Reviews

Lion in the Valley by Elizabeth Peters

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bargainsleuth's review against another edition

5.0

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“Another year, another dead body.” It’s an oft-quoted line from the Amelia Peabody mysteries, and it came from this book. Amelia and Emerson are back in Egypt with their son, Ramses, who is now 8 years old. He is slightly less precocious than he was when he was younger, and much more palatable. Emerson finally gets to dig at the pyramids of Dahshoor and is practically giddy with excitement.

Amelia once again is up to her ears in Miss Marple-like activities. She doesn’t listen to her son when she really should, as he knows more than her about what is going on. The Master Criminal is back with a vengeance, and he’s gunning for Amelia. How will she avoid his evil grasp?

This is one of the strongest Amelia Peabody mysteries, with ample twists and turns and references to Egyptology and even Sherlock Holmes references for the most casual mystery reader. As always, I highly recommend listening to the book series because the narration by Barbara Rosenblat cannot be beat. Her growling Emerson is such a delight; my husband frequently imitates her with a “Good gad, Peabody” every once in a while. These books are what sold me on audiobooks after years of resistance. These books are great stuff on audio.

If you love cozy mysteries set in the Victorian period and have an interest in Egyptology, this series has aged remarkably well. Highly recommended!

jmbz38's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

laz_'s review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

beginning a very toxic relationship with these books as i never fully enjoy them and they slip more and more into caricature but i keep getting hooked in with a “fun little mystery” and now i’m here … it’s complicated

roseleaf24's review against another edition

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3.0

I don't know if it's a certain lack of polish, or what exactly, but it is difficult for me to read large print editions, which is the way I read this. This particular volume is difficult to track down around here, and the large print copy was on the shelf. It's also been quite the week, and I'm still coming out of a Harry Potter hangover.
So all of that comes into play, but this one just didn't grab me. Good story, charming characters, some interesting turns of events, but overall not outstanding.

mollie17smith's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

sparksofember's review against another edition

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3.0

I'm starting to wonder if the entire series was written by one person or if they switched to a ghost writer at some point in this series.

The Egyptology in this book was almost nonexistent. And coy innuendo a constant focus instead. Seriously - if Ahmed and his men can go the summer without their wives, I think Emerson can survive without dragging Amelia off to a tent with thinly veiled excuses or grabbing her behind locked doors with police freaking out on the other side. Amelia Peabody has always been a bit tongue-in-cheek and amusing with her mannerisms but this time she was just outright self-absorbed and very dumb. I found myself rooting for Ramses and wanting a series starring him instead of his idiotic mother who is coming off exceedingly jealous of her own child.