Book 5 of 12: Philo Vance

These Egyptian hieroglyphics spell “murder.” “Classic, almost textbook, golden age detective fiction. The plotting is ingenious and fiendishly convoluted.” —Vintage Pop Fictions

In 1922, English anthropologist Howard Carter discovered the long-hidden tomb of King Tutankhamun, and the world went Egypt-crazy. Just a few years later, New York is not immune to the craze, and even Philo Vance, that eminent scholar-sleuth, has some sympathy for the fad—though of course he knows lots more about the topic than Carter ever did. When a wealthy Egyptologist is murdered, with mysterious inscriptions and artifacts dotted round, it’s only natural that John FS Markham calls Philo for help. After all, Markham is merely the New York District Attorney, whereas Philo Vance is . . . well, Philo Vance. With the crime scene set in a famous Egyptologist’s private museum, the case is not without it's fair share of misleading clues. But no red herring stands a chance against Vance.