Review: A fun historical mystery with a twist
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 25, 2013
‘The Mummifier’s Daughter’ is a great blend of historical mystery and thriller; it has a touch of romantic suspense and a large dose of vivid descriptions depicting the life of an embalmer’s daughter in ancient Egypt.  Neti is an unusual thing in ancient Egypt because her father taught her the art of embalming and preparing bodies for mummification and burial.  She is familiar with biology and anatomy, and being a bright girl she grew into an apprentice for her beloved father.  Her skills drew the attention of Shabaka, a Nubian police man sent by the Pharaoh to uncover the mystery behind some dodgy things going on in the busy city.Neti and Shabaka are similar in that they are outcasts, he for his Nubian heritage and she for her abilities to diagnose how a death may have occurred.  Though she uses nothing more than science, she is considered a witch among the people.  Their relationship grows as the story progresses, but it evolves differently than you might imagine.Without giving away the plot, I will say that I loved this book’s easy tone and suspenseful pace.  I was hooked by the lyrical voice the author uses to describe the ancient city and its traditions.  He has a great style, and although the book isn’t completely polished (there are a few spelling errors and typos), it is still a fantastic book.  The characters are finely crafted and their actions are believable; I was rooting for Neti throughout the entire story and wanted to see more of her abilities as a detective.The storyline kept me hooked, especially as the story arc led to the dramatic conclusion between the characters that only thought they knew each other so well.  I had a tear in my eye as Neti learned the truth of her own origins and that of her childhood ‘friend’.  The story had a little bit of everything in it, from the understated and unachieved romance between Neti and her partner Shabaka, the emotion of the her family’s story, the intrigue of the unknown serial killer, and the thrill of finding out not everyone was as they seemed.Bottom line: I really, truly enjoyed this book and sincerely hope to see a sequel or series of books based on the main characters.  The author has made ancient Egypt exciting and accessible in this fun book, and I look forward to seeing more!