Eight years in the making, but worth the wait…
I have long wished for another book in T Lee Harris’ far-too-short Sitehuti and Nefer-Djenou-Bastet series, whose one book and three short stories I discovered and devoured during one weekend, back in 2017. It’s been one of my favorite series for years, and now my hopes, which had faded with time, have been met with the recent publication of Lies in the Place of Truth. Which is as awesome as its long-ago predecessors.
Nefer-Djenou-Bastet (aka the Sacred One, aka the Magic Cat, aka Neffi) is an irascible Temple Cat, intelligent, and with an almost preternatural instinct for trouble. Minor trouble, like stealing bits of fish; and major trouble, like foiling assassination attempts. But since he’s sacred to the Egyptian cat-goddess Bastet, he gets away with it all. Then one day (in the first book), much to the relief of the Temple’s priests and priestesses – indeed, to the relief of almost all the Temple’s inhabitants, Neffi takes a shine to a young scribe, Sitehuti (aka Huti), and the two become a team.
As Lies in the Place of Truth opens, Huti now has a temporary appointment as a Royal Scribe, so he can create the all-important Book of Gates that will guide his deceased friend, Amuny, through the Field of Reeds into the Land of the West. In addition, as a scribe, he’s also overseeing the inventory of the burial goods that will accompany Amuny to his next life. In “real life”, though, Amuny was really Prince Amunhotep, one of Ramesses II’s lesser but much-loved sons, so his funeral is a big deal – and a big temptation for the thieves who have recently been looting the tombs in the Great Place. Of course, Huti and Neffi are in the middle of it all. Including a murder or two…
All of the Neffi and Huti stories are laugh-out-loud funny, and my husband kept giving me the side-eye as I snorted and chortled my way through this one. Finally meeting Huti’s redoubtable family, all skilled artisans in the Place of Truth, is a kick, as is watching Neffi first swipe at, and then eventually make friends with, Huti’s brother’s dog, the somewhat aptly named Useless. At the same time, underlying the high-jinx, Harris’ almost lyrical descriptions of ancient Egyptian life and locations form a perfect backdrop. And although there are some somber moments, they felt appropriate and didn’t detract at all from my sheer enjoyment of the story.
Overall, I can’t recommend Lies in the Place of Truth enough. My only bit of input is that there is a fairly heavy reliance on backstory from the first book, The Eloquent Scribe. So although Harris does a good job of catching readers up to date, you probably should just go ahead and pick Eloquent up and read it first. Just like Lies, it’s a great read, and neither it nor the omnibus of the three additional short stories are very expensive in e-book. You won’t regret reading any of them.
As for me, I’m now just stuck hoping Harris doesn’t take another eight years to write the next book in the series. Not least because I have my fingers crossed for Huti to maybe get to know the newest young Temple singer, Nehmes Bastet, a bit better – of whom Neffi already approves!
And finally, my thanks to the author and Per Bastet Publications for the review copy.
Buy The Eloquent Scribe, #1 at: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada
Buy Lies in the Place of Truth, #2 (not counting the short stories) at: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada
Buy 3 Tales of the Cat at: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada