Fergus Hume, a bestselling mystery writer of his day, serves up a classic puzzle in The Green Mummy. Forget sprawling cities; this mystery is bottled up in a quiet corner of England, where the arrival of a strange artifact turns everything upside down.

The Story

The heart of the story is Professor Braddock, an Egyptologist whose life revolves around his collection. His latest prize is a unique green mummy, shipped from Egypt under mysterious circumstances. But the mummy's arrival coincides with a grim discovery: the body of a man connected to the shipment. Suddenly, the professor's academic dream becomes a police nightmare. Inspector Arkwright has to untangle a web of motives among the professor's circle, including his daughter Lucy, her hopeful suitor, and a shady dealer. Everyone wanted something from the dead man, and the green mummy sits silently at the center of it all, holding the key to a very modern crime.

Why You Should Read It

What makes this book so much fun is its atmosphere. Hume builds a perfect, cozy-yet-creepy feeling of isolation. The village feels cut off from the world, which makes the crime seem even more shocking. The characters are wonderfully drawn types—the obsessed scholar, the practical daughter, the dogged inspector—but they have enough personality to feel real. You get the sense of a small community where everyone knows each other's business, yet no one knows the truth. It’s less about bloody action and more about the tension of suspicion and the slow reveal of lies. The solution is clever and satisfying, relying on observation and deduction rather than wild coincidence.

Final Verdict

The Green Mummy is a treat for anyone who loves traditional detective stories. It’s perfect for fans of classic mysteries who enjoy a slower burn, a closed-circle of suspects, and a puzzle that makes you think. If you like the works of Arthur Conan Doyle or early Agatha Christie, you’ll feel right at home here. It’s also a great pick for history-minded readers curious about popular fiction from the early 1900s. Just be ready for a journey into a world of academic rivalry, dark secrets, and one very unusual piece of luggage.