Rating: 
Summary: A great novel. interesting and intriguing.
Review: Beign 15, i'm obviously not as clever as some of you know-it-all Egyptologists. So i am unable to spot all the errors you have. Do you know what? I don't care whether they're there or not. This is not supposed to be a textbook on life in Ancient Egypt, or a history lesson, or a written equivalent of an archaeological dig. It's supposed to be a story. I dont give a damn whether he's got his facts straight, because that's not why i read the books. if it manages to partially inform, that's all well and good, but it's not the purpose of the book. It's fiction. it's a story. So just read it and ignore any errors you may find. because they don't matter. No Paul Doherty does not "have a responsibilty to provide a 100% accurate representation of those times" as i'm sure soome of you may believe. It is not a textbook, so the facts don't have to be right. He only has a responsibility, as a storyteller, to tell a good story. and he has. i enjoyed this book a great great deal. I've read all of his Ancient Egypt novels, and they are among the best things he writes. The atmosphere he evokes is great, and the plots he creates are complex and intriguing. His writing, although it could do with more dialogue, is refreshing and easy to understand. Judge Amerotke is a very interesting and likeable. I greatly enjoy reading about him and his quest for truth. This is a very good book, containing a good mystery, with a great ancient setting. A cast of great characters and a great plot amke this a winner. Some superb action scenes, and some very violent and unpleasant deaths reflect effectively the bloodthirsty nature of the times. However, they are not gratuitous, and all serve a purpose for the plot. If you want an Agatha Christie type mystery with a great setting, choose this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor Choice of Eras [or is it...?]
Review: Doherty is the author of a medaeval series who evidently decided "Hey, guess what? I can do this with other eras, too! Like ... ah ... Ancient Egypt! That's pretty barren." [Not a bad choice, actually; there *aren't* that many set in Egypt outside the times of Hatshepsu & Tutankhamen, so there are *millenia* to be used.] Then he began *without* checking his copy of Grun's -Timetables of History- [if Doherty doesn't have a copy, this book is a prime example of why he should inve$t in one], and begins this story with Chief Judge Amerotke, who doesn't *act* like a Chief Judge but more like ... a Knight from the 1300s. Gee, i wonder why [she asked caustically]? It gets worse as the story degenerates. I won't 'spoil' it for anyone silly enough to want to read this load of tripe, but be advised it *is* very ripe tripe indeed. My main complaint began with page one, and Amerote's refusal to believe in multiple gods [note to Doherty: belief in multiple gods wasn't 'the lazy man's choice', but a rational way of looking at the cosmos ... and for some, i s'pect it *still* is] and got grimmer from there. Keep this gobbler out of your house unless you *like* turkey all year 'round.
Rating: 
Summary: Doherty's Egyptian murder series
Review: I am an avid reader of ancient Egyptian mysteries, and have read every one that I could find, including Peters, Haney and Robinson, whose works I consider to be very entertaining. It was with great expectations that I read The Mask of Ra--and I was quite disappointed. Mr. Doherty takes too many liberties with historical facts. I guess I should have been fairly warned by the character's names--very UN-Egyptian!
Besides having his own way with history, Mr. Doherty is, in my opinion, a poor author. His descriptive powers lack any emotion, and his descriptions of his characters lacks any verve.
The only thing this novel has in merit is to warn me against reading any further works from Doherty.
Rating: 
Summary: Colourful history with mystery novel
Review: I am not an expert in the history of Egypt-ancient or modern -and so am not qualified to comment on the accuracy or otherwise of the historical background to this novel ,the first in an ancient Egyptian sequence by the prolific Mr Doherty .Others have indicated on these pages that they have some reservations on this point and I will defer to the greater level of expertise which they have.
I will simply judge the book as a colourful period novel and judged on these ground it strikes me as perfectly competent.
It is subtitled "A NOVEL OF INTRIGUE AND MURDER"and the batting order strikes me as significant .There are murders in the book and an investigation is carried out to determine the culprit or culprits but most time and space is taken up with the political ramifications of the deaths and the jockeying for position in the power vaccuum that results from the event which triggers the novel's event's namely the death of Pharoah Tutmosis the second in 1479 BC .The investigation and the revelation of the perpetrator is almost secondary to the political in fighting which results.
The death of the Pharoah results in a power struggle between his widow ,the cunning Hatusu and two other potential rivals for the position of regent to the infant Pharoah Tutmosis 111 .Her chief rivals are the Grand Vixier and a prominent general and the country has to deal with a major incursion from a foreign power before the political conflict is resolved .
The book's strengths are some vivid battle scenes and some atmospheric writing describing the architecture and ritual of ancient Egypt ;the scenes in the Necropolis are a reminder that its author has dabbled in the occult genre and are especially nicely done.
