Thunder in the Sky (Amelia Peabody 12) [Paperback]

Elizabeth Peters (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 26, 2007 | Series: Amelia Peabody 12

It is 1914 and Amelia Peabody and her husband Emerson are back in Egypt for another season of archaeological excavation. But this year a new menace hangs over the dig: rumblings of war abound in Europe while over in the East, Turkish and German forces are massing for an attack on the Suez Canal. There are problems closer to home too: their son Rameses, passionately opposed to the war, is collecting white feathers and challenges from the British community of Cairo, their beautiful ward Nefret seems to have become involved with Amelia's detested nephew Percy, while David, the young Egyptian married to their niece Lia, has been interned because of his nationalist sympathies. Even Amelia finds it difficult to concentrate on pyramids when her children are in trouble and Cairo teems with enemy agents, including her old nemesis. Can Amelia unmask the Master Criminal and prevent a bloody uprising in Cairo, rescue Nefret from the attentions of her nephew, defend her son against unknown enemies and prevent Emerson from dashing off to fight in the looming war? If anyone can it's Amelia - but this time she is going to need all the help that she can get; and some of it from a completely unexpected source.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

He Shall Thunder in the Sky completes an internal quartet (which also includes Seeing a Large Cat, The Ape Who Guards the Balance, and The Falcon at the Portal) within Elizabeth Peters's legendary series starring Amelia Peabody, the intrepid Edwardian Egyptologist, her husband, Emerson, and her extended family. The quartet comprises not only Amelia's diary of those years but also parts of a mysterious "Manuscript H," an omniscient viewpoint that allows a glimpse into the minds of Amelia's son--the dashing and brilliant Ramses--and her ward, Nefret Forth, as they mature into adults with their own secrets and agendas. The Falcon at the Portal left readers hanging impatiently in the enormous rift that book's events gouged between Ramses and Nefret, both madly in love but unrelentingly proud.

The winter of 1914-15 finds the Peabody-Emerson family back in Cairo--now under British martial law, with the Suez Canal under constant threat of attack from the Ottoman Empire. The city's young Englishmen are rushing to enlist, except for Ramses, who is widely scorned for his pacifism. Yet Amelia and Emerson soon find out that Ramses is (literally) playing a mysterious and potentially explosive part in the conflict between Egyptian nationalists and the British authorities, for reasons both political and familial. Nefret, for her part, is still running a health clinic for the city's fallen women and trying to avoid the attentions of Percy, Amelia's odious nephew. In the meantime, the Emersons' excavations at Giza reveal an unexpected treasure so remarkable that the uneasy Amelia immediately senses the fine hand of Sethos, the Master Criminal (who through many previous books has alternately plagued her and protested his boundless affection for her), at work. The climax and denouement are entirely worth the price of admission--tying up a decade's worth of loose strings and explaining some nagging points so subtle that less observant readers might easily have missed them. It's Peters's great gift that in the grand scheme of things, no clues are wasted. Her plotting is wonderfully complex and intriguing, and it fits seamlessly into the detailed historical background she builds so carefully. It may have taken years for her to complete this four-part dance (she promises more Amelia Peabody mysteries in the future), but she's charmed us right out of our dancing slippers along the way. --Barrie Trinkle --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Excavating in Egypt on the eve of World War I, Amelia Peabody is in trouble with the British ex-pat community for her pacifist beliefs even as her nemesis--Sethos, the Master Criminal--reappears.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Robinson Publishing; New Ed edition (April 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845295595
• ISBN-13: 978-1845295592
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (131 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,821,438 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

ELIZABETH PETERS, whose New York Times best-selling novels are often set against historical backdrops, earned a Ph.D. in Egyptology at the University of Chicago. She also writes best-selling books under the pseudonym Barbara Michaels. She lives in Frederick, Maryland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

91 of 91 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All is revealed!, May 2, 2000

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: He Shall Thunder In The Sky: An Amelia Peabody Mystery (Hardcover)

For all those who, like me, were frustrated by The Falcon and the Portal, this definitely makes everything worthwhile. Nefret's behavior is not forgotten, and her "transformation" in this novel is realistic as are the explanations given for her previous decisions. Amelia - who decidedly makes up for any "lack" of expressed maternal instincts in this novel -- and Emerson's deductive reasonings (though still quite slow on the uptake on Nefret and Ramses) are back on target, and resolution is at hand -- finally! In fact, the book ties up so many loose ends (including the identity of the Master Criminal) that have occurred throughout the series, I did wonder if indeed this novel was the last we see of the Peabody/Emerson clan -- I certainly hope not!

"Thunder" is in some ways a more complex read than usual, as it is carries on many, many different plots and subplots, each complete with varying subtexts, and, being ignorant myself of the Egyptian/British situation and involvement circu WWI, it was a little difficult to keep track of what was going on and why. In addition, everyone in the family has their own agenda that, for their own reasons (most are valid), they are keeping from everyone else. But, despite the complexity, it is unequivocably a wonderful, satisfying read, and worth every minute spent on its 400 pages. And, if you are, like me, a romantic at heart, the last five pages are "worth the price of admission! Enjoy, it's wonderful!

73 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No spoilers, I promise, May 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: He Shall Thunder In The Sky: An Amelia Peabody Mystery (Hardcover)

It has arrived and all fans are rejoicing! I rushed to buy the book and couldn't wait to start reading it. Everyone who has read the previous books in this series will thoroughly enjoy this new and thrilling installment. I did and now I have to read it again more slowly since I rushed through it the first time.

If you have never read any of the Amelia Peabody books, buy this one but don't read it first. It is more fun to start at least with the first book featuring the adult Ramses, Seeing A Large Cat. Although I recommend getting to know his parents first in the first book of the series, Crocodile on the Sandbank. Why would you want to deny yourself some of the best summer reading available? These books offer adventure, romance, intrigue, mystery and some educational material about both Egyptology and the Victorian Age. You get to learn while enjoying a great read.

71 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peters has outdone herself (No Spoilers), May 3, 2000

By 

C P (Laf. IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: He Shall Thunder In The Sky: An Amelia Peabody Mystery (Hardcover)

As a faithful reader for some 10+ years now, I was a little disappointed with the previous Peabody book (A Falcon at the Portal). In fact, I nearly threw it out of the car, in which I was reading, at several points in the story. The joy I feel after finishing this book is 100 times greater than any problem I had with the last book. I am deeply indepted to Elizabeth Peters for creating characters that provoke such strong emotions. This book delivers the all wit, adventure, and plot twists I have come to expect from an Amelia Peabody mystery and more. While this is a wonderful book, if you don't read the rest of the series first you will not enjoy it one tenth as much as you could. Start with Crocodile on the Sandbank and don't stop until you've finished this one. You won't regret a minute of it.