Murder in Mennefer
This middle-grade story is steeped in mystery against the backdrop of ancient Egypt. Just as thirteen-year-old Imhotep is ready to embark on a journey to learn more about healing arts, his world is turned upside down. He must delay his dream of becoming a healer and prepare the funeral rites for his father to travel to the Beautiful West in the afterlife. Imhotep’s aspirations and trust in people are shattered when he discovers his father has left the family destitute. So that they can survive, he must labor in an abattoir filled with bloody remains of butchered animals to be served at banquets. He rapidly matures into adulthood and learns to trust himself as he faces the greatest challenges in his life: investigating his father’s murder and thwarting underground rebels, the Sons of Atum, who threaten to overthrow the royal sovereignty in a coup.
Author A. L. Sirois has masterfully written a coming-of-age story relatable to modern-day readers discovering where they belong in society. The narrative is told from the perspective of Imhotep in his unlikely life journey in which he takes control of his fate and fulfills his dreams despite tragic circumstances. The tale is rich in sensory detail about ancient Egyptian culture, everyday life, and religious beliefs. Each day begins when Lord Re’s chariot lights up the sky. Lord Thoth gives Imhotep signs that he is making the right decisions. The climactic chapters are fast-paced and suspenseful with unexpected twists.
Murder in Mennefer sweeps the reader back to ancient Egypt where a boy must take on the challenges of an adult and overcome family tragedy to follow his dream. Highly recommended.
