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Amelia Peabody #7
The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog
In Amelia's seventh adventure, she and Emerson take passage on a boat travelling up the Nile, enjoying a second honeymoon while they search for Nefertiti's tomb. On the other hand, they might be heading towards murder. An exotic slave woman, a Siamese cat and a den of conspirators unite to snatch away Amelia's happiness unless she reveals a certain secret. At the remote dig in Amarna, what she uncovers is a shocking present-day peril, and the loss of a treasure far more precious than any antiquity— her husband’s love.
Audiobook
First published October 12, 1992
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About the author
Elizabeth Peters
179 books3,297 followersElizabeth Peters is a pen name of Barbara Mertz. She also wrote as Barbara Michaels as well as her own name. Born and brought up in Illinois, she earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. Mertz was named Grand Master at the inaugural Anthony Awards in 1986 and Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America at the Edgar Awards in 1998. She lived in a historic farmhouse in Frederick, western Maryland until her death.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 619 reviews
June 4, 2022
You just have to love Amelia Peabody. She has such incredible belief in herself, even when she makes some amazingly awful decisions. It is a good thing Emerson loves her so much that he apparently overlooks all her flaws.
In this book though, due to an incident where he loses his memory, we see poor Amelia left without Emerson's adoration. It is an interesting situation but of course she rises to it with her usual style. The mystery is totally convoluted and even after reading the final exposition I am not quite sure what actually happened. However I know I enjoyed the ride.
Like any really good series I am now totally hooked on all the characters and there is no doubt that I will be moving to the next book very soon.
In this book though, due to an incident where he loses his memory, we see poor Amelia left without Emerson's adoration. It is an interesting situation but of course she rises to it with her usual style. The mystery is totally convoluted and even after reading the final exposition I am not quite sure what actually happened. However I know I enjoyed the ride.
Like any really good series I am now totally hooked on all the characters and there is no doubt that I will be moving to the next book very soon.
October 27, 2024
Heading back to Egypt in 1898, with both Ramses and Nefret at home with Emerson's brother and family, Amelia and Emerson were looking forward to the challenge. But when Emerson was kidnapped and treated brutally, Amelia's plot to rescue him saw her shocked at how dreadfully unwell he was. Once he'd recovered from his wounds, Amelia's knowledge that some twelve or thirteen years was lost to Emerson made her heartbroken. He didn't recognise her, let alone realise she was his wife. The Valley of the Kings beckoned, so Amelia was determined to continue their work, while doing all to keep Emerson safe, and hoping he regained his memory...
The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog is the 7th in the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters and was extremely convoluted! Emerson was quite tiresome - with or without his memory - and Amelia has the patience of a saint! I found it long-winded, and will admit to skimming here and there. But an enjoyable tale, nonetheless!
The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog is the 7th in the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters and was extremely convoluted! Emerson was quite tiresome - with or without his memory - and Amelia has the patience of a saint! I found it long-winded, and will admit to skimming here and there. But an enjoyable tale, nonetheless!
November 16, 2021
This was my first re-read of the 7th entry in the Amelia Peabody series in audio. I didn't remember a lot of the details and thoroughly enjoyed this re-read. The book opens with the Emersons in England, trying to settle Nefret into English society. When Amelia and Emerson eventually head off to Egypt, Nefret (and of course Ramses) decide to stay in England with Walter and Evelyn.
Amelia and Emerson encounter a host of troubles -- and crimes -- while in Egypt, from kidnappings, attempted kidnappings, murders, and numerous threats. All of the threats seem to relate to their last adventure and the wonders they discovered in The Last Camel Died at Noon.
While Ramses and Nefret don't rejoin the Emersons physically, we learn through a series of amusing letters from Ramses that they too are facing a number of threats.
This was absolutely delightful in audio, and I have no doubt but that I will listen to it again at some point.
NOTE: re-listen in May 2019 and I still love it.
NOTE: Re-listen June 2020. Absolutely delightful again, and Ramses' letters, so funny. "It is with rapture unalloyed that I anticipate the joy you will experience when I tell you...."
NOTE: Re-listen November 2021. Another fantastic relisten, and the ending is just fantastic! While I love the grown-up Ramses, I do so miss the little boy.
Amelia and Emerson encounter a host of troubles -- and crimes -- while in Egypt, from kidnappings, attempted kidnappings, murders, and numerous threats. All of the threats seem to relate to their last adventure and the wonders they discovered in The Last Camel Died at Noon.
While Ramses and Nefret don't rejoin the Emersons physically, we learn through a series of amusing letters from Ramses that they too are facing a number of threats.
This was absolutely delightful in audio, and I have no doubt but that I will listen to it again at some point.
NOTE: re-listen in May 2019 and I still love it.
NOTE: Re-listen June 2020. Absolutely delightful again, and Ramses' letters, so funny. "It is with rapture unalloyed that I anticipate the joy you will experience when I tell you...."
NOTE: Re-listen November 2021. Another fantastic relisten, and the ending is just fantastic! While I love the grown-up Ramses, I do so miss the little boy.
July 10, 2008
I love the Amelia Peabody mysteries. They play upon my love for strong female leads, Egyptology, romance, and a good mystery. I've had fun reading all of the books, but this one? Is probably my favorite since Crocodile on the Sandbank.
Yet another enemy is after the Peabody-Emersons, this time to discover the way to the hidden Meroitic civilization they found in book 6, The Last Camel Died At Noon. Unfortunately, Emerson is kidnapped and subsequently loses his memory, and aside from trying to discover who is attempting to harm them, Amelia must now try to jog her husband's memory, which conveniently disappeared back to the time just before they met.
While the amnesia plot device can be rather hackneyed, Peters uses it to revitalize the relationship between Amelia and Emerson. It is at the same time funny and frustrating, particularly for poor Amelia, who must put up with Emerson as he was before she... er, tamed him.
The mystery itself was a delight. I found myself jumping back and forth between suspects, and when all was revealed at the end, I gasped out loud.
Really, I can't recommend this series highly enough. It's become my mission in life to convert people to the Way of Amelia Peabody. In the last two weeks, I've converted three people. I'm building up good book karma, you see.
Yet another enemy is after the Peabody-Emersons, this time to discover the way to the hidden Meroitic civilization they found in book 6, The Last Camel Died At Noon. Unfortunately, Emerson is kidnapped and subsequently loses his memory, and aside from trying to discover who is attempting to harm them, Amelia must now try to jog her husband's memory, which conveniently disappeared back to the time just before they met.
While the amnesia plot device can be rather hackneyed, Peters uses it to revitalize the relationship between Amelia and Emerson. It is at the same time funny and frustrating, particularly for poor Amelia, who must put up with Emerson as he was before she... er, tamed him.
The mystery itself was a delight. I found myself jumping back and forth between suspects, and when all was revealed at the end, I gasped out loud.
Really, I can't recommend this series highly enough. It's become my mission in life to convert people to the Way of Amelia Peabody. In the last two weeks, I've converted three people. I'm building up good book karma, you see.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2015
I'm in the process of re-reading the entire Amelia Peabody series again, from start to finish in one go. They are still some of my favorite books. They must be read with tongue firmly inserted in cheek. It also helps to have an interest in and some knowledge of Colonial-era exploration narratives, fiction like that of H. Rider Haggard, Orientalist studies, the competitive acquisitive zeal of western museums at the turn of the century, and the "gentlemen archaeologists" of the 19th century who brought more treasure-hunting fever than academic and historical interest to their digs. That is to say nothing of the insight into early seeds and outbreaks of unrest in the Middle East that find their way into the middle and later novels in the series. Add to this impressive list of "ingredients" a dash of early feminism, British upperclass manners, interesting plots, and especially the academically sound Egyptian history from a legitimate scholar (Elizabeth Peters had a PhD in Egyptology from the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago) and you have the very best in historical fiction, enclosed within adventurous and funny plots led by engaging and memorable characters who, though immensely more enlightened than many of their time, nonetheless remain realistic people OF their time, seeing the world through glasses tinted by their own culture and class. Though they attempt to rise above prejudice, they cannot quite entirely do so. Elizabeth Peters showed immense wisdom of the human condition in this aspect of her characterizations, reminding us all that we cannot even be aware of - much less remove - ALL of our preconceptions through which we see the world around us. Even the best of us - like Amelia - can continually peel back the layers of lenses through which we see the world.
