The Assassins of Isis

Amerotke #5

by Paul Doherty

The mysterious Sebaus--a sect taking its name from demons--has stolen a powerful secret, and the wrath of the fiery Hatusu knows no bounds. But when the empire's great military hero, General Suten, is bitten to death by vipers, it appears events have spiraled out of her control.
Meanwhile, a dark shadow lies across the Temple of Isis. The peace of this holy place, renowned as an oasis of calm and healing, has been disturbed. Four of the Hesets, the temple handmaids, have vanished without a trace. Will Lord Amerotke, Pharaoh's Chief Judge, unravel the mysteries before further violence erupts? Or will he find the perpetrators in league with forced beyond his jurisdiction?

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Egypt, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical, Crime

320 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2004

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

He has been published under several pseudonyms: P.C. Doherty, Celia L. Grace, Paul Harding, Ann Dukthas, Vanessa Alexander, Michael Clynes and Anna Apostolou but now writes only under his own name.

Paul Doherty was born in Middlesbrough (North-Eastern England) in 1946. He had the usual education before studying at Durham for three years for the Catholic priesthood but decided not to proceed. He went to Liverpool University where he gained a First Class Honours Degree in History and won a state scholarship to Exeter College, Oxford, whilst there he met his wife Carla Lynn Corbitt. He continued his studies but decided that the academic world was not for him and became a secondary school teacher.

Paul worked in Ascot, Nottingham and Crawley West Sussex before being appointed as Headmaster to Trinity Catholic School in September 1981. Trinity is a large comprehensive [1700 on roll] which teaches the full ability range, ages 11-18. The school has been described as one of the leading comprehensives in the U.K. In April, 2000 H. M. Inspectorate describe it as an 'Outstanding School', and it was given Beacon status as a Centre of Excellence whilst, in the Chief Inspector’s Report to the Secretary of State for January 2001, Trinity Catholic High School was singled out for praise and received a public accolade.

Paul’s other incarnation is as a novelist. He finished his doctorate on the reign of Edward II of England and, in 1987, began to publish a series of outstanding historical mysteries set in the Middle Age, Classical, Greek, Ancient Egypt and elsewhere. These have been published in the United States by St. Martin’s Press of New York, Edhasa in Spain, and Eichborn, Heyne, Knaur and others in Germany. They have also been published in Holland, Belgium, France, Italy, Romania, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Bulgaria, Portugal and China, as well as Argentina and Mexico.

He has been published under several pseudonyms (see the bibliography): C. L. Grace, Paul Harding, Ann Dukthas and Anna Apostolou but now writes only under his own name. He recently launched a very successful series based around the life of Alexander the Great, published by Constable & Robinson in the U.K., and Carroll and Graf in the U.S.A., whilst his novels set in Ancient Egypt have won critical acclaim. Paul has also written several non-fiction titles; A Life of Isabella the She-wolf of France, Wife of Edward II of England, as well as study of the possible murder of Tutankhamun, the boy Pharaoh of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, and a study on the true fate of Alexander the Great.

Paul and Carla live on the borders of London and Essex, not far from Epping Forest and six of their children have been through his own school. His wife Carla currently owns two horses and is training, for showing and dressage, a beautiful Arab filly named Polly.

Paul lectures for a number of organisations, particularly on historical mysteries, many of which later feature in his writings. A born speaker and trained lecturer Paul Doherty can hold and entertain audiences.

His one great ambition is to petition the Privy Council of England to open the Purbeck marble tomb of Edward II in Gloucester Cathedral. Paul believes the tomb does not house the body

Reviews

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book in 2009, and its the 5th volume of the wonderful Amerotke series, set in Ancient Egypt.

Set in 1478/1477 BC, and the court of Pharaoh Hatusu in turmoil due to various circumstances.

First of all the Tomb of Rahimere, who's gone over the horizon into the Far West, is pillaged and plundered the Sepulchre of all its treasures by the Sebaus, a name taken from demons, all for its powerful secret.

