Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Long-Hinted Discovery Occurs, 8 May 2006
If you haven't read any books in this series, do not read this one yet! Instead, go back and read the books in order of their release. This book is so populated with extended characters that it won't make much sense to you without the earlier novels. You'll feel like you've been dropped into a two minute segment of a soap opera with no plot notes. Also, the earliest books are the best, so you have two incentives to start in the beginning.
If you are a long-time reader of this series, you'll be pleased to learn that Ms. Peters has finally arrived at the discovery of King Tut's tomb ... which she has long been hinting was coming through Amelia's dreams about Abdullah.
As you can imagine, the greatest 20th century discovery in Egypt is a big event to cover in a novel. Ms. Peters had a challenge here: How much should she vary from the historical script? Ultimately, her decision was to embroider around the edges ... but leave reality relatively untouched. I think that was a good decision.
But obviously, making that decision provided some problems for this novel. It would have been weird to focus on Emerson doing lots of Egyptology. Clearly, he would have been hanging around with Howard Carter. At the same time, that also reduces the scope for various side plots. As a result, the story line is pretty thin in this one. In fact, no one would probably want to read this book just for the "mystery" and plot development.
But, there's good news. Ms. Peters has involved a lot of her best characters and developed them through action and inaction. So if you love the characters, you'll find this book rewarding ... especially if you enjoy the twins.
The Emersons arrive early in the season and are disappointed to learn that Lord Carnavon has kept his excavation rights to the Valley of the Kings for another year. Howard Carter, however, has graciously granted them the rights to do some excavation in another area of Thebes. Amelia is starting to think it's time for Ramses and Nefret to set up housekeeping and their own careers in Cairo. Emerson is convinced that a major tomb will be found, and he's found an ally to help him spot it. Early in the book, that ruse works out well.
But Emerson and Ramses are also confronted with a group that lure them into a small shop to ask them where "he" is. Quickly deducing that Sethos is in trouble, no one is surprised when Sethos arrives in disguise. Eventually, Sethos reveals that he's come into possession of what seems to be a valuable coded message. No one can decipher the message, however, until Peabody takes a crack at it (and succeeds in most improbable style).
Grab a comfy chair, curl up with some delicious coffee and cookies and have a ball!
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great to have the Emersons back - but at what cost?, 2 May 2006
I have long been a great fan of the Amelia Peabody mysteries, and eagerly awaited this latest installment. It runs completely to formula and fans will revel in yet more tales of the wonderful Emerson family. However, this one was somewhat disappointing: the writing, though still witty and engaging, was not as tight at previous novels, and the storyline less convincing. I remain a dedicated fan, and read the entertaining family exchanges with my usual pleasure, but felt let down by the 'mystery'. I'm hoping this was a mere blip, and have begun to look forward to the next installment...
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17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
sadly, it's probably best to end the series here, 15 May 2006
As a long-time fan of the Emersons I rushed out to buy this the moment it hit the shops, but it has to be said that this is probably an offering for fans only and is unlikely to grab the first-time reader. As the other reviewers have said, the 'mystery' is almost subsidiary and the attraction of the book lies with the re-visiting of favourite characters. Even here however I was a little disappointed: there seems to be too much re-running of old plots and no tension/drama. The old energy on Ms Peters side seems to be lacking as if she's run out of anything new to say about the Emersons - not surprising as this is the 18th (I think?) in the series.
2 things that have really irritated me (and I'm only on chapter 3!): at one point Ramses' Manuscript H voice turns into Amelia when he starts writing about 'I', and his daughter who started off as Charla in Children of the Storm, became Carla in Serpent on the Crown, and now is back to Charla again - just bad editing, I wonder?
If you've been following the series, then you can't help but buy this, but I think sadly that Ms Peters has just run out of steam as far as the usually-wonderful Emersons are concerned, and should leave the series here.
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