| This is the continuing account of the adventures of Amilia Peabody-Emerson, an eccentric Victorian lady archaeolgist and her husband. Returning to Egypt, accompanied by their clumsy but well-meaning servant John and their precocious child Ramses, they are involved in excavating a run-down pyramid and less-than impressive cemetaries. The death of an unsavoury antique dealer prompts Amelia to investigate his - and further deaths - linked to a mysterious master criminal. Both archaeologists must also contend with hostile Coptic priests, Protestant missionaries and mummy cases that keep appearing and disappearing!
The actual mystery is simple and yet hard to solve since Peters throws in every cliche for suspects including a lecherous foreign noble, a theatrical and rich lady, a too-good to be true missionary and the obligatory damsel in distress. It is the use of these "stock characters" which lets the series down. This is murder-mystery lite. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - very humorous Time/era of story: Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot? descript. of violence and chases - 30 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 0 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Terrain - Desert Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Age: - 40's-50's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - money/treasure The antagonists are: - foreign organized crime Setting Desert? Yes Desert: - hostile arabs Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Explicit sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - vague references A lot of techno jargon? Yes Kind of jargon? - archaeology Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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