Ancient Egypt’s Most Reluctant (and Beloved) Investigators
This series doesn't scream “tour” — it whispers, “pull up a stool in a shadowy courtyard, and listen closely.” Through four standalone books, N.L. Holmes introduces Neferet and Bener-ib, healers who stumble repeatedly into murder — and make the choice to uncover the truth, no matter the cost.
Whether it’s a party gone wrong (The Melody of Evil
), or an investment scheme leaving a trail of bodies (Wheel of Evil), Holmes invites readers into a quiet corner of ancient Egypt rarely explored in fiction — one where justice is personal, and healing sometimes starts with truth.
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@n.l.holmes
Women in Ancient Egypt
One of the things about ancient Egyptian society that inspired the character of Neferet is the status of their women. They were freer and more respected than in almost any other contemporary society, even though we'd have to admit that that society, like our own, was basically patriarchal. Apart from being honored as mothers, lovers, and helpmeets, women were legal majors, able to own property, testify in court, bring lawsuits, and conduct business under the same legal protections as men. They could sit on village councils, and we even have records of women who served as the mayor of their village.
Although it was definitely the exception, they could rule the entire country in the person of a queen, and these were very hands-on monarchs with few limits to their authority. In the Old Kingdom, Egypt's formative period, at least one woman served as vizier or prime minister, and there were classes of priestesses that corresponded to almost every class of priest. Unfortunately, these opportunities for religious authority were restricted in later periods to women of the royal family.
The idea of a female vizier or priest raises the issue of whether women were literate. Only 1% of the population could read and write, and literacy was the key to social status. We have no positive testimony that this golden skill was confided to any but males. However... it's hard to imagine a vizier who couldn't read the reports that were brought to her. It's difficult to conceive how the female stewards of large royal or private estates could supervise the running of palaces without being at least basically lettered. The same is true of female physicians—who did exist— since Egyptian medicine rested upon casebooks based on generations of trial and error.
Thus, I think the case of our Neferet, whose menfolk are all literate scribes, isn't improbable. There must have been women now and again who were trained by their fathers or brothers, even if they didn't formally attend the scribal school conducted at the temple of Amen-Ra, the House of Life.
That's why Neferet became the character she is: headstrong, pushy, and unconventional. She does a lot of things that wouldn't have been common in her day but wouldn't have been forbidden either. She was lucky enough to live in an age when women were strong and sometimes independent, visible, and fully able to contribute to their society in a variety of ways. She would have had those all-important role models. Some men might have disapproved of her, but others would have accepted her forwardness. And I think the great and proactive goddesses of Egypt's pantheon would have looked on with affection.
Q&A with the author!
On writing:
How did you do research for your book?
I had a lot of general background from teaching a class on Ancient Egypt, but I hit my library again for specific knowledge about various professions, etc. I find names from ancient manuscripts about village life or lists of tomb owners.
Which was the hardest character to write? The easiest?
In this series, I’d say Neferet was the easiest to write. She first appears at the age of seven in the first Lord Hani Mystery, so her character is pretty well set by the time she’s grown and gets a series of her own. Bener-ib was probably the hardest. She’s a timid, retiring person, who is very different from myself (unlike Neferet!).
In your book you make a reference to ancient Egyptian medicine. How did you come up with this idea? What made you write a book about medicine?
The Egyptians’ medical skills were world-renowned in their day. They had observed by trial and error over millennia and written down the results of their experiments so that a young doctor like Neferet could look in a casebook and see what her elders had done to treat those symptoms. A lot of it was herbal, much like traditional medicine today. This was always one of the most popular lectures when I taught my Ancient Egypt class, and it gave me a certain forensic capability for my sleuths.
Where do you get inspiration for your stories?
