The year is 1903. The place is Cairo. And preparing to tackle an archaeological dig in the Valley of the Kings, the intrepid Amelia Peabody dreams of a large cat, an Egyptian sign of good luck. In fact, an ominous message warning "Stay away from tomb Twenty-A" only intrigues her.

But Amelia soon acquires a fearful headache when teenage son, Ramses, and her beautiful ward, Nefret, sneak about to help a pretty American who thinks she's being stalked. And when tomb Twenty-A yields a mummy wearing silk undies, Amelia finds herself in a labyrinth of macabre murder, passion, and cruel deceit. Now she needs the cat's good luck and more: feline stealth, a nose for something rotten, and nine lives -- or her next dig may be her own grave...