Death of an Eye
The Eye of Isis series, Book 1
Dana Stabenow
Head of Zeus
Fiction, Historical Fiction/Mystery
Themes: Cross-Genre, Diversity, Girl Power, Urban Tales
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Description
The city of Alexandria thrives under the twin reign of Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy, though it's Cleopatra - thanks
to her canny ruling and the support of the Roman Julius Caesar, whose child she carries - who is most responsible for
turning Egypt around after recent unrest. Still, there are those who grumble and plot in the shadows: those who resent the
Roman presence, those who resent how much power Cleopatra holds and would prefer a man, even a cruel weakling like Ptolemy,
to rule alone. Now, it seems someone has actually acted on those grumblings... and the Eye of Isis, Cleopatra's secret
personal investigator, lies dead in the streets.
Tetisheri lives with her wealthy merchant uncle, helping him run his trade business after escaping a horrific marriage. She
and the queen were childhood friends, though the gods have guided them on separate paths as they've grown. Then Apollodorus,
Cleopatra's personal guard (and Tetisheri's childhood crush) comes calling with a summons from the palace. The Eye was cut
down while investigating the theft of a shipment of new coins intended to reinvigorate Alexandria's economy; the brazen
theft was no random act, but calculated by her enemies to weaken her hold on power. But the only ones who knew of the
shipment were in her closest circles, meaning that she cannot trust anyone in the palace. Hence, calling on their childhood
bond, the queen requests that Tetisheri act as her Eye in this matter.
Though she's in no position to refuse, Tetisheri doubts she will be of much use. She's never investigated more than the
prices or provenance of her uncle's trade goods. Nevertheless, she finds herself on a twisting trail through the streets of
Alexandria and the halls of power, with nobody but Apollodorus as her guide. The last Eye to follow this trail ended up in
the city morgue with a shattered skull - how can Tetisheri hope to escape the same fate?
Review
This is an interesting, fast-paced mystery set in the days of Cleopatra's reign, in an Egypt whose ancient glory has faded but not yet been entirely eclipsed. Alexandria is a city not unlike modern cities, where various cultures mingle and occasionally clash and where schemes seem to hatch in every shadow. Here, Tetisheri enjoys a fairly independent existence, having secured a divorce from a power-hungry and abusive husband. She and her uncle regularly take in and free women slaves, teaching them their letters and often sending them off into prosperous occupations around the city and greater Egypt, a sharp contrast to the interloping Romans who only allow women to be wives and mothers (and a handful of other, usually unsavory occupations). She and Cleopatra were once best friends, but power has naturally changed their relationship. Still, when Cleopatra comes calling and makes her request, it's not just royal obligation that makes Tetisheri take up the Eye, even though in her mind it's only a temporary thing. Despite herself, she takes to detective work fairly rapidly, starting in the trail of the fallen Eye and continuing past where that woman met her untimely end, encountering numerous diplomatic bumps along the way as the case veers into the thorny, tangled politics of the palace. Around her, the world of ancient Egypt comes alive, both like and unlike modern times, with a host of colorful and interesting characters. There's a bit of character overload at times; it's clear that this story is also setting up a longer series where several people introduced here will be recurring figures, which might also explain why more than one didn't seem to quite live up to their potential in this installment. The international politics can also be a bit convoluted to pick through. Nevertheless, it all makes for a decent investigation, and Tetisheri is an intriguing detective.