Book Description
Another brilliant and out-of-the-ordinary murder mystery by the author of Year of the Hyenas, with an unusual and interesting detective, this time trying to pursue and rescue his own ex-wife, sold into slavery in the city of Babylon (in modern times, near Baghdad) at a time of violence and great danger, much like today.
Day of the False King continues the story of Semerket, Egypt's Clerk of Investigations and Secrets. The time is approximately 1150 B.C., and the conspirators who plotted the overthrow of Pharaoh Ramses III have been tried and executed. But the old pharaoh has succumbed to the wounds inflicted by his Theban wife, Queen Tiya; it is his first-born son who now rules Egypt as his chosen successor, Ramses IV.
Geographically placed at the center of the Old World, where East literally meets West, Babylon has forever been the crossroads for conquering armies and adventuresome merchants, and the prize of dynasts. From cruel tyrants to far-seeing visionaries, an ever-changing set of rulers have claimed Babylon's throne as their own. But they were not god-kings as in Egypt; in fact, there was no term for "king" in any of the Babylonian languages. Instead, they were called simply "Strong Man" or "Big Man." Then as now, only martial strength determined who ruled. Strangely, or perhaps inevitably, the rights of the individual were first codified and set down as laws here.
Around the time that Day of the False King takes place, the Middle East is undergoing -- just as it is today -- a tortuous, protracted transformation. The old regimes have vanished, setting the stage for the aggressive emergence of the new nations of Phoenicia, Israel, and Philistia; it is the fourth of these new peoples, the Assyrians, who will achieve dominance in the years ahead.
Babylonia in particular has suffered a series of cataclysms. The old Kassite Dynasty, themselves invaders from the north, has been toppled. The nation of Elam (soon to be known as Persia) has launched a massive war to conquer Babylonia from the southeast. Native tribes in the country also see this moment as their own chance to evict the foreigners and re-establish a dynasty of their own.
Into this roiling alchemy, Semerket's adored ex-wife, Naia, is thrust. She and Rami, the tomb-maker's son, have been banished to Babylon as indentured servants -- punishment for their accidental roles in the Harem Conspiracy against Ramses III.
As in Year of the Hyenas, most of the events and characters in Day of the False King are drawn from history. The Elamite invader King Kutir and the native-born Marduk truly vied for the throne of Babylonia. There really was a festival called Day of the False King, when the entire world turned upside down for a day, when slaves ruled as masters, when the most foolish man in Babylon was chosen to become king. Semerket the detective is plunged into the midst of these events in pursuit of his own goals: to serve his Pharaoh and to find the woman he loves.
Download Description
"Another brilliant and out-of-the-ordinary murder mystery by the author of Year of the Hyenas, with an unusual and interesting detective, this time trying to pursue and rescue his own ex-wife, sold into slavery in the city of Babylon (in modern times, near Baghdad) at a time of violence and great danger, much like today. Day of the False King continues the story of Semerket, Egypt's Clerk of Investigations and Secrets. The time is approximately 1150 B.C., and the conspirators who plotted the overthrow of Pharaoh Ramses III have been tried and executed. But the old pharaoh has succumbed to the wounds inflicted by his Theban wife, Queen Tiya; it is his first-born son who now rules Egypt as his chosen successor, Ramses IV.
Customer Reviews:
A very interesting book.......2007-02-21
In this sequel to Year of the Hyenas, Semerket, the Clerk of Investigations and Secrets, is sent by Pharaoh to Babylon to arrange for the visit of a statue with miraculous healing powers to Egypt. And, as an added inducement, Pharaoh gives Semerket letters of manumission for his wife and son, who are lost somewhere around Babylon. However, in the land between the rivers, nothing is what it seems, and there are schemes within schemes in this strange land. Can Semerket get to the bottom of what is going on? And, is there any chance of finding his loved ones alive?
