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Loading... Tomb of the Golden Bird (Amelia Peabody Mysteries)by Elizabeth PetersSeries: Amelia Peabody - Pub (18), Amelia Peabody - Chron (18)
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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. After a brief return to form in Guardian of the Horizon and The Serpent on the Crown, Peters is back to phoning in the mystery while she dwells on the domestic relations of the vast and quarrelsome Emerson clan. After all, who could possibly be interested in such petty matters as the discovery of King Tut's tomb, political unrest in the post-WWI Middle East, or a tomb robber who somehow blows himself up when we could be discussing the stormy state of Sethos and Margaret's marriage (maybe Amelia, with her vast knowledge of psychology, could teach these two a little about communication skills), the need for Ramses and Nefret to have some independence (it only takes them 3 months to decide to do what Amelia planned for them from the beginning), or whether Bertie and Jumana will finally get together (they do, in one of the most rushed and undramatic romances Peters has ever penned). Even Amelia disappoints, as she fails to deliver her usual blithe outrageousness (she does figure out the baffling cipher, but it's a meaningless clue that leads nowhere). Also, the book is riddled with annoying grammatical errors that should have been cleaned out by a good copy edit. (  ) MuseofIre | Jul 10, 2009 |  I'm afraid that I didn't like this as much as I have the other Amelia Peabody books. I felt that there were too many plots about which I cared too little, and, as a result, too much explanation and tying of loose threads as the book reached its close. What did profoundly touch me was the closing scene, which I prefer not to give away and risk reading a reader's pleasure. If the author were contemplating an end to the series, that would be the perfect place - but I do hope that there will be more! (  ) KayDekker | Feb 20, 2009 | This is the 18th, and latest book in the Amelia Peabody series. It's really bittersweet being all caught up--I've loved reading them, but it's sad knowing I don't have any more waiting for me. The year is 1922, and if you're familiar with Egyptology, you'll know that that's the year when King Tut's tomb was found. Unfortunately, credit for the discovery doesn't go to the Emersons--since Radcliffe had betrayed his interest, Howard Carter and his sponsor, Carnarvon, decided to remain in the Valley of the Kings for one more season, and Carter discovers the tomb. The Emersons are eager to be in on the discovery and offer their help, but when Radcliffe accuses Carter and Carnarvon of stealing artifacts from the tomb, they ban him from the site. Meanwhile, Sethos arrives in the grip of a malarial fever, with a coded message he says is putting his life in danger. Keeping him hidden is no easy matter, with all the journalists around for the opening of Tut's tomb, including Sethos's estranged wife. And the family, including their butler Gargery who's arrived from England, is suddenly (again) under constant threat of attack and abduction. Ramses and David, who were in the intelligence service during the war (as was Sethos), use their contacts to try to discover who's behind the attacks and the message, and uncover an assassination plot, and David is torn between his loyalties to his English family and his Egyptian heritage. Mostly, though, it's an adventurous visit with old friends. Amelia and Emerson are getting older, and now that Ramses and Nefret's twins are 5, the family that's been a working unit for so long is starting to break apart. Just like it does in real life, the impending independence of the younger generation is a matter for both pride and sadness. I have no idea if it's the case or not, but Tomb of the Golden Bird feels like an end to the series. Maybe I'm just affected because it's the last one in my TBR pile, but with everyone planning on going their own ways, it feels final. At any rate, if there is a next book, it'll be interesting to see who's the focus and how the separation is handled. (  )1  Darla | Nov 18, 2008 | I liked this book only for it's interplay between characters especially Peadbody and Emerson. The story did not hold together well the drama dead ended several times and the ending was anti-climatic. I started reading hoping there would be a mystery tightly woven around archeology the characters came off as more secret agents than archeologists or egyptologists. I would have loved to have the story of King Tut's tomb a more signficiant part of the mystery as those details were very exciting. I will read more by her simply because of the engaging character and hopefully other stories will be more cohesive and suspensful. (  )2 mccin68 | Sep 14, 2007 | This latest entry in the long-running Amelia Peabody series is set against a backdrop of Howard Carter's discovery of Tutankhamon's tomb. The "plot", such as it is, though, is more concerned with nationalism in the Middle East. It's a pity that Peters didn't see fit to focus more attention on that aspect of the story. Still, it's an entertaining hoot. For fans of the series, there are no surprises. (  ) webgeekstress | Sep 7, 2007 |  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com Download Description (ISBN 0060591803, Hardcover)"In New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Peters's most eagerly anticipated Amelia Peabody adventure to date, the incomparable Emerson clan is a hairbreadth away from unearthing the legendary site they've been searching for. But a sinister plot and a dark family secret stand in the way of their ultimate ambition -- and threaten to change things forever. . . . Tomb of the Golden Bird Convinced that the tomb of the little-known king Tutankhamon lies somewhere in the Valley of the Kings, eminent Egyptologist Radcliffe Emerson and his intrepid wife, Amelia Peabody, seem to have hit a wall. Having been banned forever from the East Valley, Emerson, against Amelia's advice, has tried desperately to persuade Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter to relinquish their digging rights. But Emerson's trickery has backfired, and his insistent interest in the site has made his rivals all the more determined to keep the Emerson clan away. Powerless to intervene but determined to stay close to the unattainable tomb, the family returns to Luxor and prepares to continue their dig in the less promising West Valley -- and to watch from the sidelines as Carter and Carnarvon ""discover"" the greatest Egyptian treasure of all time: King Tut's tomb. But before their own excavation can get underway, Emerson and his son, Ramses, find themselves lured into a trap by a strange group of villains ominously demanding ""Where is he?"" Driven by distress -- and, of course, Amelia's insatiable curiosity -- the Emersons embark on a quest to uncover who ""he"" is and why ""he"" must be found, only to discover that the answer is uncomfortably close to home. Now Amelia must find a way to protect her family -- and perhaps even her would-be nemesis -- from the sinister forces that will stop at nothing to succeed in the nefarious plot that threatens the peace of the entire region. Filled with heart-stopping suspense, political intrigue, and Amelia Peabody's trademark wit and wisdom, Tomb of the Golden Bird is the latest thrilling installment from the renowned and beloved ""grande dame of historical mystery"" (Washington Post). "(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:11 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
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