What do you think?
Rate this book
Les enquêtes de l'inspecteur Higgins #0
Le procès de la momie
1821. L'explorateur Giovanni Belzoni quitte les bords du Nil pour ceux de la Tamise. Il emporte avec lui une momie singulière, si bien conservée qu'elle en paraît vivante. À Londres, il organise le débandelettage de sa trouvaille devant le fleuron de la bonne société. L'étonnant spectacle fait scandale : trois notables manquent de respect à l'antique dépouille. Mais on n'insulte pas impunément la terre des pharaons : tous trois sont retrouvés morts le lendemain... et la momie a disparu.
Chargé de résoudre les assassinats, l'inspecteur Higgins, de Scotland Yard, soupçonne fort cette affaire d'être liée à l'agitation révolutionnaire qui secoue les bas-fonds londoniens. Crime après crime, celui dont on a troublé le repos lave dans le sang l'affront qu'on lui a fait...
" Un roman policier très documenté sur fond de ferveur égyptologique, dans le Londres du XIXe siècle. " Pierre Vavasseur – Le Parisien
Chargé de résoudre les assassinats, l'inspecteur Higgins, de Scotland Yard, soupçonne fort cette affaire d'être liée à l'agitation révolutionnaire qui secoue les bas-fonds londoniens. Crime après crime, celui dont on a troublé le repos lave dans le sang l'affront qu'on lui a fait...
" Un roman policier très documenté sur fond de ferveur égyptologique, dans le Londres du XIXe siècle. " Pierre Vavasseur – Le Parisien
472 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
8 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
Christian Jacq
222 books943 followersAlso writes under the names Célestin Valois, J.B. Livingstone, and Christopher Carter.
Christian Jacq is a French author and Egyptologist. He has written several novels about ancient Egypt, notably a five book suite about pharaoh Ramses II, a character whom Jacq admires greatly.
Jacq's interest in Egyptology began when he was thirteen, and read History of Ancient Egyptian Civilization by Jacques Pirenne. This inspired him to write his first novel. He first visited Egypt when he was seventeen, went on to study Egyptology and archaeology at the Sorbonne, and is now one of the world's leading Egyptologists.
By the time he was eighteen, he had written eight books. His first commercially successful book was Champollion the Egyptian, published in 1987. As of 2004 he has written over fifty books, including several non-fiction books on the subject of Egyptology.
He and his wife later founded the Ramses Institute, which is dedicated to creating a photographic description of Egypt for the preservation of endangered archaeological sites.
Between 1995-1997, he published his best selling five book suite Ramsès, which is today published in over twenty-five countries. Each volume encompasses one aspect of Ramesses' known historical life, woven into a fictional tapestry of the ancient world for an epic tale of love, life and deceit.
Jacq's series describes a vision of the life of the pharaoh: he has two vile power-hungry siblings, Shanaar, his decadent older brother, and Dolora, his corrupted older sister who married his teacher. In his marital life, he first has Isetnofret (Iset) as a mistress (second Great Wife), meets his true love Nefertari (first Great Wife) and after their death, gets married to Maetnefrure in his old age. Jacq gives Ramesses only three biological children: Kha'emweset, Meritamen (she being the only child of Nefertari, the two others being from Iset) and Merneptah. The other "children" are only young officials trained for government and who are nicknamed "sons of the pharaoh".
Christian Jacq is a French author and Egyptologist. He has written several novels about ancient Egypt, notably a five book suite about pharaoh Ramses II, a character whom Jacq admires greatly.
Jacq's interest in Egyptology began when he was thirteen, and read History of Ancient Egyptian Civilization by Jacques Pirenne. This inspired him to write his first novel. He first visited Egypt when he was seventeen, went on to study Egyptology and archaeology at the Sorbonne, and is now one of the world's leading Egyptologists.
By the time he was eighteen, he had written eight books. His first commercially successful book was Champollion the Egyptian, published in 1987. As of 2004 he has written over fifty books, including several non-fiction books on the subject of Egyptology.
