Set in 1884 this is the first installment in what has become a beloved bestselling series. At thirty-two strong-willed Amelia Peabody a self-proclaimed spinster decides to use her ample inheritance to indulge her passion Egyptology. On her way to Egypt Amelia encounters a young woman named Evelyn Barton-Forbes. The two become fast friends and travel on together encountering mysteries missing mummies and Radcliffe Emerson a dashing and opinionated archaeologist who doesn't need a woman's help -- or so he thinks.