The Judge of Egypt Trilogy - Beneath the Pyramid - bk1539; Pocket Books; Christian Jacq; pocket\_book; 2004

Having discovered a monstrous conspiracy to overthrow the pharaoh, Ramses the Great, Judge Pazair has been deported for a crime he did not commit and sentenced to die in a prison camp. But the conspirators have reckoned without the love of Neferet, the young woman doctor Pazair has just married, and the courage of Suti, his friend with the hot head and the generous heart. Together, Neferet and Suti attempt to rescue Pazair so that he can resume his investigation. For there are many questions yet to be answered. Who murdered the veteran guards of the Great Sphinx? Who violated the Great Pyramid and stole the Testament of the Gods, which guarantees Pharaoh's legitimacy? Who killed Pazair's spiritual master?

The time has come for the final confrontation. Appointed supreme magistrate and first minister of Egypt, Pazair and his wife Neferet must join forces against the Finance Minister, Pazair's sworn enemy, who now openly presents himself as spokesman for the conspirators who plan to overthrow Ramses the Great in order to seize supreme power. The situation appears desperate. By undermining the economy and directing it towards the law of profit alone, the conspirators are attempting to destroy the values which form the bedrock of Egyptian civilisation. Determined to make a stand, the tjaty and his wife attempt to loosen the conspirators' stranglehold and identify the murderer of their spiritual master. But allies are few and far between. Where is Pazair's blood brother, Suti, who has escaped from his Nubian prison? After several fruitless attempts, will the mysterious "shadow-eater" succeed in eliminating Pazair? And who is the real leader of the conspiracy, hiding in the shadows? Who will emerge victorious from this fierce power struggle on which the survival of Egypt depends?