He and his wife later founded the Ramses Institute, which is dedicated to creating a photographic description of Egypt for the preservation of endangered archaeological sites.
Between 1995-1997, he published his best selling five book suite Ramsès, which is today published in over twenty-five countries. Each volume encompasses one aspect of Ramesses' known historical life, woven into a fictional tapestry of the ancient world for an epic tale of love, life and deceit.
Jacq's series describes a vision of the life of the pharaoh: he has two vile power-hungry siblings, Shanaar, his decadent older brother, and Dolora, his corrupted older sister who married his teacher. In his marital life, he first has Isetnofret (Iset) as a mistress (second Great Wife), meets his true love Nefertari (first Great Wife) and after their death, gets married to Maetnefrure in his old age. Jacq gives Ramesses only three biological children: Kha'emweset, Meritamen (she being the only child of Nefertari, the two others being from Iset) and Merneptah. The other "children" are only young officials trained for government and who are nicknamed "sons of the pharaoh".
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 12, 2012
I'm usually a sucker for all things Egyptian and all things Mr Jaqc but this one is a stinker. Not so much the story itself, which meanders rather than races, but my gripe is with Mr Jaqc's obvious inability to write historic fiction that is not set in Egypt. Just quoting a few well known facts about Paris or London is no substitute for putting some effort into making us believe we're in Victorian society and surroundings. It's poorly executed, clumsy, humourless and unworthy of the writer, who has proven time and again, when he's in his element (ancient Egypt), he can weave a good yarn.
February 8, 2012
Hugely interested in all things Ancient Egypt, I adore the books of Christian Jacq ....... a shame then that this should prove the exception to the rule.
A whodunit with a supernatural element to it, The Judgement Of The Mummy, a mix of story and truth, is set in the England of the early 1820's as opposed to Ancient Egypt. Shockingly bad, I can't begin to tell you how disappointed I was, this book in no way worked for me.
At 500+ pages this is a relatively long novel - not something that normally bothers me BUT this plodded along with no real excitement or danger to speak of.
For a book that was so long we never got to really know any of the characters, one dimensional at best, at times I really struggled to remember just who was who - not good at the best of times but even worse in a whodunit.
Seemingly not very well researched, it felt to me as if Jacq's was out of his comfort zone with this one, that his knowledge of this period was somewhat lacking causing him to make some 'school boy' errors.
The story telling was pretty repetitive, a large chunk of the dialogue being given over to Inspector Higgins interviewing and re-interviewing the same suspects.
And as for the ending, what can I say? Ludicrous, ridiculous, preposterous ...... words cannot express just how silly this was.
But surely there must have been something worthwhile?
I suppose so. The paragraphs dealing with the use of Egyptian mummies at this period in time made for interesting if somewhat gruesome reading. Oh, and there is an interesting chapter at the end of the novel which takes a look at the mystery of mummies.
Bitterly disappointed, I just hope that in the future the author sticks with ancient Egypt which is what he does best.
A whodunit with a supernatural element to it, The Judgement Of The Mummy, a mix of story and truth, is set in the England of the early 1820's as opposed to Ancient Egypt. Shockingly bad, I can't begin to tell you how disappointed I was, this book in no way worked for me.
At 500+ pages this is a relatively long novel - not something that normally bothers me BUT this plodded along with no real excitement or danger to speak of.
For a book that was so long we never got to really know any of the characters, one dimensional at best, at times I really struggled to remember just who was who - not good at the best of times but even worse in a whodunit.
Seemingly not very well researched, it felt to me as if Jacq's was out of his comfort zone with this one, that his knowledge of this period was somewhat lacking causing him to make some 'school boy' errors.
The story telling was pretty repetitive, a large chunk of the dialogue being given over to Inspector Higgins interviewing and re-interviewing the same suspects.
And as for the ending, what can I say? Ludicrous, ridiculous, preposterous ...... words cannot express just how silly this was.
But surely there must have been something worthwhile?
I suppose so. The paragraphs dealing with the use of Egyptian mummies at this period in time made for interesting if somewhat gruesome reading. Oh, and there is an interesting chapter at the end of the novel which takes a look at the mystery of mummies.
