The crime is still on Bak's mind as he arrives in the capital city of Waset on the way to his new appointment. Everyone in this city is occupied with the building of the memorial temple, Djeser Djeseru and the many deaths that have occurred during its construction. Although the project managers dismiss the deaths as accidents that are bound to happen while building such a structure, Bak isn't as certain that these deaths should be swept under the rug so easily.

When one of the architects, Pashed, is found dead inside a tomb they are excavating during the construction of the temple, Bak is even more convinced that something else is going on and that many of these deaths may not have been accidental. With the help of his young assistants, Kasaya and Hori, Bak searches for the identity of the spirit that many claim is haunting this project, but that Bak is sure is a figment of a very evil person trying to cover something up. When Bak realizes that the jewels inside the tombs that are being excavated are similar in workmanship to the ones he recovered aboard the ship, he knows he and his assistants must pursue Pashed's murder and attempt to break up the ring.

A Place of Darkness is a very detailed period mystery. The Egypt of the Pharaohs comes alive in not only the actions and dress of the characters, but also in the attitudes they display and those of the ruling factions. Lauren Haney has done extensive research to insure the authenticity of the mystery and allows no anachronism to intrude on the story. Lieutenant Bak has a sharp mind, is savvy enough to play along with his superiors when necessary, but strong enough to take matters into his own hands when it is required.

The mystery is not a difficult one to solve, and is easily figured out well ahead of Bak and his assistants. Clues are abundant and obvious and readers may even find themselves wondering what is taking the Lieutenant so long to come up with the connections and answers. This may cause those with very little interest in the time period to perhaps skip ahead, missing out on the wonderfully detailed descriptions of this era. A list of characters in the front of the book helps keep the numerous people straight.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry