The Locked Tomb Mystery: and Other Stories

by Elizabeth Peters

Four classic stories by the New York Times–bestselling grandmaster of mystery, each paired with an incisive new introduction.

A thriller writer is embroiled in a real-life whodunit when a friend drops dead with her hatpin impaled in his back. The violation of a sealed West Bank tomb, its rock walls intact, provides a Thebes investigator with a mystifying conundrum. Two sisters take shelter in a shuttered old house at the end of a country road…only to discover they’re not alone. And the author’s most beloved characters, Amelia Peabody and Radcliff Emerson, make an appearance in a newly uncovered tale with a witty nod to Sherlock Holmes.

The Locked Tomb Mystery presents an unforgettable quartet of short mysteries from one of the genre's greatest practitioners. An expanded edition of Peters's Mystery Stories,, this volume includes the never-before-collected story, "Vengeance of Sekhmet"—along with a new preface by Barbara G. Mertz and new introductions to each story by mystery authors Tasha Alexander, Juliet Blackwell, and Daniel Stashower, and Egyptologist Salima Ikram.

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Mystery Thriller, Historical Fiction, Egyptology, Anthologies, Archaeology

130 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2023

About the author

Elizabeth Peters is a pen name of Barbara Mertz. She also wrote as Barbara Michaels as well as her own name. Born and brought up in Illinois, she earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. Mertz was named Grand Master at the inaugural Anthony Awards in 1986 and Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America at the Edgar Awards in 1998. She lived in a historic farmhouse in Frederick, western Maryland until her death.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

These stories won't last in my memory unlike the Amelia Peabody series, which I return to and have enjoyed with family members. I think the narrator spoiled it for me also. Barbara Rosenblat is the only narrator for Amelia Peabody as far as I am concerned and it just wasn't the same to hear the Amelia Peabody short story, The Vengeance of Sekmet, read by anyone else.

The preface and introductions to each story were worth a listen. They were provided by mystery authors Tasha Alexander, Juliet Blackwell, and Daniel Stashower, and Egyptologist Salima Ikram.

Narration was provided by Nan McNamara.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh, this was okay. I am not a big fan of short story collections, but the draw here was an unreleased Amelia Peabody story from Elizabeth Peters along with a few other short stories from other authors I've read and enjoyed.

The stories were good, but I always feel like there should be more with short stories. It's just not my favourite genre.

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

Abrupt endings with very little detection. The locked tomb mystery is the best. (Story 3) Didn't read the last one as I don't care for paranormal stories.

[Kathy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book includes four of Barbara Mertz's short stories which each come from one aspect of her writing. Mertz was an Egyptologist who wrote under the names of Barbara Michaels and Elizabeth Peters for her fiction work and her own name for popular books on Egyptology.

The book includes a short story which brings back her beloved characters Amelia Peabody and Radcliffe Emerson who need to solve a mystery of a presumed curse. There is another mystery set in ancient Egypt.

The Runaway was a ghost story which fits in with most of her work as Barbara Michaels. And Liz Peters, PI was evidence of the humor she infused in many of her stories. It tells of a mystery author who also works as a private investigator and is a gender bent send-up of the hard-boiled mystery genre.

I enjoyed the introductions to each of the stories which tell how Mertz influenced a variety of writers and Egyptologists in her long career.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four novellas, with each preceded by an introduction written by other authors who were fans of Peters. Peters was one of the first women to be awarded a doctorate in Egyptology in 1952. She got married and had kids, so never got to actually be an Egyptologist, but she wrote historical fiction as an outlet. One of the novellas featured a robbery of a tomb in Egypt set back in the time of the pharaohs, and the PI (so to speak) was something of a Sherlock Holmes of his day. I really liked the story where Peters sort of mocked the image of a PI being a hard-drinking, chain-smoking tough guy with a gun, by making her PI be a coffee-drinking, cigarette smoking, cookie-baking cat lady who solves problems with her wits instead of with violence.

Interestingly, I learned from one of the introductions that women essentially created the genre of detective novels, long before men like Doyle took over. The first American detective novel was written by a woman in 1866, and the first best selling detective novel was written by a woman in 1878.

[Sebastian Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last story is the best but is no mystery, just a paranormal story, and seemed an odd inclusion.

The first (my library edition only had three) was by far the worst of the bunch, the joke-a-minute fell flat a lot, and the mystery was just suddenly solved. Very "first draft".

