The Ape Who Guards the Balance

by Elizabeth Peters

Part of Amelia Peabody, book 10

First published 1999

Amelia Peabody attends a suffragettes rally outside the London home of Geoffrey Romer, a member of Parliament who collects Egyptian antiquities. Strange incidents at the protest put Amelia in serious danger. She suspects her nemesis Sethos orchestrates these troubles. The Emerson Peabody family flees to Egypt to resume their archaeological work in the Valley of Kings. They obtain a papyrus from the Book of the Dead during their excavation. Their dig faces interruption when someone discovers a woman's corpse in the Nile. Ramses, Radcliffe, and Amelia each develop different theories about the murder. The cult of Thoth may connect to both the killing and their ancient text. The family's own safety becomes uncertain as they investigate deeper into the mystery that spans from London's political protests to Egypt's ancient burial grounds.

Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, mystery, archaeology

Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family

Setting: Egypt, London, Valley of Kings

Period: 19th-century

400 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Avon

More by Elizabeth Peters

Readers who liked The Ape Who Guards the Balance also liked

View on Siftivo