The Missing Mummies: Jesperson & Lane Book 3, by Lisa Tuttle (book review).
The Missing Mummies’ is the third outing for the crime-solving duo Jesperson and Lane, set during the 1890s in England. Miss Diane Lane is a modern woman who has to make her own way in life. She’s clever and resourceful, and she enjoys her working relationship with Jesperson. He will only take cases that interest him, which can lead to long periods of less than full employment and a certain amount of ennui. We also had a January 2024 release date.
Edward Sand of the British Museum brings him the case that piques his interest. He is concerned that certain items have gone missing from his department. Edward takes them to meet the redoubtable Mr. Wallis Budge, the real-life Keeper of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities in the British Museum. Having met the couple briefly, he then has cause to recall them in a professional capacity as a major exhibit, Mummy X, has been stolen.
On the trail of the missing mummy, the pair conclude that there is much more to the case than simple theft. To complicate matters, in the midst of all this, Miss Lane realises her feelings for Jesperson are not strictly professional. He becomes entranced by a young lady, Matilda, who is sweet and charming and has information about her neighbour Mr. Henderson, who is overly concerned with mummies. The story deepens to include magic, snakes, and all the exotic trappings of an Egyptian mystery.
The parallels to Sherlock Holmes are joyfully employed and enjoyed. To give credence to them sharing a residence, the pair are looked after by Jesperson’s mother, who effectively chaperones them under her roof. We need this polite fiction to enable us to accept that women in those days rarely had any freedom, let alone an income. There’s a hint of attraction between the pair, but not enough to get in the way of the story, but more of a hint of things to come. It is a ripping yarn with a cast of characters who range from a charming ingénue, a man obsessed with ancient Egypt, loyal, worthy servants, and nosey neighbours, only some of whom are obsessed with reincarnation and murder. It’s lots of fun, and the lurid plot thickens until you can stand a spoon in it.
Sue Davies
July 2023
(pub: Jo Fletcher Books/Quercus Books, 2024. 400 page paperback. Price: £10.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-52942-275-7)
check out website: www.jofletcherbooks.com