The Murder of King Tut

Mar 26, 2010 Janet added it

Shelves: failed-attempts

What is with Patterson's writing style? There were 25 chapters in the first hundred pages! I felt like I was a Big Girl reading a Chapter Book for the first time. Every time I turned around there was another chapter. These constant interruptions prevented me from getting into any of the three stories (Patterson's "I'm so great I wrote this book," Carter's discovery of the tomb, and Tut's life) taking place. Finally I gave up in disgust.

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Dec 31, 2009 Kevin rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: No

Recommended to Kevin by: Linda Tepper

I'm half way through with the book and like a few of other reviewers have mentioned.....as soon as I read how much time and effort went into the researching of this book, my cynical side came out...I'm thinking don't tell me how much time you put into it but let me gauge that for myself after I've read it....I'm no Egyptologist by any stretch but for a book that has been heavily researched it is definitely light on details...another thing I don't like is when the author places himself within the...more

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Apr 19, 2013 David Roberts rated it 5 of 5 stars

The book I read to research this post was The Murder of King Tut by James Patterson et al which is an excellent book which I bought from a secondhand bookstore. This book tries to solve who killed the pharoah Tutankhamen. They did lots of research to solve this mystery & those of you familiar with Pattersons work will know normally he writes thrillers & children's books. This book is really interesting and is written like a novel that zips back and forth between the pharoah's life &...more The book I read to research this post was The Murder of King Tut by James Patterson et al which is an excellent book which I bought from a secondhand bookstore. This book tries to solve who killed the pharoah Tutankhamen. They did lots of research to solve this mystery & those of you familiar with Pattersons work will know normally he writes thrillers & children's books. This book is really interesting and is written like a novel that zips back and forth between the pharoah's life & Howard Carter's life. Carter found the tomb. Tut was forced to marry his sister who wasn't very keen on him. After his death she became queen despite Egyptian law saying that only a male ruler would do. She in turn was herself murdered. Tut became pharoah at a very young age & his tomb was well hidden unlike many rulers who had pyramids. His wife even sent a message to the Hitittes asking if she could marry one of the ruler's sons in what amounted to treason. The king of the Hitittes assumed it was a trap but otherwise it would have united both kingdoms. The book I read to research this post was The Murder of King Tut by James Patterson et al which is an excellent book which I bought from a secondhand bookstore. This book tries to solve who killed the pharoah Tutankhamen. They did lots of research to solve this mystery & those of you familiar with Pattersons work will know normally he writes thrillers & children's books. This book is really interesting and is written like a novel that zips back and forth between the pharoah's life & Howard Carter's life. Carter found the tomb. Tut was forced to marry his sister who wasn't very keen on him. After his death she became queen despite Egyptian law saying that only a male ruler would do. She in turn was herself murdered. Tut became pharoah at a very young age & his tomb was well hidden unlike many rulers who had pyramids. His wife even sent a message to the Hitittes asking if she could marry one of the ruler's sons in what amounted to treason. The king of the Hitittes assumed it was a trap but otherwise it would have united both kingdoms. (less)

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Mar 04, 2013 Kimberly Rahi rated it 4 of 5 stars

There are huge speculations surrounding the Murder of King Tutankhamun. Some say he was assassinated. Others contend that he died of a leg infection. Patterson offers his own opinion of the death of King Tut through forensic findings and deciphered relationships. He even goes as far as calling the case "solved."

The story begins before King Tut is even born and lasts decades after his death. Through the story, Patterson skips between the murder plot and the moments of his tomb discovery by How...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Elaine rated it 2 of 5 stars

Nothing new in this story. Just a re-hash!

Born 1341 B.C.E., King Tut was the 12th king of the 18th Egyptian dynasty, in power from 1361 B.C.E. to 1352 B.C.E. During his reign, powerful advisers restored the traditional Egyptian religion which had been set aside by his predecessor Akhenaton, who had led the "Amarna Revolution." After his death at age 18, he disappeared from history until the discovery of his tomb in 1922 by Howard Carter.