All these philosophical, aesthetic, academic, and historical reasons for loving the series are thus topped off with depth of characterization, imaginative storytelling, fast-paced plotting, excellent word-crafting, and an overall affectionate humor about the human condition - the whole coming together even better than the sum of its parts to make it one of my favorite series of all time. I might add that it's a series that I've read and re-read multiple times, something that I almost never do.
To be fair, my one criticism about the series is that the non-chronological nature of the last few books gets a big confusing even to me, someone who's read them multiple times. They're still very enjoyable, but holding the timeline and chronology of events in my head is not always easy. I plan to tackle the compendium "Amelia Peabody's Egypt" soon to see how that clears things up. Nonetheless, I'm waiting with bated breath for the book Elizabeth Peters was finishing at the time of her death to be published. I think it would be a great tribute to her career to publish it posthumously.
I have been really surprised when friends I've recommended the series to haven't been as enthusiastic as I am about Amelia Peabody. I think I can attribute that to the fact that my first go-round of the series was on audiobook and Barbara Rosenblat and Grace Conlin did such a marvelous job of giving the series the proper amount of irony and tongue-in-cheek humor and updated H. Rider Haggard-style adventure, that even today when I read the series I hear it in their voices in my head. If you are having trouble connecting, then, I recommend listening to at least the first several books on audiobook. It wouldn't hurt to do some quick Wikipedia research on Colonialism, Egyptology, Howard Carter, Wallace Budge, Orientalism, H. Rider Haggard, museum-sponsored archaeology of the latre 19th & early 20th centuries (especially the competitiveness between the British Museum & the Metropolitan Museum of Art(, WWI, pre-WWII espionage, dismantling of the Ottoman Empire... anything relating to history of the 19th century to early 20th century. All will add to your enjoyment of the novels as well as your appreciation for how deftly Elizabeth Peters wove history and real people throughout her fiction.
All these philosophical, aesthetic, academic, and historical reasons for loving the series are thus topped off with depth of characterization, imaginative storytelling, fast-paced plotting, excellent word-crafting, and an overall affectionate humor about the human condition - the whole coming together even better than the sum of its parts to make it one of my favorite series of all time. I might add that it's a series that I've read and re-read multiple times, something that I almost never do.
To be fair, my one criticism about the series is that the non-chronological nature of the last few books gets a big confusing even to me, someone who's read them multiple times. They're still very enjoyable, but holding the timeline and chronology of events in my head is not always easy. I plan to tackle the compendium "Amelia Peabody's Egypt" soon to see how that clears things up. Nonetheless, I'm waiting with bated breath for the book Elizabeth Peters was finishing at the time of her death to be published. I think it would be a great tribute to her career to publish it posthumously.
I have been really surprised when friends I've recommended the series to haven't been as enthusiastic as I am about Amelia Peabody. I think I can attribute that to the fact that my first go-round of the series was on audiobook and Barbara Rosenblat and Grace Conlin did such a marvelous job of giving the series the proper amount of irony and tongue-in-cheek humor and updated H. Rider Haggard-style adventure, that even today when I read the series I hear it in their voices in my head. If you are having trouble connecting, then, I recommend listening to at least the first several books on audiobook. It wouldn't hurt to do some quick Wikipedia research on Colonialism, Egyptology, Howard Carter, Wallace Budge, Orientalism, H. Rider Haggard, museum-sponsored archaeology of the latre 19th & early 20th centuries (especially the competitiveness between the British Museum & the Metropolitan Museum of Art(, WWI, pre-WWII espionage, dismantling of the Ottoman Empire... anything relating to history of the 19th century to early 20th century. All will add to your enjoyment of the novels as well as your appreciation for how deftly Elizabeth Peters wove history and real people throughout her fiction.
December 23, 2016
I rather liked this convoluted story. It took me a while to understand everything that happened at the end though. I thought the amnesia bit was amusing, but the constant brushes with death for the two Egyptologists is getting old.
Parents do need a break sometimes, and it was nice to see Amelia and Emerson going off to Egypt by themselves.
Previous to this book in the series, I have listened to them, so this was my first exposure to actually reading one.
Parents do need a break sometimes, and it was nice to see Amelia and Emerson going off to Egypt by themselves.
Previous to this book in the series, I have listened to them, so this was my first exposure to actually reading one.
June 27, 2021
The further I get into this series, the better it gets. First I thought this was just a good excuse to get Amelia and Enerson to court and fall in love again in the same place they met, but that turns out to be just a part in a very cleverly constructed adventure-mystery. The attempted kidnappings, mostly foiled, are so numerous that one starts thinking she has gone down the lane of the convenient lane to just drive adventure, but they end up being part of the mystery, finally explained. The twists are also numerous and keep multiplying, and the end throws everything into a different light.
Emerson and Amelia are without Rameses this time, but he is prspesent in spirit, i.e. letters, written in his drawn out literary style. The main theme, as I mentioned, is that Emerson has lost his memory of Amelia and that he is a married man - and Amelia sets out to win him back. Following the advice of Dr. Sigismund Schadenfreude ( Peters was having sime fun with that one), no one can tell Emerson that he is married to Amelia, so he can figure it out himself. This leaves Amelia alone for most of the time, her friend Cyrus being a poor substitute in figuring out the mystery. It is Emerson, confound him, that finally solves the case, and it is rather unexpected.
The Emersons come out of the affair with renewed devotion to each other, and an extra cat. Family growing, along with Rameses and Nefret, I can’t wait for more.
Barbara Rosenblat is the perfect narrator.
Emerson and Amelia are without Rameses this time, but he is prspesent in spirit, i.e. letters, written in his drawn out literary style. The main theme, as I mentioned, is that Emerson has lost his memory of Amelia and that he is a married man - and Amelia sets out to win him back. Following the advice of Dr. Sigismund Schadenfreude ( Peters was having sime fun with that one), no one can tell Emerson that he is married to Amelia, so he can figure it out himself. This leaves Amelia alone for most of the time, her friend Cyrus being a poor substitute in figuring out the mystery. It is Emerson, confound him, that finally solves the case, and it is rather unexpected.
The Emersons come out of the affair with renewed devotion to each other, and an extra cat. Family growing, along with Rameses and Nefret, I can’t wait for more.
Barbara Rosenblat is the perfect narrator.
May 26, 2018
I just love these books. Really, any star rating I give them is not for the mystery portion, but for the characters and their interactions
April 22, 2021
Amelia and her dear sister-in-law Evelyn regret the romance has gone out of their lives, especially now their husbands are more interested in what they can learn from Nefret than anything else. Amelia hopes their upcoming expedition to Egypt will put the spark back in her relationship. This time Ramses as elected to stay at home and pursue an education (and to be with "HER" as he calls Nefret). Emerson has a new plan to return to their old dig sites and make a through study of each one. To do this, they would need a staff (including females!) and a permanent home. Though Amelia would rather excavate some place new, she sees the merit in Emerson's plan. She's also busy translating an Egyptian fairy tale "The Doomed Prince" and they've been asked by an old acquaintance of Emerson's to watch his cat Anubis while he's away. Abdullah fears the cat is a demon based on his name, but Emerson pooh-poohs the superstition. Unfortunately for Amelia, her instincts fail to warn her of impending danger. Before they really begin making a survey of past dig sites, mysterious events occur which place both Emersons in danger. When Amelia's beloved Emerson is abducted and hit on the head, Amelia vows to move heaven and hell to rescue him. Meanwhile, long letters from Ramses arrive detailing abduction attempts on himself and Nefret! Amelia has a lot to contend with but she will keep her family safe with her dying breath if she has to.
This is the best adventure yet! Despite Amelia's protests at starting with a sensational opening, she does so anyway. My heart couldn't stop pounding and I stayed up long long past my bedtime to find out how it turned out. I almost skipped ahead but the endings are so long winded with too much explanation, I didn't want to ruin the adventure. This one really put me (and the characters) through the wringer of emotions. My heart broke for Amelia that she felt the romance had gone out of her relationship, then she faces the worst and I just felt so bad for her. I was with her every step of the way as she fought to save her family. Despite the sad overtones, there is still quite a bit of humor. The letters from Ramses are very funny (unintentionally on his part) and lighten up the plot a bit. I was completely surprised by some of the revelations at the end. I never saw some of them coming though I did suspect the identity of the villain. My only complaint about this book is that some of the archaeological explanations are too long. I was interested in the plot more than being educated (sorry Amelia).
In this novel we are reacquainted with Cyrus Vandergelt, the American millionaire the Emerson-Peabodys met on an earlier expedition. I barely remembered him so it was a good reminder of who their allies are to stick him in the plot. His heart is as big as Texas and he's such a kind gentleman. Other new characters include Anubis, the cat. I'm not a cat person and I failed to be charmed by this hissing and ornery cat. Bastet seems like the sweetest kitty next to Anubis. His name is a clue to his personality, Anubis being the Egyptian devil-like creature. Then there's Bertha, a woman with a past who seeks refuge with Amelia and entourage. She's hard to figure out and I never really warmed up to her the way Amelia did. Then there's Vincey, an old acquaintance of Emerson's whom Emerson had reported for selling illegal antiquities. He wants to make amends and leave the past behind him but with a cat such as Anubis as his pet, I just didn't like him. Nefret also appears in this story, as told by Amelia and Ramses. She's a tough young lady who will always be unconventional but strong, like Amelia. I liked hearing about her adventures from Ramses.
************************************************
2020 reread
I had remembered the basic plot outline, including the plot twist and the villain. This one was a tough one to reread. It was hard to see Amelia break down in private while trying to maintain her customary strength publicly. I think this story marks a turning point in her relationship with Emerson. Once the story got going I couldn't put it down! Even though I skipped ahead to the last chapter, I still couldn't put it down. Spoilerish thoughts ahead
Reading the e-book was fun. I stopped to look up some of the references and found the Armana Project website. It was great to have photos at my fingertips and really makes me appreciate Dr. Barbara Mertz. It must have taken her YEARS to research and write these stories in the pre-internet age. I cheated and just used Google to bring up some images for visual reference. I let Amelia do the history lecture.
I already downloaded the next one since it's a blustery, almost winter-like day. I feel like curling up on the sofa with a good book and a cup of tea. Reading about the hot sun of Egypt will warm me up!
This is the best adventure yet! Despite Amelia's protests at starting with a sensational opening, she does so anyway. My heart couldn't stop pounding and I stayed up long long past my bedtime to find out how it turned out. I almost skipped ahead but the endings are so long winded with too much explanation, I didn't want to ruin the adventure. This one really put me (and the characters) through the wringer of emotions. My heart broke for Amelia that she felt the romance had gone out of her relationship, then she faces the worst and I just felt so bad for her. I was with her every step of the way as she fought to save her family. Despite the sad overtones, there is still quite a bit of humor. The letters from Ramses are very funny (unintentionally on his part) and lighten up the plot a bit. I was completely surprised by some of the revelations at the end. I never saw some of them coming though I did suspect the identity of the villain. My only complaint about this book is that some of the archaeological explanations are too long. I was interested in the plot more than being educated (sorry Amelia).
In this novel we are reacquainted with Cyrus Vandergelt, the American millionaire the Emerson-Peabodys met on an earlier expedition. I barely remembered him so it was a good reminder of who their allies are to stick him in the plot. His heart is as big as Texas and he's such a kind gentleman. Other new characters include Anubis, the cat. I'm not a cat person and I failed to be charmed by this hissing and ornery cat. Bastet seems like the sweetest kitty next to Anubis. His name is a clue to his personality, Anubis being the Egyptian devil-like creature. Then there's Bertha, a woman with a past who seeks refuge with Amelia and entourage. She's hard to figure out and I never really warmed up to her the way Amelia did. Then there's Vincey, an old acquaintance of Emerson's whom Emerson had reported for selling illegal antiquities. He wants to make amends and leave the past behind him but with a cat such as Anubis as his pet, I just didn't like him. Nefret also appears in this story, as told by Amelia and Ramses. She's a tough young lady who will always be unconventional but strong, like Amelia. I liked hearing about her adventures from Ramses.
************************************************
2020 reread
I had remembered the basic plot outline, including the plot twist and the villain. This one was a tough one to reread. It was hard to see Amelia break down in private while trying to maintain her customary strength publicly. I think this story marks a turning point in her relationship with Emerson. Once the story got going I couldn't put it down! Even though I skipped ahead to the last chapter, I still couldn't put it down. Spoilerish thoughts ahead
Reading the e-book was fun. I stopped to look up some of the references and found the Armana Project website. It was great to have photos at my fingertips and really makes me appreciate Dr. Barbara Mertz. It must have taken her YEARS to research and write these stories in the pre-internet age. I cheated and just used Google to bring up some images for visual reference. I let Amelia do the history lecture.
I already downloaded the next one since it's a blustery, almost winter-like day. I feel like curling up on the sofa with a good book and a cup of tea. Reading about the hot sun of Egypt will warm me up!
November 22, 2021
3.5 stars bumped up to 4 stars based on the wonderful Audio narration by Barbara Rosenblat. Really enjoyed the beginning and ending but the middle dragged in my opinion. Hoping the next episode features more of Ramses!
April 15, 2020
One of my favorite Peabody-Emerson episodes, in which Amelia's wish that she and Emerson could go back to their days of courtship is answered when Emerson loses his memory. Totally preposterous of course, but anyone with an ounce of romance in their heart has got to warm to the idea--especially when the romance is more tempestuous than the first time around.
Why not five stars? I guess Peters was having far too much fun with the second-time-around romance to work too hard on plotting. Also, I kind of missed Ramses, although his letters (and Amelia's reactions to them) were almost as good. I felt in some ways that Peters rushed this book out in between other commitments.
Why not five stars? I guess Peters was having far too much fun with the second-time-around romance to work too hard on plotting. Also, I kind of missed Ramses, although his letters (and Amelia's reactions to them) were almost as good. I felt in some ways that Peters rushed this book out in between other commitments.
September 6, 2010
A really amusing Amelia Peabody adventure. It's worth reading just for Peabody's reaction to the letters from Ramses, who has been left behind in England for once, and not to Peabody's dismay. ("One may be determined to embrace martyrdom gracefully, but a day of reprieve is not to be sneezed at.") When danger threatens at home and abroad, Ramses threatens to rejoin his parents as soon as he has enough money for his fare, reciting an ominous running tally of his savings.
If these books were a little more serious then I could be annoyed over Emerson's amnesia and Peabody's reaction when she finds out exactly when he regained his memory, but these are clearly meant to be a bit silly (Emerson is psychoanalyzed by a Dr. Schadenfreude) and they're quite fun to read.
If these books were a little more serious then I could be annoyed over Emerson's amnesia and Peabody's reaction when she finds out exactly when he regained his memory, but these are clearly meant to be a bit silly (Emerson is psychoanalyzed by a Dr. Schadenfreude) and they're quite fun to read.
