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Amelia Peabody #19
A River in the Sky
From New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Peters comes one of her most baffling and intriguing mysteries in her phenomenally popular Amelia Peabody series.
August 1910. Banned from the Valley of the Kings, Amelia Peabody and husband Emerson are persuaded to follow would-be archaeologist Major George Morley on an expedition to Palestine. Somewhere in this province of the corrupt, crumbling Ottoman Empire—the Holy Land of three religions—Morley is determined to unearth the legendary Ark of the Covenant.
At the request of British Intelligence, Emerson will be keeping an eye on the seemingly inept Morley, believed to be an agent of the Kaiser sent to stir up trouble in this politically volatile land. Amelia hopes to prevent a catastrophically unprofessional excavation from destroying priceless historical finds and sparking an armed protest by infuriated Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Meanwhile, Amelia's headstrong son, Ramses, working on a dig at Samaria, encounters an unusual party of travelers and makes a startling discovery—information that he must pass along to his parents in Jerusalem...if he can get there alive.
August 1910. Banned from the Valley of the Kings, Amelia Peabody and husband Emerson are persuaded to follow would-be archaeologist Major George Morley on an expedition to Palestine. Somewhere in this province of the corrupt, crumbling Ottoman Empire—the Holy Land of three religions—Morley is determined to unearth the legendary Ark of the Covenant.
At the request of British Intelligence, Emerson will be keeping an eye on the seemingly inept Morley, believed to be an agent of the Kaiser sent to stir up trouble in this politically volatile land. Amelia hopes to prevent a catastrophically unprofessional excavation from destroying priceless historical finds and sparking an armed protest by infuriated Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Meanwhile, Amelia's headstrong son, Ramses, working on a dig at Samaria, encounters an unusual party of travelers and makes a startling discovery—information that he must pass along to his parents in Jerusalem...if he can get there alive.
307 pages, Hardcover
First published April 6, 2010
396 people are currently reading
3913 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Peters
179 books3,298 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 754 reviews
February 23, 2022
Although this is the last Amelia Peabody book that Elizabeth Peters wrote, it is set back in 1910 and fills a gap in the saga. This is the year the family went to the Holy Land instead of Egypt and it is much less about archaeology and much more about the politics which happened in the years immediately prior to WW1. Above all it is a book about a family and their day to day lives even though this particular family has more eventful lives than most people.
I was very happy to spend more time with Amelia and her clan. Ramses is a young adult, not yet romantically attached to Nefret and he plays a major role in events. Amelia and Emerson are as wonderful as always and Nefret is as usual bossy and irritating. (I wonder if I am the only fan of this series who dislikes her!)
I only have one book left to read now which was written by another author after Peter's death. I will give it a try sometime soon, and then I think I may have to go back to the beginning and do some rereads. I will miss Amelia very much.
I was very happy to spend more time with Amelia and her clan. Ramses is a young adult, not yet romantically attached to Nefret and he plays a major role in events. Amelia and Emerson are as wonderful as always and Nefret is as usual bossy and irritating. (I wonder if I am the only fan of this series who dislikes her!)
I only have one book left to read now which was written by another author after Peter's death. I will give it a try sometime soon, and then I think I may have to go back to the beginning and do some rereads. I will miss Amelia very much.
May 31, 2014
This is the final book in the Amelia Peabody series, which makes me sad, because it's one of my top two absolute favourite series ever, and I wish it could go on forever!
Although this book is the last in the series, timing-wise it's much earlier in the Emerson family's timeline. But it harkens back to the early days, when the family and their motley group of friends, relatives and loyal retainers continuously ended up in troublesome situations, usually involving murder, or at least mayhem.
This time, instead of Egypt, the family is in Israel. Initially, it was to rein in a British citizen who was excavating without permission or knowledge, and the British government asks Emerson to go and pull the man back, which of course, Emerson is more than happy to do [anyone who's read these books knows that Emerson does NOT take kindly to amateur archeologist messing about!]
But as with every Emerson family adventure, it never turns out to be as simple as it first appears. Almost immediately Ramses manages to get himself kidnapped and spirited out of the country, so that while his parents, David and Nefret are busy in Jerusalem sorting out the renegade excavators, they are also worrying about where he is, and why he simply ran off [via a note he sends them under duress with vague excuses about "something coming up"].
As always, the absolute best part of this book is Elizabeth Peters' absolutely fantastic writing of - for my money - some of THE BEST written characters in literature. The constant stream of snappy repartee between Amelia and Emerson is hilarious, brilliant and barrels of fun. I never, ever tire of these characters. They, and these books, are wonderful, wonderful reads and I highly recommend the entire series.
