Lord of the Silent (Amelia Peabody, Book 13)

Amelia Peabody, her husband Emerson, son Ramses, his wife Nefret, and the usual host of odd friends and enemies (both British and Egyptian) are back in this World War I dated mystery.Someone has restarted the tome robbings that Sethos had dominated. This is clearly intolerable, but is it connected with the strange set of attacks that disrupts the Peabody-Emerson clan's lives. Amelia arranges to send Ramses away to keep him safe, but he seems to end up in even more danger--and so does Amelia. At least arch-enemy Sethos is dead--or is he???If you like this series (as I do), then celebrate. This is an excellent addition--possibly better than HE SHALL THUNDER IN THE SKY. If you haven't discovered it, then give it a try. The combination of Egyptian archeology, murder, and World War I spying makes for an exciting read.The strength of this novel comes only partly from the plot and action. Author Elizabeth Peters obviously loves her characters--and the reader is likely to love them as well. Opinionated, quirky, and laced with post-Victorian manners and clever dialogue, Amelia, Emerson, Ramses, and the rest make you want to keep turning the pages.

I think that Elizabeth Peters has outdone herself with this latest Amelia Peabody mystery -- "Lord Of The Silent" definitely makes for compelling reading, and I for one could not put this novel down! The story flowed smoothly and effortlessly from subplot to subplot, and the air of suspense and tension was steadily sustained. All the characters, old favourites and a couple of new ones, were all well depicted and fleshed out; and best of all, Elizabeth Peters had set up a couple of red herring suspects, so that the mystery addict in me was happily occupied trying to figure out who the real culprit was!"The Lord of The Silent" takes place during WWI, but not even the chaos of a war can keep the Emersons away from their dig in Egypt. Complications however arise when Ramses is attacked within days of their arrival. His spying activities for the British government (faithfully recounted in "He Shall Thunder In the Sky") has earned him enemies from a rather rabid and fanatical rebel faction, and it looks as if the remaining members of this faction are now after him. Concerned for his safety, Amelia and Emerson send Ramses and his wife, Nefret, to Luxor: apparently all the chaos that the war has generated has caused gangs of thieves to be even more bold than usual in their pilfering of archaeological finds. Emerson's plan is to have Ramses keep an eye on his interests in Luxor and investigate whatever theft may arise, and so keep him out of harm's way, while Amelia and Emerson look into the matter of who exactly is after Ramses and how to stop these murderousattacks. However this proves not to be as easy as they had hoped when firstthey themselves are assaulted, and then they uncover a fresh 'corpse' in theburial tomb that they are escavating. Someone is obviously sending a message,but what? Ramses and Nefret are in the meantime hot on the trail of a thiefthat proves to be ruthless and deadly. Tension mounts as both couples findthemselves dealing with ruthless individuals that will stop at nothing to getwhat they want. Make no mistake about it "The Lord Of The Silent" makes for addicting and compulsive reading. Elizabeth Peters is a masterful story teller, as with a few well chosen phrases, she managed to successfully transport me to Egypt in the 1910s with it's half excavated digs, with all it's tombs and pyramids, the Sphinx, and Cairo with its very European hotels and its dark and labyrinth like alley ways -- all these unfolded in my mind like an old movie. It was wonderful to see Amelia and Emerson still happily and vigorously doing what they loved best; and it was satisfying to read of Ramses and Nefret's new found happiness in each other; and it made for amusing reading to see Sennia, the little girl that the Emersons adopted in "He Shall Thunder In The Sky" consciously molding herself after her idol, Ramses. I also developed quite soft spot for the journalist, Margaret Minton., and I sincerely hope that she will figure in further Amelia Peabody my

As a member of MPM's big, happy family, I was ecstatic when Lord of the Silent finally hit the shelves. Ever since Nefret signed her last letter "Nefret Emerson", I have been waiting on pins and needles for this release. And I was graciously rewarded with another masterpiece of romantic suspense. Lord of the Silent has all the qualities of a thrilling Peabody mystery. And now we have been assured that the excitement doesn't have to end just because Amelia and Emerson are getting on in age. The younger generation, just as humorous, exciting, and lovable, are carrying the Egyptological torch. I was so thankful that she brought back one of the most intriguing characters of the series. (If you've already read it, you know of whom i speak.) And after surviving malaria and a few battles, I look forward to seeing him in many books to come! If you aren't already on the Amelia Peabody bandwagon, do yourself a favor and jump on! You definitely won't regret it!

Elizabeth Peters has been gathering and developing her characters in masterful ways for some time in the wonderful Amelia Peabody series. In Lord of the Silent, Ms. Peters reaps a rich harvest from that preparation in order to provide the richest fabric ever of plot and suspense in the series. Lord of the Silent is very much part two of a series that Ms. Peters is writing about World War I. I strongly urge you to read He Shall Thunder from the Sky (this book's immediate predecessor) before reading Lord of the Silent. The plots and characters of the two books are so intertwined that you will not appreciate and enjoy Lord of the Silent nearly as much without having read He Shall Thunder from the Sky. The book opens with vivid scenes from war-time England. Zeppelin raids on London create fear that foreshadows the massive Battle of Britain in World War II. This sets a somber mood of uncontrollable threat for the whole book that is admirably suspenseful. You will wonder when the next bomb might burst. In many ways, the plot's complications are like the effects of a random bombardment . . . bringing danger, fear, discomfort, and damage. The whole family is in England in 1915. Because of the war, English people cannot cross the continent for travel to Egypt. Ocean-going vessels are the only choice. But submarine warfare is a danger, and neutral liners (like the Lusitania) have been sunk. Should they take the risk and go to Egypt? Who should go? The book opens with these pressing questions. What would you have done?Part of the family does make it to Egypt, and find a land transformed by the distant war. The hospitals are full of injured soldiers from the disastrous Gallipoli campaign. There are rumors of uprisings among the Bedouins in the desert that are encouraged by the Turks and Germans. Many old friends are missing for the duration because they are from enemy countries. Thieves are opening unprotected sites and taking away priceless archeological relics. Graffiti is appearing in the most unexpected places. Professor Emerson is focusing his attention on some noble tombs (mastabas) that Amelia finds absolutely boring. She yearns for a pyramid. Soon, events intervene to make life seem rather too exciting. Can she keep her family safe?The plot is nicely changed by having Ramses and Nefret as husband and wife. Although they still hide things from one another, they do less of that. As a result, you have a better balance between the professor and Amelia keeping secrets from the younger Emersons and vice versa. This makes for a smoother, faster-paced, and more interesting plot. As usual though, if everyone had told everyone else what they knew, the whole problem could have been resolved in about one-third of the time. But that's the way people really are, so you won't mind it at all. They are just trying to protect their loved ones. Sennia (aged 6) plays a bigger role in this story. She shows signs of having great potential

In 1915, archeologist Amelia Peabody returns to Cairo for the season accompanied by her spouse Emerson, their son Ramses, and his wife Nefret. Amelia quickly realizes that the charm of the city has been muted by the arrival of European agents from both camps and blatant tomb robbers. Still Luxor is so out of the way, Amelia expects a serene dignified dig.However, her dreams of quiet success turn nightmarish when Amelia finds a corpse that requires law enforcement to date the homicide. As the war heats up in Northern Africa, the murder count rises too. Amelia, worrying about the killer striking again, begins her brand of sleuthing to uncover the identity of the culprit before her family is harmed.The latest Amelia Peabody historical mystery contains all the elements that make this series such a delight. The who-done-is cleverly devised and the glimpses at Egyptology through a historiographer's eyes are intelligently used to foster the feel of the times (along with World War I) without slowing down the plot. Still, the tale belongs to the intrepid Amelia who may suffer perils like a Pauline, but rescues herself and others rather than wait for the handsome hero to arrive. Somewhat a witty satire, LORD OF SILENT is a fabulous novel that will add to the reputation of excellence sub-genre fans and critics have bestowed on author Elizabeth Peters.Harriet Klausner