The Hippopotamus Pool

Elizabeth Peters

The Emersons are once again returning to Egypt to excavate tombs in 1900. They are taking along Ramses, their son, and Nefret, their foster daughter. The book opens in Cairo as they are almost ready to depart. Emerson and Amelia have been invited to a secret meeting. The masked man who appears tells them about the previously undiscovered tomb of Queen Tetisheri. He has a ring that he claims has been passed down through his family, the protectors of the tombs, for years.

While there, the man collapses of apparent poisoning. While Amelia runs for help Emerson turns away for something in the room to assist. He gets hit over the head and is knocked out. By the time Amelia returns and Emerson wakes up, the man/body is gone. This was the final impetus Emerson needed. The family headed to Luxor and Gourna to look for Tetisheri's tomb.

The current underworld antiquities is in a state of flux. The man who had ruled the dishonest trade had died and new people are vying to take over. This new tomb would be a coup for any archologist, honest or dishonest. The Emersons know there are at least two groups of thieves trailing them. While digging through the ruins looking for a new historical find they discover just how dangerous these groups can be.

This is a worthy sequel in the Amelia Peabody Emerson series. I am so comfortable with the characters that I cannot judge if someone new to the novels could pick this one up cold and appreciate it as much. It is a well done mystery. A lot of the background of the story rests on the characters, yet I think enough explanation is done to make it understandable for the new reader as well.

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