The Hippopotamus Pool is the eighth in a series of historical mystery novels, written by Elizabeth Peters and first published in 1996.

Amelia and Emerson are in Cairo to greet the 20th century, when a mysterious man presents them with a gold ring from an unknown tomb bearing the cartouche of Queen Tetisheri, then dies of poison.

Radcliffe and Amelia's teenaged children, son Ramses and daughter Nefret, join the dig as well.

Radcliffe has planned a larger scale dig than in prior years and surprises his wife with a Dahabeah, a house boat to base their families, instead of tents.

Emerson and Amelia surmise there are two groups battling to take over the thieving ring once led by Sethos.

Stopping at a shop that makes replicas or forgeries of ancient objects, they meet young David Todros, a grandson of Abdullah.

Miss Gertrude Marmaduke, hired as a tutor, proves to be a theosophist with interest in the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis, and to have stolen the gold ring brought by the stranger.

Ramses slips out at night to find Ricetti, and is abducted by his gang, in exchange for all the valuables in the tomb.

After two months of clearing the chamber sufficiently to reach the sarcophagus, Emerson opens it before an audience, to find it completely empty.

Kirkus Reviews found this novel to be written in a “heavy-handed” fashion, too much repetition, while recognizing there are many fans of the author’s style and the character of Amelia Peabody.

[1] Publishers Weekly found the story unique with the wit and the writing style, and said that "The melodramatic 19th-century writing style studded with Amelia's sly wit makes this series unique to the subgenre of historical mysteries.

"[2] Marilyn Stasio, writing in The New York Times, called this a "dandy' distraction with the "frisky heroine" Amelia Peabody.