The Painted Queen: An Amelia Peabody Novel of Suspense

by Elizabeth Peters, Joan Hess Narrated by Barbara Rosenblat

Overview

Egypt, 1912—Amelia Peabody and her dashing archeologist husband, Radcliffe Emerson, are once again in danger as they search for a priceless, stolen bust of legendary Queen Nefertiti and Amelia finds herself the target of assassins in this long-awaited, eagerly anticipated final installment of Elizabeth Peters' bestselling, beloved mystery series.

Arriving in Cairo for another thrilling excavation season, Amelia is relaxing in a well-earned bubble bath in her elegant hotel suite in Cairo, when a man with knife protruding from his back staggers into the bath chamber and utters a single word—"Murder"—before collapsing on the tiled floor, dead. Among the few possessions he carried was a sheet of paper with Amelia's name and room number, and a curious piece of pasteboard the size of a calling card bearing one word: "Judas." Most peculiarly, the stranger was wearing a gold-rimmed monocle in his left eye.

It quickly becomes apparent that someone saved Amelia from a would-be assassin—someone who is keeping a careful eye on the intrepid Englishwoman. Discovering a terse note clearly meant for Emerson—Where were you?"—pushed under their door, there can be only one answer: the brilliant master of disguise, Sethos.

But neither assassins nor the Genius of Crime will deter Amelia as she and Emerson head to the excavation site at Amarna, where they will witness the discovery of one of the most precious Egyptian artifacts: the iconic Nefertiti bust. In 1345 B.C. the sculptor Thutmose crafted the piece in tribute to the great beauty of this queen who was also the chief consort of Pharaoh Akhenaten and stepmother to King Tutankhamun.

For Amelia, this excavation season will prove to be unforgettable. Throughout her journey, a parade of men in monocles will die under suspicious circumstances, fascinating new relics will be unearthed, a diabolical mystery will be solved, and a brilliant criminal will offer his final challenge . . . and perhaps be unmasked at last.

Editorial Reviews

JULY 2017 - AudioFile

When Elizabeth Peters (Egyptologist Barbara Mertz) died in 2013, she left a partially finished manuscript. Thanks to mystery writer Joan Hess, who completed the manuscript, and the remarkable Barbara Rosenblat, fans can rest assured that the Peabody-Emerson clan is in more-than-capable hands. The family gathers in Cairo for the season and, as Amelia soaks in her bath, a man with a knife falls into her boudoir—dead! Rosenblat is sublime delivering Amelia’s caustic observations, especially when husband Emerson flings himself bodily upon several possible assassins. Her "harumph" is priceless. Whether dealing with a mystery surrounding a bust of Nefertiti, avoiding “master criminal” Sethos, offering a refreshing tea break—with pastries and cucumber sandwiches—or dispatching an assortment of monocled villains, Rosenblat delivers a delicious blend of love and mayhem. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

The New York Times Book Review

Deeply satisfying. . . . The joy of the Amelia books has always been their elegant sense of humor . . . Peters manages to satirize romantic thrillers while producing some of the finest in the genre.

Chicago Tribune

No one is better at juggling torches while dancing on a high wire than Elizabeth Peters.

Entertainment Weekly

Deeply satisfying. . . . The joy of the Amelia books has always been their elegant sense of humor . . . Peters manages to satirize romantic thrillers while producing some of the finest in the genre.

New York Times Book Review

[A] jewel of a series.

Toronto Sun

Grand adventure.

San Francisco Chronicle

Peters’s wily cast of characters keeps the reader coming back for more.

Washington Post Book World

Amelia is rather like Indiana Jones, Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple all rolled into one.

New York Times

Amelia Peabody, the bossy archaeologist in Elizabeth Peters’s romantic adventures set in Egypt at the end of the last century, makes a perfect companion for a cruise up the Nile.

Philadelphia Inquirer

Amelia has really pitched a tent in our hearts.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170181780
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	07/25/2017
Series:	Amelia Peabody Series , #20
Edition description:	Unabridged

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