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emsee33's review
3.0
THE PAINTED QUEEN by Elizabeth Peters and Joan Hess (begun by Peters and finished by Hess after the former passed away) can best be described as 'perfunctory.' It's a perfectly acceptable mystery, if bordering on the absurd, but it simply isn't an Amelia Peabody mystery. While the forward and introductions make it clear that completing this manuscript was a labor of love on the part of Hess to honor her late friend's memory and talent, the result isn't all that successful.
Elizabeth Peters (aka Barbara Mertz) was not the world's greatest writer, but I adored her and read everything she ever wrote under that pseudonym. Some of her books are better than others, and many of the later books in the Amelia Peabody series are uneven (and occasionally, poorly edited), but she had wit, a joy for the subject, and a clear voice that Hess failed to capture. How much of THE PAINTED QUEEN is Peters and how much is Hess is unknown, but every page read like it was just slightly off-center. The painting was more or less complete, but the details were absent.
The main cast of characters spoke in ways that felt forced or inaccurate, and the narrative lacked any sort of emotional reflection, particularly jarring as this book is supposed to take place between two of the most dramatic stories in the series - THE FALCON AT THE PORTAL and HE SHALL THUNDER IN THE SKY. While references are made to events in the former, the emotional fallout is barely touched, and not one mention is made of Sennia, the little Egyptian girl whose appearance in FALCON turned everyone's lives upside down. I found the Manuscript H sections particularly disappointing.
Ultimately, this novel is unnecessary. Though Peters started filling in gaps from earlier points in the series while she was still alive, the journey that her readers took all the way to TOMB OF THE GOLDEN BIRD had a perfectly satisfying ending for the Emersons, and as Amelia might say, there's simply no need to go backwards.
Elizabeth Peters (aka Barbara Mertz) was not the world's greatest writer, but I adored her and read everything she ever wrote under that pseudonym. Some of her books are better than others, and many of the later books in the Amelia Peabody series are uneven (and occasionally, poorly edited), but she had wit, a joy for the subject, and a clear voice that Hess failed to capture. How much of THE PAINTED QUEEN is Peters and how much is Hess is unknown, but every page read like it was just slightly off-center. The painting was more or less complete, but the details were absent.
The main cast of characters spoke in ways that felt forced or inaccurate, and the narrative lacked any sort of emotional reflection, particularly jarring as this book is supposed to take place between two of the most dramatic stories in the series - THE FALCON AT THE PORTAL and HE SHALL THUNDER IN THE SKY. While references are made to events in the former, the emotional fallout is barely touched, and not one mention is made of Sennia, the little Egyptian girl whose appearance in FALCON turned everyone's lives upside down. I found the Manuscript H sections particularly disappointing.
Ultimately, this novel is unnecessary. Though Peters started filling in gaps from earlier points in the series while she was still alive, the journey that her readers took all the way to TOMB OF THE GOLDEN BIRD had a perfectly satisfying ending for the Emersons, and as Amelia might say, there's simply no need to go backwards.
thain's review
4.0
Joan Hess - who writes humorous mysteries of her own - did a nice job capturing the late Elizabeth Peters' tone in this final volume of the classic series.
moonmist80's review against another edition
4.0
Loved the story and that we were able to have one last Amelia adventure. The tone of this book was slightly different to me from the previous books. This is of course understandable due to being completed by another author.
twistinthetale's review
3.0
This is the final book of the Amelia Peabody series. Peters had written notes and outlines for the novel and a good friend, Hess, took on the task of bringing this final Peabody offering to life on the page following Peters' death. The characters, so well known to fans, are there and the tone and action are consistent with the rest of the series. These books are always good entertainment and this book was no exception. Hess did a good job taking on such a difficult role. It was certainly difficult to say goodbye to this series. I might just have to start reading them again. from the beginning.
judyflutey's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
beeisbooked's review
3.0
For the final installment of the Amelia Peabody series we get Amelia and her family trying to find the missing Nefertiti bust and investigate Germany's Deustche Orient-Gesellschaft involvment, dodge Geoffrey Godwin's vengeful, monocle-wearing family, and solve a murder at Amarna. First I want to thank Joan Hess for working on and completing this book in Elizabeth Peters stead. It's not an easy task to write in another authors style with their different time period and characters. I know that she worked off of some version of a completed manuscript, but it's still an undertaking.
