I'm loving the mysteries in The Eye of Isis series as they're compelling and highly entertaining.
They make me travel in time and space and I love to visit Alexandria and Cleopatra's court.
This one was gripping, fast paced, and twisty. Tetisheri is a clever and fleshed out heroine and I love her.
Good storytelling and character development, solid mystery, vivid historical background.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The disappearance of a Scribe is a vivid insight into the story of the Eye of Cleopatra, Tetisheri investigating the missing body of a young man, a scribe perhaps that had potential. Who or what this man was, I shall leave it to you to figure out. This is a fantastic book for worldbuilding in many ways, as it brings alive the Hellenistic World in a way that is often left out to mainstream readers. Alexandria in Cleopatra's time was one of the most vibrant cities of all time and was a cultural gateway connecting Romans, Greeks and other neighbours from different kingdoms. It was also the time of political warfare, espionage and Roman incursion that was ever-increasing into the Ptolemaic Kingdom as of this time.

You will experience a totally different world and through the eyes of Tetisheri, you will meet characters that although maybe thousands of years old to us, are actually just as common as those of us that live in the 21st century. Many times I was taken back by the vivid description of the Alexandrian city, as it provides much of the backdrop of the story. Tetisheri has to deal with many vibrant characters, some that are jealous, some that are conniving, and some that plan to get rid of her. What she uncovers, is a more sinister plan. Or is it really? Does the pursuit of corruption drive good men and women to cause evil acts? This is also a question worth asking.

I shall not reveal the plot, as this is an investigative crime thriller set in the Ancient World and I welcome such novels! We need more of this, and this book reminds me a lot of Colleen McCullough's novels. Great writing, great delivery, and great score. I really enjoyed my time with this book and can't wait to read more of this wonderful novel.

I've submitted my amazon review!

Disappearance of a scribe by Dana Stabenow.
Eye of Isis book 2.
Cleopatra – seventh of her name, avatar of the goddess Isis, ruler of the Kingdom of Egypt – watches over her city. The war is over, but Alexandria, that once great beacon of learning and commerce, has suffered in its wake. Caesar has returned to Rome, and the queen must restore her city and her kingdom to their former greatness. But now a body has been found floating upright at the bottom of the sea, anchored in place by a cement weight around its feet. It's the second corpse to be found this way in two years, and the queen is concerned. With a city to rebuild and a kingdom to keep in line, Cleopatra cannot allow any more murders to interfere. So she sets Tetisheri – her Eye, her closest confidant and personal investigator – to make things right. As she delves deeper into the mystery, Tetisheri will discover secrets, conspiracy and danger far beyond her ken...
An ok read. Not normally my kind of book. I loved the cover. 3*.

The war is over , Ceasar has returned to Rome and Cleopatra has to rebuild Alexandria and her Country .
High profile crimes are investigated by the 'Eye of Isis' and when a body is found in the Middle Sea attached to a concrete base she asks her friend and closest confidant 'Eye' Tetisheri to investigate .......... for this is not the first body found in such a fashion , one was discovered two years previously
With the help of Vitruvius , a highly acclaimed architect , she must discover just who was responsible for these deaths ........ just why was such an expensive and rare substance used in the concrete ?
Pursuing their investigation brings many secrets to light , secrets that might just mean her death unless she can discover the murderer first .
This was a highly entertaining book , full of twists and turns that immerses the reader in the sights and sounds of Cleopatra's Egypt .

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In the Egyptian capital of Alexandria, in 47BCE, Cleopatra is Queen and straightforward crimes are the responsibility of the Shurta but mysterious or high profile matters, especially linked in any way to the Queen, are the subject of investigation by “The Eye of Isis”; a covert individual appointed by Cleopatra with delegated authority. This role was bestowed on Tetisheri, a youngish woman, a contemporary and lifelong friend of the Queen, after solving the death of the previous eye in the first book of this trilogy. In this, the second book, the bodies of two young men have been recovered from the Middle Sea (the Mediterranean – the author works hard to convey the historically likely idiom) both of whom were murdered by having their feet set in concrete (so called Rhakotis sandals ) prior to being dropped overboard. The “Eye” enlists the help of Vitruvius, a famous architect, and quickly establishes that the type of concrete used contains pozzolan, a rare and extremely expensive additive which confers extra strength and resistance against sea water erosion. This is reserved for projects approved by Cleopatra so its use was a form of what we would now call lèse-majesté, which was established as a serious crime in ancient Rome and its provinces, and so may be punishable by death. Tetisheri’s investigations bring her close to death on occasion but she wins through and the dénouement is well staged and executed, although not exactly a surprise.
Dana Stebenov is something of a writing phenomenon and this is her 37th book (plus some non-fiction and anthologies). As mentioned, it is the second of a proposed trilogy. In principle it is a sort of police procedural set in an exotic location, and that location, the ancient city of Alexandria, does play a major part in the plot, particularly in the closeness of everything (the city was only about three miles by two miles). All locations and architectural features are well described and there is a sprinkling of ‘real’ people for authenticity. One of these is Vitruvius, best known these days because one of his concepts is illustrated in the “Vetruvian Man” drawing by Leonardo. Overall, the general effect is to make the reader feel comfortable in the environment.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

This is the historical sequel to Dana Stabenow's Death of an Eye, it's the second in the trilogy set in Ancient Egypt 47 BCE in the bustling city of Alexandria, centre of trade, scholarship, culture and history. Cleopatra has now given birth to her and Julius Caesar's child and is focusing on the important matter of the rebuilding of the city. Two horrified Alexandrian fisherman have come across the body of a skeleton at sea, fitted with and weighed down by a pair of cement 'Rhakotis sandals', long thought to be a myth within the construction industry, matters are considerably exacerbated as it is the second such victim found in two years. Cleopatra's 'Eye', her trusted childhood friend, Tetisheri, is called to the scene by the Head of the Shurka (law enforcement), Astander, and is tasked to investigate, not an easy inquiry as she faces the almost impossible task of identifying the dead men, the only clue being that both bodies have retained amulets .

We first encounter Tetishuri in the Alexandria Library, looking into the murder of the previous Eye, Khemit, and looking into the inquiries she had made before her death into the missing man, Grafeas. The head of the library, Sosigenes gives her the unwelcome news that the oldest, most priceless books and maps have been targeted and stolen in what appears to be an organised operation. As Tetishuri finds herself with Apollodurus, her romantic interest, at the Five Soldiers gymnasium, she finds herself following a character she believes is behaving suspiciously. She explores the most scarce of cements from Italy used in the building trade, pozzolan, highly valued for its ability to resist the saltwater influence. Tetishuri follows the leads in the most dangerous of investigations, whilst finding help from the most unlikely of quarters, from young Babok and his companions, and a cabriador, Rhode, all of whom end up working for her, and come to live in her house.

Stabenow immerses the reader into the most atmospheric and vibrant of locations in Alexandria, with her trademark creation of strong women, not limited to the likes of the clever and astute Cleopatra and Tetisheri, but which extends to the villains too. There is also the question of justice where Cleopatra is concerned, tempered as it is with considerations of political realities and future strategic aims. This is a wonderfully entertaining and engaging piece of historical crime fiction that I found most enjoyable, there is a wide range of disparate characters, and I particularly liked Babok and his cohorts surviving on the streets, and Rhode, all brought into Tetisheri's ever expanding home. A terrific series, and I am really looking forward to the final book! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

A gripping page turner set in ancient Egypt with well drawn characters. I really enjoyed it. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.