Part of Amelia Peabody, book 8
First published 2007
Amelia Peabody faces a tantalizing mystery when a masked guide promises to show her the location of a lost Egyptian queen's tomb. Before he can share his secret, the man disappears without a trace. Amelia and her husband Emerson, both seasoned archaeologists, decide to pursue the lead themselves. They travel to Thebes with their teenage son Rameses and their ward Nefret to pick up the vanished guide's trail. The family soon discovers they have stumbled into something far more dangerous than a simple treasure hunt. Murderers, kidnappers, and grave robbers emerge from the shadows to threaten their investigation. Meanwhile, Amelia works on translating an ancient legend about the Hippopotamus Pool, a tale of conflict and strategy. Her translation work leads her to identify a new enemy: a corrupt art dealer whose substantial girth matches his appetite for stolen antiquities. As the Peabody family digs deeper into both the archaeological mystery and the criminal conspiracy surrounding it, they must use all their wits to survive the deadly game they have entered.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, mystery, archaeology
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family, treasure-hunt
Setting: Thebes
Period: 19th-century
386 pages · Paperback · Robinson Publishing