Crocodile on the Sandbank (Amelia Peabody, Book 1)
by Elizabeth Peters
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Book Summary Information
Author: Elizabeth PetersEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1988-01-01
ISBN: 0445406518
Number of pages: 272
Publisher: Mysterious Press
Book Reviews of Crocodile on the Sandbank (Amelia Peabody, Book 1)
Book Review: Delightful little mystery!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'll be frank when I say that my opinion of this book is biased since it combines my love of Egypt, archaeology, and women who like to roll around in the dirt. But even so, this was a great book. The characters, the setting, the mystery (although none too mysterious) all really worked for me. Enough to the point where they managed to overcome my usual dislike of diary style writing and period language. I'll definitely be picking up the next one...as soon as I'm done with this review in fact!
The story starts out with our hero, self-described "middle aged spinster", Amelia Peabody coming into a considerable inheritance. With no husband, would be suitor, or close family to stop her, she takes her money and embarks on a traveling holiday to the place she most wants to visit: Egypt. During a stop in Rome, she meets Evelyn, a down on her luck woman with a tragic story to tell. She enlists her company as a traveling companion and the two quickly form a close sisterly bond. After making it to Cairo, and paying a visit to the British museum, the two women meet the Emerson brothers. Older brother Radcliffe is loud, crude, and has a wicked temper, managing to butt heads with equally outspoken Amelia almost instantaneously. Shy younger brother Walter is instantly smitten with Evelyn, and she returns his feelings, but feels that nothing can ever come of it due to her past. The women depart Cairo and begin their journey along the Nile, eventually ending up at Amarna, the very site the Emerson brothers are excavating. They arrive to find Radcliffe gravely ill, throwing a wrench into the progress of his precious expedition. Amelia, who has always wanted to be a doctor, nurses him back to health. And he is none to happy the be in her debt. By this time, there are bigger problems as a nocturnal visitor is frightening away workers, destroying precious artifacts, and eventually trying to kidnap Evelyn!
The solution to the mystery is fairly obvious which manages to take away some suspense. But some of the descriptions of places and people are more than creepy enough to make up for it. And Amelia herself is absolutely charming. Well, as charming as a stubborn, outspoken, know it all woman armed with a parasol and a sharp tongue can be. Her and Emerson are a perfect foil for one another, and her relationship with Evelyn is absolutely touching. I most definitely enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves Egypt, light mystery, strong characters, and anything by Agatha Christie!
Summary of Crocodile on the Sandbank (Amelia Peabody, Book 1)
Thirty-one-year-old Victorian gentlewoman Amelia Peabody has not only inherited her father's fortune, but she is also blessed with his strong will as well. Now she's headed for Cairo, accompanied by a girl with a tarnished past, to indulge her passion for Egyptology. Little did she know that murder and a homicidal mummy lay in wait for her.Elizabeth Peters's unforgettable heroine Amelia Peabody makes her first appearance in this clever mystery. Amelia receives a rather large inheritance and decides to use it for travel. On her way through Rome to Egypt, she meets Evelyn Barton-Forbes, a young woman abandoned by her lover and left with no means of support. Amelia promptly takes Evelyn under her wing, insisting that the young lady accompany her to Egypt, where Amelia plans to indulge her passion for Egyptology. When Evelyn becomes the target of an aborted kidnapping and the focus of a series of suspicious accidents and mysterious visitations, Amelia becomes convinced of a plot to harm her young friend. Like any self-respecting sleuth, Amelia sets out to discover who is behind it all.
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