Overall, I found this to be a very interesting book. The characters and the situation are quite interesting - colorful and yet thoroughly believable. Also, I found the mysteries to be quite interesting. My one complaint against the book is that the author did little to capture the fascinating culture that Mesopotamia enjoyed at the time. (Indeed, Nidaba's view of Ishtar as containing dualisms of male/female-war/love is very Greek (and subsequently Western), but would have made no sense to the ancient Mesopotamians. Inanna/Ishtar exemplified and ruled the passions - love and hate, lust and disdain, haughty pride and craven cowardice.)
But, that said, this was a fascinating book, one that I am very glad that I read.
Could not put the book down.......2006-09-06
Much like the first one, I read this book in a few days not wanting to put it down. I handed off to my wife and she handed it to our daughter with much the same result. It is very important to read the first book in the series to have context.
Throwing Semerket into another culture is a brilliant move.......2006-04-02
The second installment in this series, which follows the adventures of Semerket, Egyptian Clerk of Investigations and Secrets, in 20th Dynasty Egypt, does not disappoint. Semerket's ex-wife Naia and Rami, a young boy whom he befriended in Year of the Hyenas, have been sent as slaves to Babylon, and Semerket receives a fragment of a note indicating that they are in danger. Upon appealing to Rameses IV, the new Pharaoh, who owes Semerket his life and his throne, he is given permission to seek them and bring them back to Egypt, as well as a sensitive diplomatic mission to the ruler of Babylon. (Oops - I originally put "king" but when reading this over remembered that one very strong point made in the book was that Babylon, unlike Egypt, didn't have a king.)
In Babylon, which is seething under foreign occupation (shades of modern day Iraq?) Sermerket quickly learns that he can trust no one, not even his own country's ambassador. The raid on the plantation where Naia was a maid is rumored to have been undertaken by resistance fighters, but evidence points to Egyptian involvement. A remarkably clever and sophisticated slave, a seductive transvestite, and a pair of spies who stick to Sermerket like glue even after they're called off are only a few of the many colorful characters who help him solve the several mysteries he faces and find out what happened to Naia and Rami.
One of the risks of writing about a hard-bitten and embittered character such as Semerket is that he will either become totally unsympathetic or, if his life improves sufficiently, lose the "edge" that makes him so interesting in the first place. Moving him to a different culture was a brilliant move for Geagley, since Semerket is thrown slightly off balance by the strangeness and is forced to show some of his vulnerabilities. It remains to be seen whether he will continue to maintain the balancing act.
The book also provides some fascinating insights into the Babylonian politics of the time, some quotations from The Lament for Ur (which appears to have similarities to the biblical book of Lamentations, if only because the emotions felt by the survivors of a devastated city probably don't differ much), and ancient medical practice. I only wish that, on his website if not in the book, Geagley would provide some information about his sources and recommended reading for those who would like to learn more.
Wonderful Mystery Set in Ancient Egypt.......2006-03-21
I loved Brad Geagley's first book in this series about Semerket, the pharoah's "detective" and couldn't wait for the this one.
It is unique to have a mystery novel set in ancient Egypt. Geagley's knowledge of ancient politics is awesome.
I am equally eager for the next installment of Semerket's life.
False King.......2006-03-11
What a great mind this author has. I can hardly wait for his next book. This is a must read. Outstanding and wonderfully gifted person. If you are going to read any book this year put this book and the "Year of the Hyenas" the top of your list.
Customer Reviews:
Play-time gone bad.......2000-06-29
Interesting play about two brothers in South Africa. These brothers are the only characters in the play other than the mentioned absent ones. Disturbing ideas of family values and loyalty. Particularly eerie ending.
Average customer rating:
- Blood Knot
- The knot loosens
- Another Winner
- terrific Adirondack police procedural
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Blood Knot
S.W. Hubbard
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Police Procedurals | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0743467590 |
Book Description
THE LAST RESORT
North Country Academy is where desperate parents send their troubled teenagers when all else has failed. For remote Trout Run, New York, the school means good jobs, always scarce in the Adirondacks. But to Police Chief Frank Bennett, the Academy -- with its roster of delinquent students and its unlikable but curiously compelling headmaster, MacArthur Payne -- means an open invitation to trouble.
