Artifice of Elephantine

When a courier brings word of Mahu's death, both he and his master are intrigued -- a threat, a warning, or just a mistake? Mahu travels south to the first nome, Elephantine, the source of temple stone and sarcophagus granite. In this story of numerous mysteries, Mahu finds himself uncomfortable and at first solving little. He even has to contend with the mystery of the unfinished obelisk. Yet his confusion is nothing two pitchers of beer and a deep breath can't alleviate, as he learns about the origin of his talisman and his own heritage. Set in ancient Egypt, in the years just prior to the reign of King Thut, the story's hero uses a combination of intuition and rudimentary forensic evidence to solve these mysteries. All the while, he stimulates his own thought process or intimidates his suspects with the tool of a tarot deck. The third in a series, Artifice of Elephantine continues a portrayal of police work in the late bronze age. If you haven't read the first two, or at least the short story, I doubt you'll be confused. Is there any reason you wouldn't start with book one? Or, are you worried that clues are spread across all three books? But then again, that would mean you probably own books one and two. Thank you, by the way.