Title: The Trial of the Mummy - Christian Jacq - book
Summary :
When the bustling London of the 19th century discovers the civilization of the Pharaohs through crime...
A great detective novel by Christian Jacq
London, 1821. Adventurer Giovanni Belzoni, discoverer of the tomb of Seti I, returns from Egypt to organize the first ever exhibition devoted to pharaonic art. Eager to finally achieve fame, Belzoni, accompanied by a forensic pathologist, proceeds to unwrap a superb mummy, so perfect that it appears alive.
The process causes a scandal: a hysterical pastor demands the destruction of this pagan relic, and an old lord wants to feed it to his dogs. Since the extinction of the pharaonic civilization, have not thousands of mummies been stolen, burned, ground into medicinal powders, and even eaten?
The astonishing spectacle was a success. The bandages and amulets were sold to discerning enthusiasts, and Belzoni's London career seemed to be launched.
But the pastor, the lord, and the coroner are murdered! The murder weapon: a hook used to extract the brains of mummies. At the same time, the mummy disappears...
The kingdom's top cop, Inspector Higgins, quickly comes to this conclusion: the murders, the revolutionary plot shaking up London's slums, and the disappearance of the mummy are closely linked.
Belzoni's strange behavior, a fine lineup of potential criminals, a host of false leads, a dangerous but untraceable mummy, the King of England threatened with assassination, the mystery of mummification as a common thread... Helped by a charming lawyer, Lady Suzanna, will Inspector Higgins be able and will he know how to open all the doors, until the inevitable trial of the mummy?
