Tomb of the Golden Bird (Amelia Peabody Series #18) » (Abridged)

Barbara Mertz is a woman of many talents. With a Ph.D. in Egyptology, her first published books were captivating nonfiction reads about life in ancient Egypt. As Barbara Michaels, she has written gothic suspense novels with spellbiding supernatural elements; and, as Elizabeth Peters, she has authored books in three different series -- most notably a sequence of mysteries set in 19th-century Egypt, featuring the intrepid archaologist/sleuth Amelia Peabody.

In New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Peters's eagerly anticipated Amelia Peabody adventure, the Emerson clan is a hairsbreadth away from unearthing the legendary site they've been searching for. But a sinister plot and a dark family secret stand in the way of their ultimate ambition -- and threaten to change things forever. . . .

Convinced that the tomb of the little-known king Tutankhamon lies somewhere in the Valley of the Kings, Egyptologist Radcliffe Emerson and his wife, Amelia Peabody, seem to have hit a wall. Emerson has tried desperately to persuade Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter to relinquish their digging rights. But Emerson's trickery has backfired, and his insistent interest in the site has made his rivals all the more determined to keep the Emerson clan away.

Publishers Weekly

Safer and probably a lot more fun than an actual trip to present-day Egypt, MWA Grand Master Peters's 18th entry in her bestselling Amelia Peabody historical mystery series is given solid and ironic life by veteran reader Rosenblat. With an upper-class British edge that might remind some listeners of current PBS Mystery series host, Diana Rigg, Rosenblat is best at making Peabody the combination of wisdom, strength and occasional familial frustration that has endeared her to so many readers and listeners. But she is also adept at capturing the men in the family (Amelia's husband, the pompous Radcliffe Emerson; his not-to-be-trusted half-brother, Sethos; and the Emersons' smart and hunky son and heir, Ramses) and various other high-level Brits who propel the plot about the search for Tutankhamen's tomb. Rosenblat also does the Egyptians in grand style, rarely slipping into ethnic vocal clich s. Escapist adventure, to be sure-but the quality is as high as ever. Simultaneous release with the Morrow hardcover (Reviews, Feb. 13). (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.