Judged as a mystery it is routine and will not satisfy those who demand that whodunnit elements occupt centre stage but it a crisp piece of lively historical writing with enough incident and brio in the writing to keep the pages turning
Rating:
Summary: Egypt and chess
Review: I found the book "The Mask of Ra", by P. C. Doherty, to be mildly enjoyable. The historical background against which the story plays, namely the ascension of queen Hatshepsut (Hatusu) to the throne of Egypt, is a fascinating period of Egyptian history, and Doherty uses this background quite well. The plot, involving several deaths that have to be investigated by Amerotke, Pharao's Chief Judge, is also well thought out. Three aspects weaken the quality of the tale. Firstly, the writing has at times an amateurish quality to it, with weak dialogues or conceptual errors (for example, the political maneuvering at the court is equated by Hatusu with a game of chess, a pastime unknown in Egypt at the time). Secondly, the interplay between some of the characters is hard to conceive as representing social mores at the time; to illustrate, the level of familiarity between the Chief Judge and his servant Shufoy, or between the Queen and the Chief Judge, would seem to be totally out of place in a formal society such as Egypt's. Thirdly and expanding on the previous point, other aspects of daily life are presented with similar carelessness: again, and just to cite one example, it is difficult to imagine the Chief Judge moving around Thebes without a formal escort, including armed guards or charioteers. A more careful and believable presentation of social interactions in ancient Egypt can be found, among other places, in Robinson's Lord Meren tales (which in turn have, however, suffered from weak plots in more recent installments).
Rating:
Summary: The Mask of Ra
Review: I found this book to be very interesting and well researched. Mr. Doherty brings ancient Egyptian culture to life through his detailed descriptions of the food, clothing, traditions, and relationships of the characters in this fascinating book. I would recommmend it to anyone who has a love of history and a good murder mystery!
Rating:
Summary: I won't be looking for the next volume
Review: I was really looking forward to a book with Hatshepsut in it, but this was a disappointment, both in its portrayal of her and the feeble plot. Hatshepsut remains pretty controversial, even today, and Doherty's character just doesn't strike me as a plausible imagining of the woman. Worse, I simply cannot understand how she could be so easily blackmailed. How on earth could the blackmailer prove the charge? Who (that could hurt her) would believe it anyway, particularly since the threats begin while her husband is still alive? It wouldn't have been in Thutmosis' interest to to believe it, whatever evidence was offered. This isn't a society where the blackmailer can go on a talk show. In Egypt at this time, would it have mattered that much even if it was true? O.K. for passing time, but not a great addition to the genre.
Rating:
Summary: Murders Most Foul on the Nile
Review: Mr. P.C. Doherty, an accomplished mystery writer, has smoothly transitioned from his previous medieval novels to Ancient Egypt. The reading is easy and the plot line so good that you do not want to put this book down. Just when you think you have figured it out, a new element is deftly woven into the story. What really impressed me about the book, however, is the well researched period and the way the author is able to impart what life was like in Ancient Egypt. A good plot is essential, but without a good believable backdrop to the story, any book will falter. Mr. Doherty makes one believe that you are in the Egypt at 1497 BC. He holds the readers intrest not just with a terrific story, but with a well researched look into life and customs of that period. I would compare this novel favorably with Linda Robinson's "Lord Meren's Mystery" Series. The charcters in this novel are well thought out and developed becoming more that one dimensional. If one is facinated by, or intrested in, Ancient Egypt you will find the book a good read. The story, a tightly woven plot, and a facinating ending are a wonderful bonus. I hope that Mr. Doherty will continue the adventures of Chief Judge Amerotke. I would recommed this book to any mystery fan who enjoys a facinating well thought out story or to any history buff who would like to dream a little about an extraordinary period in Egyptian History.
Rating:
Summary: Intrigue and Murder
Review: Paul Doherty is one of my favourite authors and I am always delighted to find one of his books that I have not read before. This one has been a change of direction for the author and he seems to have pulled it off, although for me personally it was not one of my favourites.
The book is set in Ancient Egypt at the time of Pharaoh Tuthmosis II. The Pharaoh is returning to Thebes after successfully doing battle with the sea raiders in the Nile Delta. However there are factions who are less than happy to seem him return. Reunited with his wife and people Tuthmosis celebrates his homecoming, but within an hour he is dead. With the aid of Amerotke, a respected judge his wife Hatusu sets out to find the perpetrators of the crime and embarks on a path destined to reveal many secrets.
Rating:
Summary: Anna of Byzanitum
Review: This book is I think very interesting and very easy to understand for anybody, even for people which english is as their second language. The presentation of this book is very formal way. I think the authour must be very famous because ofthis book. I'ver read many historical fiction books, but this is the first book that I found it very interesting and easy. I encourage people to read this book. I don't want to give them the summery of the book, because I want everyone to read this very interesting book.
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