Murder at the Feast of Rejoicing

by Lynda S. Robinson

Overview

“As Robinson deftly juggles ancient Egyptian political intrigue and a riveting mystery, she proves again her mastery of the historical whodunit.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
 
During a celebration for Lord Meren, an agent of King Tutankhamun, one of his relatives is murdered. Known for her sharp tongue and numerous lovers, Anhai could’ve been targeted for any number of reasons, but Meren fears her death might have something to do with the undercover mission he’s currently working on. He’ll have to rummage through family secrets and face a nest of vipers to uncover the truth . . .
 
“A classic country-house mystery with a delicious twist: the country estate is located in the Nile Valley and belongs to Lord Meren, the confidential agent of King Tutankhamen . . . Good scholarship authenticates the historical setting; imagination provides the sense of danger and romance to make it come alive.” —The New York Times Book Review
 
“Fascinating.” —The Washington Post Book World

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781504066570
Publisher:	MysteriousPress.com/Open Road
Publication date:	05/18/2021
Series:	The Lord Meren Mysteries , #3
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	309,215
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Lynda S. Robinson is an American writer of romance and mystery fiction. She is best known for her series of historical whodunnits set in ancient Egypt during the reign of Tutankhamun and featuring Lord Meren, “the Eyes and Ears of Pharaoh.” Robinson lives in Texas with her husband and has a doctorate in anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Editorial Reviews

Poor Lord Meren. After the rigors of his last appearance (Murder at the God's Gate), he is expecting a quiet rest in his provincial home, far from the intrigues of the Egyptian court where he is confidant and advisor to the boy-king Tutankhamen. Left at the court is his adopted son, Kysen, charged with overseeing plans for secretly transporting the bodies of the Pharaoh's predecessors from their desecrated tombs to the new ones being secretly constructed. But Meren's sister has invited the relatives to celebrate his homecoming, endangering the covert operation. Complicating matters further is the rancor among Meren's relatives, each of whom dislikes another for past actions. Most viperish is his cousin Sennefer's wife, Anhai, who wants a divorce and seems to make even the most agreeable people angry. When her body is found after the feast, Meren and Kysen must investigate her murder while keeping a close eye on the tomb builders. Their job is made more treacherous by the arrival of the Pharaoh, who wants to take part in the investigation, and by the persistent snooping of Meren's daughter, Bener, who also wants to help. As Robinson deftly juggles ancient Egyptian political intrigue and a riveting mystery, she proves again her mastery of the historical whodunit. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Lord Meren deals with court intrigue and other disturbances for Tutankhamen. This time, Meren solves a country house murder, while his adopted son Kysen protects the pharaoh.

Library Journal

YA-This well-woven story of murder and intrigue immediately draws readers into the sun-seared landscape of the Egyptian Nile in the days of Tutankhamun. One of the young Pharoah's close confidants, Lord Meren, visits his family estate for a brief rest but finds, instead, that his sister has invited a tedious group of friends and relatives for a family celebration. One of these unwelcome guests has the bad taste to be murdered. The plot gathers speed through crisp dialogue and pungent description, giving readers a strong sense of Egyptian life almost without their being aware of it. Robinson does a skillful job of helping to sort out the plethora of strange names and relationships through the timely but simple use of well-placed appositives. This mystery, the third in a highly rated series, can be enjoyed on its own. Lord Meren is sensitively developed, and yet enough of his personality is left unexplored so that, by the end, YAs will be eager to accompany him on further assignments as the eyes and ears of the Pharoah.-Cynthia Rieben, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA

School Library Journal

Robinson's third Lord Meren mystery is a triumphant blend of fact, fiction, and suspense. In search of peace and relaxation, Lord Meren, mentor, confidant, and sworn protector of young pharaoh Tutankhamun, retreats to his lush ancestral estate along the banks of the Nile. Unfortunately, his short-lived repose is abruptly shattered as a horde of fawning relatives seeking favor immediately descends upon his household. When two members of his extended clan are poisoned during a feast celebrating his homecoming, the evidence suggests there may be a traitor in their midst. Meren and his adopted son, Kysen, work feverishly to expose the culprit before the family name is sullied by accusations of treachery and treason. In addition to solving the double homicide, Meren also unleashes a host of painful memories as he finally comes to terms with a personal tragedy that has haunted him for years. Brimming with authentic historical detail illuminating the intricacies of ancient Egyptian culture, this fascinating tale of court intrigue and familial squabbling will delight both history and mystery buffs.

Margaret Flanagan

Think you've got problems when you go home for the holidays? Your relatives—like those of Lord Meren, the Eyes and Ears of Pharaoh—may squabble with each other and complain that you've got it made and wheedle you to work your connections for them and fix you up with would-be romantic partners, but you probably don't have to worry about finding your cousin's wife dead in your granary or concealing the presence of the embalmed bodies of King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti and their burial treasures, resting uneasily in a haunted temple right around the corner while King Tutankhamen prepares a new tomb safe where they'll be secure from vandals—and from the spies and court plotters hovering like vultures around the expedition's can-do man, Meren's adopted son Kysen, whom his relatives all despise, too. Nor do you have to worry whether to suspect your dissolute brother, your aspiring mate, or the followers of the scheming Prince Hunefer of poisoning your guests—or how to go about questioning your relatives and keeping them confined to their quarters when they don't come up with the right answers about the insidious tekau plant.

"Interfering relatives are far more dangerous than ordinary murderers and spies," concludes Lord Meren, whose third case (Murder at the God's Gate, 1995, etc.) is a typically trenchant backdating of the English country-house mystery, with all the mod. cons. of politics and psychology.

Kirkus Reviews