Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Constable and Robinson (2002), Paperback, 320 pages
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Historical Fiction. HTML: Bestselling author Elizabeth Peters brings back nineteenth-century Egyptologist Amelia Peabody and her entourage in this delicious caper that digs up mystery in the shadow of the pyramids. The last camel is dead, and Egyptologist Amelia Peabody, her dashing husband, Emerson, and her precocious son, Ramses, are in dire straits on the sun-scorched desert sands. Months before, back in cool, green England, Viscount Blacktower had approached them to find his son and his son's new bride, who have been missing in war-torn Sudan for over a decade. An enigmatic message scrawled on papyrus and a cryptic map had been delivered to Blacktower, awakening his hope that the couple was still alive. Neither Amelia nor Emerson believes the message is authentic, but the treasure map proves an irresistible temptation. Now, deep in Nubia's vast wasteland, they discover too late how much treachery is afoot (and on camelback), and survival depends on Amelia's solving a mystery as old as ancient Egypt and as timeless as greed and revenge..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member paradoxosalpha
The sixth volume of Amelia Peabody's adventures swerves somewhat from the criminal mystery precedent of the earlier books. This episode is instead concerned with the Emerson-Peabody family's discovery of (and captivity in) a lost civilization in the Sudan, where Cushite-exported pharaonic customs
Despite the emphasis on action, there is something especially bookish about this volume, with notable attention given to popular 19th-century English literature. The author confesses that The Last Camel Died at Noon is an homage to the work of H. Rider Haggard, and there are many references throughout the novel to Haggard's books She and King Solomon's Mines, both of which are fodder for the central narrative. In addition, Wilkie Collins' seminal 19th-century mystery The Moonstone is given a part to play.
The longish story is broken into two parts: first the archeological expedition to the Sudan and the circumstances that drew them to the Holy Mountain in the desert wilderness, and then the events of their stay and eventual escape. This book, unlike its predecessors, also benefits from a small handful of maps and line illustrations. The latter tend to depict relevant art and artifacts, of which a typically amusing example is the carved relief depicting a "Queen of Meroe spearing captives with girlish enthusiasm." (312)
The final chapter of the book seems to intimate an impending change to the scope and arrangements of Peabody's family, but I suppose it will be necessary to read the next installment to find out whether and how that comes to pass.
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have survived into the late 19th century. There is, however, plenty of intrigue and skulduggery, not to mention the most plain violence on display in any of the series' books thus far.Despite the emphasis on action, there is something especially bookish about this volume, with notable attention given to popular 19th-century English literature. The author confesses that The Last Camel Died at Noon is an homage to the work of H. Rider Haggard, and there are many references throughout the novel to Haggard's books She and King Solomon's Mines, both of which are fodder for the central narrative. In addition, Wilkie Collins' seminal 19th-century mystery The Moonstone is given a part to play.
The longish story is broken into two parts: first the archeological expedition to the Sudan and the circumstances that drew them to the Holy Mountain in the desert wilderness, and then the events of their stay and eventual escape. This book, unlike its predecessors, also benefits from a small handful of maps and line illustrations. The latter tend to depict relevant art and artifacts, of which a typically amusing example is the carved relief depicting a "Queen of Meroe spearing captives with girlish enthusiasm." (312)
The final chapter of the book seems to intimate an impending change to the scope and arrangements of Peabody's family, but I suppose it will be necessary to read the next installment to find out whether and how that comes to pass.
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LibraryThing member cbl_tn
Amelia Peabody, husband Emerson, and son Ramses set off on another archaeological adventure. This time their destination is not Egypt, but rather the Nubian desert south of Egypt. Willie Forth, a colleague of Emerson's, has been missing and presumed dead for more than a decade. A mysterious message
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suggests he might be living, so the Emersons head for his last known destination, where they encounter great danger. The book is written in the "lost world" style of Victorian novelist Sir Henry Rider Haggard, author of King Solomon's Mines. It's a great summer vacation read for genre fans. Show Less
LibraryThing member Mendoza
This is #6 in the Amelia Peabody series and introduces us to Nefret - a key figure in future books.
It is hard for me to find critizism in any of the earlier Peabody works and this certainbly holds true for Last Camel.
In this addition the Emersons are asked to search for a lost son and his wife. In
A wholey enjoyable adventure.
It is hard for me to find critizism in any of the earlier Peabody works and this certainbly holds true for Last Camel.
In this addition the Emersons are asked to search for a lost son and his wife. In
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doing so they come upon a 'lost' mysterious civilization. By the end the Emerson's have solved the mystery of the missing nobleman and his wife, have amassed quite a collection of artifacts for study, and Ramses their son is suffering from a bad case of puppy love for Nefret, who returns with them to England.A wholey enjoyable adventure.
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LibraryThing member Katissima
Not my favorite Amelia Peabody book. If you adore Amelia as much as I do, you will read it anyway. If you are a disintrested Peabody reader you could just skip to the next installment, The Snake, the Crocadile and the Dog. Since Amelia is always kind enough to get the reader up to speed at the
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beginning of each book, you will learn all you need to know about The Last Camel Died at Noon there. Show Less
LibraryThing member anne07
My favorite Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody book. Loved the idea of discovering a "lost civilization".
LibraryThing member Crewman_Number_6
I was really disappointed with this book. I have read all the books in the series up to this one, and I really felt that this was not up to the standard of her other works. Maybe it is because I recently read King Solomon's Mines, but I found it disapointing that Elizabeth Peters chose to rewrite
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that book. It was especially annoying in light of the fact that Amelia Peabody always talks about how she is a big H. Rider Haggard fan. I found it unlikely, since the books are written as memoirs, that Amelia, who is quite intelligent, would create a plot exactly out of one of his books, knowing that her readers know she likes his stories, and also knowing that it would have been a fairly recent book at the time. I found myself reading to the end just to get through it, but the plot held not intrigue, since it was a flimsy reproduction. I will read the next book, in hopes that this is the only downer in an otherwise entertaining series. Show Less
LibraryThing member Harmless_Dilettante
Another excellent novel in the Amelia Peabody series: the ever confident Amelia and her explosive spouse take another unlikely detour, this time into lost civilization territory. Once there, they pick up Nefret, a picture and otherwise perfect addition to the recurring cast of characters. I
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continue to be charmed by the Emerson clan, but I like them best with their flaws on display. Show Less
LibraryThing member kayceel
Amelia, husband and son find themselces stranded in the desert, without camels, supplies and water, all because an old man hopes they can find his long lost son and daughter-in-law. What the Emersons do find shocks and intrigues!
Fun and an important entry in the series, as we meet a new character
Recommended.
Fun and an important entry in the series, as we meet a new character
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who will become integral to the series. Recommended.
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LibraryThing member riverwillow
An interesting instalment in the series which sees Amelia, Emerson and Ramses caught up in an adventure in an homage to Amelia's favourite author Rider Haggard. Rather than excavating in Egypt as usual the Emersons decide to venture into Sudan, they've also agreed to search for Willie Forth and his
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wife, who've been missing for more than a decade. Along the way they're deserted by their servants and end up staying in a hidden city with a lost civilisation. A fun addition to the series, and we may have finally found the one thing that reduces Ramses to speechlessness. Show Less
LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
This stands out in the series because it is so unique - a lost civilization, a living embodiment of ancient Egyptian practices and lifestyle. Amelia and Emerson are amusing as always, and Ramses is becoming quite an interesting character. And now Ms. Peters has expanded the family in an intriguing
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twist. Show Less
LibraryThing member ktleyed
On audio, this (to me) wasn't quite as good as the previous installments in the Amelia Peabody mysteries. Nothing against Barbara Rosenblat, who (as usual) does a fantastic job with narration. She is beyond compare. But in this, Book 6 of the series, the Emersons find themselves in the Sudan this
This has the usual amusing bits, but I got lost in the plot line and all the names started to sound alike after a while. Still, it had it's humorous moments, I especially enjoyed Amelia's meeting of Blacktower. Also, his grandson's name is a hoot - Reginald Forth-Wright! I admit, these books are endearing to me, although this one was a slight departure from the norm, since they spent the majority of the time holed up in this secret kingdom.
*H. Rider Haggard wrote adventure book, King Solomon's Mines, Allan Quatermain and She, among others, which were quite popular at the end of the nineteenth century.
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time. Excavating the usual sort of antiquities in the middle of nowhere, they find themselves stranded in the desert, their camels all dead, no water, no food and convinced death is near. Yet, they are rescued. Where are they? When they awake from their stupor of dehydration, they find themselves in the lap of luxury and well cared for. But, they are essentially held prisoners in a lost kingdom, known as Holy Mountain. Suck in the middle of a power struggle between two brothers, one of whom Emerson nicknames "Nasty"! It was more like they're stuck in the middle of a H. Rider Haggard novel, of which this is a homage (Amelia's favorite author*).This has the usual amusing bits, but I got lost in the plot line and all the names started to sound alike after a while. Still, it had it's humorous moments, I especially enjoyed Amelia's meeting of Blacktower. Also, his grandson's name is a hoot - Reginald Forth-Wright! I admit, these books are endearing to me, although this one was a slight departure from the norm, since they spent the majority of the time holed up in this secret kingdom.
