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Thebes in Egypt in 1153 BC is a growing metropolis that is governed in the east by Paser and in the west by Pawero. When a heinous crime is committed, the rival mayors both claim rights to the investigation of the brutal murder of an elderly priestess named Hetephras. The task goes to the Clerk of Investigations and Secrets, a man called Semerket who doesn't appear to have what it would take to solve the case. Semerket has been disintegrating ever since his wife divorced him because he could not father a child. Despite the fact that he has turned into a drunk, Semerket has the reputation of being an absolutely honest man. He cannot speak an untruth, even when it would be politically expedient to do so. As Semerket probes into what happened to the priestess, he is stonewalled at every turn by the people of her town, with the exception of Hunro, a local beauty who bestows her favors on many. Semerket begins to expose local secrets, some involving the revered tombs of former rulers. As he proceeds, he uncovers a conspiracy that goes to the highest levels of government with a plot against the ruling Pharaoh, Ramses III. YEAR OF THE HYENAS has a distinctly modern sensibility to it. Semerket could easily have been a down-and-out private investigator in a current day novel. The plot is nicely complex and moves along without being held back by its historical setting. The political intrigues seem not to have changed from all those years ago. Thebes was also an interesting place to set the book, since it encompasses far-flung uninhabited areas reserved for the tombs of the dead together with a thriving city. It offers just as many complexities and contrasts as the book's protagonist. I'm not normally a fan of historical mysteries, but I liked YEAR OF THE HYENAS very much. Geagley integrated his research into the narrative seamlessly, and I found it very interesting to learn of some of the customs of the time, such as how the dead were prepared. The mystery depicted in the book is based on history's oldest-known 'court transcripts'. At times, the prose is a little clunky and there's some mysticism that stretches plausibility; but on the whole, this debut novel is one that is compelling and engaging.
Reviewed by Maddy Van Hertbruggen, March 2005
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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