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.

The Painted Queen: An Amelia Peabody Novel of Suspense (Amelia Peabody Series, 20)

Literature & Fiction

Hess, Joan

PETERS, Elizabeth

United States

William Morrow

William Morrow Paperbacks

The Painted Queen (Amelia Peabody Series, 20)

William Morrow Large Print

Recuperating from a disastrous marriage in New York City, Arly Hanks, returning to her home town of Maggody, Arkansas, to become its first woman sheriff, is shocked when murder and mayhem turn the town upside down

Malice in Maggody

St Martins Pr

Dear Miss Demeanor (Claire Malloy Mysteries, No. 3)

Agatha Award-winning author Joan Hess, the prolific creator of the Claire Malloy and Maggody mysteries, is beloved for her clever sleuths, quirky characters, and her ingenious plotting. We invite you to enjoy this delightful Claire Malloy mystery, and to discover why Sharyn McCrumb calls Joan Hess “the patron saint of comic mystery.” At Farberville High, it’s reading, writing...and murder. Who knows what evil lurks in the halls of Farbervilles’ high school-or what blackmail is hidden in Miss Demeanor’s Falcon Crier advice column? Certainly not bookstore owner and amateur sleuth Claire Malloy-until her daughter Caron persuades her to substitute for disgraced column editor and journalism teacher Emily Parchester. Surely Miss Parchester cannot be guilty of embezzlement. But the petty charges graduate to murder when Principal Weiss gets his last licks from Miss Parchester’s peach compote. Miss Parchester herself, last seen at a local sanitarium, is suddenly missing. And now it’s up to Claire to find someone who’s been schooled in the fine art of murder...

Smalltown police chief Arly Hanks is beset by an influx of new neighbors, one of whom, she is sure, has something to do with the death of the town prostitute and a booby-trapped marijuana field

Mischief in Maggody: An Ozarks Murder Mystery

Claire Malloy investigates a series of increasingly malicious attacks against the reigning queen of the beauty pageant, unsure whether it is just a prankster or a full-fledged murderer

A Really Cute Corpse (Claire Malloy Mysteries, No. 4)

During a feminist demostration the local bank catches on fire and the head teller dies under myterious circumstances, forcing Arly Hanks, Chief of Police, to investigate

Much Ado in Maggody: An Ozarks Murder Mystery

St. Martin's: Griffin

Claire Malloy believes there is just one thing better than chocolate...and it's not jumping a round in an aerobics class. Nonetheless, she gets roped into accompanying a chubby heiress named Maribeth to Faberville, Arkansas's hottest new fitness center. Personally, Claire thinks the best way for Maribeth to lose 160 unnecessary pounds would be to dump her abusive husband. But while Claire's teenage daughter Caron unsuccessfully tries every fad diet she can find (as long as it doesn't mean cutting out pizza), Claire has to admit Maribeth's commitment to diet, workouts, and supplements is working...until things go horribly wrong. Besides becoming moonstruck over the big-muscled fitness instructor, Maribeth is acting loony outside the gym as well. And when she ends up "accidentally" dead, Claire starts to exercise her instincts for crime...and hunt for a killer.

A Diet to Die for (Claire Malloy Mysteries, No. 5)

Pandemonium reigns in tiny Maggody when citizens revolt against a new supermarket, that threatens their businesses, by tampering with the food, causing one death and leaving Chief of Police Arly Hanks with a prime suspect--his mother

Madness in Maggody (Arly Hanks Mysteries)

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Hess, Joan. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Hess, Joan

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Hess, Joan. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Painted Queen: An Amelia Peabody Novel of Suspense (Amelia Peabody Series, 20)

The Painted Queen: An Amelia Peabody Novel of Suspense (Amelia Peabody Series, 20)

The Painted Queen (Amelia Peabody Series, 20)

Malice in Maggody

Dear Miss Demeanor (Claire Malloy Mysteries, No. 3)

Mischief in Maggody: An Ozarks Murder Mystery

A Really Cute Corpse (Claire Malloy Mysteries, No. 4)

Much Ado in Maggody: An Ozarks Murder Mystery

A Diet to Die for (Claire Malloy Mysteries, No. 5)

Madness in Maggody (Arly Hanks Mysteries)