Always happy to read mysteries set in ancient Egypt…
I am pretty much a huge fan of mysteries set in Egypt, whether they are set in the British “protectorate” era (like Michael Pearce’s Mamur Zapt series), or in truly ancient times (too many series to name, but T Lee Harris’ Huti/Neffi series, Lynda S. Robinson’s Lord Meren books, and Lauren Haney’s Lieutenant Bak series are all great), or even in modern days (Parker Bilal’s Makana books). So I was happy to see an author who is already a favorite of mine, Dana Stabenow, start a new series, set in the days of Cleopatra VII. And I was even happier to receive a review copy of the most recent book in the series, Abduction of a Slave, which turned out to be every bit as good as I hoped.
First off, for those of you who aren’t totally up on each and every one of the seven different Ptolemaic queens named “Cleopatra”, Cleopatra VII is the famous one: ruler of Egypt (although a semi-client to Rome); lover of Julius Caesar and mother of his son, Caesarion; and adept juggler of the countless political problems always threatening to topple her off her throne. But although Cleopatra is central to the story, our protagonist is Tetisheri, a trusted childhood friend, who now serves as Cleopatra’s “Eye of Isis” – a combination of investigator, problem-solver, and confidant.
As Abduction begins, Sheri is seemingly off on an errand, unusually not for Cleopatra, but with her uncle and business partner, who is worried about the unusual silence from his factor in Cyrenaica. And rather early in the book, we do learn that the factor was killed, so there is a “classical” murder mystery to be solved.
What really makes the book sing, though, is everything else that is going on around Cyrenaica: Metellus Scipio and his somewhat dubious ally, King Juba, are plotting against Caesar, whose cousin/legate, Aurelius Cotta, is also in town. Caesar himself is ostensibly in Sicily, but is he really? And just to top everything off, Pompey’s widow, Cornelia Metella is in Cyrenaica too, but doesn’t seem too happy about it. Everyone knows there’s a battle coming and Sheri finds herself in her uncle’s newest ship, running guns (well, running ballistae and spearheads), personnel, and gold between Cleopatra and Caesar. Who is no longer in Sicily. The historical background is fascinating and inspired me to read up on the battle of Thapsus. Meanwhile, somehow, in the midst of all this, Sheri and her uncle also manage to solve the mystery of the murdered factor – and also the issue of the titular abducted slave.
Overall, Abduction of a Slave was a fast-paced and fun read, reminding me of a cross between my favorite Egyptian history textbook and World War II Casablanca, of movie fame, with its chaos of spies and factions. And, although I’m slightly nervous about the impact of the coming battle of Actium on the series, as of now, that’s still a decade-and-a-half in the future. So I hope there are many more Cleopatra and Tetisheri books to come.
And finally, my thanks to the publishers, Head of Zeus, and to NetGalley for my review copy.
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