Help! Identifying a vaguely remembered children's book

[Vebrithien]

Following on from the gripping thread, trying to identify the children's book with an elephant, I'm hoping you can all help me with my missing book!

It would be for an older child, a story about a boy who goes on an archaeological dig with his (step) father, and the boy finds a mummy of a child, covered in a gold mask and 'suit'. Possibly Inca?

In the middle of the night, the boy strips the mummy, and puts the gold 'suit' on underneath his clothes. He then takes an airplane back home, and hides the golden mask and suit in some caves near to his home. I think this was to prevent his stepfather from finding it. It ended up having a chase through the caves. I can't remember the ending

I would have read it in the late 90's, paperback.

Please help!!!

Bumpity bump bump.

Please!

Joining and bumping from the mention on another thread - I'm no good on children's books post-1990 though. Do you think it might have been part of a series or was it a standalone book?

Thanks!

It was in my school library, and wasn't new. I'd have read it in the late 90's, but it could have certainly been at least 10 years old by then.

I didn't get the feel that it was part of a series, and I certainly didn't read anything else by that author. If it was a series, I would have thought it was the first book.

Ask on Reddit, they usually solve it pretty quickly

www.reddit.com/r/whatsthatbook/

Could just possibly be Night of the Scorpion by Anthony Horowitz. Originally published 1985. Features a journalist and his thirteen year old ward visiting Peru and getting involved in supernatural goings on. It’s the second in a series but could probably be read as a stand-alone. Unfortunately I can’t find any more plot details at the moment.

@pollyhemlock

Could just possibly be Night of the Scorpion by Anthony Horowitz. Originally published 1985. Features a journalist and his thirteen year old ward visiting Peru and getting involved in supernatural goings on. It’s the second in a series but could probably be read as a stand-alone. Unfortunately I can’t find any more plot details at the moment.

Nice book! Had a read of the pages available, but definitely not it. I do like a bit of Horowitz, so will be looking to read it.

There was no supernatural in my book, as far as I can remember. The boy described the sadness surrounding the child mummy, and the pitiful remains left behind made my hair stand up and I remember the caves towards the end being creepy, but nothing supernatural.