Chief wife, Queen Ankhesenpaaten to Tutankhamun: 1334 BC -...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Steff rated it 1 of 5 stars

A fan of James Patterson’s books, particularly his early Alex Cross novels –I was surprised to find he had written an almost non-fiction piece The Murder of King Tut. But this surprise turned to disappointment as the writing was nothing like his fictional murder mysteries. The Murder of King Tut was dull, lackluster and missing the usual suspense that make his novels so enjoyable. It also seemed that he hadn’t followed his own advice to not make it up – with such a wealth of scholarly research a...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Evelynn rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, ancient-egypt

Okay, first of all, to my friends on Goodreads who are looking at this review thinking, "Oh, that looks like an interesting book": DON'T EVER READ THIS BOOK! I GAVE IT ONLY ONE STAR FOR A HUGE REASON!

That being said, the reason I read this book was because I was really into Ancient Egypt when I was 11. Around the time I went to see the return of the Tut exhibit at the de Young museum when I was 14, I saw this book at a book store and begged my mom for it. She bought it for me for Christmas, but...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Jenn rated it 1 of 5 stars

I think that I can count on one hand the number of times I've put down a book without finishing it. This is one of those books, so some may deem me unqualified to review it. Whatever, I had my reasons.

There's a difference between doing research and filling in the pieces with a little fictitious flare and doing what Patterson has done - written a story that's to his liking and filled in historical information when it went along with his own speculation. I don't consider myself an Egyptologist by...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Nikki rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, mystery, non-fiction

The Murder of King Tut has chapters covering the lives of the mysterious boy-king and those around him, the life of Howard Carter, the archaeologist who discovered his body, and a couple of chapters on James Patterson's own writing of the book. It's simple writing, easy to read, and I finished the whole book in an hour. It's a little sensational, of course, and caters to the lowest common denominator -- I don't think Nefertiti would have called Tutankhamen 'Tut', somehow. There were inconsistenc...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Elizabeth Noah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Thrust onto Egypt's most powerful throne at the age of nine, King Tut's reign was fiercely debated from the outset. Behind the palace's veil of prosperity, bitter rivalries and jealousy flourished among the Boy King's most trusted advisors, and after only nine years, King Tut suddenly perished, his name purged from Egyptian history. To this day, his death remains shrouded in controversy.

Enchanted by the ruler's tragic story and hoping to unlock the answers to the 3,000 year-old mystery, Howard C...more Thrust onto Egypt's most powerful throne at the age of nine, King Tut's reign was fiercely debated from the outset. Behind the palace's veil of prosperity, bitter rivalries and jealousy flourished among the Boy King's most trusted advisors, and after only nine years, King Tut suddenly perished, his name purged from Egyptian history. To this day, his death remains shrouded in controversy.

Enchanted by the ruler's tragic story and hoping to unlock the answers to the 3,000 year-old mystery, Howard Carter made it his life's mission to uncover the pharaoh's hidden tomb. He began his search in 1907, but encountered countless setbacks and dead-ends before he finally, uncovered the long-lost crypt.

Now, in The Murder of King Tut, James Patterson and Martin Dugard dig through stacks of evidence--X-rays, Carter's files, forensic clues, and stories told through the ages--to arrive at their own account of King Tut's life and death. The result is an exhilarating true crime tale of intrigue, passion, and betrayal that casts fresh light on the oldest mystery of all.

I have to admit that I did like this book. It was written from 3 different point of views (periods of time). Though, I was not crazy about Patterson writing about himself and I could have done without it as I don't think it was really any contribution to the story line. That was one of the reasons I did not give it a 5-star. I also would have liked to have read what some others thought was the cause of his death. I did read this as an ebook so maybe it was in the formatting but, I did not see anywhere where it showed where he got his research in regards to some of the information in the story. I would have liked to have been able to read those as well.

As for people complaining about the short chapters, obviously you have not read his other books as that is the style that he normally writes in--short, short chapters. I like them as it makes it easy for me to stop when needed and pick back up at a new chapter.

