Secure A Copy The Book Of The Dead (The Kaires Scrolls 1) Conceived By Paul Davis Ready In Digital Version

first of a new series of historical detective stories, 'The Book of the Dead' introduces us to Kaires, an Egyptian doctor living in Alexandria under Roman rule.

The period and the city itself are well drawn, but the story really takes off when Kaires joins a group of argumentative scholars on a trip down the Nile.
Their petty squabbles gives rise to some very funny moments, but the fact that one of them must be a murderer keeps the suspense building to an unforseen ending.

Easy to read and great fun, Would recommend and hope to see more, a body in the Library, . .
a death on the Nile, . .
a legendary treasure
When an archivist is murdered in the Great Library of Alexandria, the Roman Prefect of Egypt persuades his Egyptian doctor, Kaires, to join the suspects, a group of scholars, on a trip down the Nile.
As the boat glides past the cities of the Delta on its way to the Pyramids, other murders occur before a deadly secret

involving unimaginable wealth is uncovered but can Kaires solve the mystery before he himself becomes a victim As a great lover of mysteries, and of Egyptian history, I went into this book with high expectations.
All of these were met, and then some,
Davis commands language well, and weaves beautiful imagery, His narrative voice is poetic, his dialogue realistic, and his characters are engaging and threedimensional,

The first thing I must note here is that the book is selfpublished, but editing beautifully, and reads better than several 'professionally published' mystery books I've stumbled upon.
Whilst the spacing between paragraphs felt a little unusual to begin with, it in no way deterred from an excellently presented piece of work.


The story itself follows young, halfEgyptian physician Kaires, who has been appointed by the Prefect of Egypt to uncover the truth behind a grisly murder.
The investigations takes him on a journey down the Nile, which echos a beloved formula not dissimilar to something you might find from Agatha Christie.
Indeed, as a huge Christie love, I found The Book of the Dead to be of a similar vine, and just as enjoyable.


Kaires himself, our protagonist, is somewhat more likable than our favourite Belgian detective, though lacks in his experience, being primarily a physician.
I feel it worth noting here how refreshing it is to see a person of colour take the lead role in any book, but especially so in a murder mystery.
Kaires's youthfulness also, despite his intelligence and wisdom, makes him an extremely accessible character for all ages, I enjoyed in particular, his relationship and interaction with the other characters, Most specifically with the wonderful Iola, the beautiful and rather cunning daughter of the victim, who quickly became one of my favourite characters.


Never predictable, the mystery itself takes you through many twists and turns, and whilst halfway through I was able to piece together bits and pieces, the final reveal was surprising and really quite satisfying.
The book, which is quite short, manages to cover alot of ground within it's pages, meaning that despite rather beautiful passages of description, the pace is quick, and thrilling.


If I haven't already recommended it enough, the book is also incredibly well researched, Davis interweaves fiction and historical fact with an enviable ease that all Historical Fiction writers dream of, The fact that this is the author's first novel makes this achievement even more astounding, as most writers go through teething issues with their first book.
Davis's seemless writing meant that not only did I walk away having enjoyed a good story, I also feel that my knowledge of the era and place have been enriched.
Having lived in Cairo myself for three years, and frequented the museum there, as well as the pyramids of Giza, I am very fond of, and fascinated by Egyptian history, and Davis did not disappoint.


All together, if you enjoy a good mystery, The Book of the Dead is the one for you! I myself will treasure my copy, and I look forward the next installment with great impatience.




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