Note: If you have any inclinations at all towards audio books, do try these in audio-format. The woman who narrates them - Barbara Rosenblat is out-of-this-world fantastic! She literally gives every single character - and there are plenty in these books - a totally unique voice. Listening to her narrate these books made the characters even more real to me and provided a double-dose of enjoyment in the characters and the stories.
Although this book is the last in the series, timing-wise it's much earlier in the Emerson family's timeline. But it harkens back to the early days, when the family and their motley group of friends, relatives and loyal retainers continuously ended up in troublesome situations, usually involving murder, or at least mayhem.
This time, instead of Egypt, the family is in Israel. Initially, it was to rein in a British citizen who was excavating without permission or knowledge, and the British government asks Emerson to go and pull the man back, which of course, Emerson is more than happy to do [anyone who's read these books knows that Emerson does NOT take kindly to amateur archeologist messing about!]
But as with every Emerson family adventure, it never turns out to be as simple as it first appears. Almost immediately Ramses manages to get himself kidnapped and spirited out of the country, so that while his parents, David and Nefret are busy in Jerusalem sorting out the renegade excavators, they are also worrying about where he is, and why he simply ran off [via a note he sends them under duress with vague excuses about "something coming up"].
As always, the absolute best part of this book is Elizabeth Peters' absolutely fantastic writing of - for my money - some of THE BEST written characters in literature. The constant stream of snappy repartee between Amelia and Emerson is hilarious, brilliant and barrels of fun. I never, ever tire of these characters. They, and these books, are wonderful, wonderful reads and I highly recommend the entire series.
Note: If you have any inclinations at all towards audio books, do try these in audio-format. The woman who narrates them - Barbara Rosenblat is out-of-this-world fantastic! She literally gives every single character - and there are plenty in these books - a totally unique voice. Listening to her narrate these books made the characters even more real to me and provided a double-dose of enjoyment in the characters and the stories.
April 26, 2010
Elizabeth Peters has been a long time favorite author and her Amelia Peabody books are one I pick up again and again to relive the adventures.
I was so excited when I saw this book was coming out as it meant that I would get to visit again with old friends. I was even more excited to find out that this book took place in 1910, well before the last The Serpent and the Crown which sees the Emmerson family all grown up and well onto the next generation. I was however disappointed. Though I did feel that I was visiting with old friends this book tend to lack the panache that I am used to. I felt that it was hastly thrown together and there were so many plot points that were either useless or just thrown in. Plus, I felt the ending was contrived. It just lacked the regular Peabody charm. Now I admit that may be because Sethos was absent, man I missed him. Let's just say that when I finished I went and picked up He Shall Thunder in the Sky and Lord of the Silent and revisited the Emmersons there.
I was so excited when I saw this book was coming out as it meant that I would get to visit again with old friends. I was even more excited to find out that this book took place in 1910, well before the last The Serpent and the Crown which sees the Emmerson family all grown up and well onto the next generation. I was however disappointed. Though I did feel that I was visiting with old friends this book tend to lack the panache that I am used to. I felt that it was hastly thrown together and there were so many plot points that were either useless or just thrown in. Plus, I felt the ending was contrived. It just lacked the regular Peabody charm. Now I admit that may be because Sethos was absent, man I missed him. Let's just say that when I finished I went and picked up He Shall Thunder in the Sky and Lord of the Silent and revisited the Emmersons there.
December 21, 2010
As much as I love the Amelia Peabody mysteries, A River in the Sky is a tepid and lackluster addition to the series. The only reason I am giving it two stars instead of one is because of the fondness I've built up for the characters over the course of Elizabeth Peters' previous novels.
This book is missing many of the staples that make the Amelia Peabody mysteries so enjoyable. Not only is it not set in Egypt, but there is little to no archeological excavation, and no specific crime to investigate. Now, I feel that you could remove any one of these standard elements (even location - I enjoyed Deeds of the Distrurber being all in England, and the books dealing with the Lost Oasis that travel to the Sudan) without sacrificing the quality of the narrative, but divesting of all three at once leaves a lot of empty space that this story never actually fills.
The plot, such as it is, has the Emersons traveling to Palestine under the auspices of a British governmental organization to keep tabs on a fellow archeologist who is either an inept treasure seeker or possibly a German spy. Ramses randomly gets taken prisoner on his way to meet up with his parents, and David sets off to rescue him by (and this appears to be his actual plan) getting taken prisoner as well. As much as I was not a fan of the whole 'who is a spy? where is the spy?' business (especially since the actual spy might as well be strolling about wearing a coat with "I AM THE SPY" sewn in large letters on the back), the main thing that I disliked about this book was how weakly all of our favorite characters came off.