I will say that I do not know a whole lot about Egyptology. It was interesting to read the story as seen back in King Tut day and how his murder came about, though I did have a question about something that was stated in the end about the murder but, I will not ask it here. Reading about Carter quest to find this elusive tomb and his comments that he personally had wrote in regards to his digs was a bit intriguing as well. Patterson did incorporate a few picture of things within the story which I did enjoy.(less)

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Jan 24, 2012 David Magnenat rated it 3 of 5 stars

I do not like James Patterson's writing. Here on GoodReads I've noted that his Alex Cross character is cliche to the point of cartoonish, his prose is choppy and clunky, and his plots ludicrous.

"Murder of King Tut" piqued my interest because of the upcoming Tut traveling exhibit. I saw the 1978 exhibit and look forward to the new tour. I thought a quick review, plus some fun speculation, might be in order.

The book proceeds along three lines: events in Egypt before Tut's birth, during his life,...more

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Jan 15, 2012 Toni rated it 2 of 5 stars

James Patterson writes mysteries, and he writes them well. However, he claims this book is a “non-fiction thriller.” It reads well and would have been a great page-turner if the claim to non-fiction hadn’t irritated me so much. (Note to Kaydeen: It is actually catalogued in the 932.14s! Personally, I would have considered it fiction--sensational but risky speculation with no reference sources listed.) Even a novice such as I knows no one has discovered with certainty what (or who?) killed King T...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Joy rated it 3 of 5 stars

A secret buried for centuries

Thrust onto Egypt's most powerful throne at the age of nine, King Tut's reign was fiercely debated from the outset. Behind the palace's veil of prosperity, bitter rivalries and jealousy flourished among the Boy King's most trusted advisors, and after only nine years, King Tut suddenly perished, his name purged from Egyptian history. To this day, his death remains shrouded in controversy.

The keys to an unsolved mystery

Enchanted by the ruler's tragic story and hoping...more

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Aug 11, 2011 Nesa Sivagnanam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Thrust onto Egypt's most powerful throne at the age of nine, King Tut's reign was fiercely debated from the outset. Behind the palace's veil of prosperity, bitter rivalries and jealousy flourished among the Boy King's most trusted advisors, and after only nine years, King Tut suddenly perished, his name purged from Egyptian history. To this day, his death remains shrouded in controversy.

Enchanted by the ruler's tragic story and hoping to unlock the answers to the 3,000 year-old mystery, Howard C...more

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Mar 24, 2011 Taylor rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review: Egyptology has always fascinated me and it is one of my biggest passions in life, which is why I snatched this book up in a heartbeat! King Tutankhamen (King Tut) is the most fascinating Pharaoh in my opinion because he has mystified us all.

Patterson wrote this as a three part story. It is told in present day by Patterson himself where he describes his journey in trying to learn and write about Tut as the boy king. The second story line takes place in the early 1900’s and is told by the...more Review: Egyptology has always fascinated me and it is one of my biggest passions in life, which is why I snatched this book up in a heartbeat! King Tutankhamen (King Tut) is the most fascinating Pharaoh in my opinion because he has mystified us all.

Patterson wrote this as a three part story. It is told in present day by Patterson himself where he describes his journey in trying to learn and write about Tut as the boy king. The second story line takes place in the early 1900’s and is told by the Egyptologist, Howard Carter, and his amazing discovery in 1922 of King Tut’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings, which took him nearly thirty years to find. The last and most interesting story in my opinion takes place in 1335 B.C. and is based on King Tut’s story as a young boy king who married his half sister Ankhesenpaaten in order to secure his right as pharaoh once his stepmother, Nefertiti, died.

This has been the most difficult review for me to write without completely giving away the entire story and also because I came across some flaws in Patterson’s research. With being an Egyptian history fanatic, I was already very familiar with Tut’s story and the multiple theories of his death. I can’t reveal what I know without completely spoiling this book, which is why I stated before how this was such a difficult review for me to write.

