somewhat one-dimensional and even Nefertiti seemed to have little charisma. We knew she was like a pillar of the new government and religion, but that isn't showed that much and even her disappearing didn't sound according to her profile. If the author wanted to present a strong woman, capable of taking the reigns of government and use her disappearance from historical registries to then put her as regent and successor to Akhenaten, he could have done it some other way, namely with this character as the main one.
With only a few days to the inauguration of the new city of Akhetaten, Nefertiti disappears putting in risk the stability of Akhenaten's, her husband, government already somewhat weakened due to economic difficulties and external pressures. Rahotep is then called by the pharaoh to solve the mystery and return the Queen in time for the festival. In between the "detective" meets some draw backs, mostly due to the political games of the court.
Despite the expectations, these were dashed as it has little mystery and, although it sheds some lights over these troubled times in Ancient Egypt, it doesn't satisfy as well in historical terms. It seemed to have potential for much more, but not even the fact that the main character needed to act against the clock grabbed me. The characters were somewhat one-dimensional and even Nefertiti seemed to have little charisma. We knew she was like a pillar of the new government and religion, but that isn't showed that much and even her disappearing didn't sound according to her profile. If the author wanted to present a strong woman, capable of taking the reigns of government and use her disappearance from historical registries to then put her as regent and successor to Akhenaten, he could have done it some other way, namely with this character as the main one.
July 30, 2011
The title remains the most mysterious aspect of this book. If the topic was not about Nefertiti this would have been a better story, but because there are facts about Nefertiti historiclly that didn't mesh with the events in the book I was disappointed. Nefertiti disappeared during the fourteenth year of her husband Akhenaten's (formerly Amenhotep IV) seventeen year reign never to be found again. To me this is an important fact that should have been incorporated into the story. A few years into his reign as King Amenhotep IV he announced that the Sun God Aten was more worthy of worship than the former more traditional God Amen-Ra; this brought about the name change from Amenhotep to Akhenaten. A new city called Akhetaten was constructed for the royal family and their subjects. This religious movement disrupted the lives of most of the civilians, including Nefertiti. Rahotep, a detective from Thebes, is requested by King Akhenaten to find the Queen in a week or his life and the lives of his wife and family will be jeopardized. He is met with a lot of resistance from the officials in Akhetaten, except for Khety and a few others who offer much assistance. I think this story is more about Rahotep than the missing Queen because he undergoes some life altering experiences that affect his outlook permanently. Again, a good read, even suspenseful, but the facts were a bit jumbled.
December 21, 2012
In ancient Egypt, Rahotep, a professional “Seeker of Mysteries” (that era’s technical term for detective—did they also use the slang term “Gumsandal”?), receives a summons from the Pharoah Akhenaten to come to the rapidly rising royal city of Akhetaten. His assignment: to find Queen Nefertiti, beloved of the populace, who has mysteriously disappeared. Rahotep’s mission must succeed; otherwise, not only will he be put to death but his family will be executed as well.
Rahotep finds Akhetaten to be seething with unrest and intrigue, a colossal but fragile capitol city-in-the-making, with hasty construction going on everywhere. Almost immediately, he finds grave danger awaiting him and his helpers.
Drake does a fine job depicting the insecurity and intrigue swirling around the royal city and speculating, through this story, how it was that Akhenaten’s reign, and the cult of worship of the sun god Aten that he promoted, proved to be so short-lived. We get interesting glimpses of life in Ancient Egypt although, since I am no Egyptologist, I can’t vouch for their historicity. Nefertiti is the first book of a trilogy, and I look forward to the remainder of Drake’s Rahotep tales.
Rahotep finds Akhetaten to be seething with unrest and intrigue, a colossal but fragile capitol city-in-the-making, with hasty construction going on everywhere. Almost immediately, he finds grave danger awaiting him and his helpers.
