The Egyptian Mystery

A Penny Green Victorian Mystery #11

by Emily Organ

“Dead men don’t just walk out of hotels…”

Penny faces her most baffling case yet.
Egyptologist Charles Hamilton is found dead in his hotel room, but then his body vanishes. With his wife missing too, Penny is perplexed.

Can Mr Hamilton really be dead? Or is it an elaborate ruse? Evidence is thin on the ground and to complicate matters, not everyone is who they claim to be.

Penny must navigate her way through false identities and misleading information to solve the puzzle of the missing Egyptologists. Meanwhile, the investigation brings her into conflict with family and friends. In a test of her resolve, Penny is forced to question whether the case can ever be cracked.

-------

The Egyptian Mystery is Book 11 in the Penny Green Mystery Series set in 1880s London. The books can be read in any order:
Book 1 - Limelight
Book 2 - The Rookery
Book 3 - The Maid's Secret
Book 4 - The Inventor
Book 5 - Curse of the Poppy
Book 6 - The Bermondsey Poisoner
Book 7 - An Unwelcome Guest
Book 8 - Death at the Workhouse
Book 9 - The Gang of St Bride's
Book 10 - Murder in Ratcliffe
Book 11 - The Egyptian Mystery

Also available:
The Penny Green Victorian Mystery Series: Books 1-3 (The Penny Green Series Boxset Book 1)
The Penny Green Victorian Mystery Series: Books 4-6 (The Penny Green Series Boxset Book 2)
The Penny Green Victorian Mystery Series: Books 7-9 (The Penny Green Series Boxset Book 3)

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Victorian, Audiobook

297 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2021

About the author

Emily Organ is the author of over thirty historical cozy mysteries set in Victorian and 1920s England. Her bestselling series include the Penny Green Victorian Mysteries, the Augusta Peel Mysteries, and her newest Emma Langley Victorian Mysteries, in which a plucky widow teams up with former reporter Penny Green. She also writes the Churchill & Pemberley cozy mysteries, featuring two spirited senior sleuths. Emily’s books combine warmth, wit, and a love of history, inspired by her fascination with London’s past. 

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back to my happy place.

My thanks to the author, Emily Organ, for facilitating my desire to escape into the world she has created. Penny Green Blakely has another crime to solve and does so in her usual charming way. Good characters and story. Will wait anxiously to read more about Penny's adventures.

[Ismail Bandookwala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily Organ is my favourite author whose murder mysteries set in Victorian era London star Penny Green.
This novel is the first time that she is actively aided by her husband James Blackwell a Scotland Yard detective.
The novel has a background of Egyptian exploration and colection of antiquities. The British museum whose library features in all her novels novels has the largest collection of such antiquities outside of Egypt. This museum is a locale for some important sequences in the book.
This well researched book is a treat for lovers of Egypt and of Victorian London.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I didn't review this straight after finishing it, in part because I didn't have a lot to say. It's not the most flamboyant of the Penny Green books, but it was satisfying. I think Penny may be on the cusp of a new/different path going forward into her next adventure — at least I hope maybe she will get more involved with the new friend(s), she met along the way in this book.

[Lj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderfully puzzling mystery that explores the world of nineteenth century Egyptology. The central mystery is quite baffling and with no body found no one really knows if there has even been a murder or not for much of the book. As someone with a lifelong fascination with ancient Egypt I really loved the references to it's history and artworks (etc) and the knowledge and attitudes of the characters seemed very accurate for the time period. That said, you don't need to know anything about Egypt to enjoy the book in the same way you wouldn't need to know anything about music in a mystery where a musician is murdered (or just disappears).

I had been worried that with the changing dynamic in these books (Penny being married, no longer a working journalist) that this series would lose some of the substance that makes it great reading and start to fizzle out, but the author has (so far) kept the series from coming adrift. If anything, her lack of full time employment gives Penny more time to investigate the stories she chooses rather than working on those assigned to her, so as long as the author can keep finding plausable ways for mysteries to be brought to Penny's attention this series should continue to uphold the high standard it's always had.

I received an ARC from the author and in return offer an honest review.

[Dana Linde · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have loved all the Penny Green books, but this one was a bit of a disappointment. It started off strong. A famous Egyptologist dies, and his wife disappears. Except- the body of the dead man can't be found, so many believe the woman who reported finding a dead body did not see what she thought she had seen. So...I'm hooked. As the book goes on, Penny interviews many to discover the truth. The tension kept building with each witness. But, the resolution to the crime was less than great. Additionally, several pieces were left unresolved: do they recover the stolen loot? what happens with Penny's father's family when they arrive? Even the way the man is captured seemed too lazy. Furthermore, it's tough to see Penny and James have an argument as they have always seemed so perfect together. So only 3.5 stars for this installment. Like Organ's other books, there's tons of great history and geography, but the story line's close just left me wanting.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read all the Penny Green mysteries and loved them. And even though I gave this five stars I didn't feel this was as good as some of the others. It was all based around the disappearance of a couple of Egyptologists. The story started off promisingly well and built up nicely, but I just felt the end was a tad unsatisfactory and I felt a little let down after investing a lot of myself in the outcome. But, as always with Emily's books, it was very well written and I got a real sense of the historical time the story was set and the characters in it.

