Amelia Peabody, that indomitable product of the Victorian age, embarks o her first Egyptian adventure armed with unshakable self-confidence, a journal to record her thoughts, and, of course, a sturdy umbrella. On her way, Amelia rescues young Evelyn Barton-Forbes, who has been "ruined" and abandoned on the streets of Rome by her rascally lover. With a typical disregard for convention, Amelia promptly hires her follow countrywoman as a companion and takes her to Cairo. Eluding Alberto, Evelyn`s former lover, who wants her back, and Evelyn`s cousin Lord Ellesmere, who wishes to marry her, the two woman sail up the Nile. They disembark at an archeological site run by the Emerson brothers—the irascible, but dashing, Radcliffe and the amiable Walter. Soon their little party is increased by one—one mummy, that is, and a singularly lively example of the species. Strange visitations, suspicious accidents, and a botched kidnapping convince Amelia that there is a plot afoot to harm Evelyn. But no villain, or mummy, is a match for the doughty Amelia. How she arranges all to her satisfaction is just one of the pleasures of this delightfully witty mystery.