Put your seat belts on because this is going to be a bumpy review. In all his arrogance, Patterson claims to have done a great deal of research as he and Martin Dugard try to solve the mystery of the boy king, Tutankhamun. This is not non-fiction as it claims to be, but historical fiction. The tale is told on three levels: chapters highlighting how Patterson visited the recent controversial Tut exhibit that toured America a couple of years ago, chapters that introduce readers to the life of archaeologist and Tut tomb founder Howard Carter, and chapters covering the short life of Tut himself.

The writing is light and breezy as most of Pattersons other works, which makes it a comfortable and quick read. The main problem is that the book is simply full of errors. It is clear that Patterson and Dugard only did a cursory search of information about Tut and his family and the events surrounding his death as most of what is presented is connected to out of date theories. For example, the vizier Aye, which is traditionally spelled Ay, is generally considered the father of Nefertiti (Tut's step mother). It is quite bothersome to see Patterson have him practically ruling over her through most of the early part of the book.

It is generally believe that Tut lived for quite some time as he ruled, and he and his wife are considered models of ancient romance. During his reign, much was done to reinstate the gods and both he and his wife Ankhesanamun dropped the Aten from their names to be replaced by the traditional lord of the gods Amun. As a result, major holes are punched into the theories presented by Patterson and Dugard as to who killed the boy king.

Howard Carter is also presented as a talented archaeologist who worked hard to find success and was beaten down by others. In some ways, this was true, but he was also considered by many of his contemporaries to be arrogant and boorish. Few wanted to work with him or respected him before and after the finding of Tut's tomb. He is well-known and respected for the findings, but he was not well-loved.

To be honest, it almost feels like Patterson and Dugard basically sat down and watched The Face of Tutankhamun, a pretty good, but outdated 3-part documentary put out by the BBC in 1993. Much of the proposed theories in the book are similar, though many have been overruled by new scientific techniques and further findings in the field. For example, the head injury cited in the book as possibly playing a major role during his death is now believed to have been caused by the embalming process after Tut's skull has been examined with modern MRI technology.

It irks me that a book filled with this many errors is being marketed as non-fiction, particularly in light of the fact that the format of the presentation is novelization. Those with any knowledge of ancient Egypt's 18th Dynasty will see the wholes, and the general public will find themselves misled. Writers of historical fiction are allowed to take liberty with the facts as the storytelling is at the core of the presentation. Writers of non-fiction should not since they are presenting things as being fact. This is the first time I have not enjoyed Patterson ... I am actually disgusted. He should be ashamed and should maybe consider actually contacting an Egyptologist if he would like to try this again.

Those looking for great mysteries set in King Tut's time, should read the Lord Meren series by Lynda S. Robinson. There is also the mystery series by Lauren Haney that focuses on Lt. Bak, a Medjay detective during the time of Hatshepsut. Other great writers with stories centering around ancient Egypt include Judith Tarr, Pauline Gedge, and Michelle Morin.

For those looking for mysteries relating to archaeologist, the best choice is the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters, the pen name of well-respected egyptologist Barbara Mertz. Both Amelia and Dr. Mertz would greatly disagree with the view of Carter presented in Patterson's work.

As for looking for biographies about Nefertiti, Tut, Akenaten, or any other of the people presented in the book, there is no shortage of great works by specialists in the field. Any of them would be better than this.