A Face Turned Backward

Lieutenant Bak and his Medjay police at Buhen fortress--southern Egypt during the 18th Dynasaty--are called in to investigate the stabbing of farmer Penhet. The likely suspect, according to the wife, is Penhet's neighbor, Netermose, who swears his innocence. While at the crime scene, Bak and his second, Imsiba, are summoned to Commandant Thuty's office. Goods are moving up the Nile without the appropriate fees being paid, and a large ivory tusk has disappeared. Bak and his men must inspect all incoming and outgoing shipments. The stew thickens when the investigators discover an abandoned, cargoless ship and hear rumors of sightings of a headless man. The plot is fairly simple and, as all good detectives throughout the ages, Bak solves his case with wits and careful investigation. Haney (The Right Hand of Amon) makes up for what is otherwise a fairly routine story with colorful characters and glimpses of daily life and romance in this ancient world. (Jan.)