Ramses, who has been kidnapped in just about every book since he was born, spends most of this novel inexplicably not escaping from his captors. The rest of the Emersons, despite their fears that Ramses may have been kidnapped, do not rush off to search/find/rescue him, as they would have done/have done in virtually every other book. They remain in Palestine not solving mysteries, not excavating, and not doing a terribly good job on keeping an eye on either the suspected or actual German spies. Emerson manages to forget an extremely important secret code, then excavates for like, half of one day, makes a discovery, and then fails to immediately photograph/copy/secure the artifact or the site. He sets no guards over it. When he does ask Selim to guard the area (after a dead body turns up the following day) Selim and Dauod are not able(?!?!) to keep corrupt Turkish police away from the item in question, which is then stolen and never recovered. Nefret has nothing to do for the duration of the book except to exclaim that she is worried about Ramses and David, and coo over a washer womans baby.
Amelia, in what has to be the worst lapse of all, goes to visit the "Oh, now I've figured it out" German spy with no set plan of attack, without informing Emerson of where she is going or taking him with her, and without thoroughly checking how many guards are on duty outside the Welcome to Spy Central tent. She goes one step further, as well, by pulling out her pistol and basically yelling, "The gig is up!" instead of, as would have at that point been quite plausible, extricating herself from a slightly awkward social encounter and alerting the other members of her party/the British government of what she has discovered. This leads to an exceedingly lame climax wherein Amelia is taken prisoner, and has to be rescued by Ramses (who, apparently, is better at breaking into places than breaking out of them in this one). Ramses and Amelia, in turn, chase after their captor and must be rescued in turn by a giant and unexpected flood.
And it is not only the characters actions that seem off, their interactions with each other also feel askew. The exchanges between Amelia and the Professor come off more like passive aggressive sniping than their traditional witty banter and sly roles as adversarial equals.
The denouement seems both forced and rushed. And also, not worth the several hundred pages that have led up to it, in its unsatisfying conclusion.
In addition to all of these shortcomings, there is no appearance by Sethos, despite my hopes that he might be the carriage driver/government agent. Nonetheless, since all the characters have lost about fifty IQ points for this particular adventure, I choose to believe he might have actually been Sethos after all, and the rest of the party was simply too silly to realize it.
As much as I love these characters and this series, this book adds nothing to the either, except possibly a sense of great disservice.
This book is missing many of the staples that make the Amelia Peabody mysteries so enjoyable. Not only is it not set in Egypt, but there is little to no archeological excavation, and no specific crime to investigate. Now, I feel that you could remove any one of these standard elements (even location - I enjoyed Deeds of the Distrurber being all in England, and the books dealing with the Lost Oasis that travel to the Sudan) without sacrificing the quality of the narrative, but divesting of all three at once leaves a lot of empty space that this story never actually fills.
The plot, such as it is, has the Emersons traveling to Palestine under the auspices of a British governmental organization to keep tabs on a fellow archeologist who is either an inept treasure seeker or possibly a German spy. Ramses randomly gets taken prisoner on his way to meet up with his parents, and David sets off to rescue him by (and this appears to be his actual plan) getting taken prisoner as well. As much as I was not a fan of the whole 'who is a spy? where is the spy?' business (especially since the actual spy might as well be strolling about wearing a coat with "I AM THE SPY" sewn in large letters on the back), the main thing that I disliked about this book was how weakly all of our favorite characters came off.
Ramses, who has been kidnapped in just about every book since he was born, spends most of this novel inexplicably not escaping from his captors. The rest of the Emersons, despite their fears that Ramses may have been kidnapped, do not rush off to search/find/rescue him, as they would have done/have done in virtually every other book. They remain in Palestine not solving mysteries, not excavating, and not doing a terribly good job on keeping an eye on either the suspected or actual German spies. Emerson manages to forget an extremely important secret code, then excavates for like, half of one day, makes a discovery, and then fails to immediately photograph/copy/secure the artifact or the site. He sets no guards over it. When he does ask Selim to guard the area (after a dead body turns up the following day) Selim and Dauod are not able(?!?!) to keep corrupt Turkish police away from the item in question, which is then stolen and never recovered. Nefret has nothing to do for the duration of the book except to exclaim that she is worried about Ramses and David, and coo over a washer womans baby.
Amelia, in what has to be the worst lapse of all, goes to visit the "Oh, now I've figured it out" German spy with no set plan of attack, without informing Emerson of where she is going or taking him with her, and without thoroughly checking how many guards are on duty outside the Welcome to Spy Central tent. She goes one step further, as well, by pulling out her pistol and basically yelling, "The gig is up!" instead of, as would have at that point been quite plausible, extricating herself from a slightly awkward social encounter and alerting the other members of her party/the British government of what she has discovered. This leads to an exceedingly lame climax wherein Amelia is taken prisoner, and has to be rescued by Ramses (who, apparently, is better at breaking into places than breaking out of them in this one). Ramses and Amelia, in turn, chase after their captor and must be rescued in turn by a giant and unexpected flood.