Drake does a fine job depicting the insecurity and intrigue swirling around the royal city and speculating, through this story, how it was that Akhenaten’s reign, and the cult of worship of the sun god Aten that he promoted, proved to be so short-lived. We get interesting glimpses of life in Ancient Egypt although, since I am no Egyptologist, I can’t vouch for their historicity. Nefertiti is the first book of a trilogy, and I look forward to the remainder of Drake’s Rahotep tales.
December 23, 2010
I chose this book because two colleagues recommended it. I also love historical fiction set in ancient times so I looked forward to reading it. As my 2 stars indicate, it was okay. I wanted to like it more. It's a detective story set in ancient Egypt. Nefertiti is married to Akanaten who has dared to start a new religion, with himself as the center of it. Rahotep, a detective from Thebes, has been hired by Akanaten to find his missing wife. Several gruesome murders occur before Rahotep finds the missing queen, and he is tangled up in a life-threatening web of intrigue. The author creates a believable setting, and captures the flavor of ancient Egypt well. But I found the story itself plodding and not particularly compelling, and I didn't really feel connected to Rahotep who is telling the story. I have the 2nd book on my kitchen counter since I checked both of them out from the library at the same time. I haven't decided if I will read it.
August 3, 2015
I "juggle-read" the first half of this book while reading Updike's stunningly written "Rabbit, Run." Nick Drake's writing seemed simply trite, bordering on boring, until I wrapped up "Rabbit." And suddenly, "Nefertiti" jumped to life and turned into a fascinating story/murder-mystery. If I'd stopped reading this one half through, I'd never have gone on to the next two in the series, and both are already at home on my real "to-read" shelf. Nick Drake is, after all, a good writer, but no where in Updike's league. And how many writers really are? REVIEWER'S UPDATE: On a hot summer day recently, I started the second in this series, but only made it through about 25 pages or so. It felt like I was reading the same scenes from #1. So I set it aside. If you love mysteries set in ancient Egypt, I advise you read these perhaps a year apart.
October 25, 2016
I didn't necessarily dislike the book while reading it, but when I'd look back on a section or a chapter, I would realize that it just didn't make sense. Too much philosophical rambling, a plot that wasn't coherent, characters with nonsensical motivations. Details of the mystery that only kind of sort of came together in the end. Lack of an author's note that would have explained the choices he made in dealing with the historical figures and events. Some of the historical atmosphere was pretty good, but then a mention of glasses and sugar-cakes or something similar would knock me out of the story. And an ending that just kind of... ended. I'm afraid it was a miss.
August 7, 2010
Interesting historical mystery. I had to read it in small doses due to my schedule, and that might have affected my reading, but the language seemed a little verbose and the mindset seemed very modern to me - liek the author was trying a little bit too hard to be both artsy and philosophical. This bogged down the story at times from my perspective.
But the setting makes for a fascinating backdrop and the characters are strong. If you are fascinated by ancient Egypt or enjoy historical fiction check this one out.
But the setting makes for a fascinating backdrop and the characters are strong. If you are fascinated by ancient Egypt or enjoy historical fiction check this one out.
November 22, 2008
Interesting and well written fictional story of Drake's version of what might have gone down when the pharoah at the time changed the official religion, his wife Nefertiti became immensely popular and rose to power and the struggles and danger that came along with it.
September 4, 2020
For starters, I’m no Egyptologist. Nor am I an avid reader of ancient history. So I can’t vouch for the authenticity of Drake’s re-creation of the time period or the adherence to historical facts about dates/people. That said, this version of Egypt’s 18th dynasty felt true. It's obvious that Drake did a tremendous amount of research for this book!
Drake does a fabulous job of explaining the new religion and the resulting cultural upheaval. Nefertiti and her husband have ousted the old gods, much to the priests’ anger, and instituted a new religion. I read about this years ago.
But the author brings the reality of living this change alive. People have to be cautious in everyday conversation; criticism isn’t tolerated. Akhenaten focuses on creating this religion but neglects growing turbulence in other parts of his kingdom. The priestly families have jealously guarded their wealth and political/religious power for generations. They are incensed at being stripped of their dignity. Yet the new religion has also opened opportunities for average people to gain power.