Then Egypt's military hero, General Suten, is bitten to death by venomous vipers, plunging Egypt of Pharoah Hatusu in total chaos.

And finally the Temple of Isis has been disturbed and Four of the Hesets, the temple handmaidens, have vanished without a trace, and all these events will leave Pharaoh in a total fury, that in the end she will turn to Amerotke, Pharoah's Chief Ludge, for help.

In a truly entertaining fashion, with quite some twists and turns, followed with an excited and superbly executed plot the perpetrators will be revealed in a most fascinating way by the resourceful and cunning Amerotke.

Highly recommended, for this is another excellent addition to this superb series, and that's why I like to call this fifth episode: "A Most Thrilling Assassins Mystery"!

[Mary Heron · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are grave robber about, nothing new in Ancient Egypt but these thieves somehow know where the important people have been buried ........ Including Hapusus family members. The Pharaoh is incensed and wants them caught before Egypt becomes a laughing stock. Amerotke had thought he caught the ring dealing divine justice to.them, but.. He had only scratched the surface and the main perpetrator s were still out there, and now.they are coming after him. His whole family is at risk and repeated attempt s are made in his life. The trouble is that that the robbers all meet in secret none knowing who is whom and all are forbidden from speaking about membership in the group. Which makes Amerotke s job extremely difficult as the leaders of the.organization have protected themselves from discovery. Then the tomb of Rashmere, Hapesus enemy is ransacked and something is.found which could put her.reign in great jeopardy .................

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll be kind here; maybe more of a 2.5. Another in the series of ancient Egyptian mysteries featuring the astute Chief Judge Amerotke and his sidekick the dwarf Shufoy during the reign of Hatshepsut [Hatusu]. This one involves tomb robbers, murders, arson and kidnapping of four temple maidens. The intrepid duo set out to solve the crimes and capture a gang led by the mysterious Khetra. I liked the characters bouncing theories of 'whodunnit' off each other and why. The ending did seem neatly wrapped up, where Amerotke got everyone together he thought might be guilty in some way into a room. He threw out his solution, then confessions flew left and right, out of the blue. This seemed implausible and contrived. Usually although I usually can't figure out the guilty party, the solution will logically trail back to him or her. The author seems to know his Egyptian history and something of the culture--a positive--but the characters were all wooden and I couldn't connect with any. Light, escapist reading, nothing of note here. I may try something from the author's other mystery series, but I don't think I'll read any more of these.

[Paul Genesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading about ancient Egypt, and when I saw this book I had to get it. I found it used, online, for a very cheap price. It was quite entertaining and the details about ancient Egypt were excellent. The overall thrust of the novel is that tomb robbers have been breaking into the tombs of the noble Egyptians, and also, a powerful general has been murdered. The pharaoh calls in her chief judge, a good man named, Amerotke. He is a cool character and investigates the murder of the general and the tomb robberies--which all seem to lead back to the Temple of Isis.

The plot is very complicated and the author kept me guessing throughout. I don't read a lot of mysteries, and found the mystery part of this almost superfluous to enjoying the ancient Egyptian setting. That said, I didn't feel like the author captured the mind set of the ancient Egyptians. I've read some other ancient Egyptian novels, especially by Wilbur Smith, that really captured my idea of what those ancient people would be like, psychologically, emotionally, spiritually.

I'm not saying P.C. Doherty did a poor job, just not a great job. The research that he did was top notch, and the description of the world was fantastic. It just wasn't as tense and engaging as other novels that I've read. Overall, it was a fun book, easy to enjoy, and well-researched. If you want to get a description of what ancient Egypt looked like, this is the book for you. If you're interested in a epic story that is very tense, read Wilbur Smith, who wrote Warlock and Rivergod. Both are very cool.

If any of you have any ancient Egyptian books you'd like to recommend, please let me know.

