Book Review: The Mummy's Ransom

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Mummy's Ransom     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Fred W. Hunter
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Classic
Series: Ransom / Emily Charters # 8
St. Martin's, Feb 2002, $23.95, 272 pp.

The Chicago Dolores Towers sponsors the first American showing of pre-BC Chilean Chichorro mummies. The exhibits brings protests from native Chileans who were already upset that archeologists dug the grave sites of their ancestors, but find this sideshow to be as deep an outrage. Sponsor Louis Dolores feels the publicity of his support to a historical exhibit will help him with his latest plan to raze a historical site.

Police detective Jeremy Ransom feels confident nothing will go wrong at the exhibit because his friend, senior citizen Emily Charters, a magnet for homicides, is not attending the gala opening. However, he is sent to look into death threats and a breech of security that Louis would prefer to ignore. However, Louis should never have disregarded the threat because someone kills him. Jeremy investigates a wide range of suspects that include a sighted mummy running loose at night, an angry personal assistant, the Chilean protesters, and the Chilean museum curator with doubts about the exhibit- among other suspects.

THE MUMMY'S RANSOM is an exciting police procedural that leaves the reader guessing whether it is a supernatural murderer or a more earthly killer. The story line succeeds because the cast feels real and Fred Hunter insures the audience understands the motives of the key secondary characters. Fans of the series will relish the return of Jeremy and his "extended family" in this engaging who-done-it.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner