Product Description

Can fear kill? There are those who believe so--but Amelia Peabody is skeptical. A respected Egyptologist and amateur sleuth, Amelia has foiled felonious schemes from Victoria's England to the Middle East. And she doubts that it was a Nineteenth-Dynasty mummy's curse that caused the death of a night watchman in the British Museum. The corpse was found sprawled in the mummy's shadow, a look of terror frozen on the guard's face. What--or who--killed the unfortunate man is a mystery that seems too intriguingly delicious for Amelia to pass up, especially now that she, her dashing archaeologist husband, Emerson, and their precocious son, Ramses, are back on Britain's shores. But a contemporary curse can be as lethal as one centuries old--and the foggy London thoroughfares can be as treacherous as the narrow, twisting alleyways of Cairo after dark--when a perpetrator of evil deeds sets his murderous sights on his relentless pursuer...Amelia Peabody!

Can fear kill? There are those who believe so--but Amelia Peabody is skeptical. A respected Egyptologist and amateur sleuth, Amelia has foiled felonious schemes from Victoria's England to the Middle East. And she doubts that it was a Nineteenth-Dynasty mummy's curse that caused the death of a night watchman in the British Museum. The corpse was found sprawled in the mummy's shadow, a look of terror frozen on the guard's face. What--or who--killed the unfortunate man is a mystery that seems too intriguingly delicious for Amelia to pass up, especially now that she, her dashing archaeologist husband, Emerson, and their precocious son, Ramses, are back on Britain's shores. But a contemporary curse can be as lethal as one centuries old--and the foggy London thoroughfares can be as treacherous as the narrow, twisting alleyways of Cairo after dark--when a perpetrator of evil deeds sets his murderous sights on his relentless pursuer...Amelia Peabody!

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33389 in Books
• Published on: 2000-01-01
• Released on: 2000-01-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 400 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Peters (Barbara Michaels) regales thriller fans with the fifth tale about spunky Amelia Peabody, her ardent spouse Emerson and their small son Walter, "Ramses," a genius who sorely tries his parents. In the new story, the family is home in England from their archeological dig in Egypt and deep in another mystery. Determined Victorian feminist Peabody refuses to be intimidated by a phenomenon reported at the British Museum, where a sem priest is supposedly working a curse in revenge for the desecration of an ancient mummy. The priest's supernatural figure is momentarily glimpsed at the exhibit, before a murderer strikes. Disobeying Emerson, of course, Peabody lays her life on the line and unmasks the decidedly human villain. There are several intriguing new characters in this mystery, including nasty types who persecute Ramses, creating unexpectedly tender moments between mother and child. But the spotlight shines brightest on Peabody and Emerson, a couple evenly matched as hot-blooded lovers and professional partners. This is one of grandmaster Peters/Michaels best.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Fifth in the exceptional series that begins with Crocodile on the Sandbank , this adventure catches irascible archaeologist Amelia Peabody in London between digs. A mysterious death in front of a "cursed" mummy case in the British Museum piques Amelia's curiosity, and a subsequent connected murder engages her perspicacious intervention completely. Dangerously precocious son Ramses (at times disguised) and formidably handsome husband Emerson (at times stubbornly obtuse) contribute to the usual mayhem. First-rate, densely packed action, fun, and atmosphere. REK
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Amelia has really pitched a tent in our hearts." -- Philadelphia Inquirer

"Between Amelia Peabody and Indiana Jones, it's Amelia--in wit and daring--by a landslide." -- The New York Times Book Review

"Charming...outrageous!" -- Denver Post

"One of the Grandmaster Peters' best!" -- Publishers Weekly

"This author never fails to entertain." -- Cleveland Plain Dealer

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Customer Reviews

Sometimes work just follows you home...
As this fifth book of the AMELIA PEABODY series opens the Emerson's, renouned Egyptologist Radcliffe Emerson, his outspoken wife, Amelia and their son Ramses are preparing to return to their home in England. They are planning to enjoy a peaceful summer there, writing up their discoveries for publication in the scholarly journals and spending some quiet time with their extended family, the Walter Emersons. What they had not forseen was that the Peabody side of the family would intrude. One of Amelia's deadbeat brothers has intruded into the family circle with the purpose of dumping his children, Percy and Violet, on Amelia for a few weeks. The other unforeseeable intrusion on their quiet break was the arrival of a mysterious Egyptian priest, a priest of the sort who presided over the burials of the pharoahs, has been appearing in the British museum pronouncing curses.

As is the norm for this series, the mystery aspect shares, or is at times, overshadowed by, the scenes of family life. Ramses is now coming into his own as a character, the annoying lisp is gone, and he and Amelia are engaged in a full fledged battle of wits, he to pursue his many interests and she to keep the destruction and mayhem that seems to follow him to a minimum with the end goal of his survival to adulthood. Amelia's point of view is, as always, delightful. Fans will, in particular, enjoy the ongoing competition between Emerson and Amelia to solve the mysteries first, a contest that is now increasingly including Ramses.

Those who are unfamiliar with this series would be better served to begin at the beginning and proceed in order. Even long time fans might wish to at least review the earlier novels before starting this one as the overall story arc is more of a factor in this series than is typical in most mystery series.

Entertaining, for the wrong reasons!
This is my first Amelia Peabody and Elizabeth Peters mystery. The novel is set in Victorian times. Peabody, as her husband, Emerson, calls her, is in London with the entire family. This includes Ramses, their precocious young son, and her young niece, Violet, and nephew, Percy. The latter two are the offspring of her very disagreeable brother, James, who foisted them off for a long period of at least six weeks.

The typical who-done-it mystery ensues in the British museum, with a mummy playing a prominent role. By the way, did you know that ground mummy has been used as a medicinal treatment for various diseases?

The family is VERY wealthy, residing in a mansion in London replete with servants of every sort, including footmen. Their language is quite florid. Peabody and Ramses use about 40 words for what Spenser (of the Robert Parker series) would say in three!

At first, I thought that this story is so "talky" that I couldn't get through it. Then, I began to get into the mood of the socioeconomic milieu and enjoy it. To me, the mystery was an aside to portrait of the wealthy, elegant, intelligent, educated Victorian family. At breakfast Peabody tells a servant, "Take this toast away. . . it has become quite leathery." She shops for custom-made frocks and tea gowns. The children wear sailor suits with hats and Violet wears ruffles and ribbons.

Particularly amusing are the most discreet innuendos to Peabody and Emerson's busy and most satisfying sex life. Face it, it's difficult to be spontaneous in a house filled with servants who assist in dressing, undressing, filling the bath, delivering mail, announcing guests and tea time, dinner time, etc.

Violet, a rather slow child, is noted for her tendency to gobble every teacake, biscuit and muffin within reach. Peabody notices that she is inflating like a frog and attempts, generally futilely, to restrict her consumption of sweets.

Unlike the rest of the clan, dear Violet is a creature of few words. When Percy and Ramses suffer their frequent mishaps, usually involving tussles between them, Violet utters phrases such as, "Dead! Dead!" or "Nasty! Nasty!"

In short, the mystery seemed to be an excuse for displaying the opulence of the British Victorian era and the eccentricities of the Emerson-Peabody entourage, an amusing setting well-worth visiting.

Fifth entry in Amelia Peabody series another delight
Deeds of the Disturber by Elizabeth Peters is the fifth book in the Amelia Peabody series. Amelia and her husband Emerson, Egyptologists and English gentry, return to England with their precocious son Ramses to find a "curse" haunting the British Museum and a reporter "friend" of theirs publishing that they are on the case to investigate. Two deaths and a kidnapped female reporter add to the suspense. The story is really only the excuse to peek in on the lives of Amelia, Emerson and Ramses, one of the most amusingly fascinating families in literary mysteries. The stories are written as though taken from Amelia's journal and she writes with asperity. It is a clever author who can write a scene through the eyes of a character while giving the impression that it may not have happened just the way the character said and while adding insight to said character. Amelia's versions of events may not always be completely trustworthy, and occasionally her interpretation of events is hilarious, even to the other characters involved. Peters writes with a bright wit and a flair for romance. Amelia and Emerson are madly in love and lust with each other and the bedroom door shuts on the reader rather regularly, although not before a bit of double entendre dialogue. The word precocious for Ramses doesn't begin to describe the boy. He is preternaturally intelligent and often poses rather pointed questions about matters he doesn't quite understand. His rescuing his parents may grow a bit old if it continues as the series goes on, but he adds a tartness to his scenes. A new cast of characters has been added with the addition of some household staff, and I hope that they return. Simply said: Peters is a delight to read, and I space out the reading of her books so that I don't read through them all too quickly and have to wait for the next in the series.