Murder at the God's Gate

More than the sum of its parts, this second (following 1994's Murder in the Place of Anubis) in the series featuring ancient Egypt's Lord Meren, advisor to the court of Tutankhamun, is a compelling narrative comprised of vividly depicted background and characters and a well-plotted mystery. When Unas, a priest at the Temple of Amun, falls to his death from a colossal unfinished statue of the young king, Meren sends his adopted son Kysen to investigate. Unas's death, although raising suspicions in the deeply political court, appears to be accidental until another priest is killed by cobras hidden in his box of writing materials. As Meren tries to determine why someone would kill holy ones, Tut confirms his intention to lead his army on a campaign to secure the country's borders. His advisors, including Meren, wonder how they can tell the 14-year-old god that he is too young to go into battle. Breathing life into her scholarship through deft characterization and lucid plotting, Robinson frees her cast from frieze-like immobility, allowing Meren and Kysen to solve the murders and ferret out the source of the unrest at court. (Feb.)