Bitterly disappointed, I just hope that in the future the author sticks with ancient Egypt which is what he does best.
May 10, 2021
A la fois un roman historique et un polar. L'auteur y mélange adroitement fiction et réalité historique, et l'intrigue est tout à fait originale.
January 22, 2023
~ Le procès de la momie ~ Christian Jacq
Nous sommes plongés au cœur du XIX ème siècle, à l'aire de l'industrialisation et surtout de la découverte des trésors venus d'Égypte. Mais très vite, un triple meurtre survient après le débantelage d'une momie en public : celui d'un lord, d'un médecin légiste et d'un pasteur. Leur point commun ? Ils ont tous assisté à cet extraordinaire spectacle et ont insulté cette momie. A travers le regard méthodique de l'inspecteur Higgins, nous cherchons le(s) coupable(s). Est-ce Littlewood, un chef révolutionnaire qui cherche à diriger l'Angleterre à tout prix ? Une personne présente lors du débantelage de la momie ? Belzoni, l'explorateur qui l'a trouvé pour se venger du manque de considération de la société londonienne à son égard ? Ou encore la momie elle-même afin de punir ses profaneurs ?
J'ai beaucoup apprécié cette lecture. Néanmoins, il y avait, à mon goût, beaucoup trop de personnages, ce qui m'a vraiment mise en difficulté pour chercher le(s) coupable(s). Heureusement, l'inspecteur Higgins se remémore souvent le rôle de chaque personnage, ce qui améliore notre compréhension. Higgins est très complexe et je crois que c'est ce qui m'a touché chez lui, contrairement aux autres personnages que nous ne connaissons pas vraiment.
L'intrigue était très intéressante. Comme tout lecteur, j'avais ma propre théorie quant à l'identité du meurtrier / Littlewood, et bonne surprise, ce n'était pas du tout la personne à laquelle je pensais !
Il n'y a pas d'incohérences notables ce qui est très appréciable vu la complexité de cette enquête. Bonne lecture, malgré quelques problèmes d'identification des personnages.
#leprocesdelamomie #christianjacq #egypte #momie #meurtre #londres #higgins #enquete
Nous sommes plongés au cœur du XIX ème siècle, à l'aire de l'industrialisation et surtout de la découverte des trésors venus d'Égypte. Mais très vite, un triple meurtre survient après le débantelage d'une momie en public : celui d'un lord, d'un médecin légiste et d'un pasteur. Leur point commun ? Ils ont tous assisté à cet extraordinaire spectacle et ont insulté cette momie. A travers le regard méthodique de l'inspecteur Higgins, nous cherchons le(s) coupable(s). Est-ce Littlewood, un chef révolutionnaire qui cherche à diriger l'Angleterre à tout prix ? Une personne présente lors du débantelage de la momie ? Belzoni, l'explorateur qui l'a trouvé pour se venger du manque de considération de la société londonienne à son égard ? Ou encore la momie elle-même afin de punir ses profaneurs ?
J'ai beaucoup apprécié cette lecture. Néanmoins, il y avait, à mon goût, beaucoup trop de personnages, ce qui m'a vraiment mise en difficulté pour chercher le(s) coupable(s). Heureusement, l'inspecteur Higgins se remémore souvent le rôle de chaque personnage, ce qui améliore notre compréhension. Higgins est très complexe et je crois que c'est ce qui m'a touché chez lui, contrairement aux autres personnages que nous ne connaissons pas vraiment.
L'intrigue était très intéressante. Comme tout lecteur, j'avais ma propre théorie quant à l'identité du meurtrier / Littlewood, et bonne surprise, ce n'était pas du tout la personne à laquelle je pensais !
Il n'y a pas d'incohérences notables ce qui est très appréciable vu la complexité de cette enquête. Bonne lecture, malgré quelques problèmes d'identification des personnages.
#leprocesdelamomie #christianjacq #egypte #momie #meurtre #londres #higgins #enquete
April 4, 2022
Amazing book! I am an huge fan of Higgins books and I didn't know this was a part of the series. A lovely surprise and an awesome story. I definitely learned a lot about ancien Egypt so that was a plus.
