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.
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.
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.
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.
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 ?
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.
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.
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.
Cover of Carter’s Conundrums. Book 1 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.
The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Tutankhamun’s Triumph. Book 2 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.
The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Hatshepsut’s Hideaway. Book 3 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.
The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Farouk’s Fancies. Book 4 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.
The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Akhenaten’s Alibi. Book 5 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.
The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Seti’s Secret. Book 6 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.
The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Belzoni’s Bequest. Book 7 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.
The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Nefertari’s Narrative. Book 8 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.
The cover of the Fiona Deal book, Ramses’ Riches. Book 9 in the series, Meredith Pink’s adventures in Egypt.
Fiona Deal 