"A mummy and murder in a museum"

Lisa Donahue, museum curator, returns the new Egyptian mummy after having it x-rayed at a local clinic. She discovers the bloody body of her colleague, Marion, in the mummy's empty case.

Lisa is a widowed young mother. She has to juggle her job and being a mother. Now she's taking on sleuthing to figure out who killed Marion and why.

Marion had mentioned to Lisa that she felt that some artifacts were missing and others were misplaced. The museum is quite old and there are promises of moving to a new facility. Lisa isn't sure whether the artifacts are really missing or if they have been stored for the move. Since Marion cataloged all the artifacts, now no one knows for sure.

As Lisa gets to know more about the mummy, she begins to wonder whether Marion was killed because she knew something, or someone thought she did. Now Lisa wonders whether she might be next.

I really enjoyed this book. It is the first I have read by this author. It will definitely not be the last.

Lisa is such a wonderful character. Her friends and new love interest really add to the story. I can't wait to find out about their next adventure.

I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed by Dawn Dowdle
Posted September 23, 2005

Summary

I still hadn't figured out any motive for harming Marion. She must have known or done something that the attacker found threatening, probably without realizing it. In fact, it was the classic gothic novel situation: Marion knew something, but didn't know she knew it. Rather like me; I had the feeling of some vital piece of knowledge locked in my subconscious, just out of reach. Disappearing artifacts, jealous colleagues, and dead bodies-who says a museum curator's job is easy? After transporting a newly acquired Egyptian mummy to a local clinic for an X-ray, curator Lisa Donahue safely returns the ancient relic to the Boston University Museum of Archaeology and History. Upon returning to the museum after hours, the widowed young mother is shocked to discover the bloodied body of a colleague in the mummy's vacated case. The two-thousand-year-old mummy contains an enigmatic clue that will help Lisa solve the murder and keep her job. But she must move fast-before someone turns her into a permanent exhibit.