Happy reading,

Paul Genesse
Author of The Dragon Hunters
www.paulgenesse.com

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in the series of Egyptian Mysteries by PC Doherty, and I'm glad I didn't read it first. It is not the strongest of the series, and in fact Amerotke, the main character and chief justice of Thebes, comes across as a bit dull and easily confused.

The plot centers on a group of particularly well-connected and clever tomb robbers who steal a particular book that has the pharaoh very concerned. After murders, assassination attempts, arson, kidnappings, and more, Amerotke finally works out the mystery but this isn't his best outing.

[Darcy Goodall · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pacing in this one was not great but the mystery was good

[Rosemary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is well written with an authentic Egyptian setting, but somehow I never got into it. The ending got interesting, but the resolution to the mystery was not particularly satisfying.

I was counting how many pages were left midway through, so I can only give this 3 stars.

[Jenks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt that this # in the series was a little more sinister than the previous amertoke novels .
The temple and priests made this a lot darker and I think the series although only two left will only get better and still be well worthy of five stars !

Great series , beautifully written and worth reading !

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of intrigue and a mystery that had many layers. I thought I had it figured out, and I was completely wrong. Rare in the world of "cozy" series mysteries, so definitely kudos for that.

[Katheyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Paul Doherty’s “The Assassins of Isis” (fifth in the “Amerotke” series), Amerotke has to deal with a series of tomb robberies in the royal graveyard. Amerotke’s investigation leads to the Temple of Isis, and the discovery of the kidnapping of four temple maidens, as the plot develops it becomes darker and more convolute. A complex murder mystery with some sinister elements.

“Amerotke” is a historical mystery series, set in Ancient Egypt at the time of the reign of Pharaoh Hatshepsut (1481 BCE – 1492 BCE) from the very beginning of her own regency, and encompasses the events surrounded the death of his royal brother and husband Tuthmosis II in 1479 BCE (The Mask of Ra) until late 1477 BCE (The Spies of Sobek).

The series focuses on Amerotke, high judge in Thebes and priest of Maat, ancient Egyptian goddess of law, morality and justice. Through each new book, Doherty visits Old Egypt history and blends fact with fiction to create a well-crafted, entertaining and fully satisfactory murder mystery, in which the investigation, serves as a canvas to depict a very vivid, accurate, credible and fully enjoyable image of the day-to-day life in ancient Thebes, and offers a very good overview of the Egypt’s Eighteen Dynasty, law system and beliefs. Amerotke is a very interesting character, relatable, and despite his “almighty” status as chief judge, honest and sincere with a complex personality and very human flaws. A clear recommendation for anyone looking for a good constructed murder mystery and/or a detailed portrayal of Ancient Egypt society.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amerotke and his dwarf servant, Shufoy, have their work cut out in this story.
General Suten is found dead after being bitten fifteen times by horned vipers, an animal he has a mortal terror of. Then four Temple Virgins disappear. There is a group of grave robbers/assassins who sell their plunder as far away as possible and kill those who refuse to help them.
The Divine One, Pharaoh Hatusu, wants vengeance, as the tombs being plundered include those of her father, grandfather and husband.
Eventually, after making many enquiries, and being led down dead ends and following false leads, Amerotke and Shufoy solve the cases. They are, as usual, all interlinked. The perpetrators are arrested, tried and sentenced.
These stories, whilst still having a certain amount of interest for me, are now similar to one another. Amerotke is judging in the Temple when the Pharaoh commands him to investigate a seemingly unrelated crime. He does so and eventually solves all the problems put in front of him. Then, in an ending worthy of Perry Mason and Hercules Poirot, Amerotke manages to get a conviction with deduction and a certain amount of guess work.