The book’s prose is gorgeous. Drake plunges us into the 18th dynasty like a boat launching into the great river Nile long before we get to any action. While I never felt much connection with Rahotep, I did feel connected to his descriptions of life in the new capital city. Those who like a more leisurely paced world building will appreciate–savor, even–the author’s immaculate, lyrical prose. (I took notes. What can I say? Maybe it’s an English major thing.)
If, however, you need to plunge directly into action, the slow pace will make you impatient. The book will end up on your DNF shelf.
As a historical novel, a slow pace works perfectly well. As a mystery, perhaps not so well. When I looked back over the main plot points, there weren’t as many big moment as most novels have. There were a lot of philosophical ruminations from Rahotep. They are fascinating.
(His thoughts on the contrast between those who investigate murder and those who debate it are relevant to our current times, as I thought of current true crime obsession.)
But fascinating and plot-advancing are two different things.
I suspected many parts of the truth. Many mystery readers would. There were plot turns that did take me by surprise, including some rather gruesome revelations. One particularly deep dive into the dark unknown was effective. Often, though, the story lurched from “big moment” to “big moment” with only mundane happenings and Rahotep’s internal thoughts to fill the gaps between.
Note for those sensitive to violence: Drake describes the atrocities against several murder victims in explicit terms. (Without revealing who the victim is, I will note that one person is embalmed alive. Horrifying.) It’s vivid, gruesome, and may be too graphic for some readers.
Despite my reservations, this is still a worthwhile novel. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable book.
Don’t rush through it like you might a high adrenaline thriller; not all novels benefit from being binge-read!
Approach the book on its own terms. You’ll receive a long, lyrical novel, gorgeous imagery, and philosophical ideas worth pondering. Savor the experience.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Drake does a fabulous job of explaining the new religion and the resulting cultural upheaval. Nefertiti and her husband have ousted the old gods, much to the priests’ anger, and instituted a new religion. I read about this years ago.
But the author brings the reality of living this change alive. People have to be cautious in everyday conversation; criticism isn’t tolerated. Akhenaten focuses on creating this religion but neglects growing turbulence in other parts of his kingdom. The priestly families have jealously guarded their wealth and political/religious power for generations. They are incensed at being stripped of their dignity. Yet the new religion has also opened opportunities for average people to gain power.
The book’s prose is gorgeous. Drake plunges us into the 18th dynasty like a boat launching into the great river Nile long before we get to any action. While I never felt much connection with Rahotep, I did feel connected to his descriptions of life in the new capital city. Those who like a more leisurely paced world building will appreciate–savor, even–the author’s immaculate, lyrical prose. (I took notes. What can I say? Maybe it’s an English major thing.)
If, however, you need to plunge directly into action, the slow pace will make you impatient. The book will end up on your DNF shelf.
As a historical novel, a slow pace works perfectly well. As a mystery, perhaps not so well. When I looked back over the main plot points, there weren’t as many big moment as most novels have. There were a lot of philosophical ruminations from Rahotep. They are fascinating.
(His thoughts on the contrast between those who investigate murder and those who debate it are relevant to our current times, as I thought of current true crime obsession.)
But fascinating and plot-advancing are two different things.
I suspected many parts of the truth. Many mystery readers would. There were plot turns that did take me by surprise, including some rather gruesome revelations. One particularly deep dive into the dark unknown was effective. Often, though, the story lurched from “big moment” to “big moment” with only mundane happenings and Rahotep’s internal thoughts to fill the gaps between.
Note for those sensitive to violence: Drake describes the atrocities against several murder victims in explicit terms. (Without revealing who the victim is, I will note that one person is embalmed alive. Horrifying.) It’s vivid, gruesome, and may be too graphic for some readers.
Despite my reservations, this is still a worthwhile novel. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable book.
Don’t rush through it like you might a high adrenaline thriller; not all novels benefit from being binge-read!
