A hitherto lost journal of Amelia Peabody's has been miraculously recovered -- a chronicle from one of the "missing years" -- 1907-1908 -- shedding new light on an already exceptional career, a remarkable family . . . and an unexpected terror Ousted from their most recent archaeological dig and banned from the Valley of the Kings, the Emersons are spending the summer at home in England, when a mysterious messenger arrives. Claiming to be the brother of their dear friend Tarek, prince of the mysterious Lost Oasis, the herald brings news of a strange malady that has struck down Tarek's heir and conveys his urgent need for help. Driven by loyalty, the family sets off in secret, braving the treacherous desert climate on a trek fraught with dangers. Guided by only a crumbling map, the Emersons are unaware that deception is leading them onward into a nest of vipers -- where a dreadful fate may await.