The Falcon at the Portal

The 1911 archaeological season brings more problems for the Peabody/Emerson family. It starts well with David and Lia's marriage. But when David is accused of forgery, it isn't only his reputation that is in danger. David has become involved in the Egyptian nationalism movement which puts him in danger from those trying to thwart that movement.

A young woman develops a crush on Ramses which isn't unusual but her murdered body being found in a shaft in the area where the Emersons are excavating is. The young woman's brother is determined to bring Ramses to justice despite the fact that the death has been judged an accident and Ramses had done nothing to encourage the woman.

In fact, Ramses and Nefret are finally becoming involved now that show more Nefret has realized that she is in love with him. However, the day after they spend their first night together, a procurer brings a woman and young child to the Emersons claiming that the child is Ramses's daughter. Nefret impulsively runs away and marries another archaeologist who has been hanging around her. Ramses and his parents know that he is not the child's father but, rather, that the child is Cousin Percy's.

Cousin Percy hasn't changed much since their first encounter. He's still unprincipled and sly and a blatant British chauvinist. He has also been courting Nefret despite her constant refusals.

This was a more emotionally intense episode than earlier books in the series. I liked that we got more of the story from Ramses' point of view even though I still enjoy Amelia's unique viewpoint. show less

There is criminal mystery and egyptological discovery in this book, as in all of the Amelia Peabody novels. But in this 1911-1912 volume, those elements really have to take a back seat to the evolving family drama, especially the difficulties involved in the amorous affections among the younger generation.

The documentary conceit of this series continues to be stretched across the Ameila Peabody journal/memoirs, the third-person self-accounts of her son Ramses Emerson ("Manuscript H"), and the correspondence of Nefret Forth, providing various perspectives and opportunities for dramatic irony. (In the early volumes of the series, Peabody's solo voice could create such irony in abidingly amusing ways.)

The Falcon at the Portal does not show more end with a cliffhanger, but it is not a happy ending, by any stretch. It is a gloomy ending with portents of worse strife to come! While it is very entertaining and tense, of all the Amelia Peabody books I have read, this one would probably stand on its own the worst. It is very much a serial installment, and a decidedly engaging one. show less

An antiquities dealer visits Emerson requesting compensation for a forged scarab allegedly sold by David from his grandfather's collection, which never existed. Discreet enquiries reveal that the impersonator has sold fake antiquities to other dealers. Who is trying to vilify David and why?

I haven't read any of the Amelia Peabody books for a couple of years and I'd forgotten how funny Amelia's narrative "voice" is.

The Falcon At The Portal, by Elizabeth Peters
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ and a ♥

Synopsis: Amelia and family have arrived in Egypt for the 1911 archeological season---after the marriage of young Ramses' best friend David to Amelia's niece Lia. But trouble finds them immediately when David is accused of selling ancient artifacts. While Amelia and company try to clear his name and expose the real culprit, the body of an American is found at the bottom of their excavation shaft. As accusations of drug dealing and moral misconduct fly, a child of mysterious antecedents sparks a crisis that threatens to tear the family apart. Amelia brings her brilliant powers of deduction to bear, but someone is shooting bullets at her---and coming awfully show more close!
In A Sentence: One of my favorite stories about Ramses, but also one of the most frustrating ones.
My Thoughts: Okay, so previously I had mentioned that this book was one of my favorites regarding Ramses and his adventures, and it still is, but this is also the book that shows the darkest and most frustrating point in the Emerson family history, so I can’t help but be a little aggravated with this story. In this book, we see more of the softer, gentler side of Ramses, the side that he hides from everyone, but then we also have to see him suffer a great deal. I won’t spoil it for those who might eventually read this book, but there’s a point in the book where you say, “FINALLY! Hallelujah!” but then that gets ruined when Sennia arrives, and a chapter later you are shouting in exasperation, “ARRGGGHH! DARN IT!” (and yes, I admit I do shout these things out loud sometimes as I’m reading/listening). I swear, this story feels a bit a like those TV dramas, where they give you about five minutes of joy because the thing you wanted most to happen has finally happened, then they take it all away almost immediately with a new dramatic twist and the process starts all over again. This sounds a bit cliché, I know, but it also goes to prove that you do end up falling in love with these characters, that you want to read more about them and what happens to them, and that you want them to have a happily ever after. These books have been among my favorites for about a decade now, and with good reason. They’re my idea of good chick lit, although technically it’s not really chick lit, just a fun adventure/mystery with a splash of romance.
As I have said about a dozen times already, I strongly recommend these books. If you like Victorian Era novels, or if you are one of those people who could watch Indiana Jones over and over again, I would say to you that you should try this series. Who knows, maybe this will become your new favorite series. show less

The turn toward angst and action is a little too strong. But when you read the novels in reverse chronological order the dramatic irony is intense. Speculations about Percy's reasons for seeking revenge are entirely wasted; he's just a bad 'un.

I'm enjoying this series so much that I suspect that I won't look at anything by another writer until I've reached the most recent. This book starts in London in 1911 as David marries Lia, Amelia's niece. While the young couple are off on honeymoon the Emersons discover that someone has been selling forged antiquities masquerading as David and, to add insult to injury, claiming that they come from Abdullah's, his grandfather, personal collection. The action quickly switches to Egypt, where the whole family become drawn into a series of events the consequences of which will change the lives of the Emerson clan forever. This is possibly the best book in the series so far as some of the scenes, particularly to the latter part of the book, show more are moving and sad, but as always coupled with the thrilling high camp humour that is at the core of the series. show less

There is plenty to like about this latest adventure of the Emerson family. Relationships come to fruition, jealousy leads to impetuous and even deadly results, the mystery has plenty of turns, and there is increasingly more of Ramses, who I find to be such an interesting character, though perhaps a bit too in control of himself at times.