The Horus Killings is the second book in Doherty’s Amerotke stories. These are standalone mysteries set in ancient Egypt at the time of Hatusu (a shortening of Hatshepsut) featuring the Amerotke, the Chief Judge of Egypt. A series of killings look set to destabilise Hatusu’s still nascent reign with many powerful people seeing a female Pharaoh as blasphemous and plotting against her despite her proven success in both war and trade. Amerotke must find the culprit before it’s too late.
Doherty manages to pack an awful lot into relatively few pages but he does so without skimping on character development or the sense of place. That latter is very important; Doherty conjures up everyday life in ancient Egypt beautifully; all the colour, smells (not all good!), beliefs and attitudes come alive as Amerotke investigates in classic sleuth style with a surprisingly well developed cast for its two hundred and seventy pages. The plot is solid and the clues build up logically to the final reveal exposure.
An enjoyable detective story with the added bonus of its colourful and well researched setting. Nothing exceptional but a good solid and enjoyable read. Doherty has reigned in the sometimes excessive descriptions of the previous book without losing any of the atmosphere of its setting.
3/5 stars
Doherty manages to pack an awful lot into relatively few pages but he does so without skimping on character development or the sense of place. That latter is very important; Doherty conjures up everyday life in ancient Egypt beautifully; all the colour, smells (not all good!), beliefs and attitudes come alive as Amerotke investigates in classic sleuth style with a surprisingly well developed cast for its two hundred and seventy pages. The plot is solid and the clues build up logically to the final reveal exposure.
An enjoyable detective story with the added bonus of its colourful and well researched setting. Nothing exceptional but a good solid and enjoyable read. Doherty has reigned in the sometimes excessive descriptions of the previous book without losing any of the atmosphere of its setting.
3/5 stars
