Official Review: The Crocodile Makes No Sound

Post by **Bertha Jackson** » 17 Oct 2020, 21:48

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Crocodile Makes No Sound" by N.L. Holmes.]

4 out of 4 stars

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A Lord of Hani mystery, The Crocodile Makes No Sound by N.L. Holmes is a historical fiction about the Egyptian Empire. The new King, Nefer-khepru-ra, outlaws all Gods except for God Aten, which results in unrest among the citizens of Kemet. The King has no tolerance of other Gods and forbids the worship of them. He has demolished all of the temples. Hani, a member of the diplomatic corps, is unable to believe in the King’s foreign policy. He soon finds himself involved in political investigations. To name two: his brother-in-law, who was a Priest under the former King, disappears; and the King’s Royal Wife is blackmailed. Hani, his family, and friends are caught between their morals and their oath to the new King. The jealousy between the Queen and the Royal Wife is rampant. Both are pregnant and both want to have the King’s first son.

You will find yourself engrossed in the struggles that Hani and his cohorts encounter in Egypt while traveling the Nile to get to various designations. It becomes apparent that everyone is the same regardless of the amount of money they may have. The author’s descriptions of the scenery and the events make you feel that you are there. You can see and feel the poverty of the displaced people in Waset due to the new king moving the capital to another location. Loss of jobs and income does make a populace rebellious and scared of the future.

I liked that the author provided a map of the Egyptian Empire at the beginning of the book and the list of characters at the end. The map helped me picture where the events were happening, and the list of characters helped with the unfamiliar Egyptian names. The only thing I disliked was the use of Spanish and Egyptian words without explanation. I had to look up some of the words to make sense of the sentence. A couple of examples: “embarcaderos” is the Spanish word for wharf, and “ankh” is the Egyptian symbol for Key of Life.

I would recommend this book for adults only due to the formal wording of the book. I don’t think teenagers of younger readers would understand a lot of the formal terminology. There is no sexual content. The small amount of profanity is minor.

This is a well-written book that has been professionally edited. I did not find any typographical or grammatical errors. I gladly give this book 4 out of 4 stars.

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The Crocodile Makes No Sound
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Saint Bruno · Post by **Saint Bruno** » 25 Oct 2020, 02:03

The title of the book got me hooked. I enjoyed reading your review. Thanks for it and for recommending it.

djr6090 · Post by **djr6090** » 25 Oct 2020, 10:13

I have read two Lord Hari novels now, and find your review right on the mark. This is an intriguing look at the lower level of the ruling class in ancient Egypt. I disagree with you about the audience, though. I think younger readers would also enjoy the exotic setting, even if some of the political nuance is over their heads.

kdstrack · Post by **kdstrack** » 25 Oct 2020, 21:49

An interesting mystery of gods and politics! I like how the author brought in the jealousy between the two wives. There is a lot of intrigue in this story. This looks good! Thanks.