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N.L. Holmes

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Bird in a Snare (The Lord Hani Mysteries Book 1) Kindle Edition

by N.L. Holmes (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.2 301 ratings

Book 1 of 6: The Lord Hani Mysteries

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When Hani, an Egyptian diplomat under Akhenaten, is sent to investigate the murder of a useful bandit leader in Syria, he encounters corruption, tangled relationships, and yet more murder. His investigation is complicated by the new king’s religious reforms, which have struck Hani’s own family to the core. Hani’s mission is to amass enough evidence for his superiors to prosecute the wrongdoers despite the king’s protection—but not just every superior can be trusted. And maybe not even the king!

From the Publisher

Best HIstorical Fiction (Pre-1750) of 2020!

Bird in a Snare, The Crocodile, Scepter of Flint

When Hani, an Egyptian diplomat under Akhenaten, is sent to investigate the murder of a useful bandit leader in Syria, he encounters corruption, tangled relationships, and yet more murder. His investigation is complicated by the new king’s religious reforms, which have struck Hani’s own family to the core. Hani’s mission is to amass enough evidence for his superiors to prosecute the wrongdoers despite the king’s protection—but not just every superior can be trusted. And maybe not even the king!

Jump into the Award-Winning Lord Hani Mysteries with Bird in a Snare!

Finalist, Next Generation Indie Book Awards Best Series of 2020!

"Highly compelling start to... a wildly successful mystery series: Hercule Poirot in ancient Egypt."--BlueInk Review 2020

"Will especially delight mystery readers who want more than a simple whodunit."-- Midwest Book Review 2020

“A rich, authentic mystery set in ancient Egypt brought by one who knows her stuff. Archeologist, N.L. Holmes offers up a political thriller that will have readers clamoring for more. One of our new favorites. Highly recommended!”-- Chanticleer 5-Star Review 2020

The Crocodile Makes No Sound
Scepter of Flint
The North Wind Descends
Lake of Flowers
Pilot Who Knows the Waters

Editorial Reviews

Review

Reviews

The central mystery contains abundant twists, which lead to a satisfying and surprising conclusion. A fine mystery tale that explores the relatable troubles of a conflicted investigator. --Kirkus. N.L. Holmes paints a picture of Egypt under Akhenaten's rule that is emotionally devastating. Lord Hani's relationship with his family is one of the most genuine and heart-warming that I have seen portrayed, and the author beautifully captures the familial drama that can unfold when everything you have ever known is forced to change...I heartily recommend this book to anyone with an appetite for historical fiction. --Official Review, Online Book Club. A beautifully written murder mystery set in fourteenth-century Egypt. Holmes weaves fiction with facts to produce a highly enjoyable book that will endear itself to any lover of historical whodunits... Holmes sketches Hani's relationships with all his family members with a tenderness that made my heart ache. 5/5 stars--Reader's Favorite Official Review. N.L.Holmes's writing is gorgeous and the historical and cultural elements of the setting are vividly captured... Bird in a Snare is a delightful read, especially for fans of novels with a setting in ancient Egypt. It features great character development,well-handled conflict, and strong plot points. 5/5 stars--Readers' Favorite Official Review. Author N. L. Holmes delivers a superb and lavishly depicted Egyptian setting for this intense mystery novel, giving modern readers everything they need in terms of clues, details, emotional story arcs, and thrilling surprises...
A highly recommended, accomplished historical mystery read. 5/5 stars -- Readers' Favorite Official ReviewI love the Lord Hani series and I thoroughly enjoyed this story, gripping and fascinating as usual.
Great historical background and character development, a solid plot that kept me hooked.
Highly recommended.--Anna Maria Giacommasso, reviewer

About the Author

N.L. Holmes is the pen name of a professional archaeologist whoreceived her doctorate from Bryn Mawr College. She has excavated inGreece and in Israel, and taught ancient history and humanities atthe university level for many years. She has always had a passion forbooks, and in childhood, she and her cousin (also a writer today)used to write stories for fun.

The inspiration forher Bronze Age novels came with an assignment she gave to herstudents one day: here are the only documents we have telling usabout a certain royal divorce in Ugarit in the 13thcentury. How much can we say about what happened? It quickly becameapparent that almost anything we might come up with was as muchfiction as historiography!