Opinion: Overall, I found this book to be very interesting and easy to read. I thought overall this book to be well researched and thought out. I loved the pictures that Patterson incorporated into the book in order to paint a better picture for the reader of what Carter saw when entering Tut’s tomb. I did not know about Howard Carter’s story and his discovery of King Tut’s tomb and how many setbacks he had to face such as getting the funds to excavate, fending off tomb robbers, and fighting the Egyptian government for the rights to dig.

I would have given this book a 5 star rating if Patterson would have mentioned the multiple theories of Tut’s death. With this being a nonfiction book I would have liked for Patterson to have listed references in order to back up both his and Dugard’s theory. I will allow you to find out for yourself what Patterson and Dugard came up with for their final conclusion of Tut’s demise and why. I would really like to sit down and talk to both Patterson and Dugard and ask them to explain their reasoning but that’s completely wishful thinking on my part. Overall, this was a great book especially for it being nonfiction. I definitely would recommend this book to those who would like to learn about tomb excavation and King Tut’s story, but I would suggest once finishing the book to do a little research on the multiple theories of Tut’s death so you will know the multiple sides of the story.

Before I end this review, I would like to make one last statement. Egyptian history will always remain a little murky. We will never know the TRUE cause of death of King Tut because we simply do not have all the facts. Right now I have Egyptian history on my brain so I hope to sometime in the next day or so discuss more about King Tutankhamen and I hope you all will enjoy it and find it as intriguing and spell bounding as I do.

For more of my reviews visit my Historical Fiction site: http://allthingshistoricalfiction.blo...(less)

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Dec 07, 2010 Mindy rated it 1 of 5 stars

I have never read any of Patterson's books. I see them every time I go to the library. They're all over the freaking book tables at Costco, and he takes up an entire bloody shelf at Borders. My only thought on an author that produces that many books that quickly is... How could all of his books possibly be that good without being repetitive?

When I saw this title at Costco, I jumped on it immediately. I've always loved archeology--Egyptian history was the trigger for my passion. So when I saw a b...more

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Sep 30, 2010 Megan rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-on-audio, read-in-2010

This has got to be the most awful book I have read in a long time, if not my entire life. I have never read a James Patterson book, never had an urge. The only reason I picked this one up was because it sounded interesting as an historical novel. He bills this book as a 'non-fiction thriller'. This is complete and utter bulls**t. I was a history major in undergrad. I have read PLENTY of non-fiction books. This is NOT one of them. Patterson is making crap up as he goes along. He's making these re...more

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Jul 09, 2010 Meghan rated it 2 of 5 stars

I found this one in the nonfiction section of my local library (having been labeled a "nonfiction thriller" by the publishers), and was disappointed to discover that it was nothing more than historical fiction (emphasis on fiction).
I realize that the author claims he performed extensive research while writing this book, however, I was anticipating true (though outdated) nonfiction.
Written in novel form, The Murder of King Tut was interesting, but it was impossible to tell what was fact and what...more

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Jul 03, 2010 Judy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I don't know what I was expecting, but this nonfiction "thriller" from James Patterson and Martin Dugard wasn't it. The book is written in three parts, but changes from part to part by chapter. That can be a bit annoying. The parts are "who killed King Tut, how, and why", "Howard Carter overcomes tremendous obstacles to discover Tut's tomb and gets himself kicked out of Egypt", and "the story of how I 'solved' a 3,000 year old mystery." Yawn. The story of Tut, the boy pharaoh, was interesting wh...more

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Apr 12, 2010 Laura rated it 1 of 5 stars

I always have to remind myself after reading a James Patterson book that I have never liked any of his books so I should stop trying to read them! This book is supposed to be nonfiction and Patterson goes on about how he did so much research for this book, more than he has ever done for any other book. However, none of this research is evident. No footnotes, no end notes, no sources. He also mentions that his assistant did the bulk of the research (so not sure why he claims in other places he di...more

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Mar 30, 2010 J-Lynn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-books, historical-fiction

This reads like any Patterson book, smoothly and quickly. He has attempted to make King Tut's unsolved demise into a best-selling murder mystery, a genre he knows very well. The book is compelling because what we know and don't know about King Tut is compelling.

