The Golden One

Elizabeth Peters
aka Barbera Mertz

The Emersons are returning to Egypt. They have been given an archeological site near Luxor to work. They plan on staying longer than the normal digging season, though. In 1917, the ocean is not safe. They don't know when they will return to England.

They return to rumors of a new, hitherto untouched, tomb that was found by robbers. They believe they had met one of the thieves the last time they were in the country. Although this was unexpectedly bold of him, Amelia and Emerson are certain he has found this tomb. When he brags about another one to his sister, they want to find him and discover more. They'd also like to bring him back into his family as a productive member rather than a disgrace.

Ramses and Nefret bring Sennia with them. She is getting older and will need a formal education. Sennia stays in the house with Amelia and Emerson, though, rather than the separate dwelling Ramses and Nefret now have. They trust Gargery the butler and Horus the cat to keep Sennia from being kidnapped again.

As they start searching for the first hidden cache, the Emersons stumble across...a dead body, of course. This man had been dead a while. He was positioned in front of the opened, robbed tomb as a warning for others to keep away. While they are investigating the story, the English military approach Ramses. They want to convince him to use his talents for disguise for his country once again. Nefret extracts a promise that he refuse them, and he keeps the promise. Now tomb robbers and the military are seeking the Emersons. This will lead to some interesting predicaments.

Yes, the Emersons are old friends to me now. This is the 14th novel in the series. It is, sadly, uneven. The first part was slow. The second part picked up and gained the excitement I usually find in these novels. The third part didn't maintain the momentum. It is not as slow as the first part, but doesn't carry through well. It is almost as if Peters could write the action sections extremely well, but sloughed off on the domestic sections. I still liked it, of course, but at least part of that enjoyment is because it is part of the ongoing Emerson story.

Crocodile on the Sandbank
The Curse of the Pharaohs
The Mummy Case
Lion in the Valley
The Deeds of the Disturber
The Last Camel Died at Noon
The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog
The Hippopotamus Pool
Seeing a Large Cat
The Ape Who Guards the Balance
The Falcon at the Portal
He Shall Thunder in the Sky
The Lord of the Silent
The Golden One
Children of the Storm
Guardian of the Horizon
The Serpent on the Crown
Tomb of the Golden Bird
A River in the Sky