July 12, 2017
Ma première impression était la bonne !
January 10, 2018
Great book. Couldn't put it down.
September 7, 2018
Not one of his best books although it did have lots of historical facts and he has the a ability to create a story around this.the author knows much about Egyptology and archaeology
March 21, 2020
Good stand alone story. I recommend all his books
July 26, 2020
Overall very good apart from the ending which seemed rushed and the 'twist' was not so amazing at all
December 23, 2022
Pas le meilleur Christian Jacq, quelques incohérences
August 3, 2025
je suis fan des enquêtes de l'inspecteur Higgins, l'histoire était intéressante mais pour une fois, elle a traîné en longueur.
October 13, 2016
This was one that was recommendation by mum. It was a good read set in a very different time. It was a good crime story mixed with a bit of superstition. (Funny enough "Very superstitious" is on the radio while I write this, lol) And the supernatural mystery runs throughout the entire novel, without dragging it into the unbelievable, just peoples opinions and talk.
I like how we get to see it from the antagonists point of view for bits and pieces without revealing who it is. I had a good idea of who did the murders about 3/4 of the way through by some thing said, but it was still not 100%.
The main character of Higgins was enjoyable as a "Do what you want even if it rubs people the wrong way" kind of character. But I felt we didn't get to know the character much more than that. We find out more about Belzoni and his history than Higgins, who we're supposed to be rooting for. But this doesn't subject from the story in any way that affects the enjoy-ability.
Plus it has a bit to do with Egypt which is always a good thing.
I like how we get to see it from the antagonists point of view for bits and pieces without revealing who it is. I had a good idea of who did the murders about 3/4 of the way through by some thing said, but it was still not 100%.
The main character of Higgins was enjoyable as a "Do what you want even if it rubs people the wrong way" kind of character. But I felt we didn't get to know the character much more than that. We find out more about Belzoni and his history than Higgins, who we're supposed to be rooting for. But this doesn't subject from the story in any way that affects the enjoy-ability.
Plus it has a bit to do with Egypt which is always a good thing.
June 30, 2010
Tedious. It's been a while since I read a Christian Jacq, and it will be an eternity before I read another one. The characters are so 2-dimensional, they are bordering on 1-dimensional. The narrative includes many instances of "what was that for....?" and I question some of the historical accuracy - for example, Buckingham Palace was originally known (in George IV's time) as Buckingham House. The constant repetiton of Littlewood's desires/credentials/plans were exhausting but there was no explanation as to WHY Littlewood felt this way - and at the unmasking, there was no explanation why HE was Littlewood. I know it has been translated from French, but that can't explain the many deficiencies of the book.
March 31, 2015
Enjoyable. Not great. Very good translation, good enough that I felt I might have been better reading it in the original. I often feel this with Jacq books. As if important links were elided.
Attractive hero, shabby villains, and some lovely, illuminating back story
Attractive hero, shabby villains, and some lovely, illuminating back story
January 31, 2017
If this had been my first Christian Jaq novel, it would probably have been my last. I read it in the hope that it would get better but for me it didn't. I found the plot and characters rather implausible and the ending down right disappointing.
December 22, 2012
It's amazing and has you reeling when at who the murderer and Littlewood are.
April 27, 2015
Just Ok
Read
October 2, 2011B22320773D
March 23, 2017
I liked overall story, but I found the language a bit lacking and very simplistic. This could be due to the fact that the original was written in French, thus it might have lost a lot in translation.
The setting of the story was appropriate and created a great base for the mysterious events that were taking place. I like most of the main characters, but yet again I found their description a bit simple.
Overall I have enjoyed this book. It is a shame, that I can't compare it to the original, since I don't read French
The setting of the story was appropriate and created a great base for the mysterious events that were taking place. I like most of the main characters, but yet again I found their description a bit simple.
Overall I have enjoyed this book. It is a shame, that I can't compare it to the original, since I don't read French
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews