Category Archives: Bible

Locations used in Seti’s Secret

As you may have seen if you’ve been following me over the last couple of weeks, I’m re-visiting the Egyptian locations that provide the backdrop for my mystery-adventure series following Meredith Pink’s Adventures in Egypt.

This is an excuse to dig out some of my favorite photographs and re-live treasured memories of past trips of my own (especially as it’s not possible to travel to Egypt right now).  I hope it will also bring to life many of the settings for key scenes in my books for any readers who may not have visited Egypt; or bring back memories for those that have.

In this post, I am now up to book 6 in the series, Seti’s Secret.  Books 4, 5 and 6 in the series all explore the possible links between Pharaonic history and the Old Testament of the Bible.  Of course, they are fiction.  But there are some intriguing hypotheses put forward by certain Egyptologists.  From these, I have woven my stories.  In Seti’s Secret, Merry & Co have stumbled across a set of clay tablets that seem to provide a link to the mysterious Copper Scroll found among the Dead Sea Scrolls in the caves of Qumran.  The Copper Scroll exists and is on display in Jordan.  Merry is intrigued to know whether the Copper Scroll (which appears to modern scholars to be a list of buried treasure) might provide a link between the ‘heretic pharaoh Akhenaten and Moses of the Bible.

Copper Scroll of Qumran
Copper Scroll of Qumran
Copper Scroll of Qumran
Dead Sea Scrolls

Some historians describe Pharaoh Akhenaten as ‘the first individual in history’.  He was the first pharaoh to worship one god – the sun disc – Aten – whom he rose above the ancient Egyptian pantheon of animal-headed gods and goddesses. Did this make him founder of the first monotheistic religion ?  He was unusual, for sure, and had himself depicted with elongated and exaggerated features.

Pharaoh Akhenaten
Pharaoh Akhenaten
Akhenaten – ‘heretic’ pharaoh
Pharaoh Akhenaten, Luxor Museum
Pharaoh Akhenaten, Luxor Museum
Pharaoh Akhenaten, Luxor Museum

As usual in a Meredith Pink story, there’s plenty of action along the way, with characters old and new joining Merry on her latest adventure along The Nile.

There have been reports of looting in the Valley of the Kings, so Merry joins a team to check this out.  She visits one of the most spectacular tombs in Egypt: that of Seti I, second pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty of The New Kingdom.  It is the largest in the Valley and has only recently been re-opened after decades closed to the public.

Author Fiona Deal at the entrance to the tomb of Seti I
Entrance corridor, Tomb of Seti I,Valley of the Kings
Tomb of Seti I, Valley of the Kings
Pillared chamber inside tomb of Seti I, Valley of the Kings
Pillared chamber inside the tomb of Seti I, Valley of the Kings

The action also takes Merry and friends to the Luxor Museum, where they hope to study an ancient papyrus scroll and learn its secrets.  This is a fascinating Museum set on The Corniche on the east bank in Luxor, and well worth a visit.

Luxor Museum
Author Fiona Deal outside Luxor Museum

It would be impossible for Merry to explore the links between Akhenaten and the Bible without visiting the site of the ‘heretic’ pharaoh’s ancient city of Akhet-Aten, modern-day Amarna.  This location has recently been added to Nile cruise itineraries sailing between Cairo and Luxor.  Amarna lies on the east bank, approximately mid-way between the two.  It seems the many tombs of the Nobles constructed there were never occupied.  Merry is intrigued to know why not and what may have happened to them ?  Is it possible there’s a link with the Exodus story of the Bible ?

Nobles Tombs, Amarna
Nobles Tombs in Amarna, ancient Akhet-Aten
Tomb of Panehesy, Amarna
Tomb of Meryre, Amarna

Returning to Luxor having made a thrilling discovery at Amarna, it seems many of the answers to her questions might be found on the walls of the mighty Karnak temple.

Model of Karnak Temple, Luxor
Model of Karnak Temple, Luxor
Karnak Temple
Hypostyle Hall and obelisks, Karnak Temple, Luxor
Stele, Karnak Temple, Luxor
Karnak Temple, Hypostyle Hall

It wouldn’t be a Meredith Pink story without a visit to one of Egypt’s lovely hotels, this time dinner at The Nile Palace, known for its clover-shaped pool, and great view across The Nile to the West Bank.

Pool at The Nile Palace Hotel, Luxor
Boats on The Nile at The Nile Palace Hotel

And so my sixth book wraps up with new insights into ancient history and lots of fun and drama along the way.  The big question remains, as Egypt is so turbulent in its modern history, can Merry continue to pursue her dream of making a new life for herself in Egypt ?

I hope you’ve enjoyed looking at my pictures and learning a bit about Merry’s adventures in Egypt.  You might like to consider reading the series for a bit of escapist fiction that takes you to the heat and sunshine of Egypt – great travel stories and ancient mysteries wrapped up in modern adventure stories.  If so, I suggest you start with the first in the series, Carter’s Conundrums.

