Egypt: The Book of Chaos

British author Drake’s dramatic finish to his trilogy set in ancient Egypt is every bit the equal of its standout predecessors, Nefertiti and Tutankhamun. The 18th dynasty remains in jeopardy as the head of Egypt’s armies, General Horemheb, poses a threat to Tutankhamun’s widow, Ankhesenamun, who has limited political support. In a desperate gambit, the young Egyptian queen dispatches Rahotep, a police detective once known as “the best Seeker of Mysteries” in Thebes, to the land of the Hittites, the country’s bitterest enemies, to persuade their ruler to marry one of his sons to her. To make the hazardous journey, Rahotep must break a promise to his family and set aside a search for a killer “strangely skilled at beheading teenage Nubian boys.” Everything works, from the dogged but flawed hero to the seamless melding of the murder inquiry with the larger political intrigue. (Dec.)