When a teacher leading a survivalist wilderness expedition is mauled by a bear, evidence points to sabotage. As Frank's investigation leads him behind the gated walls of Payne's institution, he finds a place that is more prison than school. Under political pressure to keep the school open at all costs, Frank risks his career and his life to unravel a knot of old scores and new rivalries...before they turn deadly.
Customer Reviews:
Blood Knot.......2007-01-04
This story was as good as the first one I read by this author last summer. It evokes a true feeling of being in the Adirondack Mountains and of being a native instead of a summer visitor, as I am. The hero, s small town police chief is totally believable with his all to human traits. The book kept me reading far into the night. Hope more stories with this lead character are forthcoming.
The knot loosens.......2006-03-22
Blood Knot, wrtitten by S.W. Hubbard, opens with a death of a pathfinder (type of teacher) in the forest of the Adirondacks. The teacher is mauled by a bear. The death is deemed an accident but as another death pops up at the North Coundty Academy for troubled teens, Police Chief Frank Bennett has to shift through what is fact and what is fiction. Bennett is placed in a difficult positon, to investigate the deaths further pits him against the towns folk (since the academy brings in much needed jobs), not to investigate goes against what he has been trained for as a cop. The book holds its mystery through most of it but toward the end you start putting the pieces together.
I did enjoy the way Hubbard constructs the town and its town folk, however the book is anything but fast paced or suspenseful. The reading is easy and Hubbard glosses over the techincal work of forensics and prefers her dectective to go about doing good old fashion question and logic guessing. This is the spot were I found the story to be weak. With the new technology to catch criminals, the killer would have been found from a trace of hair, skin, blood, or nail. In the end Blood Knot really doesn't leave you with a feeling for much of anything because the book as a whole seems mediocre.
Another Winner.......2005-09-23
S W Hubbard has written another great addition to the series. Smooth paced and entertaining. Great read. I am glad that I found this author. I will place it on my keeper shelf with the others of this series.
terrific Adirondack police procedural .......2005-07-27
Widower Frank Bennett retired from the Kansas City Police Department after twenty years there relocating to Trout Lake, New York where he is hired as local police chief though an outsider because the town can afford his salary. He has alienated some townsfolk due to his less than politically correct viewpoint on several subjects. He especially has problems with the changes to the North Country Academy by its new owner Dr. MacArthur Payne. Whereas much of the locals see the school as an opportunity for employment Frank envisions troubles caused by the wealthy student body consisting of troubled teens that he considers juvenile delinquents.
Jake Reiger, a teacher at the school is mauled to death by a bear while camping with students. Conservation Officer Rusty Magill insists to Frank that the victim knew his camping and has other doubts when bacon grease is found on the victim's sleeping bag; bacon grease is like catnip to bears. When other accidents follow, Frank reconsiders whether Jake was a homicide victim, but still has doubts until a student is killed.
The third Adirondack police procedural (see SWALLOW THE HOOK and TAKE THE BAIT); BLOOD KNOT is a terrific tale because Frank. using his experience as a cop, firmly believes a tragic accident caused by negligence occurred. Even when other incidents happen, he clings to a bad mishap as the evidence, in spite of Rusty's plea to the contrary, seems clear. Once the second homicide transpires, Frank, knowing he was wrong, goes all out to prevent another killing from taking place. This politically incorrect but dedicated hard working and intelligent law enforcement official works the difficult strange case.
Harriet Klausner
Product Description
The Second Fly Fishing Mystery now in paperback.
Customer Reviews:
Great new talent.......2006-07-31
John Galligan is a terrific writer. The readers of Crimespree Magazine picked this as their favorite book of 2005. And with good reason. Galligan has written one of my favorite books of the last ten years.
