Set in 1884, this is the first installment in what has become a beloved bestselling series. At thirty-two, strong-willed Amelia Peabody, a self-proclaimed spinster, decides to use her ample inheritance to indulge her passion, Egyptology. On her way to Egypt, Amelia encounters a young woman named Evelyn Barton-Forbes. The two become fast friends and travel on together, encountering mysteries, missing mummies, and Radcliffe Emerson, a dashing and opinionated archaeologist who doesn't need a woman's help -- or so he thinks.
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"Amelia is so lovable. She is gruff but on the inside her heart is huge. I found the mystery itself predictable and very easy to figure out, which would normally take away from a story but in this case didn't. You'll find yourself routing for the characters and laughing at Amelia's witty narration!"
— Nose-in-a-book (4 out of 5 stars)
“Peters’ unforgettable heroine Amelia Peabody makes her first appearance in this clever mystery.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review“[Peters is] a writer so popular that the public library has to keep her books under lock and key.”
— Washington Post Book World“Evokes all the passion and mystery of the ‘Golden Age of Egyptology’ with humor, intelligence, and insight.”
— Ancient Egypt Magazine" I have been a fan of Peters!! THIS book is My favorite one, I can’t count how many time I’ve read it Rosenblatt does Credible job also humorous and understanding of the characters "
— to work r, 10/30/2018" A fun read; great character development, exotic locales, romance, mystery, and a spooky monster - who could ask for anything more? "
— Mary, 2/17/2014" I really like this series. Amelia Peabody is smart, funny and sassy. What a great read when you are in the mood for something light. I agree with other reviews that the mystery becomes almost the secondary plot against the great characters of the story. I can't wait to read more from the series. "
— Krystal, 2/15/2014" About halfway through this book I had decided that while I was enjoying it enough to finish reading it, I wasn't about to read any more Amelia Peabody "adventures". I read it on my kindle, and I was more than 30% through the book before anything interesting really happened. I don't consider that adventurous. A lot of traveling, and sight seeing, and meeting people, but nothing really HAPPENING. I prefer my books to move a little faster than that. Once the story finally picked up I enjoyed it more. I also enjoyed Amelia's sarcastic humor. (I heart sarcasm). While the ending of the story didn't surprise me, it was still well written especially with regards to the romantic story lines. I may yet pick up another Amelia Peabody mystery in the future...... "
— Rene', 2/12/2014" I'm more than halfway through and I'm just so bored. Shouldn't a mystery be captivating? I have been forcing myself to read this, but now I'm moving on. I have too many other books waiting on my nightstand. "
— Jenalyn, 2/6/2014" This is one of my absolute favorite series. "
— Katie, 2/6/2014" The first Amelia Peabody book! I love the whole series--it's really a fun look at a really exciting historical period. You get really attached to the characters, so it's great that they appear in so many books! "
— Carolyn, 2/4/2014" I like the spunky Amelia Peabody and will be reading the next book in the series. "
— Terri, 1/25/2014" Egyptian Archeology, Victorian, with a little Bronte thrown in for good measure. Amelia Peabody is the bomb. "
— Elizabeth, 1/19/2014" This was the first Peabody book I read. They are fun, fast reads and I really enjoy all the Egyptian archaeology. I find the main characters can be long winded and tiring but tend to love them any ways "
— Judy, 1/16/2014Elizabeth Peters (1927–2013) was a pen name of Barbara Mertz, who earned her PhD in Egyptology from the University of Chicago’s famed Oriental Institute. Over the course of her fifty-year career she wrote more than seventy mystery and suspense novels and three nonfiction books on Egypt, of which many were New York Times bestsellers. She was the recipient of numerous writing awards, including grandmaster and lifetime achievement awards from the Mystery Writers of America, Malice Domestic, and Bouchercon. In 2012 she was given the first Amelia Peabody Award, created in her honor and named after her major fictional character, at the Malice Domestic convention. She also wrote books under the names Barbara Mertz and Barbara Michaels.
Barbara Rosenblat, one of the most awarded narrators in the business, was selected by AudioFile magazine as one of the Golden Voices of the Twentieth Century. She has received the prestigious Audie Award multiple times and has earned more than fifty AudioFile Earphones Awards. She has also appeared in film, television, and theater, both in London’s West End and on Broadway.