I felt a wave of mixed emotions as I opened the cover of THE PAINTED QUEEN. I knew it was the very last time I would be reading a new Amelia Peabody mystery, and yet I was so very grateful to hold it in my hands. I knew Barbara Mertz, aka Elizabeth Peters, had been working on a book when she died but didn't realize until recently that Joan Hess had taken on the gargantuan task of finishing it.
THE PAINTED QUEEN is set in 1912, and falls in timeline between THE FALCON AT THE PORTAL and HE SHALL THUNDER IN THE SKY. It is set in one of my favorite time periods within the span of the series, after Ramses is grown but before his marriage to Nefret. As is to be expected, it is not exactly as Peters might have written in, but is supremely enjoyable nonetheless. An occasional turn of phrase of a well-loved character seems slightly out of sync compared to how the character spoke in other volumes, for example, but nothing that detracts from the flow of narrative and action.
Considering Joan Hess's long-standing friendship with Peters, I doubt they could have found anyone better to tackle the outline and notes she left. Hess battled through personal health challenges to complete THE PAINTED QUEEN, and I can't be anything but grateful to have the series completed by someone who loves it as much as Amelia's other fans.
I mourn the end of the series; I really doubt anyone can add to the body of work with the same verve and spirit Elizabeth Peters brought to it. I sincerely thank her family, and especially Joan Hess for bringing us this final tribute to a woman who helped inspire many other writers to bring forward their own strong female characters for us to love. Whenever I read a book where a main female character reaches for a sturdy umbrella, I wonder if I have found another fan of Amelia.
Egypt, 1912βAmelia 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 Petersβ 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 wordβ"Murder"βbefore collapsing on the tiled
floor, dead. Among the few possessions he carried was a
sheet of paper with Ameliaβs 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 assassinβsomeone who is keeping a careful eye on
the intrepid Englishwoman. Discovering a terse note clearly
meant for EmersonβWhere were you?"βpushed 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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