The book is split into three voices--the down and out 19th century Egyptologist who discovered Tut's tomb when everyone said the Valley of the Kings had no more treasures to uncover; King Tut and the people who surrounded him in life; and...more

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Feb 15, 2010 Kenny rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

To say Patterson writes ten books a year is supposed to be a compliment. It shouldn't be.

Obviously, his co-writers do most of the work and I suspect in this case Patterson merely wrote the self-serving self-descriptive entries and broke the book down into his famous "two page" chapters, because he thinks his readers are such numbskulls that they cannot concentrate for more than sixty seconds at a time.

He may be right, if you judge his readers by the writer.

Was Tutankhamun murdered? As an affici...more

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Jan 10, 2010 Tony rated it 3 of 5 stars

James Patterson & Martin Dugard- The Murder of King Tut (Little, Brown and Company 2009) 2.75 Stars

Very little is known about King Tut. He became the ruler of Egypt when he was but nine years old, and this led to upheaval amongst his advisers. Although he seemed fairly successful on the outside, he somehow died at a young age and his name was mysteriously removed from Egyptian history. No one knows just how he died, but many suspect foul play.
Years in the future Howard Carter is trying to d...more James Patterson & Martin Dugard- The Murder of King Tut (Little, Brown and Company 2009) 2.75 Stars

Very little is known about King Tut. He became the ruler of Egypt when he was but nine years old, and this led to upheaval amongst his advisers. Although he seemed fairly successful on the outside, he somehow died at a young age and his name was mysteriously removed from Egyptian history. No one knows just how he died, but many suspect foul play.
Years in the future Howard Carter is trying to discover the location of King Tut’s tomb. It is the kind of mission that could make or break his career. He will become the laughing stock of many before finally discovering the location, only to find that it was not quite as he had expected it.
In the present James Patterson and Michael Dugard are scrounging for clues to come up with their own theory on this Boy King’s death. In their opinion it is a story of one of the greatest betrayals known to man.

I won this book in an online contest. It was one that I wanted to read, but wasn’t sure if I wanted to buy it, I am kind of glad I did not pay for it. The story kept jumping between three different time periods, the time of King Tut, the time of Howard Carter, and the present (featuring James Patterson himself). It was kind of like he wrote three different short stories and then combined them into one and separated them into breaks to make them seem more intriguing. I found it a little annoying and felt like he was trying to make it seem more intriguing then it really was. To be honest most of the book was kind of dry and boring. I only enjoyed the last third of the book. In the end it all boils down to a theory on the death, which for all we know has true parts to it, no one can possibly know for sure. There did not seem to really be a point in putting the present into the book as it just slowed down the plot, it may have been less annoying if it was just jumping between two time periods, not likely, but it may have helped me focus. Without the ending coming through to make it seem more interesting my rating would have been a two. As you can see I was not overly impressed by this nonfiction thriller, but I encourage you to pick up a copy from your local library and formulate your own opinion on the matter.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

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Dec 29, 2009 Emrys rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

The writing in this book is abysmally poor and the historical inaccuracies were astounding. A certain level of bad writing might be worth overlooking if the plot were especially strong or if recent findings were revealed, but the plot is weak and the premise is not based on any archeological findings. This book is advertised as a nonfiction thriller, but it's really a fictional non-thriller.

The author begins the book with much pomp about how the materials were thoroughly researched so that the...more The writing in this book is abysmally poor and the historical inaccuracies were astounding. A certain level of bad writing might be worth overlooking if the plot were especially strong or if recent findings were revealed, but the plot is weak and the premise is not based on any archeological findings. This book is advertised as a nonfiction thriller, but it's really a fictional non-thriller.

