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.
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