The Painted Queen

Arriving in Cairo for the 1912-1913 excavation season, Amelia Peabody is relaxing in a bath when a man with a knife protruding from his back staggers into the chamber and utters one word—“Murder!”—before dying. It becomes apparent that someone saved Amelia from a would-be assassin—someone who is keeping an eye on the intrepid Englishwoman.

But nothing will deter Amelia as she and her husband, Emerson, head to Amarna, where a priceless treasure was recently discovered: the iconic Nefertiti bust, crafted in 1345 B.C. It is one of the most precious Egyptian artifacts ever found . . . and now, it seems, it is unaccountably missing.

For Amelia, this excavation season will be unforgettable, as a parade of men in monocles dies under suspicious circumstances, fascinating new relics are unearthed, a murderous quest for vengeance is thwarted, and a diabolical mystery is solved at last.