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Out of the Black Land: A Mystery Kindle Edition

by Kerry Greenwood (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 171 ratings
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PW Pick 2013

"Australian author Greenwood, having made a name for herself with the lighthearted Phryne Fisher series, succeeds brilliantly with this gripping thriller set in ancient Egypt." —Publishers Weekly STARRED review

Eighteenth Dynasty Egypt is peaceful and prosperous under the dual rule of the Pharaohs Amenhotep III and IV, until the younger Pharaoh begins to dream new and terrifying dreams.

Ptah-hotep, a young peasant boy studying to be a scribe, wants to live a simple life. But Amenhotep IV appoints him Great Royal Scribe, and he is soon surrounded by bitterly envious rivals and enemies.

The child-princess Mutnodjme sees her beautiful sister Nefertiti married off to the impotent young Amenhotep. But Nefertiti must bear royal children.

The Pharaoh's shrinking army under the daring teenage General Horemheb guards the Land of the Nile from enemies on every border. But a far greater menace impends.

The newly renamed Akhnaten plans to suppress the worship of all other gods in the Black Land. His horrified court soon realize that the Pharaoh is not merely deformed, but irretrievably mad; and that the greatest danger to the Empire is in the royal palace itself.

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  1. Print length
    479 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Poisoned Pen Press
  5. Publication date
    February 5, 2013
  6. File size
    2220 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Greenwood, the Australian author of the Phryne Fisher and Corinna Chapman mystery series, heads off in a radical new direction. Her new novel is set in ancient Egypt around the time of Nefertiti and Tutankhamen and concerns itself with a pharaoh’s grand—some might say megalomaniacal—plan to change the religious landscape of the country. There are also several subplots winding themselves in and around the main story (Nefertiti figures prominently in one), and the story is told in roughly alternating fashion by a pair of young scribes, one of them a sister to Nefertiti, the other a lower-class boy who dreams of a better life. Greenwood has taken a big risk here. Ancient Egypt as a source of literary material has been pretty well mined. But the novel feels fresh, partly because Greenwood isn’t insisting on shoehorning a traditional mystery plot into the book. She’s working on a much broader, epic scale that almost suggests Norman Mailer’s Ancient Evenings (1983). A real change of pace, but the majority of the author’s fans won’t be disappointed. --David Pitt

Review

Three young people living in the time of Egypt's eighteenth dynasty become a force to be reckoned with...As powerful forces fight for control, the fate of the nation hangs in the balance. From the often wildly differing conclusions of professional Egyptologists, Greenwood, best known for her mysteries, has fashioned a fascinating, plausible, and erotic tale.

-- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"

Greenwood has taken a big risk here. Ancient Egypt as a source of literary material has been pretty well mined. But the novel feels fresh, partly because Greenwood isn't insisting on shoehorning a traditional mystery plot into the book.

-- "Booklist"

Greenwood takes readers deep into the heart of ancient Egypt, making them wonder-much like Ptah-hotep does-if they will come out the other side intact. While some may argue that this story leans more toward historical fiction than mystery, the intricacies of the court and those who serve it hold more than their share of intrigue and suspense.

-- "Library Journal"

Australian author Greenwood, having made a name for herself with the lighthearted Phryne Fisher series, succeeds brilliantly with this gripping thriller set in ancient Egypt...The author is especially good at conveying the nitty-gritty details of life at the time.

-- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)"

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07VQKT2ZP
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Poisoned Pen Press; Reprint edition (February 5, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 5, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2220 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 479 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 171 ratings

About the author

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Kerry Greenwood

Kerry Greenwood

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Kerry Greenwood (born 17 June 1954 in Footscray, Victoria) is an Australian author and defence lawyer. She has written many plays and books, most notably a string of historical detective novels centred on the character of Phryne Fisher. She writes mysteries, science-fiction, historical fiction, and children's stories, as well as plays. She is unmarried but lives with a "registered wizard".

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by John Lamp (John Lamp) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
171 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

C. Cowan
5.0 out of 5 stars Kerry Greenwood does ti again!
Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2013
Verified Purchase
Loved the book - I collect her two mystery series (Phryne Fisher and Corinna Chapman) and decided to buy this one as well. An interesting treatment of the Amarna period - one that gave more attention to Amenhotep III and his Queen Tiye, as well as "the usual suspects," i.e., Ikhnaten, Nefertiti, Tutankamen, Aye, Horemheb, et al.. I thought it worked very well and was interesting in that she cast one "usual villain" as One of the Good Guys. And it worked! The internal logic of the book is well-constructed, with no problem "suspending disbelief" as it's termed, for readers of any fiction.

Her afterward, giving sources and comments on histories she's read, evaluated, and used was also thought-provoking. I will be looking at one standard with new eyes the next time I read it.