The Blood Knot evokes such a sense of place it's like you're actually there, smelling the smells and experiencing the weather right along with the characters. It's also a wonderful story. Our reluctant hero, Dog, just wants to be left alone, he wants to fish and forget the past. But he is drawn into a murder investigation and before long is working the case.
Galliagan is someone to keepyour eye on, I predict big things for him and Bleak House books. I've enjoyed every Bleak House book I've read.
A superbly crafted mystery.......2006-06-13
The Blood Knot by John Galligan is the engagingly entertaining story of a young, devoted fly fisherman named 'The Dog', and his survival in the Wisconsin town of Avalanche. As the Dog's exploratory quest for the greatest fly fishing brings him to the spiteful people of Kussmaul County and a the biting of a beaver thought to be rabid, The Blood Knot tactfully and vividly carries readers through page-after-page of an evermore gripping and intriguing mystery novel as the Dog finds yet another dead body, and even more peculiar, an outcast Amish woman high on crystal-meth. A superbly crafted mystery, The Blood Knot is very highly recommended reading as a man who's only intentions are peacefully fly fishing in country finds himself enveloped in peculiar happenings and a genuine "who done it" conundrum.
Absolutely wonderful mystery!.......2006-04-24
I thought that Mr. Galligan's first fly fishing murder mystery (The Nail Knot) was really great. "The Bood Knot" blows it out of the water. It's a nice, tight murder mystery, that keeps you guessing until the end. It is full of dry, dark humor and bizzare characters. You don't need to be a fly fisherman or woman to enjoy this tale immensely! I'll be first in line for the third adventure with "The Dog"!
Average customer rating:
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Blood Knot
Sam Llewellyn
Manufacturer: House of Stratus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0755100069 |
Book Description
Bill Tyrrell, sometime war correspondent and captain of the elderly cutter Vixen, has made it across the North Sea in a gale with a crew of eight unruly teenagers on release from the Probation Service. Now heading from the Thames estuary to historic Chatham docks for the Tall Ships celebrations, little can go wrong. But in the darkness, Vixen collides with the wreck of a small dinghy and something snags the propeller...a body. It seems that Bill's past is about to catch up with him.
Customer Reviews:
One of Llewellyn's Best.......2000-05-16
This is a great thiller, and Llewelyn is an expert at making the reader feel cold and wet. He has written five books where often the same characters appear, but the first person varies, on a similar european-nautical-mystery theme. These are DEADEYE, BLOODKNOT, DEAD RECKONING, DEATH ROLL and BLOOD ORANGE. Much of Llewellyn's other stuff is good, too, but these five are really great. Of these five, this one and DEADEYE are my favorites. Check out Bjorn Larsson's stuff if you like Llewellyn, too.
Average customer rating:
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The Blood Knot: A Play in Three Acts
Athol Fugard
Manufacturer: Samuel French Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | Classics | Contemporary | General | Historical | Humor | Letters & Correspondence | Middle | Old | Poetry | Renaissance | Shakespeare | Short Stories
Fugard, Athol | ( F ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0573640033 |
Customer Reviews:
Black and White.......2004-11-24
I saw the staging of this play well over ten years ago. The impression is still vivid. This two man production shows how half-brothers deal with life under Apartheid in South Africa. The key is one brother is "black" and the other is "white" thus the blood knot. To see and/ or read it is the only way to truly appreciate it. Together they live in squalor. The "black" brother works, the other stays at the shanty. The "white" brother tends to the needs of his brother when he comes home from work.
The clash of black and white comes into play when the plan is to have the "white" brother "go into the world" for the benefit of both. At this point, the racist world outside comes rushing in.
Average customer rating:
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Blood Knot
Denise Ryan
Manufacturer: Piatkus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 074993462X |
Average customer rating:
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Blood Knot
Sam Llewellyn
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0718133951 |
Average customer rating:
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Blood Knot
Burt Cole
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | African American | Asian American | Classics | Collections & Readers | Drama | General | Hispanic | History & Criticism | Humor | Jewish American | Letters & Correspondence | Native American | Poetry | Short Stories | Women Writers
ASIN: 0312084455 |
Average customer rating:
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The Blood Knot
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I5JKX0 |
Customer Reviews:
Clever and engaging.......2006-02-25
We always look for books that will grab our sons' attention for our family read aloud time. You know, the type of book that they say, "Please read one more chapter!" or "You can't stop there!" Dragonslaying is that type of book.
