The Mummy Case -- Elizabeth Peters

by Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger

22 Sep 2006 08:32 AM

In "The Mummy Case," Ramses, the only child of Emerson and Amelia, is now old enough to accompany them on an archaeological dig in Egypt. While still very young, his grasp of all things Egyptian is astounding, as is his vocabulary, and he can't wait to get out in the sand and begin a dig of his very own.

Emerson is also itching to return. The pyramids at Dashoor are calling to him, their riches just waiting to be discovered, catalogued, and turned over to the museum with Emerson's name proudly displayed as the finder. But when they arrive in Egypt, the Emersons find that de Morgan, a rival archaeologist, has dibs those hallowed grounds for himself, leaving the less desirable area of Mazghunah for Emerson. It's enough to make Emerson angry enough to rip the buttons off his shirt, but he and Amelia are determined to make the best of it,

While buying supplies for their camp, Amelia overhears a strange conversation between an artifacts dealer and a mysterious man. Later, when that dealer turns up murdered, hanging from the rafters of his shop, she is convinced that the mysterious man she saw is the murderer, and wants to investigate further. There must be a Master Criminal at large, one who has coordinated the illegal sale of antiquities in the region, and he was displeased with the murdered dealer. Emerson is sure that Amelia has been reading too many novels, and off they go, setting up camp in an old monastery. Ramses asks permission to conduct a dig of his own, and Emerson, the doting father, agrees. The young boy comes home every afternoon completely filthy but happy, and Amelia sees no harm in letting him continue poking around in the dirt and mud. At least he's occupied.

Things go on as normal until the mysterious man shows up as one of the Emerson's employees, hired to help with the dig. Then a forged mummy case is stolen, as well as some genuine, and priceless, relics. Ramses kidnaps a baby lion, and Emerson and Amelia are locked in the burial chamber of a pyramid. Behind it all is the Master Criminal, Amelia believes, while Emerson thinks it's just a coincidence. Who's right? Well, read the book! You won't be sorry.

(This book was published in 1985 by Avon Books.)

The previous books in this series are:

Crocodile on the Sandbank

The Curse of the Pharaohs

Learn more about Tristi Pinkston

I've been a blogger for Families.com since August of 2006.

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