The Mummy Case

by: Elizabeth Peters

Published by: Avon

Reviewed byJeff Foster

Egyptologist and amateur detective Amelia Peabody and her audacious husband Radcliff Emerson reside comfortably during the twilight years of Queen Victoria's reign in England.

Radcliff Emerson is a renowned Archeologist specializing in the dynastic civilizations of ancient Egypt. For their annual winter excursion, Emerson has promised his wife that he will provide her an excavation of pyramids, and plans to use his personality and powers of persuasion to bully his way to his chosen site excavating the three pyramids at Dashoor.

Because they waited too long, the more viable sites are already assigned by the Director of Egyptian Antiquities. Emerson is consequently snubbed in his request, and he and Peabody are relegated to Mazghunah, a site which boasts pyramids yes, but of such uninteresting quality as to be a far distant choice.

Prior to leaving, Amelia and son, the indomitable Walter, nicknamed Ramses, become unwittingly involved with the death of an antiquities dealer and the subsequent theft of valuable Egyptian antiquities.

Eventually the three arrive at their assigned site and settle into the remains of a ruined monastery. Ramses begins his own digs as Amelia has always encouraged him to learn his parents' ways.

The boy, in my estimation, is the star of this story. His intelligence is remarkable, and although he has conquered a variety of languages and tendencies beyond his years, he still talks like a little boy. It makes for some very humorous conversation and a truly delightful character.

At the dig site Amelia recognizes a hired worker as a man she has seen in Cairo talking with the antiquities dealer shortly before his untimely demise. This, combined with a small fragment of papyrus, the burglary of a German heiress' collections, mysterious fires, inhospitable local villagers and attempted robbery of their own base camp, provide for a wonderfully amusing, and enthralling story that will captivate the reader and make you want to read the Peabody mystery series in total.

Armchair Interviews says: This is a new paperback edition of the original 1985 work. Elizabeth Peter's writing style is timeless and in these days of Da Vinci Codes and mysterious sects, her stories will continue to entertain readers for many years to come.