The Mummy Case is the third of a series of historical mystery novels written by Elizabeth Peters and featuring the character Amelia Peabody.

Amelia and her husband, Professor Radcliffe Emerson, return to Egypt for the 1894–1895 season to excavate the ruined pyramids of Mazghunah.

For the first time, the Emersons bring along their precocious young son Ramses and his cat Bastet, along with John, a sturdy footman, to watch him.

The missionaries are converting Copts, already a minority in Egypt, and learned of the Emersons from M de Morgan, head of the Department of Antiquities.

Amelia brings up the increase in trade of stolen artifacts, and the presence of a Master Criminal, a new force who has organized the groups of thieves.

A mummified body with amulets is found separately by Emerson; he had bought a face painting of a woman from Abd's shop in Cairo.

The three escape home to find Abdullah drugged and the place occupied by the thieves, whose leader is Father Girgis, or rather an Englishman playing the role of a Coptic priest.

De Morgan's photo was in The Illustrated London News, a British newspaper, showing the jewels of a princess found in his pyramid.

Continuing characters introduced for the first time in this novel include the Master Criminal (later known as Sethos) and Selim (youngest son of their reis Abdullah).

Kirkus Reviews found this novel to have period ambience and ironic comedy, written with "a crisp sense of style that rarely flags.