May 2, 2022
Emerson's misogyny comes back - understandable yet unfortunate. However, it does get amended by the end, bless the heavens, and he once again drinks that sweet drink of Respect Peabody juice. Peabody is amazing as always and I strive to be her.
May 30, 2015
The events of The Last Camel Died at Noon continue to impact upon the Emerson family. The secret they uncovered has attracted the attention of various baddies and as the summary above discloses Emerson has lost his memory, which creates a romantic tension.
Again this proved a very engaging story especially when Emerson loses his memory of the past 13 years! Would he ever remember Amelia? As I said to my friend, who is also a big fan of the series, I am quite invested in these characters and so was worried even though the continuation of the series should be reassuring. Still, this is part of the pleasure of this kind of romantic suspense. There were also a number of surprises along the way that I certainly did not see coming.
This has been my audiobook in the car for some weeks and I also read the corresponding pages in the Kindle edition each week. As always Rosenblat does a wonderful job voicing Amelia and her delightful dry wit.
Again this proved a very engaging story especially when Emerson loses his memory of the past 13 years! Would he ever remember Amelia? As I said to my friend, who is also a big fan of the series, I am quite invested in these characters and so was worried even though the continuation of the series should be reassuring. Still, this is part of the pleasure of this kind of romantic suspense. There were also a number of surprises along the way that I certainly did not see coming.
This has been my audiobook in the car for some weeks and I also read the corresponding pages in the Kindle edition each week. As always Rosenblat does a wonderful job voicing Amelia and her delightful dry wit.
March 13, 2020
While I have read this novel before, I have to admit that it isn’t one of the ones that I have read multiple times, so I didn’t remember a good deal of the plot (as i just realized I said in my last review of this novel). This is always exciting for me because I love the series and there is something fun about reading a book you love for the first time again, as in it doesn’t happen often. The Snake, The Crocodile, and The Dog is an enjoyable ride and is a good segue between what I consider the first half of the series and the second.
Amelia and Emerson are once again in their beloved land of Egypt, though this time without their precious son Ramses and their ward Nefret. Both children had stayed with Emerson’s brother Walter and his wife Evelyn along with their multiple children in England. While I know that Ramses’s will become one of my favorite characters, I have to say that I enjoy it being just Amelia and Emerson again, unrestrained by the worry of keeping their child safe. They are my favorite fictional couple and having the story devoted purely to them, their marriage, and their love is something that the romantic in me enjoys immensely.
This same romantic part also lives for a good amnesia storyline. Sure, we know that actual amnesia from a blow to the head is rare and that it is an overused trope in television, especially soap operas, but I just love the drama. I think Peter’s rides the line between melodrama, romance, and comedy well in this novel. Amelia is also seen as fallible in this novel more than any of the others, which just makes me love her more. As rational and level-headed that she claims to be, she loves passionately and sometimes that love blinds her.
Now, while I didn’t remember a lot of the plot, of course the one thing I did have a vague recollection of was the major twist in the book. Still, that didn’t mar my enjoyment of the story and at times I found myself wondering if I had remembered correctly or not. While there is less of a mystery in this novel and more of a cat and mouse game, the suspense is wonderfully built and it keeps the reader flipping the pages.
**First Review**
I feel like every time I finish a book in this series I say that it is my favorite, but this novel might edge out The Last Camel Died at Noon for the honor. I had read this novel before, but I had forgotten the ending and for the first time in a long time I was surprised at the ending of a mystery novel, though not because of who the culprit was. I don't want to ruin it for anyone else, but it was truly a wonderful twist. The dynamic between Emerson and Amelia in this novel is also played with and heightened in such a way that it makes me love them both even more. The letters from Ramses were both entertaining and helped develop his character though he was not in Egypt with his parents.
I think all of my favorite secondary characters were present in this novel which only heightened to my enjoyment. I hadn't noticed how much I missed Evelyn and Walter until they took a more prominent place in this novel. Cyrus Vandergelt was another character I hadn't noticed I missed until he reappeared and Kevin O'Connell will always be my favorite secondary character.
Overall it was a wonderfully written narrative, mystery, and characters as always. I can not wait to read the next book in the series and see just what the Emerson are going to be up to next.
Amelia and Emerson are once again in their beloved land of Egypt, though this time without their precious son Ramses and their ward Nefret. Both children had stayed with Emerson’s brother Walter and his wife Evelyn along with their multiple children in England. While I know that Ramses’s will become one of my favorite characters, I have to say that I enjoy it being just Amelia and Emerson again, unrestrained by the worry of keeping their child safe. They are my favorite fictional couple and having the story devoted purely to them, their marriage, and their love is something that the romantic in me enjoys immensely.
This same romantic part also lives for a good amnesia storyline. Sure, we know that actual amnesia from a blow to the head is rare and that it is an overused trope in television, especially soap operas, but I just love the drama. I think Peter’s rides the line between melodrama, romance, and comedy well in this novel. Amelia is also seen as fallible in this novel more than any of the others, which just makes me love her more. As rational and level-headed that she claims to be, she loves passionately and sometimes that love blinds her.
Now, while I didn’t remember a lot of the plot, of course the one thing I did have a vague recollection of was the major twist in the book. Still, that didn’t mar my enjoyment of the story and at times I found myself wondering if I had remembered correctly or not. While there is less of a mystery in this novel and more of a cat and mouse game, the suspense is wonderfully built and it keeps the reader flipping the pages.
**First Review**
I feel like every time I finish a book in this series I say that it is my favorite, but this novel might edge out The Last Camel Died at Noon for the honor. I had read this novel before, but I had forgotten the ending and for the first time in a long time I was surprised at the ending of a mystery novel, though not because of who the culprit was. I don't want to ruin it for anyone else, but it was truly a wonderful twist. The dynamic between Emerson and Amelia in this novel is also played with and heightened in such a way that it makes me love them both even more. The letters from Ramses were both entertaining and helped develop his character though he was not in Egypt with his parents.
I think all of my favorite secondary characters were present in this novel which only heightened to my enjoyment. I hadn't noticed how much I missed Evelyn and Walter until they took a more prominent place in this novel. Cyrus Vandergelt was another character I hadn't noticed I missed until he reappeared and Kevin O'Connell will always be my favorite secondary character.
Overall it was a wonderfully written narrative, mystery, and characters as always. I can not wait to read the next book in the series and see just what the Emerson are going to be up to next.
December 26, 2020
It not unusual for the first book or two in a series that focuses on a couple to be the best because the relationship is new and the reader enjoys watching them get to know each other and fall in love. Though this series is not primarily about the romance, the relationship of Amelia and Emerson is definitely part of the reading pleasure. The author manages to keep it fun in all the books by not changing them too much once they marry. However, she does something pretty clever here - by giving Emerson amnesia she essentially takes us back to the beginning of their relationship and we see them get reacquainted. It was a nice idea that I really liked.
The plot was another nice change from deadly mummies and such, though it takes place back in Egypt. It ties in quite a bit with previous books, so I wouldn't read this one first. Take them in order and you'll enjoy them a lot more. Sometimes I get tired of Ramses, so it was nice to have him confined to the written page for one book. :) Now I just have to decide if I want to go back and revisit how they really met or move ahead. I wasn't a huge fan of these books when they came out, I found reading Amelia I could only take her in small doses, but listening to her is a delight.
The plot was another nice change from deadly mummies and such, though it takes place back in Egypt. It ties in quite a bit with previous books, so I wouldn't read this one first. Take them in order and you'll enjoy them a lot more. Sometimes I get tired of Ramses, so it was nice to have him confined to the written page for one book. :) Now I just have to decide if I want to go back and revisit how they really met or move ahead. I wasn't a huge fan of these books when they came out, I found reading Amelia I could only take her in small doses, but listening to her is a delight.