It does have action, funny parts, and time to think through problems. What I found interesting is that Mr. Marks did not just tell a story but he showed how different people deal with problems. The dragonslayer learns how to problem solve.
This book has a funny wizard who teaches a lot of problem-solving techniques and to make decisions based on what you know. The dragonslayer is a sixteen year old boy thrown into hard circumstances that are clearly the making of some adults. However, he also encounters some adults that rise above the rest.
We thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to others. If you enjoy the Medival time period, we also recommend The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent, practical advice!
- Manners
- Finnally a Useful Book on Manners
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Teaching Your Children Good Manners: A Go Parents! Guide
Lauri Berkenkamp , and
PsyD, Steven Atkins
Manufacturer: Nomad Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Child Care
| Parenting
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Parenting
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
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Morals & Responsibility
| Parenting
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
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General
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
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General
| Etiquette
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
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ASIN: 0965925811 |
Book Description
For parents everywhere who have had lovely family dinners ruined by misbehaving children, help is at hand. This guide provides a humorous, hands-on, parent-friendly approach to teaching children of all ages good manners in a wide variety of social situations, from accepting gifts graciously to which foods are OK to eat with fingers. Each chapter tackles a different situation, gives a brief outline of what manners are appropriate for it, and offers advice on how to teach and reinforce them to children of different ages. There is also a “What to Expect” chart broken down by age, and a Q & A section devoted to questions concerning children and manners.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent, practical advice!.......2001-12-09
Normally I'm skeptical of "how-to-parent" books, but this one actually delivers what it promises! As a parent, I found this book to be a realistic, sensitive approach to helping kids develop good manners. I'm definitely going to check out the rest of the Go Parents! series based on this book.
Manners.......2001-12-07
This is a delightful humorous book dealing with everyday situations. Every parent can relate to many of the examples used in the book. My children are now grown but the issues dealt with in the book are the same now as then. I wish the guide had ben available to refer to when I was raising my children. Now it will serve as a guide for my grandchildren.
Finnally a Useful Book on Manners.......2001-11-07
Thank You. Finally someone has written a useful as well as funny book on teaching (or trying to) your children good manners. The book offers excellent and practical advice on a host of issues that every parent confronts on a daily basis. The illustrations are hilarious, the writing is insightful, and was obviously written by someone who's been there, done that. Miss Manners for the new millenium
Books:
- Death by Darjeeling (Tea Shop Mysteries)
- Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
- Drop City
- El amor en los tiempos del cólera
- Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Other American Stories (Modern Library)
- Final Appeal
- Flashman and the Angel of the Lord
- Flashman in the Great Game: A Novel (Flashman)
- Glamorama (Vintage Contemporaries)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Ghettonation: A Journey Into the Land of Bling and Home of the Shameless
- Think and Grow Rich!: The Original Version, Restored and Revised
- The Female of the Species: Tales of Mystery and Suspense
- Tarzan Alive: A Definitive Biography of Lord Greystoke
- The Best of Family Portrait Photography: Professional Techniques and Images
- The Structure of Materials
- Tyranny on Trial: The Trial of the Major German War Criminals at the End of the World War II at Nure
- The Rhetoric of the Frame: Essays on the Boundaries of the Artwork
- Ten Days to Self-Esteem
- Claude Kirk and the Politics of Confrontation
Year of the Hyenas: A Novel of Murder in Ancient Egypt
The Mosaic of Shadows (A Byzantine Mystery)
The Year of the Cobra (Egyptian Pharaoh Trilogy 3)
The Season of the Hyaena
SPQR X: A Point of Law (The SPQR Roman Mysteries)
