When my aunt Millie suggested I accompany her on vacation, I was thrilled. She even let me pick the destination, so of course I chose Egypt. I’ve been dying to see the pyramids and the archeological dig sites where they are uncovering so many glorious artifacts. I’m sure you heard about Howard Carter unearthing the Tutankhamen grave a few years ago. Who knows what else they might find out in the desert?

And while Millie is drinking her weight in whiskey—prohibition has really been rather tough on the old girl—I’m soaking up the atmosphere. Or at least, I was. Until that rather unpleasant young flapper got herself killed. Somehow, I found myself talked into trying to wake her up after a rather raucous party and instead I discovered her body! And the local police aren’t any too friendly—the Inspector seems to think I was responsible. Something about us fighting for the attention of one Mr. Redvers. I’ll admit he’s handsome, but I’m much too old to be fighting for the attention of a man, and I’m certainly not looking for one, despite what Millie might tell you. My marriage was a disaster, and I was none too sad when my husband didn’t return from the Great War. It’s terrible to say, but it’s true. Of course, that’s not something I’m going to tell the Inspector—it will only make me look more suspicious.

Anyway. This Mr. Redvers is something of a shady character himself. He swears he’s a banker, but there’s no way this man sits behind a desk all day counting money. Or whatever it is a banker does. And he’s far too interested in this case—not to mention awfully handy at picking locks. I shouldn’t trust him but there is no one else to help me sort this mess out. And I need to sort it out, or I’ll find myself on trial for murder. Is murder a hanging offense in Egypt? You know what, I don’t want to find out.

So what I do need to find out is what everyone around here is hiding. And believe me, it seems like they are all hiding something—even Millie has been acting strangely since we arrived. I just need to figure out why.

Murder at the Mena House is the first book in the NEW “Jane Wunderly” historical mystery series, released March 31, 2020.

Well-heeled travelers from around the world flock to the Mena House Hotel—an exotic gem in the heart of Cairo where cocktails flow, adventure dispels the aftershocks of World War I, and deadly dangers wait in the shadows.

Egypt, 1926. Fiercely independent American Jane Wunderly has made up her mind: she won’t be swept off her feet on a trip abroad. Despite her Aunt Millie’s best efforts at meddling with her love life, the young widow would rather gaze at the Great Pyramids of Giza than into the eyes of a dashing stranger. Yet Jane’s plans to remain cool and indifferent become ancient history in the company of Mr. Redvers, a roguish banker she can’t quite figure out . . .

While the Mena House has its share of charming guests, Anna Stainton isn’t one of them. The beautiful socialite makes it clear that she won’t share the spotlight with anyone—especially Jane. But Jane soon becomes the center of attention when she’s the one standing over her unintentional rival’s dead body.

Now, with her innocence at stake in a foreign country, Jane must determine who can be trusted, and who had motive to commit a brutal murder. Between Aunt Millie’s unusual new acquaintances, a smarmy playboy with an off-putting smile, and the enigmatic Mr. Redvers, someone has too many secrets. Can Jane excavate the horrible truth before her future falls to ruin in Cairo . . . and the body count rises like the desert heat?

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Meet the author
Erica Ruth Neubauer spent eleven years in the military, nearly two as a Maryland police officer and one as a high school English teacher before finding her way as a writer. She has been a reviewer of mysteries and crime fiction for publications such as Publishers Weekly and Mystery Scene Magazine for several years, and she’s a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. Erica Ruth lives in Milwaukee, WI with her husband.

To learn more about Erica, visit her website at ericaruthneubauer.com.

All comments are welcomed.