Well-researched, well-written, and well worth buying!
One person found this helpful
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Bookie
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2015
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I have read many of this author's Miss Fisher series. They always have sexual content, but not without reasons in the stories. I do like her books because they always include historical facts, and even social issues of the time. I believe she researches her books carefully, building a story around historical characters and probable events. By no means is this book historical fiction in the strict sense of the label, but within the framework of the Egypt of Akhenaten's time and the historical events of Egypt and the surrounding countries, Greenwood builds a believable and possible story. Her writing is descriptive and puts the reader right in the place and time.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth your time..
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2016
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This is an excellent book and well worth your time to read. I purchased this book more than a year before I finally committed to reading it. The first couple of times I started, I allowed myself to become disheartened at the VERY long list of "The Cast," as well as the overall length of the book. Don't make this same mistake. This is a great book, an intriguing cast. of characters, and a fascinating glimpse into ancient Egypt (as interpreted by Ms.. Greenwood). Once I finally got started, I could not put it down - mysteries, political intrigue, fighting, love, sex, friendship and religious battles. What more could you ask for? Be sure to read the author's Afterword for even more great info on ancient Egypt. This one should definitely be added to your list of recommended books!!
2 people found this helpful
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DragonPoodle
5.0 out of 5 stars Best novel of Ancient Egypt I have read
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2014
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Actually, the title for my review is a bit misleading. It IS the best novel of Ancient Egypt I have read, but it is the ONLY one I have actually finished. That's because all of the others I have dipped into just weren't worth reading and I dropped them before finishing, something I rarely do. I'm a history buff in a small way (not a serious scholar) and have been fascinated by this time period ever since I learned about the short lived switch to monotheism, and its aftermath. Kerry Greenwood presents an intriguing set of ideas about this time, she writes beautifully, her characters are well developed and fascinating people. Loved the book.
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Storyteller7
3.0 out of 5 stars A story of Akhenaten and Nefertiti
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2020
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Greenwood offers an interesting take on Egypt's Amarna period, making Akhenaten a mad villain and Nefertiti his beautiful stooge. Thought--provoking, and worth a read.
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SignoftheTimes
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed it!
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2013
Verified Purchase
Books set in ancient Egypt continues to fascinate me. Many writers have used what available information there is on the lives of Pharaoh Ahkenaten and Nefertiti and weave their story around these mysterious figures and I never tire of the of them because they each bring something that make them entirely plausible.

I enjoyed this book very much (well, except for the several sex scenes which I just skip over), and I really liked the two main characters in this one, Ptah-hotep, who was picked out of obscurity by Ahkenaten to become the Royal Scribe, and Mutnodjme, half sister to Queen Nefertiti herself. There is plenty of court intrigue, betrayal, greed and conspiracy to make this a fast moving novel that kept my attention the whole way through. The author's portrayal of the Pharaoh was one of the most distasteful because of his actions and intentions. Usually I feel pity for the poor guy.

If you love historical fiction, especially this era as much as I do, I would certainly recommend this book.
2 people found this helpful
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Pamela M
4.0 out of 5 stars You'll Feel a Part of Ancient Egypt
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2013
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Four and a half stars. Colourful, believable, well rounded characters and beautifully descriptive settings. This novel took me right into the world of Egyptian palaces and temples. In my mind's eye I could clearly see the people, buildings and landscape, in all their intricacies. The characters are very well fleshed out, and there are plenty to love as well as a few to hate. The politics and intrigue of the era are engaging, and combined very cleverly with relationship development to provide a very satisfying story arc.
The reason for not giving five stars is that I found the inclusion of stories of the gods a bit overdone. Yes, they did inform the narrative, but for me they slowed down the impetus of the story during the middle sections.
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A. Whitney
5.0 out of 5 stars Now one of my five favorite books
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2019
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This is an enthralling historical novel, told by two characters you are drawn to and care about. The action is exciting and endlessly engaging. The historical research is comprehensive and meticulous. The writing is thoughtful, emotional, funny, and beautiful. From Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries to ancient Egypt, Kerry Greenwood is unerring. If you read nothing else this year, read this.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Freesia58
5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 29, 2014
Verified Purchase
Having read nearly all of Kerry Greenwood's Miss Fisher stories, and thoroughly enjoyed everyone one, I thought I would attempt another of this author's books.

I found this a gripping read from beginning to end. Very well researched and written. I like this author's style of writing and look forward to my next purchase.
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FLUFFY
3.0 out of 5 stars Good research but definitely not a mystery!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 6, 2013
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Sorry I cannot agree with the reviews on Amazon.com. The booked is titled "Out of the Blacklands. A Mystery". That is the first misleading thing about this book because it is not a Mystery story. Though a lot of research has obviously gone into it I found it really dis-jointed and hard going. I've struggled on and tried to continue reading it but sadly have now just given up. The front cover review calls it a "A fascinating, plausible and erotic tale". There is history, and there are erotic episodes in the book but this is certainly not a "fascinating tale". Will I finish reading it - I doubt it very much! Would I purchase another of Kerry Greenwood's books - I doubt that either. I love a good Egyptian mystery novel and I like good factual Egyptian books too but sadly this is neither one or the other.
3 people found this helpful
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Ann Cameron
5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating tale of ancient Egypt
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 7, 2014
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Very different from the Phryne Fisher novels, but none the less interesting for that. Well constructed so that the research does not dominate the narrative as happens with several authors who seem intent on proclaiming what clever people they are to have uncovered the underlying historical data.
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K. Haidar
5.0 out of 5 stars Very well researched
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 24, 2013
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A combination of fantasy and good background research. Innovative interpretation of life in the time of the Pharaohs. Enjoyed it a lot.
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