The Serpent and the Crown by Elizabeth Peters

 This is #18 in the series, and a very enjoyable one. It got me through a hard time! I was staying with my dad at the Meadows and the days were long as he gradually declined. The days were busy, too, and my reward at the end of the day was a little escape into Egypt with this book. I was pretty exhausted at the end of each day, so this was a welcome change of pace. I always enjoy the Emerson family, and they did not disappoint.

This episode centers around a beautiful golden statuette that astounds everyone who sees it. It's given to the Emersons in order to avoid being further cursed by its presence. From there, the story unfolds around the woman who gives it away, and her two step-children. It takes all of the Emersons to unravel the complicated series of events that lead to murder and explanations.

Radcliffe Emerson's brother, Sethos, is becoming more and more sympathetic as the series evolves. In this story, even Ramses is warming up to him by the end. As I near the end of the series, I see softening and aging and maturing of the adult characters, even as Ramses' and Nefret's twins emerge as precocious upstarts. 

I think I need to reread this one at some point, because my dad passed away right when I was in the middle. And the emotional upheaval was interfering with my comprehension. There were many times when I couldn't even read, and I knew I needed to just feel and reflect on my emotions and loss. And then I would need a break, like on my flight home to St. George, where I wanted to sleep, but couldn't, and read. So I missed quite a few details and it was hard to put all of the pieces together at the end. I'll give it another try sometime. This was less violent than many of hers, so it will be a lighter and more fun re-read.