Fiona Deal, Author of Meredith Pink’s Adventures in Egypt, fiction books all available on Amazon. To join Merry on her adventures please click on each picture for the link.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Carter's Conundrums

Cover of  Carter’s Conundrums. Book 1 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Tutankhamun’s Triumph.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Tutankhamun’s Triumph. Book 2 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Hatshepsut’s Hideaway.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Hatshepsut’s Hideaway. Book 3 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Farouk’s Fancies.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Farouk’s Fancies. Book 4 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Akhenaten’s Alibi.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Akhenaten’s Alibi. Book 5 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Seti’s Secret.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Seti’s Secret. Book 6 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Belzoni’s Bequest.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Belzoni’s Bequest. Book 7 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Nefertari’s Narrative.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Nefertari’s Narrative. Book 8 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Ramses’ Riches.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Ramses’ Riches. Book 9 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

Scenes from Akhenaten’s Alibi

I am indulging in a pictorial journey through some of the key locations used in my travel adventure series Meredith Pink’s Adventures in Egypt.  Set in modern times, my stories all have an ancient Egyptian historical theme or mystery at their heart.  They are a fun, escapist series of books, with a chunk of Egyptian history thrown in for good measure as this has always fascinated me.

In book 5, Akhenaten’s Alibi, Merry is caught up in an adventure that explores links between ancient Egypt and The Bible, in particular whether Biblical Moses and the ‘heretic’ pharaoh Akhenaten might have had anything in common.

Merry is now living on The Nile in Luxor aboard a converted Victorian dahabeeyah.  Her daily life is spent enjoying the beauty of the river.  Here are some shots to show you the typical riverbank scenes that Merry looks at every day.

Riverbank scene in Egypt
River Nile fishing at dusk
Nile cruise in Egypt
River Nile sunset scene
River scenes in Egypt
Riverbank scenes in Egypt
The Nile in Aswan
River scene in Luxor
Scenes along the riverbank
Scenes along the riverbank
The splendors of Egypt

My challenge with setting my books in modern times is the need to stick within the boundaries of current events as well as be historically accurate.  This book is set during the protests in Egypt that resulted in President Morsi being forcibly removed from office.  This was a turbulent and violent period in Egypt’s recent history and provides the backdrop against which my story unfolds.

Cairo revolution to topple President Morsi
Cairo Revolution

Some of the key action takes Merry on her first visit to Amarna.  This is the site of the ancient city of Akhet-Aten, built by the ‘heretic’ pharaoh Akhenaten, when he moved the religious capital from Thebes (now Luxor).  The city was systematically demolished after Akhenaten’s death.  Today, very little remains.  But it is possible to get a sense of the basic layout in the dustbowl between The Nile and the cliffs.  Modern visitors are now able to visit The Royal Tomb, although it is unclear whether Akhenaten (and other members of his family) were interred there.

Ancient city of Akhet-Aten
The ancient royal tomb of pharaoh Akhenaten

As always, Merry & co get into innumerable scrapes and make some remarkable discoveries along the way.  A blend of fact and fiction, ancient and modern, adventure, mystery, romance and history, I hope you will consider reading them.  If so, I suggest you start with the first book in the series, Carter’s Conundrums, in which Merry gets caught up in her first Egyptian adventure.

It is always a joy to me to look at my photographs of treasured times in Egypt.  I hope you have enjoyed looking at my pictures too.

Fiona Deal, Author of Meredith Pink’s Adventures in Egypt, fiction books all available on Amazon. To join Merry on her adventures please click on each picture for the link.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Carter's Conundrums

Cover of  Carter’s Conundrums. Book 1 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Tutankhamun’s Triumph.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Tutankhamun’s Triumph. Book 2 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Hatshepsut’s Hideaway.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Hatshepsut’s Hideaway. Book 3 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Farouk’s Fancies.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Farouk’s Fancies. Book 4 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Akhenaten’s Alibi.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Akhenaten’s Alibi. Book 5 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Seti’s Secret.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Seti’s Secret. Book 6 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Belzoni’s Bequest.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Belzoni’s Bequest. Book 7 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Nefertari’s Narrative.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Nefertari’s Narrative. Book 8 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Ramses’ Riches.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Ramses’ Riches. Book 9 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

Location pictures from Farouk’s Fancies

I am taking a trip down memory lane, looking at treasured photographs of my travels in Egypt, since it’s not currently possible to visit for real due to the global pandemic.  Many of the fabulous places to see in Egypt have formed the backdrop location for key scenes in my fiction series following Meredith Pink’s Adventures in Egypt.  Merry is good at getting herself into scrapes.  She’s also good at unlocking secrets from ancient Egypt’s mysterious past.  Set in the present-day, I think of my books as ancient mysteries wrapped up in modern adventure stories.

Book 4 in the series, Farouk’s Fancies, moves the action on from where we left Merry at the end of Book 3.  She is now living onboard a dahabeeyah.  These are traditional Nile sailboats, pioneered by Thomas Cook when he first started taking paying tourists to see the splendors along the Nile.  He took the basic design from prototypes carved onto the tomb and temple walls in Egypt.  Smaller and more intimate than the modern cruise boats, they are able to visit more sites along both banks of The Nile, offering an alternative for discerning travellers.