June 7, 2020
It may have been a mistake to jump to the seventh book directly after the first. It’s possible that I would have been more invested in the characters and more lenient with some of the narrative twists and turns that presented themselves. But then again, maybe not.
The shenanigans in this book included an amnesia subplot and a lot of running around Egypt being attacked by a mysterious enemy. The ending was rather ridiculous. I’m not sure if I’ll be wanting to revisit Peabody’s world or not in the future. The master criminal angle was a bit much.
The cat, Anubis, was the highlight of the book.
The shenanigans in this book included an amnesia subplot and a lot of running around Egypt being attacked by a mysterious enemy. The ending was rather ridiculous. I’m not sure if I’ll be wanting to revisit Peabody’s world or not in the future. The master criminal angle was a bit much.
The cat, Anubis, was the highlight of the book.
June 12, 2019
I love my Amelia Peabody mysteries! Great escape reading for when life is super hectic and stressful and you just want something light and fun to read!
November 5, 2024
Seventh in the Amelia Peabody series about an amateur sleuth in an historical mystery. It's the turn of the century and the focus is on helping Emerson remember who Peabody is to him.
In 1992, The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog was nominated for the Agatha Award for Best Novel.
My Take
Not one of the stronger Amelia Peabodys, it was amusing to read as Amelia agonized over (and protected) the Professor's memory loss nor did Ramses disappoint in his erudition, adventurous planning, or with his self-acknowledgement. I am enjoying watching him grow up.
It's full of twists and turns, deceptions and masquerades, treachery, and . . . how the Emersons can be deceived that easily, I do not know. It doesn't help that half the family is back in England and both are being attacked and burglarized!
Peters/Amelia does a recap of her life at home with her father — lucky for her that she had an absentee father. Of course this is all through first person protagonist point-of-view from Peabody's perspective. This is the first time Peters refers to Amelia's inheritance as a modest fortune.
Emerson is a rare man, for he does accept Peabody as a full partner. Sure, he wants to protect her, but he knows it's useless, lol. He is true to himself and he doesn't suffer fools. At all. Part of the reason he's known throughout Egypt as the Father of Curses. Ramses definitely takes after both parents. He doesn't suffer fools and is more interested in learning, especially languages, and doesn't see what his age should have to do with anything, including manners.
It did crack me up (and Peabody is too accurate) when Ramses is "struck dumb" by Nefret. The boy is in thrall! It's Nefret's rescue that leads to a new conflict in the series, for Victorians are anxious to find scandal anywhere, and Nefret's upbringing is full of scandalous possibilities. It's a conflict abetted by Kevin's character for he can't resist a good story.
Ooh, yet more conflict . . . Peabody is worried that Emerson doesn't care anymore!
Peters reinforces the Emerson love of knowledge with Walter acknowledging that Nefret is "a human Rosetta Stone".
Then poor Peabody, wondering if she's the best mentor for a girl. I think she's the best choice, for she won't fill Nefret's head with stupid social niceties. Then again, Peabody does revel in not having any children along as they sail for Egypt, lol.
The English schoolgirls Nefret meets don't represent the noble English very well, although they do inspire Nefret to learn about her new life. It's Nefret's choices about this that will lead Ramses to choose to stay in England as well.
This could be interesting. Emerson is proposing they pick a site and stay there until everything is found. Hmmm. They'll need a larger staff and a bigger house . . . so Emerson can avoid the hotels, lol.
I do enjoy Peabody's obsession with practical dress. There is a useful bit of info about the air conditioning of the Middle Ages. Very practical!
It's a mystery at the start of every story for Peabody as to where they'll be excavating. Emerson has ticked off most every authority there is that hands out the firmans for the year's excavations, and he likes to wait until the very last second to inform Peabody.
It's a major turning point in Amelia and Abdullah's relationship. Of course, all it took was Emerson losing his memories. It was too, too funny as Peabody struggles with Emerson treating her as he did in the beginning, and she hasn't even told him about Ramses.
As usual, the prose is florid and yet it moves along with plenty of action, after all it's Peabody and Emerson with a body every year, lol.
It's an interesting recap at the end and does explain quite a bit. Except for how unwitting Peabody was . . . sigh . . .
The Story
It's the False Pyramid this year, El Haram el-Kaddâb surrounded by mastabas, when Emerson is kidnapped!
The Characters
Amelia Peabody, a.k.a. Sitt Hakim (Lady Doctor), had intended to be a spinster until she met Professor Radcliffe Emerson while she was touring archeological sites in Egypt. Emerson is also known as the Father of Curses for his temper. Walter "Ramses" Emerson is their ten-year-old son. The cat Bastet is Ramses' shadow. They took in the thirteen-year-old Nefret Forth in The Last Camel Died at Noon , 6, when they rescued her from the Lost Oasis. Amarna House is the Emersons' English home base in Kent where servants stay only if they can survive the Emerson lifestyle. Gargery is the butler; Rose is the housemaid and not enthused about Nefret; Bob and Jerry are the strongest of the footmen; and, William is the coachman. The Philae had been Peabody's dahabeeyah in Crocodile on the Sandbank , 1. Mazeppa is their horse.
Professor Walter Emerson is the professor's younger brother and a star in the field of philology. He married Evelyn Barton-Forbes in Crocodile on the Sandbank , where her grandfather was the Earl of Ellesmere (he became the Duke of Chalfont in The Curse of the Pharaohs , 2). They know Nefret's true story. Walter and Evelyn have six children, three boys and three girls. Raddie is the oldest, William and John are the twins, then Amelia. Chalfont Castle is their estate in Yorkshire; Chalfont House is their London home. Ellis is Evelyn's new maid and Rose doesn't trust her. No better than she should be, that one. Mary Ann is Evelyn's parlormaid and responsible for the library. Wilkins is now Evelyn and Walter's butler.
Inspector Cuff has retired to Dorking and his roses. Frank Griffith is one of Walter's rivals. Ahmet the Louse died ( The Deeds of the Disturber , 5).
Egypt
Abdullah ibn Hassan al Wahhab is the Emersons' valued friend and reis, the foreman, of their team that includes Selim who is Ramses' particular friend, Ali, Daoud, and Feisal (Abdullah's oldest son).
Cyrus Vandergelt is a rich American friend who is an amateur archeologist who built his own house, "the Castle", near the Valley of the Kings. He also has a dayabeeyayh, The Valley of the Kings, which Cyrus has replaced with the Nefertiti . Charles H Holly, a mining engineer for whom it is his first time in Egypt, and René D'Arcy, a skilled draftsman and graduate of the Sorbonne, are Cyrus' assistants. Hoffman left Cyrus last year, and he is considering taking on Weigall.
Kevin O'Connell is the Irish star reporter for the Daily Yell, a sometimes friend of the Emersons. Shepheard's is the Cairean hotel Amelia prefers and it's now owned by its former manager, Mr Baehler. Sheikh Mohammed Bahsoor is a friend of Emerson's in Cairo. Ahmet knows what's going on. Murray is a student of Griffith who shows promise. Herr Doktor Sigismund Schadenfreude is a Viennese specialist in psychotherapy. Sir Evelyn Baring is the British Consul-General.
Amarna is/was . . .
. . . the dig where Peabody and Emerson first became involved. Mohammed is a villain and the son of the old mayor of Haggi Qandil ( Crocodile on the Sandbank ). Hassan ibn Mahmud and Yusuf are friends of Mohammed's.
