Customer Reviews

The Curse of the Pharaohs

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Having postponed being completely enamored with Elizabeth Peters for as long as humanly possible, I've just recently started to read her Amelia Peabody series.

This being the second book in the series I found it a bit more traditional in the mystery genre than the first that I have read.

The cast of characters comes straight out of Agatha Christie with its masquerading nobility, craven widows, the begrudgingly accepted American, the poor young lovers, and the rejected social climber. Yet, despite the fact that this book is more of a traditional cozy than her last, Amelia's enjoyable and matter of fact narraration and the unusual setting of the excavation of a Pharoah's tomb breath life into the tired genre.

Likewise, Peters draws heavily from her previous book. Amelia's efforts to take Mary Berengeria under her wing and manage her romantic affairs were too reminiscent of her relationship to Eveleyn in _The Crocodile and the Sandbank_. (Although the ending was a nice surprise.) Also, the element of the curse of the Pharoah seems standard Egyptian ghost story fare much like the living mummy that appeared in the first book. Hopefully, in her later editions Peters gains enough confidence to stray from these constants in anything to do with Egypt.

Despite these flaws, I can't help but give this book five stars. Peters is amazing at what she does. In every paragraph she writes you can tell she is having fun -- and in her fun we find enjoyment as well. She loves her protagonist and due to the first person narrative, Peters often toys with her giving her readers the impression that Amelia might not know as much as she lets on.

You've got to love a mystery where neither of the sleuths actually solve the crime as a result of their own deduction.

What could prompt gentlewoman Amelia (Peabody) Emerson to leave behind her young son and comfortable Victorian lifestyle to perform manual labor halfway around the world? - A love for Egyptology and a promising archeological site, of course. As the narrator and protagonist of Elizabeth Peters' The Curse of the Pharaohs, Peabody urges her husband, renowned archeologist Radcliffe Emerson, to accept Lady Baskerville's offer to head an excavation project outside Luxor. After leaving her son, affectionately nicknamed Ramses, with her in-laws, Peabody and Emerson are off to the land of the Pharaohs. .... .... Not being a fan of detective novels, I am surprised by my enjoyment of The Curse of the Pharaohs. I have never read a work by Elizabeth Peters before, but I am eager to acquire more of her novels. Peters' use of sandy Luxor and the mystery of the Ancient World breathes life into cliché whodunnits. Peters' characters are both suspicious and endearing. Particularly touching is the relationship between Peabody and Emerson. The reader envies their personal and professional partnership. The colorful descriptions and personal insights revealed by the narrator give each character a three-dimensional quality, no small feat in a narration. As a student of Egyptology, I can appreciate the knowledgeable references to Ancient Egypt throughout the novel. I think that both those experienced in and those new to Egyptian history will find the work fascinating. The mystery inherent in Egyptian tombs and pyramids serves as the perfect backdrop for a crime-solver. I fully enjoyed this novel and sincerely recommend it to all!

The first book in the series seemed to be more of an introduction to the characters ~~ this book is more meatier and fun. This one has another mystery for Amelia to solve. This time, she and Emerson, her husband, traveled back to Egypt at the request of an old friend, Lady Baskerville. Her husband was found dead at a tomb of an old Pharaoh ~~ yet to be identified. Then his assistant was missing. The attacks keep coming and even the natives refused to work for her since they believed that the Tomb was cursed.

Once they arrived, Emerson and Amelia were busy fending off the attacks as well as solving the mystery of the tomb and the identity of the murderer. It's a faster-paced novel than her first one ~~ and more characters were introduced. Peters keep you guessing on who the identity of the murderer is till the end of the book.

This is another fun novel ~~ I highly recommend this one to anyone who loves to read mysteries. It's pure clean fun and speculation. It's also a perfect series to read over the summer as well (or anytime!).

4-28-05

Elizabeth Peters wrote this amazing novel with her usual genius and bubbling enthusiasm. My tremendous acclaiming to her as a master crime fictionist is unduly deserved. Extreme effort and care went into planning a superb, informed storyline. Amelia Peabody is a character never short of being as impetuous and headstrong as D'Artagnan before the storming of La Rochelle, but at the same time, she is full of hilarious acumen and perception, always shooting back with clever remarks and sharp retorts, and never once releasing hold of her immeasurably calm nature. Emerson, her charming, handsome husband, is the very picture of an impatient, devilishly arrogant Englishman, but behind doors, his tender sentimentality is an attribute I'm sure (ahem) Amelia greatly appreciates. The novel moved at a suspenseful pace, every turn and every bump leading up to a murderous climax. This book was masterful. I really enjoyed it. I advise it to anyone who loves to solve puzzles.

I got hooked on Amelia Peabody from the first book, Crocodile on the Sandbank. No sooner had I finished it when I bought the next 2 in the series.

The Curse of the Pharoahs is the 2nd book in the Amelia Peabody series. Amelia is back, as witty, smart, and wryly humorous as ever working with husband Emerson to solve a purported case of a pharoah's curse. The plot is convoluted enough to keep you guessing but not to lose you in the middle and the satellite characters are, as usual, well-fleshed out with their own quirks and personalities. This book introduces one of my favorite secondary characters, Kevin O'Connell a reporter for the rag sheet, The Daily Yell.

