Murder in the Place of Anubis

More than a period puzzle, this exceptional debut melds ancient Egyptian religious belief and practice with court intrigue to produce a riveting mystery. The court of the young Pharaoh Tutankhamun still suffers some of the tumultuous aftereffects of the reign of his father, the iconoclastic monotheist, Akhenaten. When the body of the scribe Hormin is found with an obsidian embalming knife sticking from its neck at the Place of Anubis, Tutankhamun assigns the task of finding the murderer--and the desecrator of holy places--to his ``Eyes and Ears,'' Lord Meren. Meren and his adopted son Kysen begin with Hormin's family, whose members lay both murder and the theft of an expensive beaded collar at the feet of Hormin's mistress, the sultry Beltis, who returns the charges. To solve the murder, Meren and Kysen retrace the scribe's last day, using surprisingly sophisticated, but credible, investigative techniques. Especially appealing is the personality of the boy king who wants desperately to join the investigation but refrains in deference to his exalted position as monarch. His interaction with Meren, who thinks of him as a son, is a poignant addition to a memorable tale. Even readers who aren't usually drawn to historical mysteries will likely delight in Robinson's fully developed characters and her deft building of suspense. (Feb.)