M. Maspero and Jacques de Morgan had both been directors of the Department of Antiquities. Amongst the "incompetent" archeologists are Loret (the current director); Petrie; the Reverend Sayce has a dahabeeyah, the Istar ; the American Reisner; Daressy; Wallis Budge; Grebaut; and, Herr Bursch. Howard Carter. Neville has a talent for philology. Davies is a promising painter. Newberry is a botanist. Leopold Vincey has a bad reputation with women and after that sale to the Metropolitan Museum; Vincey had been excavating at Nimrud for Schamburg, a German millionaire. Anubis is Vincey's brindle cat. Jackson. Herr Eberfelt is a German scholar; Herr Schmidt is his student. George McKenzie is an eccentric and had been terrible in his youth. Belzoni had been a hydraulics engineer and Italian strongman who first worked in the Valley of the Kings. Karl von Bork had been working in Berlin with Professor Sethe. Karl's wife, Mary, has been ill.
General Kitchener. Lady Norton is at a ball. Lady Wallingford and daughter and Captain and Mrs Richardson are people in whom Emerson is not interested. Baskerville House played a role in The Curse of the Pharaohs . Mr Cook's steamers have become ubiquitous. Deir el Bahri is the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, a female pharaoh.
Gurnah is . . .
. . . a notorious village in near Luxor in Egypt where live the hereditary tomb robbers. Many of whom are in Abdullah's family.
Sethos is . . .
. . . the Master Criminal whom we first met in Lion in the Valley , 4, and who had controlled the illegal antiquities market.
Pat and Mike are part of a group of noisy young Americans. Schlange is European and keeps to himself. Bertha has struggled to make her way before becoming involved with Vincey.
Nefret's only surviving relative was Franklin, Viscount Blacktower. Willie Forth, Blacktower's heir, had been Nefret's father. The escape of Slatin Pasha (formerly Slatin Bey), Father Ohrwalder, and two nuns gave Peabody ideas. General Rundle had been in the Sudan in The Last Camel Died at Noon , 6. Miss Helen Macintosh is the headmistress of a nearby girls' school and a friend of Peabody's. Some of her students include Winifred. Sir Henry was a visitor to the school.
Hieratic is a cursive, abbreviated form of hieroglyphic writing, and of which Walter is a leading authority. Sobek is a crocodile god. Ushebtis, a.k.a. shawbatis, are representations of servants for the one who has died.
The Cover and Title
The cover has its black background with a cutout on either side for the author's first name. The vertical borders are a soft lime green and black of horizontal lines. At the top is a testimonial and then an info blurb in white. The author's name is in an embossed gold with a gold cartouche (the ends are pointed) below it for the series info in black. In the lower half of the cover is a graphic close-up of three ruined pillars and a reddish hill in the background. In front of the left pillar is a coiled snake, a crocodile is coming between the first and second, and a brown and orange dog is alert behind the second pillar. The image is framed in gold. In the purple sky is the title in white.
The title is both an Egyptian fairytale Peabody is translating as well as a threat to Emerson: The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog .
In 1992, The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog was nominated for the Agatha Award for Best Novel.
My Take
Not one of the stronger Amelia Peabodys, it was amusing to read as Amelia agonized over (and protected) the Professor's memory loss nor did Ramses disappoint in his erudition, adventurous planning, or with his self-acknowledgement. I am enjoying watching him grow up.
It's full of twists and turns, deceptions and masquerades, treachery, and . . . how the Emersons can be deceived that easily, I do not know. It doesn't help that half the family is back in England and both are being attacked and burglarized!
Peters/Amelia does a recap of her life at home with her father — lucky for her that she had an absentee father. Of course this is all through first person protagonist point-of-view from Peabody's perspective. This is the first time Peters refers to Amelia's inheritance as a modest fortune.
Emerson is a rare man, for he does accept Peabody as a full partner. Sure, he wants to protect her, but he knows it's useless, lol. He is true to himself and he doesn't suffer fools. At all. Part of the reason he's known throughout Egypt as the Father of Curses. Ramses definitely takes after both parents. He doesn't suffer fools and is more interested in learning, especially languages, and doesn't see what his age should have to do with anything, including manners.
It did crack me up (and Peabody is too accurate) when Ramses is "struck dumb" by Nefret. The boy is in thrall! It's Nefret's rescue that leads to a new conflict in the series, for Victorians are anxious to find scandal anywhere, and Nefret's upbringing is full of scandalous possibilities. It's a conflict abetted by Kevin's character for he can't resist a good story.
Ooh, yet more conflict . . . Peabody is worried that Emerson doesn't care anymore!
Peters reinforces the Emerson love of knowledge with Walter acknowledging that Nefret is "a human Rosetta Stone".
Then poor Peabody, wondering if she's the best mentor for a girl. I think she's the best choice, for she won't fill Nefret's head with stupid social niceties. Then again, Peabody does revel in not having any children along as they sail for Egypt, lol.
The English schoolgirls Nefret meets don't represent the noble English very well, although they do inspire Nefret to learn about her new life. It's Nefret's choices about this that will lead Ramses to choose to stay in England as well.
This could be interesting. Emerson is proposing they pick a site and stay there until everything is found. Hmmm. They'll need a larger staff and a bigger house . . . so Emerson can avoid the hotels, lol.
I do enjoy Peabody's obsession with practical dress. There is a useful bit of info about the air conditioning of the Middle Ages. Very practical!
It's a mystery at the start of every story for Peabody as to where they'll be excavating. Emerson has ticked off most every authority there is that hands out the firmans for the year's excavations, and he likes to wait until the very last second to inform Peabody.
It's a major turning point in Amelia and Abdullah's relationship. Of course, all it took was Emerson losing his memories. It was too, too funny as Peabody struggles with Emerson treating her as he did in the beginning, and she hasn't even told him about Ramses.
As usual, the prose is florid and yet it moves along with plenty of action, after all it's Peabody and Emerson with a body every year, lol.
It's an interesting recap at the end and does explain quite a bit. Except for how unwitting Peabody was . . . sigh . . .
The Story
It's the False Pyramid this year, El Haram el-Kaddâb surrounded by mastabas, when Emerson is kidnapped!
The Characters
Amelia Peabody, a.k.a. Sitt Hakim (Lady Doctor), had intended to be a spinster until she met Professor Radcliffe Emerson while she was touring archeological sites in Egypt. Emerson is also known as the Father of Curses for his temper. Walter "Ramses" Emerson is their ten-year-old son. The cat Bastet is Ramses' shadow. They took in the thirteen-year-old Nefret Forth in The Last Camel Died at Noon , 6, when they rescued her from the Lost Oasis. Amarna House is the Emersons' English home base in Kent where servants stay only if they can survive the Emerson lifestyle. Gargery is the butler; Rose is the housemaid and not enthused about Nefret; Bob and Jerry are the strongest of the footmen; and, William is the coachman. The Philae had been Peabody's dahabeeyah in Crocodile on the Sandbank , 1. Mazeppa is their horse.
Professor Walter Emerson is the professor's younger brother and a star in the field of philology. He married Evelyn Barton-Forbes in Crocodile on the Sandbank , where her grandfather was the Earl of Ellesmere (he became the Duke of Chalfont in The Curse of the Pharaohs , 2). They know Nefret's true story. Walter and Evelyn have six children, three boys and three girls. Raddie is the oldest, William and John are the twins, then Amelia. Chalfont Castle is their estate in Yorkshire; Chalfont House is their London home. Ellis is Evelyn's new maid and Rose doesn't trust her. No better than she should be, that one. Mary Ann is Evelyn's parlormaid and responsible for the library. Wilkins is now Evelyn and Walter's butler.
Inspector Cuff has retired to Dorking and his roses. Frank Griffith is one of Walter's rivals. Ahmet the Louse died ( The Deeds of the Disturber , 5).
Egypt
Abdullah ibn Hassan al Wahhab is the Emersons' valued friend and reis, the foreman, of their team that includes Selim who is Ramses' particular friend, Ali, Daoud, and Feisal (Abdullah's oldest son).
