| The book opens with a mysterious
flashback from Emerson's childhood. His father has died and he
is being taken home through the winter snow when he sees a boy and a
woman struggling through the storm on the road from the front
gate. Emerson tries to stop the carriage and help them, but he
is prevented from acting by his mother, and locked in his room for
several days.
1914, many years later, finds the
Emerson family in Cairo with the Great War swirling around them.
Many of the archaeologists have deserted their sites due to
political necessity, and Emerson has been given asked to keep an eye
on the Giza Pyramid Site for the German scholars. One of the
real pyramids, at last for Amelia!? Not really, just a tomb or two
in the nearby Old Kingdom cemetary.
Ramses is playing a devious double game,
overtly protesting the war and refusing to enlist, while working
undercover for the War Office at night posing as Wardini the
firebrand leader of the Nationalist Movement.
David Todros is being held in custody in India
for Nationalist activities. Lia Todros is in England, and expecting
their first child.
Nefret, whose precipitous actions in the last
installment led to a severe estrangement from Ramses, has finally
come to realize that she is in love with Ramses, but Ramses was hurt
bitterly by her previous actions and has once again hidden his
feelings for her.
Percy Peabody seems to be very influential
these days and everyone begins to suspect that he might be playing
spy for the Turks who are planning to invade Egypt across the Suez
Canal. But there seem to be so many suspicious characters around, it
is difficult to narrow down the person masterminding the espionage
activities.
And speaking of Masterminds, there is a whiff
of Sethos in the air, as well. Emerson and Amelia discover a huge
statue in their tomb, which they suspect has been planted there by--
who else--The Master Criminal.
Amelia and Emerson are in the dark about most
everything, and the book is about their discovery of the character
and motives of the younger family members. The book resolves many of
the issues that have been building in the family over the series of
novels.
This book kills off one family member and
introduces another. I'm not telling who. Read it and
enjoy.
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