- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Simon and Schuster (5 Aug 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1439124698
- ISBN-13: 978-1439124697
- Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 951,070 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Year of the Hyenas
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Product Description
Product Description
Year of the Hyenas is a brilliant, original, and unique murder mystery, set in ancient Egypt at the height of that kingdom's glory and power. It is at once a strikingly insightful portrait of a mysterious, complex, and sophisticated society, reminiscent of Norman Mailer's Ancient Evenings in its wonderful detail and feel for the past, and a fast-paced detective story that reads like the best of twenty-first-century thrillers. From the oldest known court transcripts in history, Egyptologists have long known about the mysterious death of Ramses III, involving intrigue, ambition, greed, and crimes of passion on a huge, though hidden, scale. In Year of the Hyenas, Brad Geagley takes this event -- a struggle that nearly brought ancient Egypt to its knees -- as the backdrop for a story that is every bit as captivating as the distant civilization it resurrects. At the heart of the novel is Semerket, the so-called Clerk of Investigations and Secrets, a detective half-paralyzed by problems of his own, with a reputation for heavy drinking and tactless behavior toward the great, the powerful, and the holy, a kind of Sam Spade of the ancient world, deeply (and dangerously) addicted to the truth. Hard-bitten, deeply flawed, he is retained by the authorities to investigate what is considered an insignificant murder of an elderly, insignificant Theban priestess. They fail to inform him, however, that they don't expect him to solve the case. In fact, they don't want him to. But Semerket is not so easily fooled, and this is hardly an "insignificant" murder. As he delves deeper for the elusive truth, he uncovers a web of corruption so vast that it threatens the life of the last great Pharaoh, Ramses III, and the stability of the kingdom. Even worse, uncovering the conspiracy means more than just putting his own life on the line -- for, unbeknownst to Semerket, his adored ex-wife Naia has fallen afoul of those who would bring down the reign of Ramses, and he soon finds himself having to choose between saving her and saving Egypt.... Merging historical fact and speculation with a nail-biting crime story that could be taking place in the present, Year of the Hyenas is a riveting and remarkable achievement.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
(Not to be confused with "The Season of the Hyaenas" by PC Doherty. Hyenas in ancient Egypt refer to war/ turmoil.)
This is another ancient Egyptian mystery/detective book, fairly good. It is set during the reign of Ramses III, and has to do with an (I believe actual) plot on his life. It has a sequel, "Day of the False King."
One thing I didn't like was that I felt as if it really could have taken place anywhere, at any time, and the author just occasionally remembered to have the charecters refer to appropriage gods or food or clothing. There was no real sense of "being there." But as a detective story it was a quick fun read.
This is another ancient Egyptian mystery/detective book, fairly good. It is set during the reign of Ramses III, and has to do with an (I believe actual) plot on his life. It has a sequel, "Day of the False King."
One thing I didn't like was that I felt as if it really could have taken place anywhere, at any time, and the author just occasionally remembered to have the charecters refer to appropriage gods or food or clothing. There was no real sense of "being there." But as a detective story it was a quick fun read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Booze sodden, maverick, straight talking, errant detective brought into the case by his straight laced, hen pecked, social climbing brother investigates the murder of a priestess. Gradually unravelling a great conspiracy. After much dead ends and attempts to do him away, our intrepid detective does exactly what you'd except him to do and walks off into the sunset for his next adventure.
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Historical mysteries generally find a soft spot in my reading-they are great diversions. The Egyptian historical mystery genre already has at least three excellent authors with their own excellent series and now Brad Geagley had debuted with what promises to be another exciting series of the Old World.
In "Year of the Hyenas" Geagley presents Semerket, an anti-hero before his time,which happens to be 1153 BC! He's an investigator all right, but an unlikely one. A boozer, Semeket has some good credentials in the investigating business, but drink and women have taken their toll and "down and out" probably best describes him.
Still, he's a character that we have no trouble respecting, once the story gets going. It's a murder investigation. A priestess has been found dead and with all the political, religious, social, and economic issues involved, actually the authorities really aren't interested in having the facts uncovered, much less an actual conviction. But "conviction" is what Semerket is about and, naturally, as the story unfolds, we find the usual stumbling blocks and obstacles, all of which Semerket is eventually able to negotiate.
Geagley avoids being "too factual" and presents a fast moving-and actually delightful-read.
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