The author begins the book with much pomp about how the materials were thoroughly researched so that the reconstructed story of Tutankhamun would be accurate and the theory would be sound. He then proceeds to write insanely bloated, inaccurate sub-Harlequin Romance prose about Ancient Egypt and Howard Carter. The two timelines are ocassionally interrupted by the author's modern-day soliloquies about how puzzling everything is when one is looking across the lake at one's yacht, thinking about how wealthy one is. I really don't care about Patterson's yacht or bank account, but I do find Ancient Egypt to be fascinating. Sadly, there are huge pieces of important information about Tut's life missing from this book, most obviously the simultaneous name changes of Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun and Ankhesenpaaten to Ankhesenamun. Those name changes were extremely significant, but Patterson ignores history and instead uses only the names Tutankhamen and Ankhesenpaaten alongside each other with no regard for accuracy. There is also no evidence given for Patterson's relationships between characters, relationships that either vary from historical evidence or have no historical evidence to back them up.

Such disregard for historical facts is behind Patterson's cheez-whiz of a "murder theory." My incentive for reading further was to find out what evidence proved his theory, but Patterson never mentioned any evidence. He never attempted to tie his theory to any evidence of any nature, which astounded me. When zero evidence is ALL Patterson and his "researcher" come up with after spending thousands of dollars and years doing HEAVY DUTY RESEARCH, someone owes someone a refund! There is a LOT of current information out there, and none of it is in this book.

If you must read this, check it out from your local public library. But don't be suckered into buying it!(less)

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Dec 24, 2009 Gaby rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: detective-and-mystery, nonfiction

If you're fascinated by King Tut and Ancient Egypt, you are sure to enjoy James Patterson's latest, The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King - A Nonfiction Thriller.

The Murder of King Tut
This is my first time to read a work of non-fiction by James Patterson. In The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King, Patterson tells us King Tut's story from three time periods.

Patterson first takes us to Ancient Egypt around 1490s B.C. when Pharoah Amenhotep the Magnificent, King T...more If you're fascinated by King Tut and Ancient Egypt, you are sure to enjoy James Patterson's latest, The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King - A Nonfiction Thriller.

The Murder of King Tut
This is my first time to read a work of non-fiction by James Patterson. In The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King, Patterson tells us King Tut's story from three time periods.

Patterson first takes us to Ancient Egypt around 1490s B.C. when Pharoah Amenhotep the Magnificent, King Tut's grandfather, ruled Egypt. He shows us the decadence and style of governance under Pharoah Amenhotep IV and Queen Nefertiti's reign and gives us a glimpse of what King Tutankhamen faced during his reign. Next Patterson focuses on the 1880s onward where he paints a clear picture of the ups and downs of Howard Carter's career in Egyptian archeology, his excavation of the Valley of the Kings and his discovery of King Tut's tomb. Patterson also focuses on the present and shares what he went through as he searched for the truth behind King Tutankhamen's death.

Patterson writes as though he was a fly on the wall, watching the events of Tutankhamen's life unfold. He does not skimp on details and we read about the unsavory details of the lives of the pharoahs, their wives, consorts, and his unscrupulous advisors. I enjoyed the conversations that he extrapolated - Patterson takes you to right to Egypt and you share Tutankhamen's fear and uncertainty as he takes on his role as a young pharoah. I sympathized with the young Pharoah and his half sister and wife, Ankhesenpaaten. Patterson's hypothesis as to Ankhesenpaaten's death does not seem sufficiently substantiated to me. I would love to learn the truth about what happened to her after Tutankhamen passed away and she ruled as Pharoah. Did she really attempt an alliance? Was her burial truly that ignominious? Ankhesenpaaten was one of my favorite characters in the book. My only criticism of The Murder of King Tut is that I don't feel that Patterson's fully substantiated his inferences about Ankhesenpaaten's role in King Tut's demise.

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (September 28, 2009), 352 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

Patterson writes as though he was a fly on the wall, watching the events of Tutakhamen's life unfold. He does not skimp on details and we read about the unsavory details of the lives of the pharoahs, their wives, consorts, and his unscrupulous advisers. I enjoyed the conversations that he extrapolated - Patterson takes you to right to Egypt and you share Tutukhamen's fear and uncertainty as he takes on his role as a young pharoah. I sympathized with the young Pharoah and his half sister and wife, Ankhesenpaaten. Patterson's hypothesis as to Ankhesenpaaten's death does not seem sufficiently substantiated to me. I would love to learn the truth about what happened to her after Tutakhamen passed away and she ruled as Pharoah. Did she really attempt an alliance? Was her burial truly that ignominious? Ankhesenpaaten was one of my favorite characters in the book. My only criticism of The Murder of King Tut is that I don't feel that Patterson's fully substantiated his inferences about Ankhesenpaaten's role in King Tut's demise.