Today, since theirson is grown, she lives with her husband, three cats and a dog. Theysplit their time between Florida and northern France, where shegardens, weaves, plays the violin, dances, and occasionally drives ajog-cart. And reads, of course.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08682L3NC
Publisher ‏ : ‎ WayBack Press (March 21, 2020)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 21, 2020
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 4611 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 427 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #489,595 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #636 in Political Fiction (Kindle Store)
- #1,519 in Political Fiction (Books)
- #2,211 in Family Life Fiction (Kindle Store)

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4.2 301 ratings

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N.L. Holmes

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N.L. Holmes is the pen name of a professional archaeologist who received her doctorate from Bryn Mawr College. She has excavated in Greece and in Israel, and taught ancient history and humanities at the university level for many years. She has always had a passion for books, and in childhood, she and her cousin (also a writer today) used to write stories for fun.

The inspiration for her Bronze Age novels came with an assignment she gave to her students one day: here are the only documents we have telling us about a certain royal divorce in Ugarit in the 13th century. How much can we say about what happened? It quickly became apparent that almost anything we might come up with was as much fiction as historiography!

Today, since their son is grown, she lives with her husband, two cats, chicken, and geese in northern France, where she gardens, weaves, plays the violin, dances, and occasionally drives a jog-cart. And reads, of course.

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4.2 out of 5

301 global ratings

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EXCELLENT READI; FAST-PACED THRILLER SET IN ANCIENT EYGPT

Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2020

Verified Purchase

BIRD IN A SNARE
A historical whodunit set in ancient Egypt, this book by author N.L Holmes is replete with rich historical detail and lavish physical descriptions of the Land of the Pharaohs. Once again, Holmes approaches the relationship between fathers and sons addressed in her first work, The Lightening Horse. In this novel, Lord Hani, a royal scribe, faces a troubled relationship with a renegade son who has abandoned his fathers’ values. In contrast, Hani develops a surrogate father- son relationship with the young scribe, Maya, as the two confront the convoluted intrigues of an unravelling political empire. Vivid descriptions of the Egyptian landscape, its unearthly beauty and the power and majesty of the Nile fill this work and provide a lush backdrop for the unfolding of the tale. Strong historical details are interwoven throughout the book, underscoring the complex social and familial relationships that existed during this time period. Hani’s relationship with his wife, who struggles to keep her family on an even keel during his long absences, lend depth and romantic luster to this story of a good man caught in an unsavory situation—in short, a bird in a snare. Lovers of ancient history, of whodunits, or of political intrigue and action novels will love this book. A Historical Note and a detailed glossary of names and terms at the end of the book provide context for the story and help readers keep track of its many characters. Readers unfamiliar with the time period and/or ancient Egypt might want to read that first before beginning this engaging work.

11 people found this helpful

Helpful

Jon F. Zeigler

A window into an ancient and largely forgotten world

Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2021

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Bird in a Snare introduces Lord Hani, an Egyptian scribe who serves the Egyptian royal house as a messenger and diplomat. Hani is actually an historical figure, mentioned in the Amarna Letters which document many events of the late Eighteenth Dynasty. The story presents him as a decent and diligent man, as devoted to his wife and children as to his royal patron.

At the beginning of the story, we see Hani serving as host to Abdi-Ashirta, a Syrian magnate who is visiting Egypt in an attempt to gain the favor of Pharaoh. All seems well, but when Abdi-Ashirta returns home, he is murdered. Hani is sent as Pharaoh’s envoy to discover who committed the assassination, and to represent Egyptian interests in the region. This assignment proves far easier said than done. What with the schemes of various parties in Syria, the death of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, and drastic changes under the new Pharaoh (Akhenaten), Lord Hani’s life soon becomes very complicated . . . and more than a little dangerous.

N. L. Holmes is a trained archaeologist who is very familiar with the relevant history. Indeed, the plot and setting of Bird in a Snare reflect recent developments in scholarly study of the period. Political maneuvering, the religious revolution of Akhenaten, and the details of everyday Egyptian life all ring with authenticity. Best of all, her lead characters – Lord Hani, and his assistant Maya – are thoroughly likable and easy to sympathize with. Seeing the world of the late Bronze Age through their eyes is a treat.

I found that the story didn’t quite work for me as a mystery. Hani and Maya do take steps to investigate the murder of Abdi-Ashirta, and to follow a trail of corruption that leads all the way back to Pharaoh’s court. Yet for the most part the mystery seems to resolve itself, without much need for Hani and Maya to take action. Hani’s most important decision isn’t how to solve the crime, it’s what to do with the information once he has it. The result might be anticlimactic for readers who expect a fair-play “whodunnit.”

