AMAZON BREAKTHROUGH NOVEL SEMI-FINALIST. Cairo Museum, 1983. Rika Teferi is studying a royal papyrus written by Queen Tiye, the mother of Tutankhamun, when an accident exposes hidden writing. Aching to see more, Rika lets visiting scientist, David Chamberlain, smuggle out the papyrus to scan it with specialized equipment. The results are stunning. They re-write Egypt's history and reveal the bizarre circumstances of Tiye's last days. Rika, an ex-sharpshooter in Eritrea's independence war, feels a spiritual bond with Tiye, who was also a revolutionary. Rika and David resolve to find Tiye's tomb. Their quest takes them deep into the desert where unforeseen perils force Rika to choose among her love of Tiye, allegiance to Eritrea, and David.

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