Customer Reviews

Lion in the Valley: An Amelia Peabody Mystery

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The Emerson family are an unholy trio: Radcliffe Emerson the prickly archaeologist, Amelia Peabody Emerson his officious wife and amateur sleuth, and Walter "Ramses" Peabody Emerson, their 7 year old son who reads lots of sensational fiction and is writing his own Egyptian grammar. In the days of modern air travel they would be the family you hated to have any where near you on the plane; in turn of the century Cairo, you wouldn't have wanted to get near them either! For wherever they go, murder, mayhem, and the Master Criminal cannot be far behind.

I loved the Mummy Case because we got to know Ramses who provided some leavening into the already hysterical antics of Amelia and Radcliffe. As he lisped about in the sand discovering priceless relics and running rings around his parents, the reader realized that he was going to be a great addition to the series. Here in Lion in the Valley, Ramses really comes into his own. Now 7, he is twice the trouble and twice the detective.

The plot hinges on the actions of the "Master Criminal"--a mastermind of devious and deadly plots who is organizing the grave robbers of Egypt into a formidable criminal underworld. We briefly met the MC in the Mummy Case, but here he takes center stage, pushing aside any hope of interest in the archaeological dig itself. By the end of the book Amelia and the MC have met...and it is hilarious.

If you like your mysteries with a laugh track then this is for you. Fans read them for Amelia and the 101 things she can do with waterproof matches--not for the labrynthine plots--and increasingly for Ramses as well.

This book has got to be one of my all time favourites. Ms.Peters incomparable skill at writing an Egyptian mystery near the end of Queen Victoria's reign is demonstrated by the witty dialogue, interesting twists and unforgettable characters.

In the thick of the mystery is our lovable heroine, Mrs. Amelia Peabody-Emerson (affectionatly caleed "Peabody" by her amazing husband), Emerson--the egyptologist spouse and their little rascal son, Ramses. The mysterious, yet fascinating Master Criminal has fallen for Amelia and tries to woe her heart while creating intriguing twists in the process. Amelia fights his advances all the way and the duel between Emerson and his rival certainly provides some entertainment!!

When there is a worthy heroine, great dangers, a mystery to die for set in the most wonderful country, Egypt, how can it not be a great yarn, eh?

I can't seem to be able to write a review worthy of this book without giving away everyting. My advice, please buy this book, you will NOT be disappointed.

Welcome (or welcome back) to the wonderful world of crime and archaeology that abounds in this series. In The Lion In The Valley, we meet up with Amelia Peabody and her husband, Radcliffe Emerson as they set out once again for a dig in Egypt. Their son Ramses, a "catastrophically precocious" 8 year old with an eerie aptitude for languages both ancient and modern, accompanies them for only the 2nd time and promptly gets himself kidnapped. He is rescued almost immediately, but that isn't the end of their misfortune. Mishaps continue to plague their dig, and the hand of the Master Criminal once more appears to be present.

If you haven't read any of this series yet and you don't want to start all the way at the beginning, this is a good place to start. There's enough coverage of the past stories so you won't get lost without being repetitive for those who have read the 3 previous books. A great story with wonderful characters, I highly recommend it.

Being somewhat disappointed with "The Mummy Case," I wasn't too sure as to what to expect from "Lion in the Valley." I was not to be disappinted again! This book has everything that makes the "Amelia Peabody" stories so enjoyable to read: mystery, suspense, adventure AND the Master Criminal, who has won my heart (if not Amelia's) in this book. Emerson and Ramses weren't too bad either!

I'm beginning to understand why this author's Amelia Peabody series is so popular. The pace is fast, the quips are faster and Amelia and her Emerson are two of the most likeable sleuths out there. They are a perfect foil for each other, and each is a strong character. These books are a nice combination of mystery and romance done with a light hand. In this book Amelia and Emerson take up where they left off in the previous book. They are a year later in their chronicle, but they're still trying to capture the Master Criminal. Who is he and what's his game? They can't seem to figure it out. There are a couple more dead bodies that turn up with this particular quest, and still they don't really know who they're looking for. He is a master of disguise and an elusive phantom that nobody can really describe. But we have a lot of fun throughout anyway.

I was disappointed in the third book in the series and almost didn't get the next one. I'm very glad I did! Lion in the Valley is the best Amelia Peabody so far. Finally, the "mystery" gets going and the supporting characters get interesting. The Master Criminal is hilarious. I really began to like Amelia a lot more in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Amelia Peabody and husband Emerson were introduced in "Crocodile on the Sandbank," which is my favorite book. The couple is as intrepid as Indiana Jones, and trouble finds them as easily as it does the film hero. This tome extends their Egyptian adventures, which continue in many subsequent volumes. I really enjoy the couple's (mis)adventures and recommend this, or any other book in the series, to readers of all ages and interests.

I never thought it would be work to read an Amelia Peabody mystery. Still, at the end of each chapter of Lion in the Valley, I found myself easily distracted. This is most disappointing as this is one of my favorite mystery series. Many of the usual attributes are present including Amelia's pithy wit and Ramses' precociousness. What seems to be missing is the mystery. Oh, there's a vague hint of a threat and then a vague, unsatisfying finish to the book. But the tension never really takes off.

Bottom-line: A pleasant read for those already familiar with the series but a poor choice if you've never read any other books in the Amelia Peabody series.

Right from the supposed foreward of the book we are set up with the wonderfully ironic tone that Elizabeth Peters takes in her Amelia Peabody mysteries - this is the 4th in the series so far I think. Although we know these are fictional characters the foreward treats them as real mentioning that 'certain names have been changed to protect the identity of individuals' - and almost makes the priceless observation that "It would be a serious error to assume that [Amelia Peabody] was equally accurate in reporting [other people's] conversations with her, for, like her distinguished husband, she has a tendency to attribute to other people opinions of her own." ...and she does of course - and Peters uses this to great advantage for we often see actions greatly at variance to the confident dominance of Amelia's prosaic narration which makes for a very comic time indeed.

I liked this book because Elizabeth Peters takes this ironic observation one step foreward by creating a nameless - well almost nameless, 'Master Criminal' - who in her usually unimaginative way, Amelia refers to simply as just that. But strange things are going on in Egypt - and there are a great many people hanging around the dig which Amelia, her husband Emerson, and their precocious 8-year-old son Ramses are working on. A great many people obviously in disguise - probably minions and tools of the Master Criminal. Clearly tsomething is afoot - but none of them can quite work out his diabolical plan might be until Amelia herself is abducted and her practical commonsense-nature is tested to the limit by the most romantically bizarre of crimes.

A college friend of mine got me hooked on the Amelia Peabody books, and I have been addicted ever since. The Lion in the Valley is truly the best in the series (so far). I absolutely loved the many twist and turns. Elizabeth Peters never ceases to surprise me. It has become a game of mine to attempt to figure out the endings, but this one gave me the shock of my life. Brilliantly written! I have read 10 of the books so far, and though they are all excellent, this one made me a fan for life! For lovers of mysteries, it is a CAN'T MISS!