Book Review
The Egyptologist By ARTHUR PHILLIPS
Reviewed by PEGGY BARNETT
The work of Howard Carter and his discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun is a familiar story. Less well-known are the names of Ralph Trilipush and King Atum-hadu, perhaps because they are fictional creations of Arthur Phillips in his second novel, The Egyptologist.

The story is told through letters and journal entries and an occasional cable. Much of the "back story" is told in reports of an Australian detective, found in a nursing home for the elderly and employed by the nephew of one of the characters, years after the action of the story. If that sounds convoluted, it is, but the reader is so intrigued by all the twists and contradictions that he is willing to stay with the untangling of the plot.

Ralph seeks the tomb of a mysterious Egyptian king. He believes that he has adequate evidence to mount an expedition, and persuades Chester Finneran, a wealthy business man, and his associates to finance the venture. Finneran is also the father of Ralph's beautiful fiancee Margaret.

It turns out that Margaret has problems of her own, and we can no more believe her than we can any of the other characters. Ralph, who talks about his experiences at Oxford and Harvard, refers often to his wonderful childhood at his father's estate in England, where he and Margaret will live after he makes his fame and fortune in Egypt.

Ralph has "translated" poems purportedly by Atum-hadu, which are suggestive, to say the least. Wait till you findout what "hadu" means and what the hieroglyph for it is. Margaret, among others, is quite delighted with all this. (The main story takes place in the 1920s.) Ralph, however, is intent on finding the tomb and "restoring" Atum to his rightful place in history.

It will not be easy, for many reasons. Meanwhile, he is beset with financial difficulties when his backers begin to doubt him. He does not have Egyptian permission to dig, and has to sneak around. His Egyptian foreman, tempted by possible treasure, also begins to doubt and uses a sledgehammer most inappropriately.

That's just "the tip of the iceberg," as they say, and the reader is treated to many surprises and turns, like the labyrinths in the tombs of the Pharaohs.

The Egyptologist is available at the Mary Willis Library.

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