Cyrus Vandergelt is a rich American friend who is an amateur archeologist who built his own house, "the Castle", near the Valley of the Kings. He also has a dayabeeyayh, The Valley of the Kings, which Cyrus has replaced with the Nefertiti . Charles H Holly, a mining engineer for whom it is his first time in Egypt, and René D'Arcy, a skilled draftsman and graduate of the Sorbonne, are Cyrus' assistants. Hoffman left Cyrus last year, and he is considering taking on Weigall.
Kevin O'Connell is the Irish star reporter for the Daily Yell, a sometimes friend of the Emersons. Shepheard's is the Cairean hotel Amelia prefers and it's now owned by its former manager, Mr Baehler. Sheikh Mohammed Bahsoor is a friend of Emerson's in Cairo. Ahmet knows what's going on. Murray is a student of Griffith who shows promise. Herr Doktor Sigismund Schadenfreude is a Viennese specialist in psychotherapy. Sir Evelyn Baring is the British Consul-General.
Amarna is/was . . .
. . . the dig where Peabody and Emerson first became involved. Mohammed is a villain and the son of the old mayor of Haggi Qandil ( Crocodile on the Sandbank ). Hassan ibn Mahmud and Yusuf are friends of Mohammed's.
M. Maspero and Jacques de Morgan had both been directors of the Department of Antiquities. Amongst the "incompetent" archeologists are Loret (the current director); Petrie; the Reverend Sayce has a dahabeeyah, the Istar ; the American Reisner; Daressy; Wallis Budge; Grebaut; and, Herr Bursch. Howard Carter. Neville has a talent for philology. Davies is a promising painter. Newberry is a botanist. Leopold Vincey has a bad reputation with women and after that sale to the Metropolitan Museum; Vincey had been excavating at Nimrud for Schamburg, a German millionaire. Anubis is Vincey's brindle cat. Jackson. Herr Eberfelt is a German scholar; Herr Schmidt is his student. George McKenzie is an eccentric and had been terrible in his youth. Belzoni had been a hydraulics engineer and Italian strongman who first worked in the Valley of the Kings. Karl von Bork had been working in Berlin with Professor Sethe. Karl's wife, Mary, has been ill.
General Kitchener. Lady Norton is at a ball. Lady Wallingford and daughter and Captain and Mrs Richardson are people in whom Emerson is not interested. Baskerville House played a role in The Curse of the Pharaohs . Mr Cook's steamers have become ubiquitous. Deir el Bahri is the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, a female pharaoh.
Gurnah is . . .
. . . a notorious village in near Luxor in Egypt where live the hereditary tomb robbers. Many of whom are in Abdullah's family.
Sethos is . . .
. . . the Master Criminal whom we first met in Lion in the Valley , 4, and who had controlled the illegal antiquities market.
Pat and Mike are part of a group of noisy young Americans. Schlange is European and keeps to himself. Bertha has struggled to make her way before becoming involved with Vincey.
Nefret's only surviving relative was Franklin, Viscount Blacktower. Willie Forth, Blacktower's heir, had been Nefret's father. The escape of Slatin Pasha (formerly Slatin Bey), Father Ohrwalder, and two nuns gave Peabody ideas. General Rundle had been in the Sudan in The Last Camel Died at Noon , 6. Miss Helen Macintosh is the headmistress of a nearby girls' school and a friend of Peabody's. Some of her students include Winifred. Sir Henry was a visitor to the school.
Hieratic is a cursive, abbreviated form of hieroglyphic writing, and of which Walter is a leading authority. Sobek is a crocodile god. Ushebtis, a.k.a. shawbatis, are representations of servants for the one who has died.
The Cover and Title
The cover has its black background with a cutout on either side for the author's first name. The vertical borders are a soft lime green and black of horizontal lines. At the top is a testimonial and then an info blurb in white. The author's name is in an embossed gold with a gold cartouche (the ends are pointed) below it for the series info in black. In the lower half of the cover is a graphic close-up of three ruined pillars and a reddish hill in the background. In front of the left pillar is a coiled snake, a crocodile is coming between the first and second, and a brown and orange dog is alert behind the second pillar. The image is framed in gold. In the purple sky is the title in white.
The title is both an Egyptian fairytale Peabody is translating as well as a threat to Emerson: The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog .
September 1, 2020
As with all Amelia Peabody books thus far, it was fun, but I did find this seventh entry in the series to be overly long and it definitely does not stand alone. I don’t think much of it would make much sense unless the reader has read at least The Last Camel Died at Noon and The Lion in the Valley first. Peters re-boots the romance between Amelia and Emerson in causing Emerson to suffer from amnesia in this one. On the plus side, I was lucky to be able to listen to the audio version read by the incomparable Barbara Rosenblatt.
November 23, 2024
3.5⭐ This was fun. Due to a certain incident, Emerson got temporary amnesia and forgot everything about his marriage. Which made things more interesting 😂
And Ramses, you have to love Ramses.
However, the mystery of the master criminal is being stretched beyond any sens or logic at this point...
And Ramses, you have to love Ramses.
However, the mystery of the master criminal is being stretched beyond any sens or logic at this point...
August 5, 2022
For the first time in years, Amelia and Emerson are venturing on a season in Egypt without their son. Amelia has had feelings that they've gotten somewhat staid in married and family life and hopes this time to themselves will rekindle the fire of their earlier years- particularly that first archeological season they spent at Amarna. Beware of what one wishes for...
The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog is the seventh Amelia Peabody book and is enjoyed best in series order as their personal and family life develops through each book even if the adventure and mystery offered are new in each installment.
For me this is a re-read and I enjoyed it in audio format this time with the talented Barbara Rosenblat and her husky tones that are good for men and women, her accents, and her grasp of the comedic pacing and bombastic tones that are frequent in this series.
I had a surprise easter egg that I never noticed the first time through when the opening phrase which is repeated later, because the author drops a surprise situation and returns to the beginning to explain it, is a mimic of the opening phrase of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca. As far as I know, that was the only wink to that literary classic.
The book gets off to a slow start as Amelia catches the reader up on domestic catch up with how Nefret is settling into civilization in their unconventional English country home, an update with Walter and Evelyn, and then the two Emersons are off to Egypt for their next archeological season sans children. Amelia is in an odd mood of believing her marriage needs a pick me up even as the stirrings of someone in the shadows meaning them harm- and definitely way too interested in their last forage into the Nubian desert.
Things pick up when Emerson runs afoul of a nasty enemy and emerges without his memories of anything from his past involving Amelia and their family due to a bad blow to his head. So, they retrace their steps to their first season at Amarna with American friend Cyrus Vandergilt, their trusted Egyptian friends led by Abdullah, and a few assorted others including Anubis the cat.
Anyone familiar with the series knows it gets over the top, but is rousing good fun when not taken too seriously. They explore Egypt, face villains, bandy words and share an eccentric life that is colorful and sparkling. I saw through some of the villain's ploys, but there are some decent surprise twists, too. There are some suspenseful moments and some good emotional layers even with the lighter tone. Even though this is possibly not the best mystery in the series, it is highly entertaining.
Those who like light historical mystery adventures with a strong flavor of Egyptian life from a European visitor perspective and a good dose of archeological fever should pick these up.
The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog is the seventh Amelia Peabody book and is enjoyed best in series order as their personal and family life develops through each book even if the adventure and mystery offered are new in each installment.
For me this is a re-read and I enjoyed it in audio format this time with the talented Barbara Rosenblat and her husky tones that are good for men and women, her accents, and her grasp of the comedic pacing and bombastic tones that are frequent in this series.
I had a surprise easter egg that I never noticed the first time through when the opening phrase which is repeated later, because the author drops a surprise situation and returns to the beginning to explain it, is a mimic of the opening phrase of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca. As far as I know, that was the only wink to that literary classic.
