336 pages
English language
Published June 1, 1995 by Grand Central Publishing.
Radcliffe Emerson, the irascible husband of fellow archaeologist and Egyptologist Amelia Peabody, has earned the nickname "Father of Curses" -- and at Mazghunah he demonstrates why. Denied permission to dig at the pyramids of Dahshoor, he and Amelia are resigned to excavating mounds of rubble in the middle of nowhere. And there is nothing in this barren area worthy of their interest -- until an antiquities dealer is murdered in his own shop. A second sighting of a sinister stranger from the crime scene, a mysterious scrap of papyrus, and a missing mummy case have all whetted Amelia's curiosity. But when the Emersons start digging for answers in an ancient tomb, events take a darker and deadlier turn -- and there may be no surviving the very modern terrors their efforts reveal.
Radcliffe Emerson, the irascible husband of fellow archaeologist and Egyptologist Amelia Peabody, has earned the nickname "Father of Curses" -- and at Mazghunah he demonstrates why. Denied permission to dig at the pyramids of Dahshoor, he and Amelia are resigned to excavating mounds of rubble in the middle of nowhere. And there is nothing in this barren area worthy of their interest -- until an antiquities dealer is murdered in his own shop. A second sighting of a sinister stranger from the crime scene, a mysterious scrap of papyrus, and a missing mummy case have all whetted Amelia's curiosity. But when the Emersons start digging for answers in an ancient tomb, events take a darker and deadlier turn -- and there may be no surviving the very modern terrors their efforts reveal.
Elizabeth Peters writes very entertaining characters, and Barbara Rosenblat makes them come to life wonderfully.
I really enjoy this series, and on a sweltering summer day, reading on my screened porch, it's not too hard for me to transport to Egypt. My only quibble is that I really don't care much for Ramses. I know it's very early in Peters' long and brilliant series, so my trepidation that introducing a "cute" (yuck, not really), precocious child character is not actually a jump the shark device.
SPOILER
Still, though, I knew from the get-go that he was going to HAVE to be the hero and rescuer. Blerggh. Maybe he will just grow up and go away in future novels, or else, alas, I will have to abandon this otherwise very enjoyable author.
I really enjoy this series, and on a sweltering summer day, reading on my screened porch, it's not too hard for me to transport to Egypt. My only quibble is that I really don't care much for Ramses. I know it's very early in Peters' long and brilliant series, so my trepidation that introducing a "cute" (yuck, not really), precocious child character is not actually a jump the shark device.
SPOILER
Still, though, I knew from the get-go that he was going to HAVE to be the hero and rescuer. Blerggh. Maybe he will just grow up and go away in future novels, or else, alas, I will have to abandon this otherwise very enjoyable author.
Once you get into Book 3 of the Amelia Peabody series, The Mummy Case, you start picking up steam for the long haul of the bulk of all these books. Hands down, the best aspect of it is that Amelia and Emerson's young son Ramses joins them for the first time in Egypt, and therefore starts taking his place as a primary character in the family's adventures. Much like with Book 2, though, aside from Ramses starting to become his catastrophically precocious self, the rest of this story doesn't stand out as much for me plot-wise. There's certainly plenty of intrigue surrounding the murder of an antiquities dealer and the disappearance and reappearance of a mummy case, as well as the usual colorful cast of characters that populates any Amelia Peabody adventure.
What really sells this one for me, though, is all the character interaction--particularly with Ramses. He's still β¦
Once you get into Book 3 of the Amelia Peabody series, The Mummy Case, you start picking up steam for the long haul of the bulk of all these books. Hands down, the best aspect of it is that Amelia and Emerson's young son Ramses joins them for the first time in Egypt, and therefore starts taking his place as a primary character in the family's adventures. Much like with Book 2, though, aside from Ramses starting to become his catastrophically precocious self, the rest of this story doesn't stand out as much for me plot-wise. There's certainly plenty of intrigue surrounding the murder of an antiquities dealer and the disappearance and reappearance of a mummy case, as well as the usual colorful cast of characters that populates any Amelia Peabody adventure.
What really sells this one for me, though, is all the character interaction--particularly with Ramses. He's still too twee as of this book, what with Peters still writing out all his dialogue with a lisp--but he starts exhibiting the tendencies that make him quite the little holy terror for his parents to raise. The bit with the lion in this book, in particular, is gold. I also absolutely adore that Ramses, in emulation of his parents, carries out his own tiny excavation that turns out to be quite a bit more important than either of his parents expect. Four stars.
