Synopses & Reviews
Review
“Amelia Peabody, the bossy archaeologist in Elizabeth Peterss romantic adventures set in Egypt at the end of the last century, makes a perfect companion for a cruise up the Nile.” New York Times
Review
“Amelia is rather like Indiana Jones, Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple all rolled into one.” Washington Post Book World
Review
“Peterss wily cast of characters keeps the reader coming back for more.” San Francisco Chronicle
Review
“Grand adventure.” Toronto Sun
Review
“[A] jewel of a series.” New York Times Book Review
Review
“Amelia has really pitched a tent in our hearts.” Philadelphia Inquirer
Review
“Deeply satisfying. . . . The joy of the Amelia books has always been their elegant sense of humor . . . Peters manages to satirize romantic thrillers while producing some of the finest in the genre.” Entertainment Weekly
Review
“Once again, MWA Grandmaster Peters uses vivid settings, sharp characterizations, and deft dialogue to transport the reader to another time and place.” Publishers Weekly
Review
“No one is better at juggling torches while dancing on a high wire than Elizabeth Peters.” Chicago Tribune
Review
“...between Amelia Peabody and Indiana Jones, its Amelia--in wit and daring--by a landslide.” The New York Times Book Review
Synopsis
Egypt, 1912--Amelia Peabody and her dashing archeologist husband, Radcliffe Emerson, are once again in danger as they search for a priceless, stolen bust of legendary Queen Nefertiti and Amelia finds herself the target of assassins in this long-awaited, eagerly anticipated final installment of Elizabeth Peters' bestselling, beloved mystery series.
Arriving in Cairo for another thrilling excavation season, Amelia is relaxing in a well-earned bubble bath in her elegant hotel suite in Cairo, when a man with knife protruding from his back staggers into the bath chamber and utters a single word--"Murder"--before collapsing on the tiled floor, dead. Among the few possessions he carried was a sheet of paper with Amelia's name and room number, and a curious piece of pasteboard the size of a calling card bearing one word: "Judas." Most peculiarly, the stranger was wearing a gold-rimmed monocle in his left eye.
It quickly becomes apparent that someone saved Amelia from a would-be assassin--someone who is keeping a careful eye on the intrepid Englishwoman. Discovering a terse note clearly meant for Emerson--Where were you?"--pushed under their door, there can be only one answer: the brilliant master of disguise, Sethos.
But neither assassins nor the Genius of Crime will deter Amelia as she and Emerson head to the excavation site at Amarna, where they will witness the discovery of one of the most precious Egyptian artifacts: the iconic Nefertiti bust. In 1345 B.C. the sculptor Thutmose crafted the piece in tribute to the great beauty of this queen who was also the chief consort of Pharaoh Akhenaten and stepmother to King Tutankhamun.
For Amelia, this excavation season will prove to be unforgettable. Throughout her journey, a parade of men in monocles will die under suspicious circumstances, fascinating new relics will be unearthed, a diabolical mystery will be solved, and a brilliant criminal will offer his final challenge . . . and perhaps be unmasked at last.
About the Author
Elizabeth Peters earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago's famed Oriental Institute. She was named Grand Master at the inaugural Anthony Awards in 1986 and Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 1998. In 2003, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Malice Domestic Convention. She lives in a historic farmhouse in western Maryland.