I began the Lord Hani Mysteries, from which this series is spun off, when I met the real Hani in a set of ancient documents called the Amarna Letters. There were references to a lot of diplomatic missions carried out by this man, so I took him as my protagonist and gave him a personality and a family. When Hani’s arc was completed, I zeroed in on his youngest daughter, a headstrong, unconventional girl who seemed likely to follow in her father’s footsteps.
There are many books out there about ancient Egypt. What makes yours different?
There are even a lot of mysteries set in Egypt, but this series has a female protagonist who is a physician, so she’s automatically privy to a lot of mayhem. Her father is a diplomat, and that draws into her orbit various foreigners as well. Plus, for those who like cozy mysteries, this is one, with the addition of Egyptian “tea time” vibes and heroic pet animals.
What advice would you give budding writers?
Use a professional editor, even if you are one yourself. Nobody can judge their own work. And if you’re new to writing (or not), you’ll learn ever so much from the trained critique of these people. It’s better than a course in creative writing.
If you could put yourself as a character in your book, who would you be?
I wish I could be Hani, Neferet’s father. I admire him as a man of principle and a kind, loving person. At least we have in common our love of birds! Actually, there’s probably more of the Neferet in me. She’s eccentric and impatient. (Ahem!)
Do you have another profession besides writing?
I’m an archaeologist. I’ve also been an antiques dealer, a cloistered nun, an interior decorator, and an administrative assistant. Believe it or not, all of these activities have contributed something to my writing.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing fiction for eleven or twelve years. Before that, it was just poetry and, of course, academic articles. Poetry really adds to one’s fiction chops, but I’m afraid academic writing has to be unlearned – it’s all about not having a distinctive voice. It does help in terms of using the language skillfully and knowing grammar.
Do you ever get writer’s block? What helps you overcome it?
I haven’t had a serious case of block since my very first book. I was trying to make outlines and plan out the story in advance, as the books tell you to do, and I thought I’d die! I couldn’t think of a thing! When I finally just started writing and let the characters shape the story, it went well. Now, if I ever stall out, I jump around and write separate scenes that interest me, then incorporate them later – but I keep pushing forward, even if not sequentially.
What is your next project?
I’m working on another Neferet mystery that features the world of cooks (each of these books deals with a different profession). I also have in mind a prequel to the Lord Hani Mysteries, because there’s one more real historical adventure of Hani to make use of.
What genre do you write and why?
I write historical novels set in the Bronze Age, mostly Egypt or the Hittite Empire. As an archaeologist, that’s a no-brainer for me! For a long time, I’ve been concentrating on mysteries of one sort or another because I like to read them, and so do a lot of people who might not care about antiquity otherwise. I think a well-researched historical novel can teach readers a lot about the past while entertaining them.
What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
That the settings draw the reader into the time and place and bring it alive. I like that when I read a book, so I hope I’ve done that for my readers.
How are you similar to or different from your lead character?
Neferet and I share a don’t-care attitude for public opinion and expectations. It was harder in her day, when women weren’t so much in evidence in leadership positions – although Egypt was worlds ahead of most contemporary cultures in that regard. That’s something I want to convey to readers, hence the uppity protagonist.
In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like?
Slow until I decided to go indie, but now it’s a whole lot of extra work!
Which authors inspired you to write?
I couldn’t put names to them now, but all the wonderful books I read as a child made me think that writing was the coolest thing a person could do. What tipped me over the edge was the fact that my cousin published a young adult book. That seemed to make it sound doable.
On rituals:
Do you snack while writing? Favorite snack?
I have a thing for dried apple slices (I make them from our orchard bounty), but I don’t snack while writing. It takes two hands to type!
Where do you write?
Usually sitting in an armchair in front of the fire (whether or not there’s one burning. There’s generally a cat in my lap, which means the laptop is on one arm of the chair and I have to roll the mouse over the other arm. Not optimal, but cats rule in our house.
Do you write every day?
No. I write fast, and I can keep to my schedule easily without being rigid.
Is there a specific ritualistic thing you do during your writing time?
