Mummy Dearest

March 10, 2008
Hess’s delightful 17th Claire Malloy mystery (after 2007’s Damsels in Distress
) pays tribute to the Egyptian novels of Elizabeth Peters, the pseudonym of Barbara Mertz, to whom the book is dedicated. Claire has at long last married her cop boyfriend, Peter Rosen, and they are ostensibly on their honeymoon in Luxor, Egypt, accompanied by Claire’s daughter, Caron, and Caron’s best friend, Inez. Peter, however, is often called away on mysterious meetings with Egyptian police, and Claire and the girls are left to their own devices. Odd things start happening: the girls claim they’re being followed by a sinister Arab with a scar, a young American woman is kidnapped in the desert, and murders dog an archeological expedition. Hess throws into this heady mix a deliciously eccentric cast of supporting characters, including one Lady Amelia Peabody Emerson, reputed to be the descendant of famous English archeologists. Manipulating everything with a practiced hand, Hess concludes the story in a manner worthy of Hercule Poirot in the classic Death on the Nile
.

May 1, 2008
Bookstore owner Claire Malloy, of Farberville, Arkansas, is on her honeymoon in fascinating Luxor, Egypt, in this seventeenth in the series. Unfortunately, her law-enforcement husband, Peter Rosen, is on assignment in Egypt, leaving them little time alone. Because of Peters expected absences, Claire has brought along her teenage daughter, Caron, and Carons best friend, Inez. Claires reputation as a crime solver has preceded her, and a group of eccentric, elderly residents of their hotel, the Winter Palace, cant wait to meet her. A kidnapping, two murders, and Caron and Inezs pursuit by an unknown assailant leave Claire plenty to investigate while she visits Egypts treasured ancient sites. The sights and sounds of modern-day Luxor frame the story, and the history of ancient Egypt is also palpable, thanks to walking-encyclopedia Inez, who never misses an opportunity to bring her companions and the reader up to speed on what happened when. Humor, quirky characters, a rich mother-daughter relationship, and the fresh setting all add to this satisfying addition to Hess long-running series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)