Peters includes a good helping of Egyptian history and archaeology weaving it deftly through the well-plotted mystery.

Knowing the new Mrs. Emerson's previous pragmatic and efficiently logical mind, it is fun & interesting to see how she reacts to familial bliss! And Mr. Emerson's reaction is even more delightful.

With the second story of Amelia and Radcliffe, we see them settling into their picture of family living in the country. We are introduced to their precocious & vastly entertaining son, nicknamed Ramses. Mr. Emerson has taken a post of teaching at a local university, and is becoming sadly bored. In the midst of a romantic interlude, recently widowed Mrs. Baskerville descends upon them in their sitting room and asks very manipulatively if Mr. Emerson would continue the excavation which her deceased husband would undoutedbly have wanted continued and finished to its completion. Amelia encourages Radcliffe to agree and the two are then off to Luxor, minus one Ramses, who stays in England with his doting aunt and uncle and frightened cousins. Hilarity, danger, mystery & mass confusion ensues. We meet a wide and varied cast in Egypt, renew our acquaintance with some familiar faces, and de-mask another cunning and wicked criminal.

Ms. Peters pens another entertaining tale, full of romance, mystery, comedy and surprises! If you enjoyed the witty "Crocodile on the Sandbank", you will adore this next story, the continuing tale written in Ms. Amelia Peabody-Emerson's uncompromising and forthright perspective.

This is the first Elizabeth Peters book I have ever read. I found her characters to be very funny and well written. MS. Peters is my new favorite author next to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I love how Amelia and Emerson have their detectival contest. Did either of them switch their envelope? We'll never know.

The Curse of the Pharaohs tells an interesting and exciting story of a middle-aged Egyptologist, Amelia Peabody Emerson and her husband Radcliffe Emerson and their experiences and struggles during the excavation of an Ancient Egyptian tomb. The story has a well-developed plot and is full of unexpected twists and turns. I really enjoyed Elizabeth Peters' character development and detailed descriptions. It was especially interesting as a male reader to experience the story through a female point of view. The reader steps into the shoes of Amelia Emerson, a strong headed and opinionated woman, and experiences the feelings and emotions of a mother, wife and pleasantly arrogant woman. I really enjoyed hearing her descriptions of her husband Radcliffe as well as her motherly feelings and views towards her son, Ramses.

The story begins in England at the Radcliffe household, and the reader gets a quick introduction to the Emersons' personalities, and their passion for Egyptology. When the opportunity comes they are somewhat hesitant but ultimately excited to accept a job to excavate an unopened tomb in the escarpments of Egypt, that has been causing controversy in the press for some time. This tomb is rumored to be cursed and possess spirits that protect the treasures within. The initial archeologist, Lord Baskerville, who had been previously working the excavation, experienced a suspicious death and his assistant mysteriously disappeared. Undeterred by the myths the Emersons proceed on the trip in search for science, ancient pharaohs and hidden treasure.

When the couple arrive in Egypt, they are immediately faced with puzzling confrontations and threats that build on the suspense of the curse. Immediately Mrs. Emersons passion for problem solving and deductive reasoning lead her to formulate hypothesis as to who murdered the late Lord Baskerville and motives for this heinous crime. As the story continues the reader is introduced to a cast of characters all of who are possible suspects, including Lady Baskerville, Madame Berengeria and her daughter Mary, Mr. Milverton, Mr. Vandergelt, and a reporter Mr. O'Connell. The plot thickens when Mr. Milverton a prime suspect confides in Mrs. Emerson that he is actually the brother of Lord Baskerville, the dead archeologist. He is then later found in a nearly dead state, in a deep coma, caused by a viscous blow to the head.

The mystery of the curse continues with numerous, unsolved deaths in a Clue like fashion. When the Emersons are finally fed up with all the hype of deadly curses and ghosts, and their work is being affected, they decide to get to the bottom of these crimes, which were obviously the work of someone with ulterior motives. In a dramatic final scene the culprit is brought to justice.

This book was very entertaining and I would not hesitate to pick up another of Elizabeth Peters enchanted tales of Egypt.

What a good beginning for Emerson & Peabody's son Rames - I can't wait to see how he progresses as the series continues.

This was a really good story. The characters were all well written and the story kept you until the end, which what of course is a big surprise ending.

I enjoy reading all the books in the Amelia Peabody series, and have greatly enjoyed re-reading them after long intervals. The characters Amelia, Emerson and Ramses (as well as Abdullah and others) are original and humorus, and I appreciate her tongue in cheek portrayals of some more sterotypical characters.

Reading other reviews I was surprised at the vehement criticism of Peters lack of a feminist viewpoint and how she allowed Amelia's character to be bullied by Emerson. Two things to note is that Amelia's allowance of Emersons bullying is a compromise as any relationship, mosern or otherwise, demands. (and he's really joking, you know) And secondly, for Amelia to be in the position to share her husband's work in the early 1900's shows exactly how much of a feminist she is. This was a time when most women stayed at home and invited lady friends for tea and gossip, and to make Amelia some type of fanatical feminist crusader would be contradict this already established character.

If you want more feminism, try one of the later Amelia Peabody books and enjoy Nefret. In the meantime, relax, laugh and enjoy the ride!