The Serpent on the Crown

At last we know why Emerson did not discover Tutankhamon's tomb. In the recent books in the series, Howard Carter has been an apt pupil of the Emerson technique. Emerson's explosive temper has kept him out of the Valley of Kings, but this book finds them both excavating there. Details of the excavations and the setting in 1922 are exciting, but the saga of the Emerson family continues this fascinating story line. Amelia is still the hero with her characteristic feminism just as Emerson is the outstanding Egyptologist of this or any other age. Amelia's dream time with the dead reis Abdullah and the power of the stone in the serpent crown are well done. But it is Amelia's second outburst from her usual conservative and seemingly-staid mother-love that provide the exciting climax and the reason why. This is not the compelling love story of He Shall Thunder in the Sky and Lord of the Silent, but it has another kind of love that is quiet and equally powerful. If you find Amelia Peabody Emerson's adventures in Egyptian archeology fascinating, you will greatly enjoy this book.

I confess there is a real comfort in finding a new book by a favorite author. Familiarity in these cases doesn't breed contempt, but surprise that a writer can continue a series of some sixteen volumes and still stir the interest of the reader. In fact, on reflection, some of Elizabeth Peters earlier efforts were the ones where one's patience was most tried. Gradually, as Amelia Peabody's clan took shape and developed both individual characters and a keen awareness of their own foibles the stories have developed a polish which has never faded in the intervening years. The Serpent On The Crown brings us once again to Egypt and the Valley of the Kings, where the Emersons prepare for the 1922 season of excavation and research. As sudden visit in the night leaves Amelia, her husband Radcliffe, and their children Ramses and Nefret in the possession of a mysterious gold statuette of incalculable worth, Emerson having sworn to the woman who left it with them to end the curse by returning it to its rightful tomb. Easier said than done in the Valley of the Kings where tombs are more common than camels. While the statuette is unmistakably from the era of Tutankhamon few such burials are known. Undaunted, Emerson sets about three excavations at once, starts investigation in Cairo and even far off London, and even goes so far as to bring in his brother Sethos, the master thief. With great scurrying on all fronts we know that, once again, the Emersons have found trouble, and sooner or later there will be a body. As usual in a Peters mystery, comedy and the serious job is investigation mix perfectly. Chicanery abounds, there are villains under every rock, and secrets in even the most barren of tombs. This is a cozy, but a cozy in the best sense, with enough action and plot to carry the reader's interest straight through to the end. For those that are just starting out this book stands well on its own. Peters is quite good about slipping the reader just enough information to keep one from feeling lost. But by all means start from the beginning if you can and get to know one of the strangest families in detective fiction.

Ooooo Elizabeth Peters finally got it right again!! I have to admit, I have been fairly disappointed in the last two...the plots seemed crazy, one actually recessed to a plot that didn't add anything to the whole Emerson family history, and I feel that the written language in the last two were a little too flat for me. But here, we have Ramses back to some of his old tricks, the children coming into their own personalities, a great plot that is about EGYPTOLOGY, and an excellent ending. If you have bought any of the last several Amelia Peabody series this is the one to buy and if you haven't, well pick this one up.

World War I is over, Egypt seethes with revolution, and the great Egyptologists are busy at work, stuck in the middle of the transformation between pure treasure-finders and serious archeologists. The now-aging Amelia Peabody and her family are confronted with a mysterious woman who insists that her husband was killed by a curse--a curse attached to a mysterious gold statue. Peabody, her husband Emerson, and her extended clan know plenty about curses, but something about this curse seems faked--perhaps to draw attention to the widow--a famous author. Still, there's no doubting the authenticity of the statue. More to the point, the statue seems connected to that mysterious period in Egyptian history when the ancient religion underwent a revolution. While Emerson attempts to pursue multiple digs, partially motivated by a wish to find the source of the beautiful statue, his son, Ramses, works with ancient papyrus. Peabody tries to help everyone, at the same time looking to explore the mystery of the author--who suddenly vanishes. And, as Peabody's long-dead dream-advisor reminds her, a season in Egypt is never complete without at least one body--sure enough, a body shows up. Author Elizabeth Peters writes evocatively of the interwar period. World War I is a recent memory and its damage is still felt by many of its survivors. Modern grave looters and treasure finders are everywhere, even among respected archeologists. The role of women is changing, but Victorian morals and definitions of 'society' are still strong and only slowly fading. THE SERPENT ON THE CROWN is an entertaining and funny mystery, especially for fans of the Elizabeth Peters series. Peters tones down the frequent admiration of Emerson's broad chest (although giving us enough of it to recognize Peabody's voice) and concentrates on family, Egypt, and mystery. I greatly prefer the Amelia Peabody mysteries that deal directly with archeology and Egypt rather than ranging abroad, and SERPENT fits this mold. SERPENT might not be the best book as an introduction to the Emerson/Peabody adventure, but it's a welcome addition to the family.

This latest Amelia Peabody installment may not be the most perplexing mystery novel in the series, but it certainly was a very well written, entertaining and engaging one. From the very first page, I was hooked, and enjoyed myself thoroughly as I followed the latest adventure that the Emerson family and their friends find themselves entangled in. It's 1922, and with the long ban on archeological activities finally lifted, the Emerson family (noted archeologist Professor Emerson, his wife Amelia Peabody, their son, Ramses and Ramses' wife, Nefret, along with their precocious 4 year old twins) are back in Egypt, hoping to carry on their work of delving into the long hidden mysteries of the past. But their enterprise is soon interrupted when Mrs. Pringle Petherick, comes to them for help. Mrs. Petherick (otherwise known as Magda von Ormond, authoress of several sensational vampire novels), the widow of Pringle Petherick, a well known collector of ancient Egyptian artifacts, believes that one of her husband's acquisitions, is cursed, that her husband died of the curse, and that the curse has been transferred onto her. What Mrs. Pringle wants is to leave the artifact with Emerson to perform an exorcism, lifting the curse, and for Emerson to return the artifact to the tomb from which it was stolen. While neither Emerson nor his canny wife, Amelia, believe that the Petherick widow really believes in the curse, they are intrigued by the artifact itself: a golden figure of a crowned king, probably from time of the heretical king, Akhenaton. But which tomb did the unscrupulous thieves discover the artifact in, and where is it? As Emerson, Amelia and the rest hunker down to find the artifact's true place of origin, things become further perplexing when the widow's stepchildren demand the return of the artifact, and the widow goes missing. Is the widow a victim of the "curse?" Or is she playing some deeper game? Fortunately, Amelia and Emerson have a host of friends and relatives (most notedly, Emerson's rogue half-brother, Sethos) to help sift fact from fiction... Never mind that compared to earlier works the mystery subplot is not very compelling, and that the suspicious characters are easy to pinpoint from the very beginning, "The Serpent of the Crown" was still a very suspenseful and intriguing read, and was just pure fun to read. I enjoyed catching up with the Emerson-Peabody clan and all their friends (will Bertie ever win Jumana's affections? I'm hoping that he finally does!); and this subplot to do with Akhenaton and Tutankhamon was a nice touch -- though I'd have liked it if there had been a little more on this. All in all though, "The Serpent on the Crown" was a very enjoyable, engrossing and engaging read, full of excitement and humour, and a real treat of a read. An enthralling read!