They spend Christmas with Walter and Evelyn and their children at Chalfont House; Emerson and Amelia travel the next day, leaving Ramses with his cousins.

Cyrus Vandergelt, a wealthy American who is an amateur Egyptologist, feels a duty to the Baskervilles and much curiosity about the dig.

The other members of the archaeological team are Karl von Bork (a young German epigrapher) and Charles Milverton (the photographer).

Emerson locates the thief Ali, who sluggishly leads Amelia, Abdullah and O'Connell to the body of Armadale, which the cat Bastet is watching.

Abdullah returns to the house with the body of Armadale, while Amelia and O'Connor arrive at the tomb in time to interrupt an attack by Ali´s comrades.

Amelia heads out there, expecting the murderer to attempt killing Emerson, and catches Lady Baskerville in the act.

Two months later, the Emersons head home, with Bastet the cat and their share of the tomb goods, the many non-kingly mummies they uncovered.

Continuing characters introduced for the first time in this novel include the Emersons´ son Ramses, Wilkins the butler, Rose the parlourmaid, Daoud (nephew of the Emersons´ reis Abdullah), American millionaire Cyrus Vandergelt, journalist Kevin O´Connell and the cat Bastet.

Kirkus Reviews found the main character, Amelia, improved in this "delicious" adventure following the first novel.