Not at all. I don’t even write every day. Not at the same time of the day. Just as I get a chance, preferably in the earlier hours, but not always. I get up early, so there’s time for everything.
In today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your book on paper?
Sometimes I’ve written on a train or in a waiting room, hence on a legal pad. But it’s so hard to read my own draft, with its scratch-outs and arrows, that it’s almost better to wait until I have a keyboard in front of me, despite the fact that I’m a terrible typist.
Fun stuff:
If you could go back in time, where would you go?
I’d have to visit the Egyptians and also the Hittites. We know so little about the latter – not even what they looked like. I have my own detailed imaginary image of what life was like back then, but there are always so many things they haven’t told us.
Favorite travel spot?
France is really gorgeous, every part of it. I live there, in fact, but every region is different.
Favorite dessert?
Tarte Tatin (apple upside-down pie). It’s got caramel and apple – what’s not to like?
If you were stuck on a deserted island, which 3 books would you want with you?
Wind in the Willows and The Perelandra trilogy of C.S. Lewis to take my mind away to a beautiful place, and Germinal by Zola to make me realize things could be worse.
What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you? The scariest? The strangest?
When I was young, I used to do Spanish dancing – sort of semi-professional. Once my heavy petticoat fell off on stage! I had to step out of it and keep going. Scary? Another petticoat thing. We lived in a kind of rustic area, and one day there was clearly a skunk around. That night, when I was heading out to the car with my costume over my arm, I heard a rustling behind me. Every time I stopped, the sound would stop, but as soon as I began to walk, it followed me. I was sure it was the skunk! Turned out it was my petticoat dragging the ground.
What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?
I quit my job because the director had done something gangsterish and dishonorable to a volunteer.
Any hobbies? or Name a quirky thing you like to do.
Too many hobbies! I play the violin (badly), weave/spin, paint, dance, garden, keep bees, hike, write poetry. I used to drive a jog cart, and I’m currently trying to learn to knit. A lot of these things started as research for books.
What is something you've learned about yourself during the pandemic?
That solitude doesn’t bother me at all. But I knew that – I was a nun for twenty years.
What TV series are you currently binge watching?
Blackadder. I actually had an ancestor by that name.
What is your theme song?
Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite. It’s so magical. I love fairy tales.
What is your favorite thing to do in the spring?
Spring is when a woman’s fancy turns to gardening!
What is your favorite spring holiday tradition?
I paint and decorate my goose eggs like jeweled Fabergé eggs at Easter. That was such a beautiful season in the convent. If there’s one thing I miss, that might be it – not any particular action, just the whole happy, sun-drenched atmosphere of those days.
What song is currently playing on a loop in your head?
Ack! That started it off again! The final theme from the opera Turandot.
What is something that made you laugh recently?
One cat was sleeping in a chair, and the other one came and sat down right on top of him; Eventually, of course, he squeezed his brother out.
What is your go-to breakfast item?
Buttered toast. Or maybe oatmeal.
What is the oldest item of clothing you own?
A dress that I’ve worn since I was a student thirty years ago. Laura Ashley-looking.
Tell us about your longest friendship.
Emily and I have been friends since we were six –her mother was my first-grade teacher. We were Campfire Girls and garden-clubbers together all through school, worked on the newspaper, took Latin together, etc. She moved to France as a grad student, while I entered the Carmelites. A little over twenty years ago, my husband and I came to France to visit her – and loved it so much we ended up here too, about a half-hour away from Emily. We see each other frequently.
What is the strangest way you've become friends with someone?
When I came out of the convent, I had to take a driving course again to get a new license. My instructor was born on the very same day and year as I was! We both loved cats and had other things in common that suggest there’s something to astrology. We became good friends.
Who was your childhood celebrity crush?
Peter O’Toole – or rather, Lawrence of Arabia. I was obsessed with that movie. I went right out and learned Arabic, because I realized I wanted to work in the Near East (and did eventually).
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