The Sands of Luxor by Tom Baker

About the book

The story contains an underlying theme of mystery and lust set in the "Valley of the Kings." The main character, Shannon Wright, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago. Because of her expertise in decrypting Egyptians hieroglyphics, she is asked to investigate the recent discovery of a small solid gold statue bearing the royal cartouche of Ramessess VIII from the twentieth dynasty.

She questions the authenticity of the statue because the workmanship is not up to the high standards of the twentieth dynasty and is asked to investigate its origin. Shannon teams up with an old colleague (Margaret Henson) from the University and together they set out to solve the mystery.

The anticipation and suspense builds when the search for clues leads her and a team of workmen to the tomb of "Amunta-ra" the vizier to the pharaoh Ramesses VIII.

Natar Baha, an Antiquities Department official, is assigned to aid Shannon in the excavation of the tomb and they become romantically involved.

During her investigation of the tomb she accidentally discovers a secret burial chamber containing the untouched coffin and mummy of "Amunta-ra."

Kibib, Shannon's trusted foreman is found dead at the dig site and the death is ruled accidental until the authorities suddenly reopen the investigation.

Fame and notoriety along with frustration is thrust upon Shannon after the discovery is announced and she has to contend with the many dignitaries and reporters that visit the tomb.

The plot thickens when a visiting professor from a German University sidetracks her research when he attempts to claim a right to the discovery and criticizes her procedures in excavating the tomb.

Intense suspense grows when Shannon begins to suspect Natar is behind the death of her foreman. She attempts to prove her theory and sneaks into Natar's tent to search for clues but is surprised when Natar un-expectantly returns.

Shannon is forced to have sex in order to conceal the real reason she was in his tent.

The conclusion begins when Natar returns to his home in Cairo and Shannon follows her companion. (Margaret) They find Natar's house and while he is out they sneak into the house and find the evidence they need inside. They discover the professor is helping Natar with his black market scheme.

Natar is convicted of murder and sent to jail while Shannon continues her work on the mummy of Amunta-ra at the Cairo Museum.

About the author

Tom Baker wa born in 1940 on a dairy farm in Northeastern Oklahoma where he lived until he joined the navy after finishing high school.

After four years in the navy Tom attended the University of Tulsa where he received his associates degree in Business Management. In 1974 Tom started a twenty-five year career with the Williams Companies in Tulsa. Tom took early retirement in 1998 then began writing.

Tom is a divorced father of four with four grandchildren and is now a Real Estate Sales Executive in Tulsa. Tom's love for Egyptology began in 1964 when he read his first book on the boy king "Tutankamen" and now his personal library contains over eighty volumes of ancient Egyptian history.

Tom is a member of the University of Chicago's "Oriental Institute" where he studied reading and deciphering hieroglyphic writing. In 1978 Tom met Cyril Alred, the late curator of the Royal Scottish museum in Edinburgh and the world's foremost expert on the Eighteenth Dynasty and corresponded with him until his death.

Tom wrote several children's stories for his kids while they were growing up and appropriately named his unpublished work, 'Tell me a story then I'll go to bed." The "Sands of Luxor" grew out of Tom's love for ancient Egyptian history and his desire to write.