The Two Kites by Robert J Muller ****

The Two Kites by Robert J Muller is three books in one.

First, it is an alternate history. Imagine the European settlement of the America never made it to California. Instead San Francisco (Menmenet) is a Egyptian (Kemet) settlement. In this book we see the classical culture transplanted to modern times. Egyptian gods and burial customs combined with cell phones, Egyptian architectural and cooking transplanted to the San Francisco geography and climate. These imaginings alone might be worth the cost of admission.

Second, this book is a mystery, a murder and a stolen knife ... a knife that traces its history to ancient Egyptian cults and sacrifices. Mystery readers will not be surprised nor disappointed with the police detectives, concerned, but reluctant private citizen, and multiples twists and turns.

Finally, this is a work of art. The book uses over 150 classical Egyptian words. While a glossary is included at the end of the book, the beauty of this production is that the extra wide margins are used to show each Egyptian word transliterated in the familiar Latin alphabet (as they appear in the text) along with the translation and the beautifully rendered hieroglyphic forms on every page. In this way the flow is not hamper by the appearance of these Kemet words. The artistry is completed with delightful line-drawing illustrations by Mary J Swanson throughout.

Whether you read this book for the alternate history, the mystery, or the beauty of the production, you will not be disappointed.