Return once again with New York Times bestselling Grand Master Elizabeth Peters to a remarkable land of mystery, deception, and danger, where murderous intrigues swirl in the desert wind. . . . The Great War has ended at last. No longer must archaeologist Amelia Peabody and her husband, Emerson, the distinguished Egyptologist, fear for the life of their daring son, Ramses, now free from his dangerous wartime obligations to British Intelligence. The advent of a season of joy and peace marks a time of new beginnings in Luxor, with delightful additions to the growing Emerson family and fascinating wonders waiting to be discovered beneath the shifting Egyptian sands. But in the aftermath of conflict, evil still casts a cold shadow over this violence-scarred land. The theft of valuable antiquities from the home of a friend causes great concern in the Emerson household. Ramses's strange encounter with a woman costumed in the veil and gold crown of a goddess only deepens the mystery. And the brutal death of the suspected thief washes the unsettling affair in blood. Amelia's investigation sets her on a terrifying collision course with an adversary more fiendish and formidable than any she has ever encountered. And in her zeal to make things right, the indomitable Amelia may be feeding the flames of a devastating firestorm that threatens the fragile lives of the tender and the innocent. Adult/High School-World War I has ended and the Emerson family now includes several children of an entirely new generation. Everyone comes together in Egypt to work on the Emersons' newest dig. The adults are puzzled as strange, seemingly unrelated events occur: a theft, a murder, the appearance of a woman dressed as a goddess, the sinking of a boat, and attacks on a cousin. This complex series continues with witty dialogue, mysterious twists and turns, and delightful characters. A brief introduction summarizes relationships and provides a broad overview of the series, but it will serve best as a review for fans. Purchase where earlier titles have been popular. Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. Egyptian nationalism is on the rise in the early twentieth century; Amelia Peabody Emerson and her volatile husband are grandparents; and a new season of archaeological exploration has begun in the Valley of Kings. This season promises to be special as the Emersons are looking forward to a reunion with extended family that will fill their lives to bursting. The joyous gathering is tempered, however, by some seemingly unrelated occurrences-a strange theft, son Ramses' kidnapping, the sabotage of a boat on which the family is traveling. Unfortunately, it takes the redoubtable Amelia an inordinately long time to figure things out, with excitement at a premium until the last few pages (though Amelia's brief masquerade as an Egyptian fisherman--complete with a patch on her eye--is almost worth the wait). Until then, Peters mostly tinkers with relationships among her large cast, many of whom play some role in unmasking the villains. Readers who enjoy this series for its crisp repartee and interpersonal dynamics will be sufficiently entertained; those who long for more old-fashioned heroics and adventure will have to wait for the next book. Stephanie Zvirin Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "Peters has always known how to romance us; but...she also proves herself a conscientious scholar." -- New York Times Elizabeth Peters earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago’s famed Oriental Institute. During her fifty-year career, she wrote more than seventy novels and three nonfiction books on Egypt. She received numerous writing awards and, in 2012, was given the first Amelia Peabody Award, created in her honor. She died in 2013, leaving a partially completed manuscript of The Painted Queen .