Rating: 7/10
- Accuracy: Knowledgeable on Egyptology and on Egypt in the 1880s; the author was a trained Egyptologist.
- Plot: A wealthy Victorian spinster travels to Egypt, befriends a ruined young woman, and joins an archaeologist at a dig haunted by a walking mummy.
- Clues: Light and playful; the mystery is part of the comedy.
- Reveal: Guessable but fun.
- Science bonus: Emerson champions scientific archaeology, careful excavation and recording against treasure-hunting, which was a live debate in 1880s Egyptology.
Amelia Peabody inherits a fortune and decides to travel. In Rome she rescues Evelyn Barton-Forbes, a young woman ruined by a seducer. The two women travel to Egypt, where they meet Radcliffe Emerson, a brilliant, rude archaeologist, and his brother. At the excavation site, a mummy walks at night.
Elizabeth Peters was the pen name of Barbara Mertz, who had a doctorate in Egyptology. Her knowledge shows in the descriptions of sites, digs and the history of archaeology. But the book is above all a comedy.
Amelia is a wonderful narrator: confident, opinionated, brave and oblivious to her own romantic feelings. Her battles with Emerson are a pleasure, and the book parodies Victorian adventure novels and romances.
The mystery is secondary, and the villain is not hard to spot. Some of the humour is broad, and the Egyptian characters are less developed than the Europeans.
The 7 reflects a delightful start to a long series. Amelia and Emerson returned in nearly twenty novels, and the books remain beloved for their wit and Egyptology.
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