A Vile Justice

Lieutenant Bak #3

by Lauren Haney

Evil runs rampant through the grand abode of Djehuty, the much despised governor of Abu. Four deaths -- each exactly ten days apart -- have occurred in and around the powerful functionary's an expert swimmer drowned...a spearman accidentally impaled on his own weapona sergeant of the guard found with a dagger through his breast...a young officer trampled by a horse gone mad. Lieutenant Bak of the Medjay police fears for his own life and for the safety of his men. But the vizier has requested that this deadly puzzle be investigated, and it is Bak's duty to serve. Could this unstaunched violence be the retribution of the gods for a long-past, yet still-remembered tragedy? Bak is not sure who will ultimately be revealed as slayer -- be he human or divine -- when a disturbing cache of dark, well-protected secrets lies open at his feet. But there is one thing of which the dedicated policeman can be if a killer is true to his pattern, another will die this day.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Egypt, Historical Mystery, Fiction, Historical, Mystery Thriller

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 1999

About the author

This is a pseudonym for Betty Winkelman.

Lauren Haney, a former technical editor in the aerospace and international construction industries, is the author of several ancient Egyptian mysteries featuring Lieutenant Bak. She lives in Sante Fe, New Mexico, and travels to Egypt at every opportunity.

Haney's novels have been published in German, English and French, and in the Czech Republic. The german editions of her novels have been published unter her real name Betty Winkelman.

Reviews

[Dorothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The more time I spend with Lieutenant Bak of the Medjay police in the time of queen Hatshepsut of Kemet (ancient Egypt) the better I like him. He and his companions seem very believable and the picture that is painted in these books of daily life in Egypt seems at least based in fact. Who can know what it was really like to live in that land, and yet such tales as this do give us an inkling, I think.

In this story, Bak must unmask a mass murderer in order to save the unworthy life of a local governor. As with the last book, I solved the mystery long before Bak, but it was fun to watch the process by which the lieutenant tied up all the loose ends and finally came to the correct conclusion.

As ancient Egyptian mystery series go, this one is a worthy entry.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this is a well-plotted and well-written mystery, it is the details that really got me. The dried-mud plugs in the urns of scrolls, the smell of donkey dung after a shower, placing the bowl of evening meal on a stand made of two stools head to head, the chatter of families eating their evening meals on their flat roofs. All gave me a vivid sense of actually being in long-ago Egypt.

[Ian Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best one yet - I did not see it coming at the end, thought I did figure out a few clues being telegraphed all along...just couldn't put them together. I will read more in this series which I've enjoyed greatly.

[Bébhinn Ní Riain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of the best I've read so far. I was unable to guess the culprit before they were revealed - that's how good the mystery was

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Hatsepsut's Egypt, a series of murders are being perpetrated in the territory of Governor Djehuty. The governor doesn't want to admit it. He keeps his secrets so deeply that he won't confess them even to save his own life. Once Lieutenant Bak starts picking up patterns, A VILE JUSTICE mostly shakes itself loose from the awkwardly detailed descriptions of everything in view, and gives us at last a clear motive and a difficult apprehension of the killer.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ideally, I would have given this book a 3.5 rating. It starts very slowly and the first half is only worth 3 stars, but the second half picks up nicely and is worth 4 stars. I decided to go with four stars because the ending is the most important part of the book. Bak must investigate who is trying kill the governor of Abu, and why. The governor does not cooperate and therein lies the tale. Recommended to fans of Lt. Bak.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book -Bak, the Egyptian police lieutenant, is well developed. He is not infallible. He gets beat up. He is not Superman; he's human with human failings.
The plot is also very good. Everything is very plausible.
This is a ver, very good series.
On to the next book.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first book I released via BookCrossing. Never heard back from it.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does really well with ancient Egypt, which is not easy.