Approach the book on its own terms. You’ll receive a long, lyrical novel, gorgeous imagery, and philosophical ideas worth pondering. Savor the experience.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
February 19, 2023
This is another one of those secondhand bookshop finds. I'm always curious to see how ancient Egypt is portrayed in fiction and take great delight in deciding for myself whether the author has nailed the setting ... or not. Nefertiti: The Book of the Dead by Nick Drake takes us to ancient Egypt during the reign of the heretic pharaoh, Akhenaten, and offers us a spot of a murder mystery untangled by one Rahotep, a chief detective among the Medjay. He is called to Akhetaten, Akhenaten's new city, to discover why Queen Nefertiti has vanished. Of course, it's all very hush-hush. No one can know that the beautiful, enigmatic queen has disappeared. Especially not days before a massive festival. The pharaoh cannot be seen to lose face among his people nor the foreign emissaries who have descended upon the city for the celebration.
And, although the city is fair of face, Rahotep soon realises that behind the pretty façade lurks an uglier, darker shadow that will threaten to overwhelm him. As a stranger in this society, he must race against the clock or stand to lose everything that he holds dear. When in service to the ruler, failure is not an option, even when there are forces putting obstacles in Rahotep's way at every turn.
It's not often that I read crime/mystery novels, and will admit freely that the primary reason I picked this up was because of the setting. And, while I feel Drake does a credible job with the setting, there were often moments where I feel he doesn't quite hit the mark with the tone or mood of the culture. Granted, not that I'd know exactly how ancient Egyptians would have thought and behaved but there were moments where things felt a trifle too ... contemporary. For instance, a function where servants were moving between guests with what amounted to trays of canapés. Also, the police work felt more like something modern, straight out of a contemporary setting. Not that the idea of an ancient detective who's struck upon 'modern' methods doesn't have appeal. It's just that here it didn't quite gel.
The novel itself chugs along merrily, but then about halfway through it shifts, and I'm not quite sure what the plan was. The writing is certainly poetic and lyrical, but then the payoff with a tension-filled mystery/thriller plot just falls flat, almost as if Drake couldn't quite figure out where he wanted to take the story past what proved to be a promising start. Characterisation felt a bit flat, even if the setting was well considered, and there were moments when young Rahotep has some enjoyable introspection. Don't get me wrong, this is a well-written novel – it's just that the story seems to suffer a bit of a polarisation at its midpoint, and the tension that should have been there just fizzles out. Nice concept, not so much on the execution.
And, although the city is fair of face, Rahotep soon realises that behind the pretty façade lurks an uglier, darker shadow that will threaten to overwhelm him. As a stranger in this society, he must race against the clock or stand to lose everything that he holds dear. When in service to the ruler, failure is not an option, even when there are forces putting obstacles in Rahotep's way at every turn.
It's not often that I read crime/mystery novels, and will admit freely that the primary reason I picked this up was because of the setting. And, while I feel Drake does a credible job with the setting, there were often moments where I feel he doesn't quite hit the mark with the tone or mood of the culture. Granted, not that I'd know exactly how ancient Egyptians would have thought and behaved but there were moments where things felt a trifle too ... contemporary. For instance, a function where servants were moving between guests with what amounted to trays of canapés. Also, the police work felt more like something modern, straight out of a contemporary setting. Not that the idea of an ancient detective who's struck upon 'modern' methods doesn't have appeal. It's just that here it didn't quite gel.
The novel itself chugs along merrily, but then about halfway through it shifts, and I'm not quite sure what the plan was. The writing is certainly poetic and lyrical, but then the payoff with a tension-filled mystery/thriller plot just falls flat, almost as if Drake couldn't quite figure out where he wanted to take the story past what proved to be a promising start. Characterisation felt a bit flat, even if the setting was well considered, and there were moments when young Rahotep has some enjoyable introspection. Don't get me wrong, this is a well-written novel – it's just that the story seems to suffer a bit of a polarisation at its midpoint, and the tension that should have been there just fizzles out. Nice concept, not so much on the execution.
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