Publisher's Weekly Review
Geagley revisits ancient Egypt-the scene of his successful 2005 debut Year of the Hyenas-and his detective hero Semerket, Egypt's clerk of investigations and secrets, in this masterful historical mystery. In the first novel, Semerket exposed a conspiracy to kill the pharaoh and seize the throne; repercussions linger as this adventure opens. The celebrated detective grieves for his adored ex-wife Naia, who was caught in the dragnet following the failed coup and banished to Mesopotamia. As luck would have it, the ailing pharaoh, Ramses IV, sends his trusted detective on a mission to Babylon to seek permission to bring the statue of Bel-Marduk-"Babylon's most sacred idol" which is believed to have curative powers-on a state visit to Egypt. The narrative begins at a leisurely pace but soon speeds up when Semerket arrives in Mesopotamia, which is in the throes of an indigenous rebellion against its latest conquerors. Caught between warring factions and stalked by the surviving conspirators of his previous adventure, Semerket must summon all his skill to survive in a foreign land where nothing is as it seems, even the identity of his wife, Naia. With his abundant knowledge of ancient history and well-crafted prose, Geagley has created a hero with staying power and a series to watch. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
In his second adventure, Egyptian cop Semerket makes a move on a Babylonian god. Bel-Marduk is a famously curative deity sorely needed by a seriously ill Pharaoh. Ramses IV has given up on the local gods who, despite being worshipped with bountiful gifts and unstinting sacrifices, seem unable or unwilling to help. "Death," Ramses tells Semerket, "gnaws at my vitals." Why tap his Clerk of Investigations and Secrets for so critical a mission? Because Semerket is hot, having recently cracked the murder case (Year of the Hyena, 2005) that broke up a conspiracy and saved Ramses his throne and possibly his neck. The detective signs on, promising to return in good time, god in tow. Semerket, however, has his own agenda. His beloved wife Naia has disappeared in Babylon after being exiled for insufficient cause by the previous Pharaoh. True, rumors of her murder are persistent, but her yearning husband has never believed them. So off he goes, charged by Ramses as well as his own powerful longing to murky, quirky Babylon, a place where danger is ubiquitous and betrayal a constant threat. But brave, clever Semerket, a man who can get his black eyes to glitter on demand, is made for trouble and for multi-tasking. Babylon comes to life; the characters mostly don't. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Geagley follows up his promising debut, Year of the Hyenas (2005), with a sequel that is equally entertaining. It's 1150 BCE, and Semerket, Egypt's Clerk of Investigations and Secrets (think of him as an extremely old-world private eye), is worried about his former wife, Naia, who was banished to Babylonia after the events chronicled in Year of the Hyenas. Right now Babylonia is not a good place to be: the country is under siege from north and south, and various internal factions are duking it out for control of the kingdom. Semerket figures if he doesn't rescue Naia, she's done for. But can even this tough, no-nonsense investigator manage to get in and out of Babylonia before the country finishes tearing itself apart? Geagley continues to demonstrate an unerring ability to combine history and adventure seamlessly, making us feel as though we've visited another time and place without overwhelming us with period detail or great clots of historical exposition. Bring on more Semerket adventures. --David Pitt Copyright 2005 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Just bumped up a month, this sequel to Year of the Hyenas brings back 12th-century B.C.E. Egyptian gumshoe Semerket, who faces shady doings in Babylonia (now called Iraq). With a seven-city tour. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.