Status
Call number
Publication
Description
Victorian gentlewoman Amelia Peabody Emerson and her archaeologist husband are busy raising their young son; yet Amelia dreams only of the dust and detritus of ancient civilizations. Happily, circumstances are about to demand their immediate presence in Egypt. Sir Henry Baskerville had just discovered a tomb in Luxor when he promptly died under bizarre circumstances. The tabloids scream of "The Curse of the Pharaohs!" Amelia and her husband arrive to find the camp in disarray and the workers terrified. A ghost even appears. It is not at all what Amelia considers an atmosphere conducive to scientific discovery. Thus the indomitable Victorian sets about bringing order to chaos-and herself close to danger. How Amelia triumphs over evil and those who would stand between her and her beloved antiquities makes for a delightfully spirited adventure.… (more)
User reviews
The mystery is not bad, though I did guess the murderer (amidst, I confess, many other conflicting hypotheses). The murderer's method is rather creative. The characters are a lot of fun, and they are further fleshed out by Rosenblat's excellent narration. She voices each character distinctly, complete with accent — British, American, German, Irish, and Arabic, she does them all! I have a feeling that many of the characters introduced in this story will be back for more adventures later in the series, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Peters does with them. And I am sure we have not heard the last of the redoubtable Ramses. Not by a long shot!
Perhaps it is because of Rosenblat's narration, but I found Amelia more likeable than she is in the first book. The character seems much less anachronistic in her feminism, and Peters really develops Amelia's comic voice. However, this impression could just be an optical (auditory?) illusion, as Rosenblat's narration really is outstanding and certainly gives the character a more defined presence in my imagination.
For readers who are uncomfortable with references to sex, this series may not be for you. The frequent references to conjugal relations are for comic effect, and Amelia is never explicit about it (which is in itself a source of humor). I found it quite funny, but I'd hesitate to recommend the series to younger readers and I'm sure this won't please everyone's taste.
One thing I found hilarious, that had nothing to do with the story itself, was the back cover blurb. It was obviously written by someone who had no idea what the story is about. Besides the description being more than usually vague, the last line says, "Instead of digging up the treasures of a lost age, it appears that Amelia and her friend are excavating a deadly curse." Who, pray, is Amelia's little buddy? Could they mean... Emerson? Her burly bear of a husband? LOL!
Overall, this is an excellent follow-up to the first book, and it leaves me eager for the next story. I will certainly be raiding my local library in search of the audiobook version; I understand Rosenblat has narrated all the Amelia Peabody books. Great fun!
As the Emersons set about to dispel the idea of the Curse of the Pharoahs (a trumped up idea) they meet with a plethora of strange characters, each a possible suspect in the death of Lord Baskerville who was the original archeologist. There is the tabloid writer, the brash American investor, the superstitious Egptian natives, two other archeologists who are assisting the Emerson team, a young woman and her mother (Madame Berengeria) who believes that she is the reincarnation of a high-ranking Egyptian queen and that Professor Emerson is her long-lost love. There is also the appearance of the white veiled figure who threatens the group during the nights and leaves danger in its wake.
All in all a captivating story for mystery fans. The plot moves along rapidly and it would behoove the reader to pay attention to the details as set forth in order to find the true culprit.
I would say this is a most satisfying story either as a summer read or one to curl up with by the fire.
I'm beginning to think that the mystery element in these novels is
Sir Henry Baskerville has
I enjoyed the story, there were times when Amelia irrited me with her superior attitude but it was still a great deal of fun.
Only thing was, after 50 pages I was still scratching my head.
Where was the hilarious banter between Amelia and Emerson? Where was the
Truth be told, the first few chapters are beyond terrible, and are a complete flip from where we left off with Emerson and Peabody.
We re-join their life-in-progress in perpetually rainy England where the Emersons read as the worst parents in existence who seem to begrudge the presence of their young toddler son, Ramses.
Emerson does nothing but work as a professor, complain and huff about not being in Egypt. Amelia berates her family at will, hates the neighbours, is nothing but sour towards her husband, despises being a housewife and admittedly feels animosity and bitterness towards her own offspring.
This does NOT motivate me to read further, it doesn't even read as dysfunctional, it's just plain AWFUL.
But...it gets better.
No really, in a matter of 30 pages or so, they accept the offer of a rich widow in Egypt to take over the excavation duties of a supposedly cursed tomb...
...and then the party starts!
They leave their young son in the capable hands of relatives and rush off to the beautifully characterized landscapes of Victorian Egypt.
And then Elizabeth Peters rolls into what she does, classic mystery storytelling and clever humorous dialogue.
We meet a cast of quirky characters that quickly turn into suspects in a murder case. It's so very 'Colonel Mustard in the Library with a candle-stick' but you don't care, it's funny and you want to roll through to the end to see if your guess was right as to who was the true killer!
In keeping with Crocodile, it's not just a murder mystery, it's a study in Egyptology and it's hard to not at least learn a bit about the Ancients while reading such intelligent and enthusiastic passages about mummies, tombs and elusive burial chambers.
Lastly, the relationship between Amelia and her temperamental bull-like husband is one worth reading alone. They're loving, doting, argumentative and competitive, all while keeping to their Victorian English mannerisms.
Overall, if you ignore the presence of the first few chapters in England which were utterly out-of-character, the book is a winner and definitely worth the read.
The child is obnoxious, and precocious, of course. His nickname is "Ramses," which is supposed to suggest his charming stubbornness. A few pages of Ramses was enough to hope that he and his speech impediment would fall down a very deep well. So in a way, it's lucky that the reader isn't subjected to much of young Ramses. Why not? Well, in short order there's a mystery in Egypt that simply must be solved, and since Ramses is too young to accompany them, Amelia and Emerson leave the toddler at home with his aunt and uncle and venture off without him for months. Now, I don't blame them, kind of, because like I said, the kid is annoying. But I'm a reader and they are his parents and in theory, they should maybe be more attached to him than this? Also, they chuckle about how he bullies his cousins and they're all terrified of him and boy is everyone going to have lots of "fun" with Ramses while we're gone, hahaha. On the other hand, Amelia's parenting of the child is like Ayn Rand raising a baby in a Skinner box. The less influence she has in his life, the better he will probably do.
The rest of the book, in Egypt, is tolerably interesting. The mystery is fine, all accidents and deaths that the natives think are related to a curse on the tomb Amelia and Emerson are excavating. Amelia and Emerson are less enjoyable sniping at each other now, and I don't really think it's Emerson's fault. I think the fault is partially that Amelia is telling the story and she thinks she is oh-so-clever and oh-so-charming, of course, and partially that the "hate meet" is charming for a courtship, but should probably have the edge taken off for a marriage. It's not cute little jabs - it seems like Amelia doesn't like or think much of Emerson, really. I suspect that this is why Peters adds in frequent references to all the sex that Amelia and Emerson are having - they can't keep their hands off each other, so obviously 1. they actually do like each other and 2. Emerson forgives Amelia for her constant malicious remarks. But I don't buy it.
If the child were the only problem, I could maybe see going forward with this series. In fact, I'd been looking forward to doing so because it's nice to have something light and entertaining to read interspersed with heavier books. But I find that I just can't stand Amelia. She's turned from a spirited, sarcastic woman into a harpy.
Recommended for: the virulently childfree (after the first 30 pages or so), women who mistake being a harridan for being strong.
Quote: "Only one ripple mars the smooth surface of my content. Is it concern for my little son, so far from his mother's tender care? No, dear reader, it is not. The thought that several thousands of miles separate me from Ramses inspires a sense of profound peace such as I have not known for years."
The story takes place several years after Crocodile on the Sandbank. Amelia and Emerson have a young son whom they leave in Evelyn and Walter's care while they take over as expedition leaders when the original sponsor mysteriously dies. This time it is a mysterious "lady in white" who appears to be haunting the dig, then there are the bodies with no apparent cause of death but a hieroglyphic on the forehead suggesting nothing natural.
The cast of characters include the widow of the original expedition leader, a rich American Egyptology enthusiast, an Irish tabloid journalist, a German Egyptologist, a young British girl and her wacky mother who thinks she's a reincarnated Egyptian Queen, a young British photographer, and various Egyptian field staff (some of these minor characters from the first novel) and local villagers. My major issue--once again a fat woman is portrayed as the worst person in the story--selfish, drunken, greedy, bizarre, emotionally manipulative--while just about everyone else is various degrees of nice, at least on the surface (and ignoring the blatant racism of the day).
This story isn't as predictable as the first, but it also has a few holes left wide open at the end. It was perfectly enjoyable though. And their son Ramses was hysterical in every scene where he appeared, either in person or via his letters. I expect to continue with the series.
Leaving Ramses at home with her friend Evelyn and Emerson's brother Walter they're back to Emerson's beloved Egypt - and once more The Father of Curses and the Sitt
Even without Ramses antics, Peters crafts a good story.
Thank goodness for mysterious deaths and Egyptian curses, because it's the combination of these two things that give the Emersons the excuse they need to return to Egypt. Ramses is left with his capable Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Walter while the Emersons go to take over a famous excavation that has captured the attention of the tabloids due to the mysterious death of the expedition leader, Lord Baskerville. Without an apparent cause of death and the sudden disappearance of a trusted crew members goes missing, the tabloids naturally assume that this chap must have killed Lord Baskerville. This is all interesting to Amelia, of course, who considers herself to be a bit of a sleuth in addition to an uncertified lady doctor. Emerson, however, is much more concerned with the tomb... and possibly a little bit with the widow of Lord Baskerville, who evidently has known Emerson for a long time. While we the readers know that Emerson would never go astray, the woman in question is certainly one to keep an eye on. Mix in the expedition photographer (who is really Lord Baskerville's estranged brother's son in disguise and thus the heir and new Lord Baskerville), a vile drunkard of a woman who fancies she can remember her past lives (which happen to include Emerson as her husband and lover), the woman's lovely daughter, a German expedition member who worships Emerson's brother's work, and an American amateur Egyptologist looking to get in on all the action... well, once again, we have a work that is far more entertaining for the characters than the mystery.
The mystery is, indeed, quite easy to figure out -- at least this time, Emerson and Amelia write their respective guesses and leave them in a sealed envelope, proving that our dynamic duo each at least solved the case around the same time as the reader. I would have to admit that I didn't enjoy The Curse of the Pharoahs as much as I had hoped, though it was a perfectly pleasant and quick read. I was warned upon starting this series that I should brave it out for a few books before things picked up -- and I believe this might be the book to spark such a warning. It isn't that anything is particularly wrong, it's just not terribly fresh. Emerson and Amelia are charming in their banter -- it's nice to see a couple that can feud well and you still believe that they can be in love at the same time. I predict that Ramses will be quite a handful and, indeed, perhaps a bit annoying if we have a few books where he's still quite young... so I'm thankful for at least this book where we can still enjoy Emerson and Amelia on their own. Again, a quick read and an amusing installment, but I must admit I'm looking for Peters to sharpen her sleuthing skills so that we have some more interesting cases to which we can look forward.
Lady Baskerville’s husband found a new tomb believed to belong to royalty. However, as soon as the tomb is open the Pharaoh’s curse reins its ugly head. All those associated with the tomb start dropping dead or seeing the white lady which in Egypt is the symbolism of death. The story of the Pharaoh’s Curse makes its way into the gossip paper and of course no one wants a part of it for fear that the Curse will get them. Of course, the Pharaoh’s Curse is no match for the fearsome duo- Amelia and Emerson. When Lady Baskerville asks them for their help they both pretty much jump at the chance. Leaving Ramses behind with Walter, Evelyn and their terrified children Amelia and Emerson go off on a new excavation filled with mystery and murder.
Amelia has definitely not lost her wit in this second book and the chemistry between her and Emerson still has fire in it. There is a whole new set of colorful characters and Peters does a beautiful job describing the setting which puts the reader right there in the story. I hope that the rest of the books contain the same magic as the first and second book.
So far, both Amelia Peabody books I've read have been real slow starts for me. I don't know if it is when I'm reading them or if that is just how they are written. It takes me a fair bit of time to get wrapped up in the book. That isn't to say I don't enjoy the beginnings. I just love Peter's writing style and I almost always learn a couple new vocabulary words too (many Egyptology related of course). I'm very much looking forward to the next read in this series.
This one is just as good as previous novels in the series. The back drop of Egypt and even England is well described. The characters are fun even if over the top at times. And, I did not see
Plot:
Amelia and Emerson have reluctantly settled into life in the English countryside with their young son. Emerson is teaching and Amelia is trying to be friendly to the oh so proper country matrons. Into this scene, Emerson and Amelia are invited to return to Luxor to take over dig after the death of the patron and the disappearance of the former excavation leader. Journalists have latched onto the story of the death of the patron linking it to a curse connected to the tomb he was excavating.
As more events seem to add to the veracity of the curse, it is up to Amelia and Emerson to apply cool logic and figure out what is actually behind these event.