Dahabeeyah on The Nile
Dahabeeyah on The Nile
Dahabeeyah on The Nile
Dahabeeyah on The Nile

Much of the action in Farouk’s Fancies taken place in the wonderful Winter Palace Hotel.  Dating from the 1880s, this is where the Earl of Carnarvon stayed while he and Howard Carter were searching the Valley of the Kings for Tutankhamun’s Tomb.  I don’t imagine much has changed in the public areas since their day.  I imagine they could walk into the Lobby through the big wooden revolving door and still recognize it and feel very much at home.

Merry attends a lecture held in the huge Victorian Lounge, given by an author who is setting out his theories about how Pharaonic Egypt links to the Old Testament of The Bible.

Winter Palace Hotel, Luxor
Winter Palace Hotel, Luxor
Victorian Lounge, Winter Palace Hotel, Luxor
Victorian Lounge, Winter Palace Hotel, Luxor
Winter Palace Hotel, Luxor

There is a mystery attached to an illusive old lady who lives in a suite of rooms at The Winter Palace, leading off one of the lofty corridors.

Corridor, The Winter Palace Hotel

When a visitor to Luxor goes missing, Merry and her companions meet in the beautiful grounds of The Winter Palace hoping he might put in an appearance.

Gardens, Winter Palace Hotel, Luxor
Gardens, Winter Palace Hotel, Luxor
Gardens and pool, Winter Palace Hotel, Luxor
Gardens, Winter Palace Hotel, Luxor
Gardens, Winter Palace Hotel, Luxor
Gardens, Winter Palace Hotel, Luxor
Gardens, Winter Palace Hotel, Luxor

One of the key scenes in the book takes place in The Western Valley, a remote branch of the famous Valley of the Kings.  Merry is good at marching in where angels would fear to tread, and this is no exception! There are a few royal tombs in the Western Valley, including that of Pharaoh Ay, who came to the throne after the death of Tutankhamun.

The Western Valley
The Western Valley
The Western Valley
The Western Valley

The action shifts back to The Winter Palace hotel, where Merry inadvertently spends a rather uncomfortable afternoon outside on a window ledge, from where she has to be rescued.

View from The Winter palace Hotel
The Lobby of The Winter palace Hotel, Luxor
The Grand Staircase in the Lobby of The Winter Palace Hotel, Luxor
Corridor in The Winter Palace Hotel, Luxor
The Lobby of The Winter Palace Hotel, Luxor

Finally back on board the dahabeeyah, Merry realists she has all the pieces to wrap up this latest puzzle.  I hope you’ve enjoyed looking at my Egyptian photo album, and that you might consider reading my books, all available on Amazon.  If so, I suggest you start with Book 1, Carter’s Conundrums.

Fiona Deal, Author of Meredith Pink’s Adventures in Egypt, fiction books all available on Amazon. To join Merry on her adventures please click on each picture for the link.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Carter's Conundrums

Cover of  Carter’s Conundrums. Book 1 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Tutankhamun’s Triumph.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Tutankhamun’s Triumph. Book 2 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Hatshepsut’s Hideaway.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Hatshepsut’s Hideaway. Book 3 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Farouk’s Fancies.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Farouk’s Fancies. Book 4 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Akhenaten’s Alibi.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Akhenaten’s Alibi. Book 5 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Seti’s Secret.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Seti’s Secret. Book 6 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Belzoni’s Bequest.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Belzoni’s Bequest. Book 7 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Nefertari’s Narrative.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Nefertari’s Narrative. Book 8 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

An image of the cover of the Fiona Deal book, Ramses’ Riches.

The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Ramses’ Riches. Book 9 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.

Tourists return to Egypt

The British Foreign Office relaxed its restrictions on travel to Egypt last month. This is good news for all those whose livelihoods depend on the tourist industry, and a positive note on which to end this year which has seen so much political drama in Egypt.

I do hope the tourists will venture back to Egypt quickly.  Speaking as one who visited Luxor a couple of weeks after similar restrictions were lifted in 2011 when the Mubarak regime was toppled, I can only say it was a delight to visit when the tourist sites were uncrowded.  The Egyptian people were warm and welcoming (yes, there was some hassle, but it was good-natured and perfectly understandable in the circumstances.)

BookCoverPreview-2.doAs Egypt ends the year on a more positive note, so do I with the publication of the fourth book in my series following Meredith Pink’s Adventures in Egypt.  This story is set in the spring of 2013, before the events of the summer, which saw the ousting of President Mohammed Morsi from office.  Merry’s latest adventure, Farouk’s Fancies, draws on the events which saw the monarchy topped in Egypt and King Farouk sent into exile.  It was interesting to observe the political situation unfolding in Cairo this summer while writing about broadly similar themes which saw Farouk removed as king.  The story also involves the Dead Sea Scrolls and the theories put forward by some historians claiming key figures in the Bible were in fact ancient Egyptian pharaohs.

I look forward to a return to Egypt and to continuing the adventures of Merry and Adam.  I’m starting to think about how they’ve experienced the latter half of 2013 in Egypt and where their adventures will take them next.