[Debora Ley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great entry in the Penny Green collection. Emily continues providing us with great reads and Penny doesn't disappoint in this Egyptian themed mystery. With many twists and turns you won't be able to put the book down. And as always, with all the descriptions in the book, you can just imagine you're walking in old London.

[Aviraj Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book although different from the other penny green books it was a breath of fresh air in near formulaic novel genre it was confusing but it's confusion that makes the book so interesting

[Amanda Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Off the boil..

Having really enjoyed the previous books in the series I found myself a little disappointed in this one. A bit disjointed and rather than being solved with real research and investigation there's a kind of giant leap to the truth.

Beth Worthers is an undercover detective hired by Mr Hamilton to spy on his wife Susan. The couple have been traveling around Egypt and before returning to England had been digging in Amarna, Hamilton believes his wife has been having an affair with Smollett a young man they employed to draw and catalogue their artifacts. Beth is uncomfortable with the job; Hamilton is no gentleman and she's formed a real friendship with Susan. At an event in a hotel she goes to tell Hamilton that she's done with the job only to find his body but on returning with help the body has gone and no one will take her seriously. She asks Penny for help because Susan is also missing.

Several leaps later and with some rather far fetched behaviour from the police it's all neatly tied up but Penny's remark that they should have a great trip to Egypt seems totally out of character for an inspectors wife.. more like a modern girls trip than anything else.

[Pat Percival · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here’s a Victorian mystery with an Egyptian twist! Penny Green can’t help but get involved in puzzling out who’s who, who’s where and who took and did what. She continues to hone her detective skills, even while she questions her own judgment. I recommend you read the previous Penny Green novels, not just because they are good, but also to provide background for the underlying stories in “The Egyptian Mystery” that are intertwined with the main mystery storyline. There’s a richness of characters skillfully developed by Emily Organ throughout the series, and not knowing the history of some of the characters in this book could leave the new reader confused and wondering what the character’s tie in is. Enjoy reading all of this five star series! I read an ARC version of this book

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in the "Penny Green, Woman Journalist" series. I really enjoyed reading it and couldn't guess the solution until near the end. Penny is one of my favorite sleuths, and her marriage to the Scotland Yard inspector hasn't cramped her style too much. She still fiercely stands by her opinions and gut feelings about a case. I highly recommend the entire series!

[Rob Grieshaber · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and fun read

I've read the previous ten books of Penny Green's story, so I could hardly pass up this latest addition. It was so fun to read, and kept me guessing to nearly the very end. Ms. Organ has a wonderful craft for writing mysteries, and I very much look forward to the next!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very complex who-done-it, with many twists and turns, starring Penny & her friends & family.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really enjoyable who done it ,the Penny Green series just gets better with each book .

[Rachel Julian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great addition to the Penny Green series. Good for previous fans of Penny Green or Emily Organ as well as new comers. Can't wait to see what Penny gets up to next time!

[Nanette Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Victorians, like the Baby Boomers, were a great "Reforming" generation. It's really interesting to read a fictionalized account of their day-to-day lives and concerns written by an author whose dedication to accurate research you trust. I hate that this is the last title in the series! (It did, however, make me want to re-read Elizabeth Peters!)

[Clare Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another enjoyable Penny Green (Blakey) story

I’ve enjoyed every book in this series. The reading is light but entertaining with enough mystery and adventure to make it hard to put down until you have gotten to the end. Then there is the historical value. You feel you are really getting to know London in the 1800s and what life was like at the time. The author teaches you about the geography, history, the life and fashions of the era.
In this particular story, there is a twist to the ‘who dun it’ aspect of the story as it takes a while to figure out if there has even been a murder. Furthermore, it becomes very confusing as to who are the bad guys and who are the good guys as everyone seems to be withholding information and keeping secrets about themselves. But just as you start to wonder how the author can clean up the confusing mess, things slowly start to fall in place. And the pieces fit very nicely in a plausible way.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great story! I loved how convoluted it was, so many lies and betrayals! So much duplicity!

I understand why Penny was so confused, and why she felt that nobody was really trustworthy. Even as I really liked Bet, a lot, I get why it was so easy to think that she was part of the deceit. As I said, the mystery was, really, very well done; although by the end I suspected the reasons behind the crime, I really didn't get who until Penny explain it.

