FBI Special Agent Charlie Rebb thought the Surgeon — a notorious serial killer — was a ghost from the past. But when a new series of murders erupts, each marked with strange, arcane symbols, the trail leads Rebb across continents to Egypt… and to a chilling revelation: the Surgeon has returned, and this time, his killings follow a pattern—one tied to a purpose more terrifying than anyone imagined.
Meanwhile, in Egypt, Alex MacLure has uncovered more encoded messages in ancient tablets. An ancient Egyptian was searching for a forgotten symbol. His name appears in a programme written by a brilliant AI student. The student reaches out with a wild theory — but before MacLure discovers the truth, he’s arrested for a murder he didn’t commit.
Thrown together by fate and hunted by forces beyond their understanding, Rebb and MacLure must unlock an ancient secret. They must stop the Surgeon before he unleashes a plan, millennia in the making.
It is such a pleasure to be hosting the blog tour for Mark of Eternity today. Many thanks to Murray Bailey for inviting me and for my advance digital copy of the novel.
Mark of Eternity is the second book in Murray Bailey's The Egyptian Stones series; it's not necessary to have read The Heretic Cypher but I would recommend this introduction to Alex MacLure, if possible. The archeologist faces an even more puzzling challenge here and this time, the stakes are higher than ever.
The book opens, however, far away from Alex as police are called to a gruesome scene in Atlanta, Georgia. When a couple of dogs find the remains of a body, it quickly leads to several more murder victims being discovered. FBI Special Agent Charlie Rebb soon realises it looks to be the work of the Surgeon, a notorious serial killer she last pursued three years ago. Charlie and her partner, Peter Zhang are pointed in the direction of a practising Satanist who defends his beliefs but points them in the direction of a man they rapidly suspect to be the Surgeon. When he escapes to Egypt, his killing spree continues and Charlie is requested to liaise with the legal attaché in Cairo as well as to work with the local law enforcement. I immediately liked Charlie; she is a well-rounded character with a believable background and is clearly good at her job, in spite of some of the obstacles she faces. It took me longer to warm to the abrasive Zhang but Murray Bailey's nuanced characterisation ensured I was able gain some understanding into the reasons behind his rudeness. A different side to his character becomes more apparent later in proceedings but this is really Charlie and Alex's book and although it takes a while for them to meet, they make an excellent team.
Alex is still in Egypt and has been continuing his work encoding the secrets found on more of the clay tablets uncovered at the ancient site of Akhenaten's city. He is frustrated, however, as he believes there's more of peasant boy, Yanhamu's story to be told. Everything changes for Alex though when he receives a call from a desperate man calling himself Agent J. Up until this point, Mark of Eternity is a chilling detective novel but after Alex agrees to meet the mysterious Agent J, the action really heats up and this electrifying thriller is full of tension, danger and intrigue.
Alex finds himself in a nightmare when he is arrested for murder and thrown into a crowded Egyptian cell. Murray Bailey's vivid descriptions bring the sights, sounds and smells of his terrifying ordeal to life and throughout Mark of Eternity, the sense of place is superb. Although, initially looking into separate cases – Charlie is chasing down the Surgeon while Alex is trying to discover why his name appears on word cloud developed by a brilliant student testing his AI program by using the phrase, 'pyramid conspiracy'. Only now the student has disappeared and Alex is drawn into a labyrinthine plot which will test him to his emotional limits. Alex and Charlie are eventually drawn together as their worlds and fields of expertise collide. As they desperately try to prevent more deaths, their dramatic race against time and the high-octane conclusion had my heart pounding!
Mark of Eternity is a nail-biting thriller packed with drama, twists and turns and the melding of fact and fiction is brilliant thanks to the fascinating inclusion of subjects such as Egypt's ancient history and beliefs, Masonic traditions and Biblical contradictions. The depth of Murray Bailey's research, particularly regarding Egyptian deities and symbols is truly impressive. Mark of Eternity is a gripping, intelligent read from start to finish and is one I highly recommend.
Mark of Eternity is available now in hardback and will be published in paperback and ebook on 6th March 2026. It can be purchased here.
Follow the blog tour, details are below.
About the Author
Murray is well traveled, having worked in the US, South America and a number of European countries throughout his career as a management consultant. However he also managed to find the time to edit books, contribute to articles and act as a part-time magazine editor.
Murray was born in Manchester and now lives on the south coast of England with his family and two dogs, Teddy and Muffin.
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