*H. Rider Haggard wrote adventure book, King Solomon's Mines, Allan Quatermain and She, among others, which were quite popular at the end of the nineteenth century.
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LibraryThing member seasidereader
I was introduced to this series when I received He Shall Thunder in the Sky as part of my registration packet, complementary from publisher, at a Bouchercon (annual mystery conference), and was immediately hooked. Since then I have backtracked and read, mostly listened to, the books in sequence.
Its appeal for me is the historical mostly Egyptian setting, archaeological quests amid intrigue, and the strong almost feminist lead, Amelia.
Last Camel died at Noon isn't my favorite -- an extremely far-fetched plot and pace at times achingly slow and meandering don't help -- but it introduces Nefret, a major character.
Barbara Rosenblatt is outstanding as the audio narrator of this series.
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Its appeal for me is the historical mostly Egyptian setting, archaeological quests amid intrigue, and the strong almost feminist lead, Amelia.
Last Camel died at Noon isn't my favorite -- an extremely far-fetched plot and pace at times achingly slow and meandering don't help -- but it introduces Nefret, a major character.
Barbara Rosenblatt is outstanding as the audio narrator of this series.
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LibraryThing member annertan
For some reason, this one is one of my favorites in the series. Maybe because the Emersons don't have as much control of their environments like they normally do when they are in Egypt.
LibraryThing member cathymoore
I was beginning to tire somewhat of Amelia and her rather repetitive adventures. Or so I thought. This is fantastic. Amelia, Emerson and Ramses are in the Sudan and it's not long before all kinds of excitement starts to happen. This is so different from those which it follows and not only is it
If you haven't read any of Peabody's previous escapades though, I perhaps wouldn't suggest starting with this one as it refers quite frequently to the previous books without giving much background explanation.
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exciting but absolutely hilarious as well. If you haven't read any of Peabody's previous escapades though, I perhaps wouldn't suggest starting with this one as it refers quite frequently to the previous books without giving much background explanation.
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LibraryThing member antiquary
This is a frank tribute to H. Rider Haggard, most of whose African adventure stories I heartily enjoy. I have to say, I don't think even Amelia is a match for Quartermain --this is a bit over the top even for her. A British nobleman asks her to find his daughter and her husband who vanished in the
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Sudan -a mysterious map and message have appeared offering clues. In due course thy do end uip rescuing a beautiful British girl who becomes a major figures In the rest of the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member dbsovereign
Fun romp in the Egyptian/Sudanese sand that's spliced with stuff about lost civilizations and such. Peabody makes for an implausible but charming detective. There is a bit too much schmaltz at times, and the family thing can strike one as obnoxious after awhile.
LibraryThing member kaulsu
This was a much better developed book than the previous five, but still Peyers doesn't know, it seems, how to move a plot forward rather than in circles. Emerson, Peabody, and even Ramses are simply too good to be true, though of the three I think Ramses the most believable. I don't think these are
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categorized as YA, but if there were, I would add a star. Show Less
LibraryThing member EmpressReece
What an adventure! I thoroughly enjoyed this story! It was very unique I thought and I felt like I traveled back in time to an ancient civilization we can only read about and dream of. It was nice to see it come to life so to speak.
LibraryThing member hopeevey
Another fun, if a bit melodramatic, episode in the adventures of Amelia Peabody Emerson.
LibraryThing member themulhern
Ridiculous, but isn't that it's appeal? "King Solomon's Mines" was so annoying that I could not persist, yet this book is not nearly that. Go figure.
LibraryThing member a-shelf-apart
Ooo I really enjoyed this installment, taking the Emersons away from their usual Egyptian excavating.
Plus now there will be Nefret.
Plus now there will be Nefret.
