(A PHARAOH'S CAT NOVEL #2): THE EYE OF NEFERTITI.

THE EYE OF NEFERTITI by MARIA LUISA LANG.

BACK COVER BLURB: The Eye of Nefertiti is both a stand-alone novel and a sequel to The Pharaoh’s Cat. The time-traveling ancient Egyptian feline with human powers returns together with his beloved Pharaoh and his close friends, the High Priest of Amun-Ra and Elena, an Egyptologist’s daughter.

The cat is quick-witted, wise-cracking narrator as well as free-spirited, ever-curious protagonist, and the story he tells is an exotic, imaginative, spell-binding tragicomedy. The cat travels from present-day New York City to England, both ancient and modern, then to ancient Egypt, where he confronts a horrible demon and experiences a sublime emotion. Once back in England, he descends into a psychological abyss so deep only the Pharaoh can save him.

The Eye of Nefertiti interweaves feline and human, past and present, natural and supernatural. It contains numerous surprises, twists and turns, intriguing characters, both human and animal, fascinating revelations about ancient Egyptian history and culture, and an ingenious application of the Tarot and an Italian opera

FIRST SENTENCE {CHAPTER 1}: It's summer, and I'm stretched out on a windowsill in my bedroom with the sunlight warming the fur on my back.

MEMORABLE MOMENT {PAGE 102/103}: "You see immortality as a curse, but many people would see it as a blessing."

"They are fools. I am a slave to all I have witnessed over the centuries. You cannot know, Wrappa-Hamen, what it means to live with ancient memories that remain as fresh as the rose you picked for Elena in the garden."

SOURCE: Received for review from the author.

MY THOUGHTS: A sequel to the author's 2015 novel, The Pharaoh's Cat. Whilst this, the second instalment, reads perfectly well as a novel in its own right, its predecessor is well worth reading.

Certainly not short on intrigue, for me The Eye Of Nefertiti had the feel of a cosy mystery ... albeit it a 'cosy' with a difference.

And yet is it really accurate to term it as such?

Certainly our 'sleuths' are amateur 'detectives'. 'Bouncing off' each other so to speak, it is the interaction (much of it humorous) between the High Priest and the Pharaoh's cat, Wrappa-Hamen (aka Puss-In-Boat), which makes the book for me.

The supporting 'cast' most definitely eccentric. Equally as well written as the major characters, Elena goes from strength to strength as a character. Rosa (a 'stocky woman with a glint of mischief in her eyes), Nanette and Pauline's story incredibly moving. The very British 'man servant' John a nice touch. 

The pieces of the puzzle all there, slowly revealed as we travel from present day New York to Ancient Egypt by way of Stonehenge circa 1500 - 1000 B.C and present day Bath (England).

Either way, whatever the genre, a fun, well-paced, entertaining read. The author, proving herself a more than competent writer and gifted story teller. I'm hoping for yet more adventures with The Pharaoh's Cat.