Disappearance of a Scribe, the second novel in the Eye of Isis mystery series, publishes in January 2022. I’ll be launching it at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale on Saturday, January 15th, at 2pm. Click through the image below to pre-order your copy of the first edition hardcover, personally signed by moi.

And here’s an excerpt:

The queen was in her private parlor, and Iras, who had conducted Tetisheri into her presence, was immediately dismissed with a smile of thanks. Caesarion was suckling greedily at her breast, and as Tetisheri watched she jumped a little. “Ouch!” She gave her son and heir a severe look. “How dare you maul your sovereign about so, sir?”

“He can’t possibly be teething yet,” Tetisheri said.

“Then he has very sharp gums.”

“This should help.” Tetisheri produced her gift for the baby.

“Unwrap it for me, would you? Thank you. Oh, Sheri, the very thing! He can gnaw on that instead of on me. Oh, and it’s delightful, what perfectly carved little animals. Although I doubt he’ll be any respecter of the artist’s work.” She smiled up at Tetisheri.

When Cleopatra smiled, the singers said, the world stood still. Tetisheri had known Cleopatra for far too long and been through much too much with her for her world to do any such thing, but it was still an extraordinary smile that made one feel as if the queen had given one a gift meant for themselves alone. Tetisheri had seen Cleopatra use that smile to devastating effect on recalcitrant Egyptians, Jews standing unyieldingly upon their dignity, grumbling Greeks, and arrogant Romans, singly or in groups and on occasion in armies. It might not in and of itself deliver her the contents of the city in question but it would certainly open wide the gates.

Her looks were almost nondescript by comparison. Olive skin, large, dark, thickly lashed eyes, a long, strong nose, a mouth wide and full-lipped. Her figure was good, her waist almost restored to its previous circumference, but again, not a figure that wasn’t commonly seen on the streets of Alexandria any day of the year.

No, it was the woman within who was so extraordinary. She would have stood out in any crowd with or without her crown.

“Here.” Cleopatra dumped the baby in Tetisheri’s lap and pulled her dress into place. Caesarion, startled at this sudden change of scene, stared up at Tetisheri out of eyes that were just beginning to change from blue to brown. Cleopatra tossed her a towel and Tetisheri put it over her shoulder and put the baby against it, patting his back. He immediately burped in her ear, a long, replete sound. He fell asleep immediately, the burp changing to a delightful little snore. “Why is is it that when babies fall asleep they immediately gain twice their body’s weight and temperature?”

“Enjoy it,” Cleopatra said dryly, “sleep happens seldom enough with this child.”

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If you missed the first novel in the series (Unthinkable!), here you go.

Chatter Eye of Isis Writing cleopatra Death of an Eye disappearance of a scribe Eye of Isis