Book excerpt: The first in a new trilogy by Christian Jacq, BENEATH THE PYRAMID is a gripping novel of suspense which takes place during the reign of Ramses the Great. A young, intelligent, incorruptible novice judge, Pazair, is called to Memphis to investigate the mysterious deaths of five guards standing watch over the sphinx at Giza. His inquiries unearth a plot to overthrow Ramses, and with the help of Souti, a former scribe, and the beautiful Nefertet, a young doctor, he sets out to discover the truth.