A Face Turned Backward

Lieutenant Bak #2

by Lauren Haney

The many and mighty deities of Egypt must be given their due. All commerce is conducted under the watchful eyes of the functionaries of the great Queen Maatkare Hatshepsut. Death faces any and all who could rob the royal hose of Kemet of its rightful share. Lieutenant Bak, commander of the Medjay police, willingly accepts his assignment to search all Nile River traffic for contraband -- for rumors are rife of valuable elephant tusks passing unlawfully from the south to the north. But greed has spawned death, hideous and unexpected, and someone who would become rich illegally is dealing in far more than precious ivory. Whoever threatens to expose a lethal cache of secrets will not live to see a new dawn -- and loyal Bak could be the next, as he heads relentlessly toward a grim confrontation, a shocking revelation, and very possible doom in the realm of the dead.

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

286 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 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

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Egypt of Pharaoh Hatshepsut, Lt. Bak is assigned to stop a ruthless smuggling racket - or else. Whoever might be able to give him information is murdered. Gorgeous imports and exports are attracting the attention of high and low, and Bak must figure out which of the local businessmen is cheating Hatshepsut's treasury.

I read book one of this series 14 years ago, and took till now to read book two, but it did come to vivid life for me in the last third of this book. Now that I've reopened the series I'll probably continue it.

[Bronwyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

entertaining mystery. Likable characters that are real. Will look for more on this series. Reminds us that people are people regardless of what dynasty they live in.

bak is smart and thoughtful like many detectives in modern mysteries.

[Gregoire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Le tome 2, sans grande surprise, ressemble beaucoup au tome 1 Mêmes ficelles ; mêmes références et même schéma donc je ne suis pas certain de vouloir poursuivre ma plongée dans l'Egypte ancienne en compagnie du lieutenant BAK

[Barbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book, Ancient Egypt and a mystery as well. This author really knows ancient egypt, and she has made that time come alive for her readers.

[B.R. Stateham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ancient Egypt. Spooky nights filled with ghosts. What's not to like?

[Jenks · Rating 4 out of 5]

. I think I was experiencing something similar to Paul Doherty and instead I felt like watching paint dry.
Not for me and I’ll sadly not be finishing the series

[Anne Wingate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fine Work Indeed

The demands of the Lady Maat, goddess of law and order,,are well met in this story of justice meted out in the far upper reaches of Egypt during the reign of Hatshepsut. Excellent addition to the fictional chronicles of this much-loved period, recommended for all readers of historical fiction.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining, and an unusual setting for a historical mystery. Truth be told, I have NO IDEA what was actually going on most of the time. I just waited for people to explain it to me, which they would eventually do.

[Virginia Adi · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good adventure!!

[Robyn Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lt. Bak pursues smugglers.

[Dorothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this second book in the Lieutenant Bak series better plotted and paced than the first which I recently completed. The lieutenant and his cohorts are appealing and sympathetic characters and the exposition of the culture from which they come is well-researched and pretty well-written. I think it is definitely a series with possibilities and I look forward to reading the next entry.

This book finds Bak trying to stop a smuggling enterprise on the river that is depriving the royal house of Kemet (Egypt) of its rightful revenues. I actually solved the central mystery of this tale, involving the whereabouts of an elephant tusk, very early on in the plot, but I enjoyed reading about how Bak worked it all out. In the process, he must confront a brutal murderer who will not hesitate to kill again to avoid discovery of his lucrative smuggling operation.

Lieutenant Bak again proves his mettle as an investigator and his compassion and worth as a human being.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

# 2 in the Lieutenant Bak, an Egyptian officer in charge of a Medjay police unit in Lower Nubia in 18th-dynasty Egypt mystery series. Bak and his Medjay police at their Buhen fortress are called in to investigate a farmer's stabbing which is quickly dealt with and then he is faced with solving a major smuggling operation along with murder and attempts on his life as he seeks to discover what is happening.

Good historical background, interesting characters with a lot going on around the main mystery plot that keeps the story interesting.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good entry into Lt. Bak series. In this one he must find three murderers and discover who is smuggling ivory without paying tolls. These Bak tales bring to life ancient Egypt in a way that archaeoligists cannot. Recommended.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top notch story - once again. Good group of suspects - some very nice twists and turns.
AND - I guessed right early on regarding part of the story.
Good, historical setting with believable characters.
On to book three

[Greg · Rating 1 out of 5]

So Boooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggg

[Pam Bales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second in the Lieutenant Bak historical fiction set in Ancient Egypt, this is a police procedural from the past, Second in the series, this is a very good read.

[Martina]

read some time back