LibraryThing member etxgardener
The Emersons are back in the Mid-East, although not in Egypt. They’re in Sudan this time and their adventures seem lifted directly from an H. Ryder Haggard novel. Amelia, Emerson and their son, Ramses are captured a mysterious tribe who seemingly want to hold them forever. Among these strange
How they all escape while also solving their requisite mystery makes for a rollicking read
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people, they also discover a teenage white girl named Nefret who while revered by this tribe, wants to escape.How they all escape while also solving their requisite mystery makes for a rollicking read
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LibraryThing member Lauren2013
The Last Camel Died at Noon
3.5 Stars
In their latest adventure, Amelia, Emerson and their son, Ramses, find themselves abandoned in the Nubian desert after the death by poisoning of their final camel. The reason for their predicament lies in a mysterious letter sent to Viscount Blacktower,
This installment in the series is structured rather differently as it is divided into two sections. Book 1 focuses on the events in England and Sudan leading up to the Emersons' misadventure in the desert while Book 2 revolves around their rescue and subsequent discovery of amythical lost city .
Elizabeth Peters's historical research is excellent, and she smoothly incorporates the details of the British conquest, the Mahadist Uprising, and the Kitchener Campaign to recapture lost territory within the flow of the narrative. Moreover, the allusions to the works of H. Rider Haggard add another layer of enjoyment to the story.
The mystery is where the plot fails to resonate. First, the pacing is too slow, and the details are interspersed between other, more compelling elements such as the revelation of thelost city, the conflict between the two heirs and the Emersons' plans to escape with their skins intact . Second, it is difficult to care about the lost British heir and his bride as readers are not provided with sufficient details about them to evoke sympathy or empathy. Finally, the explanation at the end feels more like an afterthought rather than a significant part of the story.
The true highlight of the book is, as always, the dynamics between Amelia and Emerson and the humor of Ramses' antics - he is really beginning to grow on me.
On a final note, the audiobooks in the series have two narrators - Susan O'Malley and Barbara Rosenblatt. I have been listening to the O'Mally versions, but sadly this is the last one, as the rest are Rosenblatt versions. While other listeners seem to adore her, I've had problems with her in the past. Hopefully, I will be able to get used to her and continue with the series.
3.5 Stars
In their latest adventure, Amelia, Emerson and their son, Ramses, find themselves abandoned in the Nubian desert after the death by poisoning of their final camel. The reason for their predicament lies in a mysterious letter sent to Viscount Blacktower,
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ostensibly from his eldest son, who vanished along with his bride in Sudan a decade earlier. While suspicious of the Viscount's request that they find his missing family members, Amelia and Emerson are intrigued by the map accompanying the letter and embark on the quest, where they encounter the solution to an ancient mystery and an enemy bent on greed and revenge.This installment in the series is structured rather differently as it is divided into two sections. Book 1 focuses on the events in England and Sudan leading up to the Emersons' misadventure in the desert while Book 2 revolves around their rescue and subsequent discovery of a
Elizabeth Peters's historical research is excellent, and she smoothly incorporates the details of the British conquest, the Mahadist Uprising, and the Kitchener Campaign to recapture lost territory within the flow of the narrative. Moreover, the allusions to the works of H. Rider Haggard add another layer of enjoyment to the story.
The mystery is where the plot fails to resonate. First, the pacing is too slow, and the details are interspersed between other, more compelling elements such as the revelation of the
The true highlight of the book is, as always, the dynamics between Amelia and Emerson and the humor of Ramses' antics - he is really beginning to grow on me.
On a final note, the audiobooks in the series have two narrators - Susan O'Malley and Barbara Rosenblatt. I have been listening to the O'Mally versions, but sadly this is the last one, as the rest are Rosenblatt versions. While other listeners seem to adore her, I've had problems with her in the past. Hopefully, I will be able to get used to her and continue with the series.
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LibraryThing member turtlesleap
This was the first Elizabeth Peters book I've read and, frankly, I had a hard time staying with it through the end.
LibraryThing member Nextian
While this is not my favorite in the series, it has to be fairly close to the top. Besides being a vehicle to introduce the young Nefret, who is central to many later plots, it is a lovely tribute to H. Rider Haggard (whose writings I find myself strangely drawn to). I would highly recommend
Oh, and as an aside, Gibert and Sullivan fans should be warned that after reading this book you will never be able to hear "With Cat-like Tread" the same way again. I know I sure haven't.
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reading Haggard's "She" before you start this though. Without that basis, Peters' comedic genius is lost to a large extent and "Camel" becomes a simple, campy story instead of the great parody it is. In my opinion, this is a fantasic book all around for those who share Peters' sense of humor. Oh, and as an aside, Gibert and Sullivan fans should be warned that after reading this book you will never be able to hear "With Cat-like Tread" the same way again. I know I sure haven't.
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Subjects
Awards
Agatha Award (Nominee — Novel — 1991)
Language
Original publication date
1991
Physical description
320 p.; 7.72 inches
ISBN
1841193879 / 9781841193878