From Publishers Weekly
Murder, mummies and shady real estate dealings haunt this solid entry in Hunter's Ransom series (after 2000's Ransom at the Opera). Real estate baron and Chilean expatriate Louie Dolores brings an exhibit of ancient Chinchorro mummies to his massive downtown Chicago headquarters in an effort to counter some bad press. His image as a high-stakes destroyer of the city's classic architecture is, indeed, in need of philanthropic polish, but some aren't taken in by the ploy. When a "mummy" starts stalking the exhibit, it seems as if even the dead are displeased with Dolores. Chicago P.D. detective Jeremy Ransom, his partner, Gerald White, and grandmotherly confidante Emily Charters are presented with numerous suspects who might want to disrupt the show: Hector Gonzalez, the exhibit's nervous curator; his assistant, Lisa Rivera, whose relationship to the tycoon may be more than businesslike; Dolores's strong, independent wife, Martita; and a host of protesters picketing the exhibit. The mystery is, of course, not whether Dolores will be killed but by whom. The author introduces characters and clues easily and naturally into the story. His eye for details of the urban rich is true, right down to the credenza in Dolores's office and Martita's "pale pink blouse." Though the murder itself doesn't take place until well into the book, Hunter keeps things moving by detailing the thoughts, plans and foibles of his varied cast. Series fans will be well pleased, and even a few mummy buffs should pick this one up, despite the understated jacket art. (Apr. 8)Sept. 3) and other novels in the Alex Reynolds series.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Chicago Police detective Jeremy Ransom is up to his eyeballs in mummies, thanks to a controversial museum exhibit sponsored by Louie Dolores, a land-grabbing developer known for replacing architecture of at least quasi-historical interest with boxlike condo buildings. The 3,000-year-old Chilean mummies first draw picketers decrying the desecration of ancestral remains, then reports of one mummy roaming the museum, much to the horror of a Polish-speaking cleaning woman traumatized by the apparition. Inevitably, this leads to an attack and then the murder of Dolores, who is survived by a not-very-grieving widow, a relieved city alderman whom the developer had been pressuring, the leader of the protesters, and an attractive heir apparent to the post of personal assistant to the land grabber. All are suspects, and that is enough to make Ransom throw up his hands and scream, "Oh, Mummy!" Fortunately, his elderly friend, Miss Emily Charters, provides her usual insight. A fan-pleasing addition to the Ransom-Charters series. Whitney Scott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Publishers Weekly
"Series fans will be well pleased . . ."


Harriet Klausner
". . . engaging who-done-it."


Book Description
Curse of the Modern World In a philanthropic push to sidestep his negative image as a destroyer of Chicago's famous landmarks, real estate mogul and Chilean expatriate Louie Dolores brings an exhibit of ancient Chinchorro mummies to his huge downtown skyscraper. But when a "mummy" comes to life and starts haunting the exhibit, Chicago detective Jeremy Ransom starts questioning those who might want to cause trouble. With a man as hated as Dolores, there are many suspects to choose from, including Hector Gonzalez, the superstitious curator; Martita, Dolores's mysterious and beautiful wife; Bill Braverman, who "takes care" of his boss's less-than-legal affairs -- and still others. When Dolores is brutally murdered by one of the wandering mummies, Ransom's street smarts -- plus the keen insight of his trusted confidante, the elderly Emily Charters - lead him to a conclusion that lays bare a murderer in mummy's clothing.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"A controversial exhibit of Chinchorro mummies is about to open in Chicago at Dolores Tower, the latest building by an equally controversial local developer, Louie Dolores. The mummies - dating from 7000 to 2000 B.C. - are incredibly fragile, making their transportation and display very risky. Even worse, the pending exhibition is being protested by a group who regard the exploitation of the mummies as a desecration of their ancient dead, leading to both tension and excitement over the opening." Luckily for Chicago police detective Jeremy Ransom, none of this has anything to do with him. He figures as long as he can keep his friend the elderly Miss Emily Charters away from the opening, then there won't be a murder and he won't have to get involved. But first there are reports that a mummy is moving around the exhibit at night. Then there are death threats against the developer, and when one night Louie Dolores, alone in the exhibit, is attacked by one of the mummies, Ransom is assigned to find out what's going on. With the sharp wits and intelligence of Miss Charters at his beck and call, Ransom has to sort out the truth before a volatile situation turns fatal in what could be his strangest assignment ever.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Murder, mummies and shady real estate dealings haunt this solid entry in Hunter's Ransom series (after 2000's Ransom at the Opera). Real estate baron and Chilean expatriate Louie Dolores brings an exhibit of ancient Chinchorro mummies to his massive downtown Chicago headquarters in an effort to counter some bad press. His image as a high-stakes destroyer of the city's classic architecture is, indeed, in need of philanthropic polish, but some aren't taken in by the ploy. When a "mummy" starts stalking the exhibit, it seems as if even the dead are displeased with Dolores. Chicago P.D. detective Jeremy Ransom, his partner, Gerald White, and grandmotherly confidante Emily Charters are presented with numerous suspects who might want to disrupt the show: Hector Gonzalez, the exhibit's nervous curator; his assistant, Lisa Rivera, whose relationship to the tycoon may be more than businesslike; Dolores's strong, independent wife, Martita; and a host of protesters picketing the exhibit. The mystery is, of course, not whether Dolores will be killed but by whom. The author introduces characters and clues easily and naturally into the story. His eye for details of the urban rich is true, right down to the credenza in Dolores's office and Martita's "pale pink blouse." Though the murder itself doesn't take place until well into the book, Hunter keeps things moving by detailing the thoughts, plans and foibles of his varied cast. Series fans will be well pleased, and even a few mummy buffs should pick this one up, despite the understated jacket art. (Apr. 8) FYI: Hunter is also the author of The Chicken Asylum (Forecasts, Sept. 3) and other novels in the Alex Reynolds series. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews