The Mummy Case: An Amelia Peabody Novel of Suspense

In this third installment of the Amelia Peabody series, the intrepid Egyptologist and her irascible husband, Radcliffe Emerson, find themselves stuck in a barren stretch of the Egyptian desert after being denied access to the pyramids at Dahshur. Their tedious excavation of rubble is interrupted by the murder of an antiquities dealer, sparking a mystery that intertwines modern criminal intrigue with ancient secrets. As Amelia investigates a missing mummy case and a mysterious scrap of papyrus, the couple uncovers a plot involving religious extremists and artifact smuggling that threatens their lives.

Elizabeth Peters blends the technical details of archaeological fieldwork with the pacing of a classic whodunit, creating a distinctive voice that is both witty and erudite. The narrative captures the dynamic between the couple—Amelia’s pragmatic curiosity and Emerson’s bombastic ego—while grounding the suspense in the tangible realities of excavation and the high-stakes world of antiquities trafficking.

Description adapted from Open Library ↗.