Now about the actual book, which unfortunately, due to more technical issues than the actual story, falls a bit flat. As other reviewers have mentioned, all the characters at one point or another had strange or stilted dialogue. I know that Amelia and her family bicker, have their jokes etc, but they all truly care about one another, but it doesn't seem as believable in this book. Amelia especially seemed out of character. She would be roaming about one minute, and then damsel in distress the next. She has gotten into many fixes, and faced many adversaries and criminals, but usually persevered through her quick thinking and bravery, being compassionate but strong when difficult things happen. Rameses and David bickered and act more like frenemies than actual brothers. Emerson and Nefret barely show up, and are really just there to fill in the ultimate piece of the mystery rather than engaging in it. Finally the writing itself can be choppy, with many sudden jumps in time or places. I was surprised when one moment they would be having breakfast, and then by the next paragraph it would be the next day after a full day at the dig site. In fact many days at the dig would be mentioned, but never in detail, which I understand because Hess didn't have the same experience Mertz did in archaeology.
Overall, I'm glad that I completed the series, and that one of the "missing journal" years was filled in.
Now about the actual book, which unfortunately, due to more technical issues than the actual story, falls a bit flat. As other reviewers have mentioned, all the characters at one point or another had strange or stilted dialogue. I know that Amelia and her family bicker, have their jokes etc, but they all truly care about one another, but it doesn't seem as believable in this book. Amelia especially seemed out of character. She would be roaming about one minute, and then damsel in distress the next. She has gotten into many fixes, and faced many adversaries and criminals, but usually persevered through her quick thinking and bravery, being compassionate but strong when difficult things happen. Rameses and David bickered and act more like frenemies than actual brothers. Emerson and Nefret barely show up, and are really just there to fill in the ultimate piece of the mystery rather than engaging in it. Finally the writing itself can be choppy, with many sudden jumps in time or places. I was surprised when one moment they would be having breakfast, and then by the next paragraph it would be the next day after a full day at the dig site. In fact many days at the dig would be mentioned, but never in detail, which I understand because Hess didn't have the same experience Mertz did in archaeology.
Overall, I'm glad that I completed the series, and that one of the "missing journal" years was filled in.
lindca's review against another edition
3.0
This book obviously was a labor of love for Joan Hess, a tribute to her good friend Elizabeth Peters (AKA Barbara Michaels and Barbara Mertz) who died in 2013 leaving her last manuscript unfinished.
It must have been a daunting task for Hess. Peters not only had a Ph.D. in Egyptology to lend authenticity to her stories, she also was known as a character and a wit, and she imbued her fictional characters with a delightful combination of those same qualities. I looked forward to this last Amelia Peabody book, hoping to catch a last glimpse of the magic of this series which has been a favorite.
It didn't quite hit the mark.
Hess gave it a good try, even incorporating some of the series titles (like The Last Camel Died at Noon) into the text as kind of a fun discovery for fans. While the characters seemed true to form at the beginning (possibly the part completed by Peters), that didn't carry through the rest of the book. Hess was unable to maintain the essences of most of the main characters, even having some acting contrary to their usual natures. Some details of the series timeline also were off, things that ought to have been caught in the editing process. In addition, the mystery here seemed less compelling than usual, and instead of having the story focus on the archeological aspects of the story, something which made this series unique, Amelia and company spent a lot of time taking tea, eating, and napping. I am sorry to say that for much of the book I was bored.
Despite this, I'm grateful to Hess and am glad I read the story. It was a lovely if bittersweet final glimpse at some favorite characters and a reminder of how much I enjoyed the series.
Farewell, Elizabeth Peters, and farewell, Amelia Peabody. You will be missed.
It must have been a daunting task for Hess. Peters not only had a Ph.D. in Egyptology to lend authenticity to her stories, she also was known as a character and a wit, and she imbued her fictional characters with a delightful combination of those same qualities. I looked forward to this last Amelia Peabody book, hoping to catch a last glimpse of the magic of this series which has been a favorite.
It didn't quite hit the mark.
Hess gave it a good try, even incorporating some of the series titles (like The Last Camel Died at Noon) into the text as kind of a fun discovery for fans. While the characters seemed true to form at the beginning (possibly the part completed by Peters), that didn't carry through the rest of the book. Hess was unable to maintain the essences of most of the main characters, even having some acting contrary to their usual natures. Some details of the series timeline also were off, things that ought to have been caught in the editing process. In addition, the mystery here seemed less compelling than usual, and instead of having the story focus on the archeological aspects of the story, something which made this series unique, Amelia and company spent a lot of time taking tea, eating, and napping. I am sorry to say that for much of the book I was bored.
Despite this, I'm grateful to Hess and am glad I read the story. It was a lovely if bittersweet final glimpse at some favorite characters and a reminder of how much I enjoyed the series.
Farewell, Elizabeth Peters, and farewell, Amelia Peabody. You will be missed.
caityree's review
1.0
If I could have rated this LESS than one star, that’s what I would have given it. I couldn’t finish it, it was ridiculous, and not, as I’d hoped, a tribute to the great Elizabeth Peters, but a completely inadequate hash of some of her characters. I have read better fan fic.