The book gets off to a slow start as Amelia catches the reader up on domestic catch up with how Nefret is settling into civilization in their unconventional English country home, an update with Walter and Evelyn, and then the two Emersons are off to Egypt for their next archeological season sans children. Amelia is in an odd mood of believing her marriage needs a pick me up even as the stirrings of someone in the shadows meaning them harm- and definitely way too interested in their last forage into the Nubian desert.
Things pick up when Emerson runs afoul of a nasty enemy and emerges without his memories of anything from his past involving Amelia and their family due to a bad blow to his head. So, they retrace their steps to their first season at Amarna with American friend Cyrus Vandergilt, their trusted Egyptian friends led by Abdullah, and a few assorted others including Anubis the cat.
Anyone familiar with the series knows it gets over the top, but is rousing good fun when not taken too seriously. They explore Egypt, face villains, bandy words and share an eccentric life that is colorful and sparkling. I saw through some of the villain's ploys, but there are some decent surprise twists, too. There are some suspenseful moments and some good emotional layers even with the lighter tone. Even though this is possibly not the best mystery in the series, it is highly entertaining.
Those who like light historical mystery adventures with a strong flavor of Egyptian life from a European visitor perspective and a good dose of archeological fever should pick these up.
August 13, 2013
After finding the Lost City of Gold and returning to England with Neferet in The Deeds of the Disturber, Amelia and Emerson return to Egypt for a winter of excavation. Both Ramses and Neferet remain in England, leaving Emerson and Amelia a chance to get frisky without little eyes watching their every move. Well that was the plan anyway. Immediately upon reaching Cairo, Amelia and Emerson are besieged with attempts on one or the others life. When they are finally successful and Emerson is kidnapped, Amelia is beside herself with worry and with the help of Silas Vandergelt sets out to rescue Emerson. Of course she is successful but with a slight setback...Emerson has amnesia and cannot remember the last 13 years of his life - yes that is the time that he met and married Amelia. She sets out to help him remember their exciting courtship and life but of course, the attempts on their lives do no stop so it's another rousing adventure in merry old Egypt.
I can't say enough about this series. It's simply wonderful entertainment! Amelia is one of those strong females who is definitely out of place in the 1800s; Emerson is bold, loud and given the time period, very romantically inclined; and Ramses is the funniest character of them all. Despite the danger, I laughed out loud at his epistles (letters to Dearest Mamma and Pappa).
I can't say enough about this series. It's simply wonderful entertainment! Amelia is one of those strong females who is definitely out of place in the 1800s; Emerson is bold, loud and given the time period, very romantically inclined; and Ramses is the funniest character of them all. Despite the danger, I laughed out loud at his epistles (letters to Dearest Mamma and Pappa).
June 27, 2021
I was wondering where this series could possibly go, having seemingly exhausted the storylines involving Amelia, Emerson, and Ramses. I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this book (despite not connecting with the narrator of the audiobook as much as I have with other narrators of this series). We still get the same fireworks between our main characters, and of course there is adventure, kidnapping, covert operatives, Egyptian archaeology, and all of the rest that we have come to expect in these books. But there is a twist (I will avoid revealing for potential readers), that enlivens the Amelia/Emerson relationship, and casts it in a whole new light. I particularly enjoyed Ramses' role in the book. He does make an appearance, albeit an epistolary one. You still get a sense of his personality, but because it is at a distance, and only pops into the story every once in a while, he never becomes overwhelming or obnoxious. I would definitely recommend reading these books in order, as relationships develop, and returning characters appear, and you just don't get the most of them unless you already know them. But for anyone who may be growing a bit weary with the trajectory of the series, this is refreshing enough to revive any fan's interest.
June 5, 2016
Wow this one kept me entranced the whole time! I thought I had it figured out but the ultimate twist with Sethos, I never guessed. So Im wondering, is Sethos really dead? I dont think so, which is why they probably bundled him away so quickly but who knows?? I wish I had the next installment right now so i could begin reading! : ) Peters just keeps getting better and better. Alot of serial authors, usually get complacent i think and all of their books start sounding the exact name but I think Peters does a remarkable job of changing it up. I understand she has to incorporate some background for stand alone readers but she really does a great job mixing it in different ways and places in each book so you dont feel like your reading the same thing over and over again. Carolyn Hart needs to take a lesson from Peters because every one of her books follows the exact same outline for every novel. Its so boring and tedious!!
April 28, 2020
If you are looking for a historical fiction/mystery with a ton of romance tropes and Victorian literature callbacks, this is probably the book for you. Amelia and Emerson return to Egypt WITHOUT their children, which Amelia sees as a perfect setting for a second honeymoon. Unfortunately due to EVENTS, Emerson gets amnesia, forgetting the last 10 years of his life - basically, all of the parts that include Amelia and his marriage.
So we've got a marriage-in-crisis and amnesia already. Adding in a love triangle, fake identities, lots of hurt/comfort and a hot cave kiss, and you're almost there. This is also a fairy tale retelling. Which fairy tale? An unfinished Egyptian tale that involves a snake, a crocodile, and a dog, and which Amelia is translating. Since she's translating it, she can finish it however she wants - which means you won't know the end of this fairy tale retelling until she does.
As usual with Amelia Peabody - highly recommended!
So we've got a marriage-in-crisis and amnesia already. Adding in a love triangle, fake identities, lots of hurt/comfort and a hot cave kiss, and you're almost there. This is also a fairy tale retelling. Which fairy tale? An unfinished Egyptian tale that involves a snake, a crocodile, and a dog, and which Amelia is translating. Since she's translating it, she can finish it however she wants - which means you won't know the end of this fairy tale retelling until she does.
As usual with Amelia Peabody - highly recommended!
September 27, 2016
If I've learned anything about the Amelia Peabody books, it is that these are leisurely tales. Nothing is rushed and the story unfolds in it's own good time. That is fine. However this, in addition to the narrator's 'dramatic pauses', makes for a VERY long story.
I was also mad that the author made me like one of the characters that wasn't really that character. If you've read the story, you know what I mean. And I don't think Ramses could be any more precocious. This came through loud and strong - and only from letter writing! I really don't like that character at all.
Still, interesting enough. Will continue onto the next, after a little rest from these stories.
I was also mad that the author made me like one of the characters that wasn't really that character. If you've read the story, you know what I mean. And I don't think Ramses could be any more precocious. This came through loud and strong - and only from letter writing! I really don't like that character at all.
Still, interesting enough. Will continue onto the next, after a little rest from these stories.
November 4, 2016
Emerson and Peabody are trying to keep the secret of where their foster daughter, Nefret was found. The Lost Oasis would be a treasure trove to scholars but if it was discovered it would destroy an ancient civilization. Unfortunately there are nefarious criminals who are suspicious that the Emersons have a map and are determined to get it. They kidnap Emerson, beat him up and drug him. When Peabody rescues him she discovers that he has lost his memory. In particular he has forgotten that she is his wife. Peabody is determined to woo him back and follows him into danger with archaeological digs and chasing down criminals. This is another excellent tale by Elizabeth Peters.
August 16, 2025
The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog by Elizabeth Peters is the 7th book in the Amelia Peabody Mystery series. Amelia Peabody and her husband return to Egypt on their own only to encounter ambushes and kidnappings in an attempt to learn of the secret of their previous discovery of a lost oasis and hidden treasure. Amelia is very much on her own for most of the book due to Emerson's loss of memory, but stays resilient, courageous and strong in the face of multiple dangers. I especially loved the letters from Ramses throughout. A thoroughly enjoyable adventure.
June 5, 2013
This Amelia Peabody read like two books. One book was set in England and the other in Egypt. They were tied to each other by the mystery to be solved. Alert: Pay attention to the clues in England they might help you solve the mystery in Egypt. There are a lot of twists and turns that will keep you guessing. It was a very enjoyable book to read even all of the Egyptology that was thrown in to educate the reader.
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