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (September 28, 2009), 352 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.(less)

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Dec 13, 2009 Lydia Presley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: egypt, fiction, non-fiction, mystery

In The Murder of King Tut James Patterson attempts to solve the mystery of King Tut's death by approaching it the way he approaches mysteries solved by Alex Cross, for example. This book has three distinct timelines - 1300BC, early 1900's and present day time. As might be expected the first timeline revolves around Nefertiti and King Tut, the second timeline around Carter and his discovery of King Tut's tomb and the final timeline revolves around James Patterson and his research (and thankfully...more

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Nov 13, 2009 Richard rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who like Egypt and archaeology.

Recommended to Richard by: I read all Mr. Patterson's work.

Nothing really new. James Patterson and Martin Dugand's flipping back and forth from the time of the Pharoahs to the end of the 1800's and start of the 1900's to tell Howard Carter's story and finally to modern time to tell James Patterson's story was interesting. However, having multiple chapters in a row of two or three pages concerning the same character made for a chopped up presentation. Since many of the sequential chapters were set at the same time, they could have easily been one chapter...more

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Nov 08, 2009 Aaron rated it 1 of 5 stars

Put your seat belts on because this is going to be a bumpy review. In all his arrogance, Patterson claims to have done a great deal of research as he and Martin Dugard try to solve the mystery of the boy king, Tutankhamun. This is not non-fiction as it claims to be, but historical fiction. The tale is told on three levels: chapters highlighting how Patterson visited the recent controversial Tut exhibit that toured America a couple of years ago, chapters that introduce readers to the life of arch...more Put your seat belts on because this is going to be a bumpy review. In all his arrogance, Patterson claims to have done a great deal of research as he and Martin Dugard try to solve the mystery of the boy king, Tutankhamun. This is not non-fiction as it claims to be, but historical fiction. The tale is told on three levels: chapters highlighting how Patterson visited the recent controversial Tut exhibit that toured America a couple of years ago, chapters that introduce readers to the life of archaeologist and Tut tomb founder Howard Carter, and chapters covering the short life of Tut himself.

The writing is light and breezy as most of Pattersons other works, which makes it a comfortable and quick read. The main problem is that the book is simply full of errors. It is clear that Patterson and Dugard only did a cursory search of information about Tut and his family and the events surrounding his death as most of what is presented is connected to out of date theories. For example, the vizier Aye, which is traditionally spelled Ay, is generally considered the father of Nefertiti (Tut's step mother). It is quite bothersome to see Patterson have him practically ruling over her through most of the early part of the book.

It is generally believe that Tut lived for quite some time as he ruled, and he and his wife are considered models of ancient romance. During his reign, much was done to reinstate the gods and both he and his wife Ankhesanamun dropped the Aten from their names to be replaced by the traditional lord of the gods Amun. As a result, major holes are punched into the theories presented by Patterson and Dugard as to who killed the boy king.

Howard Carter is also presented as a talented archaeologist who worked hard to find success and was beaten down by others. In some ways, this was true, but he was also considered by many of his contemporaries to be arrogant and boorish. Few wanted to work with him or respected him before and after the finding of Tut's tomb. He is well-known and respected for the findings, but he was not well-loved.

To be honest, it almost feels like Patterson and Dugard basically sat down and watched The Face of Tutankhamun, a pretty good, but outdated 3-part documentary put out by the BBC in 1993. Much of the proposed theories in the book are similar, though many have been overruled by new scientific techniques and further findings in the field. For example, the head injury cited in the book as possibly playing a major role during his death is now believed to have been caused by the embalming process after Tut's skull has been examined with modern MRI technology.