[S C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je pense que ce serait plutôt 2.5 étoiles. Je suis partagée, j’ai eu du plaisir à lire les deux derniers chapitres mais j’ai eu beaucoup de difficulté à avancer dans ma lecture avant ceux-ci. Pourtant, j’avais bien hâte de lire un livre qui se passait dans le temps de l’Égypte ancienne, une période qui m’intéresse beaucoup et que j’adore. Malheureusement, je crois que c’est entre autres à cause de la traduction française et de l’édition que ma lecture était laborieuse et que je n’avais pas envie de continuer le livre. Il y avait des coquilles, et à au moins deux reprises il manquait des mots.

L’histoire était moyenne, j’ai apprécié les références et les infos historiques, et j’ai aimé lire le dénouement, mais l’histoire en elle-même était peu enlevante et les personnages n’étaient pas très attachants. Dommage! J’ai eu envie d’en apprendre plus sur le livre des secrets et je crois qu’un autre roman de la même série m’accrocherait peut-être plus, mais malheureusement celui-ci ne restera pas longtemps dans ma mémoire.

[Len · Rating 3 out of 5]

The imaginative recreation of 18th dynasty ancient Egypt in the reign of the Pharaoh Hatchepsut, or Hatusu as the author uses, is skilfully done – though he insists on her First Minister Senenmut being her lover rather than a self-aggrandizing and manipulative politician. The crime story, however, wavers a little when it comes to being rooted in what is known of Egyptian culture.

I couldn't help thinking of Amerotke, the Chief Judge and head detective, being played by Humphrey Bogart, Shufoy, his dwarfish sidekick, by Peter Lorre, Senenmut would have to be Sidney Greenstreet while Lauren Bacall would have been marvellous as Hatusu. I could just imagine her slinking out of a doorway and glancing back at Amerotke, “You don't have to...do anything. Oh, maybe just whistle. You know how to whistle, don't you, [Amie]? Just put your lips together and blow.” Cut to Amie practising his whistling technique. If only Paul Doherty had been writing in the 1940s.

The story of tomb robbing, poisoning, murders, a deadly secret society and frighteningly brutal judicial retribution romps along with little time for both heroes and villains to take a deep breath, and the action is possible if not probable. The author points out in his Note that there were such tomb robbing gangs as the Sebaus in ancient times and they were sometimes led by members of the nobility or high-ranking officials. Also, although there is no direct evidence, circumstantially it is probable that corpses of the deceased were occasionally used for medical dissection to further knowledge.

It is an entertaining historical crime novel packed full of little factoids that make ancient Egypt come to life and, while the crime story is not very baffling, the characters work well and become almost believable by the end. As Amerotke may have said to Hatusu, “Here's looking at you, kid.”

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a bit dubious as to whether I would enjoy this mystery set in Ancient Egypt. But I shouldn't have been concerned. It was in essence a fascinating detective mystery set in 1478/1477 BC, and the court of Pharaoh Hatusu. This is the fifth book in the series featuring Lord Amerotke, Pharaoh's Chief Judge, but it is complete in itself. Brilliant setting and so well described you could almost feel the heat and taste the sand.
Already investigating a series of tomb robberies, Lord Amerotke is then tasked with solving the mysterious death of military hero, General Suten, who is bitten to death by a swarm of vipers.
The research behind this story is excellent and the whole story transports you back through the millennia. I will definitely be reading more of this author.

[Tarmia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book as much as the first book in series The Mask of Ra. The story line, which focused around a band of tomb robbers that are connected to different crimes all over Thebes is both interesting and engaging, allowing the reader a real look into the lives of the lives people of the Thebes. It was fascinating and informational, and the murder mystery aspect was well integrated into the overall fabric of the novel.

