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A review by krisrid
The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog by Barbara Mertz, Elizabeth Peters
5.0
I never get tired of the Peabody-Emerson family and their hilariously exciting [if somewhat implausible in the real world] adventures and intrigues.
In this outing, having safely returned from the lost city from the previous book, bringing back with them young Nefret, who ultimately becomes the newest permanent addition to their family, Amelia and Emerson leave both Ramses and Nefret at home in England, while they head back to Egypt for the excavation season. Of course, as is always the case with the Emersons, things do not go smoothly.
Once in Egypt, attempts are made on both Amelia's and Emerson's persons, and it soon becomes apparent that someone is determined to learn the location of the fabulous lost city that only Amelia and Emerson have knowledge of and has no qualms about how he get it! Mystery, mayhem and drama ensue!
Eventually Emerson is abducted and Amelia along with old friend Cyrus Vandergeldt work tirelessly to locate and rescue him, which they do - in a very funny, Elizabeth Peter classic scene where Amelia batters her way fearlessly into the cell where Emerson is being held. Unfortunately, once safe it becomes apparent that Emerson, due to a knock on the head, has no memory of Amelia, his marriage of 13 years, or his son Ramses. In fact he remembers nothing past the point where he met Amelia, and thinks himself a young single archeologist. His personality, however is unchanged.
Amelia must wait patiently and hope for Emerson to get his memory back, while continuing to hold off those unknown persons who are determined to get their hands on the location of the lost city.
This book, like all the others in the Amelia Peabody series, is full of rollicking, funny, clever plot twists and turns, along with the fabulous conversational interplay between Peabody and Emerson, augmented in this book by the fact that Emerson doesn't remember her, and recalling the verbal sparring between them in the very first book where they met. I loved it.
There is also some development in this book of a interplay between Ramses and Nefret [which the reader gets from letters sent by the incorrigible Ramses to his parents, begging to come and join them in Egypt to "help" them with the events unfolding, which of course terrifies Amelia]. I expect something to come from this in future books in the series, which I look very forward to reading!
In this outing, having safely returned from the lost city from the previous book, bringing back with them young Nefret, who ultimately becomes the newest permanent addition to their family, Amelia and Emerson leave both Ramses and Nefret at home in England, while they head back to Egypt for the excavation season. Of course, as is always the case with the Emersons, things do not go smoothly.
Once in Egypt, attempts are made on both Amelia's and Emerson's persons, and it soon becomes apparent that someone is determined to learn the location of the fabulous lost city that only Amelia and Emerson have knowledge of and has no qualms about how he get it! Mystery, mayhem and drama ensue!
Eventually Emerson is abducted and Amelia along with old friend Cyrus Vandergeldt work tirelessly to locate and rescue him, which they do - in a very funny, Elizabeth Peter classic scene where Amelia batters her way fearlessly into the cell where Emerson is being held. Unfortunately, once safe it becomes apparent that Emerson, due to a knock on the head, has no memory of Amelia, his marriage of 13 years, or his son Ramses. In fact he remembers nothing past the point where he met Amelia, and thinks himself a young single archeologist. His personality, however is unchanged.
Amelia must wait patiently and hope for Emerson to get his memory back, while continuing to hold off those unknown persons who are determined to get their hands on the location of the lost city.
This book, like all the others in the Amelia Peabody series, is full of rollicking, funny, clever plot twists and turns, along with the fabulous conversational interplay between Peabody and Emerson, augmented in this book by the fact that Emerson doesn't remember her, and recalling the verbal sparring between them in the very first book where they met. I loved it.
There is also some development in this book of a interplay between Ramses and Nefret [which the reader gets from letters sent by the incorrigible Ramses to his parents, begging to come and join them in Egypt to "help" them with the events unfolding, which of course terrifies Amelia]. I expect something to come from this in future books in the series, which I look very forward to reading!