Another thing that I enjoyed a lot was how Penny and James always talked while he was attending his garden. It gave it a very domestic feeling :)

And, OMG! Penny's father is a lot of trouble, isn't he? *laughs* Although he kind of redeems homself at the end :P

Another great story in this series.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Penny Green Blakely is asked to investigate the disappearance of a potential murder victim, she gets more than she bargained for as she enters the very interesting (and competitive!) world of Victorian Egyptology. The are quite a few suspects (missing wife, assistant, rival Egyptologist) and lots of red herrings, all keeping the reader on his/her toes. The Egyptian Mystery, the 11th book in the series, was the first book in the series that I've read, and it worked really well as a standalone. I enjoyed it so much I'm about to start with book 1 and work my way up through the series. Very cleverly written and quite enjoyable! A+

[Donna Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The minute I saw the word Egyptian in the title, I knew I had to read this book. Another clue that this would be an enjoyable read is the author, who never fails to disappoint. Put the two together and you have the recipe for an engaging and completely delectable mystery. I came late to this series, but having jumped into it, I now see what I've been missing. So I have quite a bit of reading to do because I'm most definitely going to catch up. This series and this author are too good to pass by.

***I received an ARC of this book from the author. My review is strictly voluntary.***

[Terry Polston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Victorian mystery by Emily Organ. When a friend of Penny's tells her that her Egyptian archeologist employer and wife have disappeared and that she saw his dead body in his hotel room before he disappeared, Penny agrees to help with the mystery. Penny soon finds that nobody seems to be who they present themselves to be and she also has to deal with her father's second family arriving in London.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The body of an Egyptologist goes missing and Penny is finding it very hard to understand how it happened. While trying to find answers she enlists help of friends and family but they aren't much help at all. It becomes quite hard to unravel the truth, especially the truth of the Egyptologist's real identity. And, it seems he is not the only one who was really someone else!

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again Penny goes against the social norms of married life and becomes fully embroiled in another mystery, this time involving a well known Egyptology husband and wife that leads down many a twist and turn as one lie gives way to another. Penny also puts James in his place once or twice which I was quite pleased about and maintains her independence of thoughts and actions by following her instincts and pursuing the case regardless of what others think. She does get herself in a bit of a tizz but as always she's manages to get to the bottom of things, and keeps her hand in with her journalism work too.

[Vron · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I did not like the main character, her actions didn't make any sense and she was complaining and feeling sorry for herself all the time when her actions had consequences.

Also trying to be progressive while at the same time classist is annoying for me (ie.: defending women being "empowered" while at the same time worrying about what the neighbours would say if you bring a family of indigenous people in your home)

The mystery gets resolved without logical deductions. People suddenly acting out of character , clues suddenly appearing...

I haven't read any of the other books in the series so I hope the rest are better and this one was just a fluke.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite of the series but a decent story. For me, the situation was interesting, but the writing was a bit too 'workmanlike'. Kind of mechanical and pedestrian. Penny also exhibits a whole lot more doubting herself than usual -- deferring to her husband James, which didn't seem like her at all. and the solution, while logical, kind of came out of no where. Like she just had an inspiration. Though, admitedly, part of it had been hinted at so often it was a little surprising it took so long to get there.

So, in the end, a reasonably enjoyable read, and I'll certainly move on to the next, but I can only give 3 stars.

[Granny · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am listening to this series. The reader is very good. But the series has gone downhill since Penny left her job as a journalist. These are really short stories padded with bloatware which drags on and on. Tedious, repetitive and pointless conversations make for dull listening. The saga of Penny's father and his second family annoys me. He would have been better left out of it dead in the jungle. I would much rather learn more about her mother who never makes an appearance. This one was definitely DNF. I think it is time for me to find another author.

[Gail Tavis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

I just love reading the Penny Green Series, I have learned so much about different place, like learning about Egypt in the 1800’ s and about the antiques that were found during that time. Really enjoyed the book and loved how we didn’t find out who did it until the end.
Thank you Emily for writing a great book.
Please keep writing about Penny and her adventures they are wonderful.

[Gary and Sandra Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very exciting

Once again Ms. Organ has brought us a interesting story that delves into the Egyptian craze of the late 19th Century. What starts out as a possible murder turns into an intriguing story of where's the body and who did it. The suspect list is unique is it the wife or the assistant or could it be the many enemies TBE victim had. Enjoyable read.

[Michael J. Kevins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Great Read.

Marriage sure has not slowed our dear Penny down one little bit. James has come completely around to trust Penny's hunches. (well, almost.)). I am sad there is only one more. The geographical and historical references are fantastic and very helpful to imagine really being there. More Penny!

[Norman S. Neidell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms Organ has Done it yet again

The impossible becomes the obvious before your very eyes and and justly as it should. The unexpected becomes the norm as Penny and James navigate this enthralling adventure. No TV show except an ancient Colombo can even come close. Kudos to Ms Organ and thank you. Norman and June PS. Just starting Book 12