The title of this book, already very intriguing in itself, could not fail to attract my attention.
The pyramid of the title is the fulcrum of the novel, which actually consists of two subplots in different eras, but centered on the character of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun: the first revolves around the discovery of the tomb by Howard Carter and his team, the other set in Tutankhamun's Egypt tells of the events arising from his intention to move the remains of his father Akhenaten to the valley of the Kings.
The first part is a bit slow, as the various stages of the discovery are presented, the work to bring to light the rooms and treasures, the difficulties faced. If you are a fan of ancient Egypt, it’s quite well known how such a discovery took place and the incredible treasures that were found. There are thousands of books that describe the events in an exhaustive way. The search for the tomb (in the Italian translation it has become a pyramid) is never faced in a decisive way, overcome by the events that unfold around Carter.
The second part, whose chapters are intertwined with those describing the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, tells the events (a fiction mixed with real characters) that took place during the pharaoh's reign, the intrigues by the clergy of Amon and the attempts of a young and sick pharaoh to secure his father's remains from the hatred of his enemies.
In the end, I liked the part set in Egypt more, with the description of the Pharaoh's life, rather than the mystery of the tomb from Howard Carter's point of view. Unfortunately the ending was a bit rushed in my opinion and I found it unsatisfactory, despite the main mystery being revealed.
However, it’s a book that shows the excellent skills of the author, a graduate in Ancient History and specialized in Egyptology, and the novel has the merit of bringing the most important archaeological discovery of the twentieth century to the attention of the reader: the tomb of Tutankhamun.