[Judith Shadford · Rating 4 out of 5]

In one sense, I really liked this because of Doherty's comprehensive descriptions of life in Thebes and Valley of the Kings during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut, 1482 BC. Amerotke, judge, is the "detective" in a series of crimes ranging from tomb raiding, to violent castration, to death by a dozen horned adders. All thoroughly described--yes, not for the squeamish. While the characters are well drawn, lots of genuine history, it's the perfumed gardens, the animals, the heat and the night breezes along the Nile that cause a little pang of nostalgia as I return the book to the library.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

#5 in the Amerotke, a respected judge of Thebes, mystery series set in ancient Egypt. It is around 1478 BC.

The Sebaus, a sect, has robbed a tomb and stolen a powerful secret hidden there. They have also been robbing other tombs having inside information and are highly organized with leades at the very top of Theban society and are also a direct threat to Amerotke and his family. Also a military hero, General Suten, is murdered and 4 handmaids from the Temple of Isis have disappeared. All this has prompted Pharaoh Hatusu to call upon Amerotke to investigate.

[Marlene Burrows · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hatusu, pharaoh queen

Hatusu, powerful, extremely brave and natural leader. A series of tomb robberies, disappearances, and murders plague her reign. Four young temple maidens disappear. Amerotke
respected judge, is called upon to investigate, bring the murderers and robbers to justice and restore peace. This book is extremely interesting and very hard to put down. A worthy read.

[A.L. Sirois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun in this 5th entry into Doherty's series set in the 18th Dynasty. A mysterious sect, the Sebaus has run afoul of the female pharaoh, Hatusu, by stealing secrets. Then the heroic General Suten is killed by vipers, leading the intrepid Judge Amerotke to investigate the sect's origins and members -- if he can find them. Meanwhile, four temple handmaids have disappeared. Amerotke himself faces attacks, and knows he has to act quickly if he is to save himself, Hatusu, and his family.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

No matter how much you crave for the mystery to be solved, the ending is always the same and the book of secret will always be worthy of its name. The glory of Egypt during the Eighteenth Dynasty has inspired many. I love reading books about Egypt, especially when they are written in this lifelike manner. My favourite part was the inclusion of the royal Necropolis and the Valley of the King's.

[Rowan Mcdowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

One of the best of the Egyptian Mysteries. The characterizations are full and complex and the mysteries within mysteries are fascinating. Everyday life and religious practice is well represented. I enjoyed both the story and this series and I have great hopes for more of Amerotkes cases!!

[Steve Cannon-English · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best

This was the best (so far) in this great series.
Lord Amarotke is very human. His concern for his family is one of the driving forces in his search for the leaders of the Sebaus (demons) who are plundering the tombs of the Pharaohs and Nobels of Egypt.
Amarotke’s love for his Queen give him the needed push to bring an end to the evil that threaten the Queen’s reign.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Doherty is very thorough in his research for his books are historical mysteries - not just mysteries. His writing is descriptive with details that are accurate and interesting placing the reader right in the story. So good to see the characters plot and connive, and get caught.

[Doreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific!

What enjoyment I am getting from rereading this series! Started first book on a whim and have continued straight through. Fascinating time period in a story by master historian and writer!

[Peyton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very multi-layered mystery with so many different lines of inquiry. Finally getting to the reveal and seeing how it all connected was great. Some of it was a bit obvious, while other aspects were interesting to learn about. I’m enjoying this series and look forward to the next book.

[Karen Ireland-Phillips · Rating 2 out of 5]

Light on plot, heavy on sadism

I didn't finish this. It lacked suspense and emotional affect. The plot was flat. There was plenty of misogyny implied, and the author relies on the most grotesque and sadistic aspects of ancient Egypt. There's no beauty or majesty evident.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a big fa

[Lee Jackson Coffey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grab hold!!!

Fast paced ,intense book.I enjoyed it thoroughly.many things brought up Isis worship,how priests were treated. Much more research to be done.Enjoy

[Andy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

This novel l is both an excellent history lesson but a thoughtfully crafted mystery. The entire series provides a sense of time and place like few others I have read.

[Carolyn Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Really enjoy the descriptions of the clothing and temples and their grounds