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bargainsleuth's review against another edition
5.0
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There are a few differences in this volume of the Amelia Peabody Emerson Mystery series than the others. For one, the action takes place in London instead of spending their time in Egypt. For another, there’s an addition to the household with the butler, Gargery. He provided great comic relief and is a welcome addition to the series.
The basic plot is that dead bodies are starting to pop up around the British Museum and its mummy exhibit. There is no shortage of mysterious people, events, and suspects. There are colleagues from the archeological field, two journalists who become part of the repertoire of characters, a priest with supernatural powers, as well as members of the upper class, gypsies, janitors, you name it. It’s a hodge podge and Amelia Peabody has to sort out all the details, with the help of her husband, Emerson.
The enjoyment of these books is not the plot. Most times they are paper thin. The real reason one reads Amelia Peabody is because they enjoy Egyptology, witty banter, tongue-in-cheek opinions that make fun of the conventions of the day. Radcliffe and Amelia reflect the Victorian time period and the Imperialist views of the British at the time, yet in other ways they are surprisingly modern, such as Emerson’s acceptance of Amelia as an equal at work. Their son, Ramses, also provides comic relief, as he’s smart as a whip, and now that he’s a little older, he’s not nearly as precocious and obnoxious as previous volumes.
If you want to get the full effect of this fun cozy mystery series, listen to the unabridged audiobooks narrated by Barbara Rosenblat. She’s a consummate narrator and just nails the characterizations perfectly. Her work on these books is one of the reasons I embraced audiobooks in the first place.
There are a few differences in this volume of the Amelia Peabody Emerson Mystery series than the others. For one, the action takes place in London instead of spending their time in Egypt. For another, there’s an addition to the household with the butler, Gargery. He provided great comic relief and is a welcome addition to the series.
The basic plot is that dead bodies are starting to pop up around the British Museum and its mummy exhibit. There is no shortage of mysterious people, events, and suspects. There are colleagues from the archeological field, two journalists who become part of the repertoire of characters, a priest with supernatural powers, as well as members of the upper class, gypsies, janitors, you name it. It’s a hodge podge and Amelia Peabody has to sort out all the details, with the help of her husband, Emerson.
The enjoyment of these books is not the plot. Most times they are paper thin. The real reason one reads Amelia Peabody is because they enjoy Egyptology, witty banter, tongue-in-cheek opinions that make fun of the conventions of the day. Radcliffe and Amelia reflect the Victorian time period and the Imperialist views of the British at the time, yet in other ways they are surprisingly modern, such as Emerson’s acceptance of Amelia as an equal at work. Their son, Ramses, also provides comic relief, as he’s smart as a whip, and now that he’s a little older, he’s not nearly as precocious and obnoxious as previous volumes.
If you want to get the full effect of this fun cozy mystery series, listen to the unabridged audiobooks narrated by Barbara Rosenblat. She’s a consummate narrator and just nails the characterizations perfectly. Her work on these books is one of the reasons I embraced audiobooks in the first place.
roseleaf24's review against another edition
4.0
Another fun Peabody mystery, but this one took a particularly disturbing turn. Reading it so soon after reading The Picture of Dorian Gray was interesting, and I have to wonder if Peters was influenced by Wilde's work.
red29's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
auntbopp's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
lsparrow's review against another edition
3.0
I love the characters - although the mystery was less enthralling than many of the others.
jamibuch's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
biopsychosocial's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0