Official Review: Secrets of the Dead by Murray Bailey

[starshipsaga]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Secrets of the Dead" by Murray Bailey.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Secrets of the Dead by Murray Bailey is the second book in a mystery-thriller series starring Egyptologist Alex MacLure, but I am happy to say that it can also be enjoyed as a standalone. In fact, I find myself curious to read the first installment now that I’ve completed this exciting novel.

The suspense begins right away as the story opens at the site of an old church in Atlanta, Georgia, where the remains of eight missing men have been pulled from beneath the building’s foundation. Fearing a link to a series of unsolved murders from years before, FBI agent Charlie Rebb arrives on the scene to investigate, and what she finds is not good news. It appears that the prolific serial killer known as the Surgeon has resurfaced again. What follows next is an intense game of cat-and-mouse as Charlie pursues several leads, eventually following the killer’s trail to Egypt.

Meanwhile, series protagonist Alex MacLure is on a research trip in Cairo when he is contacted by a computer science student who claims to have developed a program that tracks keywords of internet conspiracies. Alex’s name has recently come up in conjunction with a number of other words involving the pyramids, the Masons, as well as the ancient Egyptian deity Seth. But then the student disappears, and Alex is arrested as a murder suspect before he can discover why his work has drawn unwanted attention. Soon, his and Special Agent Rebb’s paths collide as both are caught up in a terrifying plot devised by the Surgeon and his mysterious handlers.

Suspenseful and fast-paced, Secrets of the Dead is a thriller with historical trappings told in the tradition of a Dan Brown or Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child novel. Originally, I had planned on reading this book over the course of a week, but I ended up completing it in a matter of days because it was so addictive. At first, I was intrigued by the plot, which I thought would follow the trajectory of a straightforward police procedural. Needless to say, my interest only intensified as the story began to swiftly transform into this desperate race to unravel a conspiracy involving ancient history, religious cults, and a hunt for a sacred symbol.

What I liked most about this novel was the way multiple threads were worked into the plot. We first follow Charlie Rebb and her team in the United States as they try to solve the identity of the Surgeon. The story then shifts to Egypt and then London as Alex MacLure becomes the target of a shadowy organization, spurring him to research conspiracy theories and parallels between Egyptian mythology and Christianity. The real action begins, however, when our two main characters finally meet, bringing all the pieces of the mystery together. In the later parts of the novel, we even get to follow the perspective of a character who lived more than three thousand years ago, as Alex attempts to decipher the secrets of a story that dates back to the time of Ramses I.

I also enjoyed the memorable characters. Charlie was portrayed as a strong, independent and hard-working agent who would do anything to stop a murderer and protect the innocent. Her earnestness is nicely contrasted by her crass but humorous partner, Peter Zhang. Then there’s Alex, who is intelligent but doesn’t always make the best choices under pressure, which I think many of us can relate to. His younger brother Andrew, who is afflicted with Duchenne muscular atrophy and uses a wheelchair, is Alex’s sometimes sidekick, helping solve the more difficult puzzles with his impressive social network of online gamers. I loved Alex and Andrew’s brotherly bond and it was one of my favorite highlights from this novel because of the depth of character it gave us.

However, if I had to offer criticism, I would say that the author often assumes that the reader is well-versed in subjects like Egyptian history, religion, or even computer algorithms. Clearly, a lot of research was done for this novel, but I believe that the average person would not be familiar with many of the names, terms, places and events that are frequently referred to in this story without the accompanying context. While this did not detract from my enjoyment, I didn't like that it made some parts of the narrative confusing.

That said, overall I had a really good time with Secrets of the Dead. I was also pleased that there were no significant errors in the text. I only spotted a few minor mistakes, and most of these were related to punctuation, like commas or periods used in place of question marks. Because of the excellent editing and the sheer exhilaration that I experienced while reading this novel, I am enthusiastically rating it 4 out of 4 stars. Due to some violence and disturbing themes, I would recommend this book to mature readers who enjoy the thriller-suspense or mystery genres, especially if you have an interest in subjects like conspiracy theories, Egyptology, and mythological symbolism and iconography.

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Secrets of the Dead
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Like starshipsaga's review? Post a comment saying so!

[kdstrack]

Your enthusiasm and high praise for this novel is infectious! Books that are hard to put down are fun reads. I enjoyed your description of this book. Thanks for the great recommendation.

[linham02660]

This book sounds Like a great read. I will have to put it on my list. Thanks for the review.

[Nyambura Githui]

Novels about conspiracies involving religious cults and ancient history are so fascinating to read. Great review.

[Chrystal Oaks]

When I saw the title, I immediately wondered if there was a connection between it and the PBS series. No, there isn't. The book seem like it has a very intricate and involved storyline. I'm glad that the author's assumption that the reader has in-depth knowledge about Egyptian history, religion, and computer algorithms didn't detract from the enjoyment of reading this book. I've added it to my reading list. Great review!

[kandscreeley]

An Egyptologist? The Mummy is what comes to my mind. It sounds like an interesting plot. I'm a bit concerned about the knowledge that's assumed, but I have a feeling I could skip over those parts. Thanks for the informational review.

[starshipsaga]

Your enthusiasm and high praise for this novel is infectious! Books that are hard to put down are fun reads. I enjoyed your description of this book. Thanks for the great recommendation.

Thank you for checking out my review! I do love an addictive thriller I can't put down

[starshipsaga]

This book sounds Like a great read. I will have to put it on my list. Thanks for the review.

You're welcome, and thank you for checking out my review. I hope you will get to read it soon and enjoy it as much as I did

[starshipsaga]

Novels about conspiracies involving religious cults and ancient history are so fascinating to read. Great review.

Yes, these Dan Brown-esque type books suck me in all the time! Thank you for checking out my review!

[starshipsaga]

When I saw the title, I immediately wondered if there was a connection between it and the PBS series. No, there isn't. The book seem like it has a very intricate and involved storyline. I'm glad that the author's assumption that the reader has in-depth knowledge about Egyptian history, religion, and computer algorithms didn't detract from the enjoyment of reading this book. I've added it to my reading list. Great review!

Actually, I do wish the book had a better and more original title; it does seem like there have been plenty of other books/movies/shows etc. named Secrets of the Dead. And yes, I didn't mind the esoteric terminology too much, and on the upside, I got to learn a lot from googling and researching some of the subjects I was unfamiliar with

[starshipsaga]

An Egyptologist? The Mummy is what comes to my mind. It sounds like an interesting plot. I'm a bit concerned about the knowledge that's assumed, but I have a feeling I could skip over those parts. Thanks for the informational review.

Haha, the mention of Egyptology was what first drew my attention to this book. I'm a sucker for anything to do with archaeology and ancient history!

[BelleReadsNietzsche]

Omg this sounds like everything I like in one book. Egyptology? Serial killer? Complex conspiracies with religious roots? Made you read it faster than you wanted to?

Sounds awesome! Thanks for this excellent review.

[inaramid]

It does sound very much like a Dan Brown book (which I don't particularly like). However, you've also made it sound so awesome! Can't wait to try this out.

[InStoree]

Egyptian mythology, conspiracy theories, sacred symbols, mystery. I'm all in! Plus, you've seemed extremely enthusiastic about the book. I'm glad you undoubtedly enjoyed it! Thanks for your intensive review!

[doffill]

A thorough and detailed review which made me want to read the novel. Sounds like it has many of the elements I enjoy - multiple well-developed characters, exotic locations, serial killer villain and competent writing. Thanks for your efforts.