A Taste of Evil
A Hani's Daughter Mystery
by N. L. Holmes
In Tutankhamen's Egypt, the vizier's head cook dies suspiciously, and it looks like murder to Neferet and Bener-ib. Only, who would want to kill a cook, a man admired by all?
Perhaps he has professional rivals or a jealous wife. But she is the longtime cook of Neferet's family, a dear retainer above reproach. Was her husband the good man he seemed to be, or did he have the shady past our two sleuths begin to suspect?
They'd better find out soon before the waters of foreign conspiracy rise around Neferet and her diplomat father. If they can't find the killer, it could mean war with Egypt's enemy, Kheta -- and someone else could die.
Maybe one of our nosy sleuths...
Meet the clever sleuths in the Hani's Daughter Mysteries!
Lord Hani
A diplomat by profession, he has a sense of a person’s genuineness and can temper his words patiently to the occasion. Historical documents tell us of the real Hani that “everybody is happy when Hani comes” because he’s so competent and grounded; one always feels safe when he’s on the job.
We’ve seen him struggle in his previous series with demands on his conscience, and he has earned the respect of his peers by staying true to his values under pressure without being rigid. Some would argue that he’s indulgent with his children, but that’s because he respects who they are and always trusts the gods to make things right in the end. But why is he involved in investigations with his daughter?
Sometimes because there’s a foreigner involved or some other diplomatic stake. Always, to watch over her and protect her. But above all, because he believes in ma’at, which is cosmic balance, justice, truth. He wants ma’at restored in the world, and he wants the victims’ families to have closure and the soul of the deceased to be at peace.
Neferet
Neferet, the youngest of Hani’s five children, is very different in most ways but she shares her father’s concern for ma’at. What strikes people first about Neferet is her indomitable cheer and energy. She’s effervescent and imaginative—a colorful young woman who likes attention, maybe to the point of a certain immaturity. But she’s loving and generous; always up for a spontaneous good deed.
Nobody expected her to become a physician because they didn’t realize how profoundly her sister’s crippling in a criminal boat “accident” moved her, but she persevered under difficulty and prejudice – stubbornness is another of her conspicuous traits (for good or ill).
And maybe that same crime inspired her to investigate other criminal acts, wanting closure for the victims and ma’at restored to the world. As she once explained it, solving murder mysteries is very like medicine: diagnose the problem (discover the identity of the murderer), find the cure (catch them), and administer it (see that justice is done).
Neferet isn’t constrained by social norms or by patriarchal superiority—she fearlessly pushes in where she has to, even in the face of danger. The lady of her heart, Bener-ib, is a timid, brainy young woman who is perfectly content for the bold Neferet to lead.
Bener-ib
A dedicated physician from a family of doctors, she might prefer not to get involved in crime-solving, except for her great compassion for the victim and their survivors.
Traumatised herself in her youth, she is tender-hearted and unselfish and brings a more disciplined logic to the investigations. Her phenomenal memory has more than once saved the day. But she never wants recognition; her great joy is to see those around her happy.
Mut-tuy
The final member of the investigative team is Mut-tuy, the oldest of the six orphans adopted and apprenticed by the two young physicians.
She is fourteen, a rebellious girl, often affecting sullen disinterest, although she’s plenty interested in good-looking older men. But what really lights her fire is tracking down criminals. And no wonder—her own father was murdered, and she never had the closure of knowing the killer’s name. Then her mother had abandoned the family.
She’s as stubborn as Neferet, and the two often clash, but Neferet knows her history and also remembers her own adolescence. Mut-tuy is smart, often sarcastic and judgmental, but she loves animals and admires Brute, the great mastiff that accompanies the three young women on their adventures.
Mery-ra
A fourth sometime human member of the team is Neferet’s grandfather, Mery-ra. As indulgent as Hani, Grandfather loves to get involved in his son and granddaughter’s cases. He’s especially good at bonding with older people they need to question. A retired military scribe, he brings to the quest a sharp eye but also a wry sense of humor, and his deceptive affability—and genuine compassion—really do encourage people to talk.
Like his son, he knows a lot of people in high places. Maybe his motive is just to stave off boredom in his retirement… but this is also the man who raised Hani, so we can guess that his sense of ma’at is equally strong.
Altogether, a family of smart, committed investigators, each bringing something unique to the case, even if they’re not professionals.
N. L. Holmes
N.L. Holmes is the pen name of a professional archaeologist. She has excavated in Greece and in Israel and taught ancient history and humanities at the university level for many years. She has always had a passion for books, and in childhood, she and her cousin used to write stories for fun.
These days she lives in France with her husband, two cats, geese, and chickens, where she gardens, weaves, dances, and plays the violin.
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