I was not much of a fan of the Egyptian one, though well written, it was so clearly a Holmes pastiche that characterized the two quite oddly. It felt almost like it was heavily borrowed from The Sealed Room.

Neither story gave me the promised "grandmaster of mystery".

I did however very much like the supernatural story, which was the best written and characterized, though as I'd said, a strange inclusion in a book of mysteries, especially when you take into account there is a 4 story edition with a third mystery.

Alas even though it did the heavy lifting it did not make the overall book above a 3.5.

[Pariskarol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read that last story, "The Runaway," before but where and when, I don't know.

Elizabeth Peters (Barbara Mertz) is one of my all-time favorite storytellers so of course I liked her ancient Egyptian whodunnits.

But the short story, "Liz Peters, PI," is like spoof, maybe it was a spoof? The tough-talking main character lights a cigarette every other paragraph, catches her perp, and still makes cookies for her fella. Maybe it was a 1950s prototype while she was still thinking up her later, brilliant, tough-talking female protagonists like Vicky Bliss.

[Amalia Gnanadesikan · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it was fun to return to the writing of Elizabeth Peters (Barbara Michaels, Barbara Mertz) after many years, these short stories are not her best work. In such a succinct format the characters don't really have a chance to show their full personalities.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth it for the Amelia Peabody story. I also enjoyed the Holmes in Ancient Egypt. The supernatural stories are not for me.

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

These were odd and did not read like Elizabeth Peters.

[Jessica Lerbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun stories, and also interesting to read the introductions from other authors.

[Bennett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just read the historical Egyptian story, which was fine.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The edition that I read has four stories (mentioning this because many of the reviews seem to be of editions that only have three).

The Vengeance of Sekhmet
This is a short story featuring Amelia Peabody and her husband Emerson. It has a lot of in jokes which are fun if you have read the novels, but I wouldn't recommend this as a starting point for someone who hasn't met Amelia before. Ramses is not in the story at all. 3.5 stars

Liz Peters PI
This is set present-day (actually 1991 copyright date). It was my least favorite of the stories. A woman who is a private investigator is being hassled by the local police and possibly accused of a murder. Instead of standing her ground, she drives away, leading to a chase before the crime is solved. 2.0 stars

The Locked Tomb Mystery
Set in ancient Egypt. The main character is a scribe called on to investigate a tomb robbery. How could the thief have entered and left without breaking the seals? I couldn't always keep the characters straight. 3.0 stars

The Runaway
This was originally published under a pseudonym Barbara Michaels. This is less a mystery and more gothic/paranormal. I felt it was the best written, but not one of my favorite genres. I would have preferred another Peabody story. 3.5 stars

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a set of 4 shortish stories by the author of one of my favorite series: the Amelia Peabody historical mysteries. One of the 4 actually features Amelia and her husband in an homage to Sherlock Holmes. The other three are: a 'locked tomb' mystery set in ancient Egypt,;a send up of the 'hard boiled' PI featuring a lady PI who also happens to be a mystery author; and finally a sort of ghost story. Which is not as odd as it might sound since the books by her other pseudonym, Barbara Michaels, frequently featured some sort of paranormal element.

All 4 were enjoyable, though I do generally prefer longer works better. Each story was also introduced by a notable author in the same genre. Definitely worth a read -- and it's fairly quick to finish, so good when you're looking for something light and quick between meatier books.

[Zackman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection is fun, but kind of a mixed bag.
Of the 4 stories, I thought "Liz Peters, PI" was the weakest. It was mildly amusing, but it had a first draft vibe. Honestly, I expected it to have been written by Peters when she was much younger (and less practiced).
The other 3 tales are a lot better.
"The Vengeance of Sekhmet" gives you a nice mini-dose of Peabody and Emerson.
"The Locked Tomb Mystery" is kinda "meh" as a mystery, but the period detail and the characters are a blast. I wouldn't have minded another couple stories about this ancient Holmes-and-Watson pair.
"The Runaway" is easily the best part of the collection. It's both spooky and sad, with a lot of focus on the pain that the protagonists share.

[Lyle Wichman · Rating 5 out of 5]

great short stories!

I’ve read everything Elizabeth Peters, etc wrote. So it was lovely to discover these stories. I would love to get all the Peabody books and read them again.