Another minor complaint: the book begins with many pages of historical notes and a glossary, rather than placing such material at the end. Some readers may find this useful. The story itself doesn’t pull any punches with Ancient Egyptian names and vocabulary, which may be difficult for readers not familiar with the period. Readers who prefer to jump right into the narrative should be prepared to riffle through quite a few pages before the story itself begins.

Still, these are minor complaints. Overall, the book was very well done with superb production values, and I caught very few copy-editing errors. The story worked very well as a window into an ancient and largely forgotten world.

I enjoyed Bird in a Snare very much, and I’m looking forward to later books in the series. Recommended for anyone who enjoys historical fiction set in the ancient world.

4 people found this helpful

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kathryn vanspanckeren

Murder on the Ancient Nile

Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2020

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This suspenseful and engrossing mystery is set in the revolutionary era of Akhenaten, often credited with introducing monotheism to ancient Egypt. On the Nile marshes Hani, a royal scribe and seasoned diplomat, takes a visiting leader on a duck hunt involving a decoy, a duck in a snare. From this scene on, we follow Hani on repeated missions to unstable border cities in order to solve a murder and maintain their allegiance. Increasingly, Hani comes to suspect that he, himself, has become a decoy in an intricate plot emanating from the court. Solving the mystery involves penetrating layers of misdirection and intrigue. Hani is a terrific hero: diligent, intelligent, fair and warm hearted. He is close to his wife, who is employed in the temple of Amen, a central god in the ancient Egyptian pantheon up to the time of the new Pharaoh Akhenaten. Through his wife and her family we see the cultural devastation brought about by the harsh new regime. Hani is close to his children as well, though his eldest son has defected to the new religion. As one follows Hani on his voyages up and down the Nile and into the desert, accompanied by his assistant Maya, one witnesses ancient Egyptian culture from many angles, and comes away with a rich sense of the society -- its gender roles, parent-child relationships, material culture, ancient warfare and arts, and much more. The book offers lush descriptions of Hani's house and Edenic garden with its palms and pavilion; the royal palaces; and the back alleys of border garrison posts. The glossary and map offer a treasury of up-to-date information. The author, an archaeologist, has given us a great read and a fantastic introduction to one of the earliest great Western civilizations.

6 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

K J Price

Good read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 29, 2023

Verified Purchase

Enjoyed it

Bill

A very enjoyable mystery set in Ancient Egypt.

Reviewed in Canada on September 17, 2020

Verified Purchase

An interesting variety of characters mixed with events of change in Egyptian life as the change of king leads to change of Religiousleadersjip and the capital city. Trueevents of HISTORY are mixed into this murder adventure.

One person found this helpful

Brad bee

Turbulent Times .

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 9, 2021

Verified Purchase

Most murder mystery investigations tend to take place over a reasonably short time span . This takes over 4 - 5 YEARS . It is set around 1350 BCE , a time which was to become a turbulent period for Egypt . It starts near the end of the reign of Amenhotep III and into the early years of Amenhotep IV , who was to become known as Ahkenaten .
We start by meeting our lead character , Hani , a middle ranking diplomat entertaining a bandit [ hapiru ] leader from the Northern reaches of the Egyptian kingdom ,modern day Syria . We have to get to page 48 to find that he has been murdered and Hani is being sent to investigate . This is a LONG novel.
Having gone North , he has to return along with all diplomats , throughout the empire due to the death of Amenhotep III . There is an awful lot of going to and fro in this story !
Others have given a more detailed account of the story , but suffice to say that he works it all out in the end . Of course , there is also the sub plot of the prodigal son , as well as the upheaval caused by Amenhotep IV / Ahkenhaten moving the capital to a new site , sidelining the old gods in favour of the ATEN and generally upsetting the old order , with its implications for Hani's family .
It is a well written and researched book , but in trying to be more authentic by using peoples names in a more correct form , it does take a little bit of getting use to and at times leading to a bit of confusion . But stick with it [ as I was at first tempted not to do ] and it is an interesting and rewarding read .

One person found this helpful

Kindle Customer

Deadly diplomacy.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 6, 2021

Verified Purchase

A very promising first novel in the Lord Hani mysteries. Excellent characterisation throughout, which made it easier to get used to the names. A satisfyingly intricate plot and a portrait of idyllic home life to warm the soul.

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Bird in a Snare (The Lord Hani Mysteries Book 1) Kindle Edition

From the Publisher

Bird in a Snare, The Crocodile, Scepter of Flint

Jump into the Award-Winning Lord Hani Mysteries with Bird in a Snare!

Finalist, Next Generation Indie Book Awards Best Series of 2020!

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Review

About the Author

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About the author

N.L. Holmes

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