It irks me that a book filled with this many errors is being marketed as non-fiction, particularly in light of the fact that the format of the presentation is novelization. Those with any knowledge of ancient Egypt's 18th Dynasty will see the wholes, and the general public will find themselves misled. Writers of historical fiction are allowed to take liberty with the facts as the storytelling is at the core of the presentation. Writers of non-fiction should not since they are presenting things as being fact. This is the first time I have not enjoyed Patterson ... I am actually disgusted. He should be ashamed and should maybe consider actually contacting an Egyptologist if he would like to try this again.

Those looking for great mysteries set in King Tut's time, should read the Lord Meren series by Lynda S. Robinson. There is also the mystery series by Lauren Haney that focuses on Lt. Bak, a Medjay detective during the time of Hatshepsut. Other great writers with stories centering around ancient Egypt include Judith Tarr, Pauline Gedge, and Michelle Morin.

For those looking for mysteries relating to archaeologist, the best choice is the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters, the pen name of well-respected egyptologist Barbara Mertz. Both Amelia and Dr. Mertz would greatly disagree with the view of Carter presented in Patterson's work.

As for looking for biographies about Nefertiti, Tut, Akenaten, or any other of the people presented in the book, there is no shortage of great works by specialists in the field. Any of them would be better than this.(less)

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Oct 24, 2009 Kevin rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's been years since I've read a James Patterson book. Even longer since I feel I've truly enjoyed one. Sure, they're a quick read. Good beach fare. But, after a while, all his Alex Cross or Women's Murder Club books feel the same. I can't remember the plot from one or another at all. It feels like one mass story with a body count that rivals a world war.

So, imagine my surprise when I saw that he was writing about King Tut. Imagine my even greater surprise when I read the jacket and discovered...more

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Aug 01, 2009 Christine (booktumbling) rated it 4 of 5 stars

James Patterson begins The Murder of King Tut with a short author’s note emphasizing the tremendous research that went into writing this “nonfiction thriller”. Teaming with fellow author Martin Dugard, travels to London, Tut’s tomb and studying books and information online gave the authors the historical perspective to turn facts into a fast-paced novel that reads like fiction.

The book covers three time periods:

* The present and how the idea monopolized Mr. Patterson’s thoughts and time.
* 1891...more James Patterson begins The Murder of King Tut with a short author’s note emphasizing the tremendous research that went into writing this “nonfiction thriller”. Teaming with fellow author Martin Dugard, travels to London, Tut’s tomb and studying books and information online gave the authors the historical perspective to turn facts into a fast-paced novel that reads like fiction.

The book covers three time periods:

* The present and how the idea monopolized Mr. Patterson’s thoughts and time.
* 1891 – 1939 London/Egypt and how the quest for discovering a virgin tomb, ultimately King Tut’s tomb, monopolized the life of Howard Carter
* 1492 BC to 1319 BC Egypt and how the duty of being pharaoh monopolized the life of a young Tutankhamen

This is a straight-forward story which moves at a very fast pace. Yet, there is just enough detail concerning characters and setting that I had no trouble in picturing the great pyramids or empathizing the boy king’s plight. Explanations are given as to why young Tut married his half sister, why the tomb was so difficult to find and why there seemed to be an attempt to erase history of Tutankhamen. Tut’s ability to lead was just developing when he mysteriously died during the night.

The story of Howard Carter is also well-presented. Though he was not the most gracious of men, his zeal for all things Egypt advanced him from being a sketch artist of other men’s findings to being commissioned to conduct his own excavations. His gained knowledge over the years brought him to the highest honor but his lack of bedside manner plundered him to a street corner artist looking for his next meal. He never lost sight of his goal and through luck and determination was given another chance to discover the great Tut’s tomb. Actual snippets from Mr. Carter and some of his associates notes are included in the book (observations of Mr. Carter leave something to be desired).

The jump from time period to time period could have been confusing but I did not have any problems leaving one set of characters and picking up where I left off with another group from a previous chapter. The book is not very long or extravagantly detailed but I did learn a couple of interesting facts and it did peak my curiosity. And the Mr. Patterson divulges his own theory on what exactly happened to the king. Makes sense to me but I now may want to conduct my own investigation.(less)

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