****The Curse of the Pharaohs

by Elizabeth Peters

Reviewed December 7, 2002.
Warner Books, New York, 2002.  Originally published in 1981.  285 pages.

This is the second of the Amelia Peabody mystery series.  I couldn’t find it at any local library, so I ordered an inexpensive paperback from Amazon and found it more than worth the price.

The personality of Amelia Peabody Emerson is what makes these books so much fun.  I love the way the author shows her always believing she is right, even though we as readers can see her blindness in certain cases.  Her self-confidence, even in Egypt at the turn of the Century, is delightful to see.  The way she plays off her husband, also a strong and energetic character, makes great fun reading.

This book is the first one that includes their incredibly precocious son, Ramses.  Alas!  In this book he only makes a brief appearance, as they leave him behind in England when they go to take on the excavation of a tomb that is reported to be cursed.  This is more of a traditional mystery—A number of people die around them, and they must show that a murderer is at work. They need to keep their workers from giving in to superstition about a mummy’s curse.  The archaeological background makes it all the more interesting.  Great fun!

Amelia Peabody Mystery #1:  Crocodile on the Sandbank
Amelia Peabody Mystery #3:  The Mummy Case
Amelia Peabody Mystery #4:  Lion in the Valley
Amelia Peabody Mystery #5:  The Deeds of the Disturber
Amelia Peabody Mystery #13:  Lord of the Silent

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