And it is not only the characters actions that seem off, their interactions with each other also feel askew. The exchanges between Amelia and the Professor come off more like passive aggressive sniping than their traditional witty banter and sly roles as adversarial equals.
The denouement seems both forced and rushed. And also, not worth the several hundred pages that have led up to it, in its unsatisfying conclusion.
In addition to all of these shortcomings, there is no appearance by Sethos, despite my hopes that he might be the carriage driver/government agent. Nonetheless, since all the characters have lost about fifty IQ points for this particular adventure, I choose to believe he might have actually been Sethos after all, and the rest of the party was simply too silly to realize it.
As much as I love these characters and this series, this book adds nothing to the either, except possibly a sense of great disservice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2019
a bit hard to follow this time but reading these in chronological (to the characters) order is very interesting .
2017: Re-read: Still not a bad fill-in for the missing years. Lovely listening to Barbara Rosenblat as usual.
(Previous review, April 18, 2010)
We're back to 1910 with the Emersons, and it's lovely! This reads just like the earliest Amelia books, with familiarly weird conversations and kidnappings and Villains (though not the MC) and the angsts of youth and age and society. The pre-WWI scene is refreshing since the post-war novels are necessarily a bit darker.
Amelia and the Professor are petitioned by a crazy to take part in an archaelogical expedition to Jerusalem; when they turn him down, the State steps in and asks them to follow. Ramses is already on a dig in Palestine. The history is fascinating and different than usual, and Peters gives the characters gentle pushes towards the politics they may later hold.
YAAAAAY!
2017: Re-read: Still not a bad fill-in for the missing years. Lovely listening to Barbara Rosenblat as usual.
(Previous review, April 18, 2010)
We're back to 1910 with the Emersons, and it's lovely! This reads just like the earliest Amelia books, with familiarly weird conversations and kidnappings and Villains (though not the MC) and the angsts of youth and age and society. The pre-WWI scene is refreshing since the post-war novels are necessarily a bit darker.
Amelia and the Professor are petitioned by a crazy to take part in an archaelogical expedition to Jerusalem; when they turn him down, the State steps in and asks them to follow. Ramses is already on a dig in Palestine. The history is fascinating and different than usual, and Peters gives the characters gentle pushes towards the politics they may later hold.
YAAAAAY!
April 14, 2010
I really love the Amelia Peabody series, and this book was satisfying in that it's always nice to read Amelia's "voice." This book was interesting in that it takes place mainly in Palestine instead of familiar Egypt, and while I enjoyed seeing Amelia and family in different scenery, I was disappointed by the relative lack of archeology in the mystery...I would have liked to spend more time on a dig. I also can't say I'm crazy about Peters' attempts, in her later books, to revisit those times before Ramses and Nefret settled their relationship, apparently in an effort to recapture the romantic tension between them in the earlier books. I feel like that particular ship has sailed. I was really impressed by the way this series managed to create two generations of satisfying romantic relationships through the earlier books (culminating brilliantly in Falcon At The Portal and He Shall Thunder In the Sky), but I feel like she's kind of run out of steam on the relationship side of these stories now that all of the main characters are settled down.
August 11, 2012
Great Amelia Peabody Emerson adventure. This book goes back in time before Ramses and Nefret are married. The family is in the Ottoman Empire and embroiled in intrigue and spy vs. spy. The villains are particularly vicious--a team of a german woman and an indian who was educated in England. Ramses unwittingly discovers a clue that would ruin their plot to undermine relations in the region--Ramses is kidnapped and David tries to rescue him. Amelia and Emerson are not far away, in Jerusalem, and Amelia is busy figuring out who the spies are and confronting them. Emerson makes a discovery of Egyptian significance only to have it stolen. There is plenty of humor in this episode--the crazy Mr. Papagopolis keeps everyone wondering what is going on. Fun read. I hope EP writes another book that gives Ramses' twins, David John and Charlotte, a chance to be involved in a Archaelogical Murder Mystery and Abdullah can come to Amelia and say "Every year, another dead body".
June 25, 2017
I dislike books that skip between several viewpoints. I don't like being taken away from a story just when I'm getting into it! Still, I really enjoyed this book and finished it very quickly.
I've revisited it reading or listening and I find it holds up very well. One of many joys of this series is how Amelia interacts with the children as they grow up. She likes and respects Ramses, for instance, but he'll always be her little boy and sometimes her desire to protect and order him around overcomes her. I don't know of another series that manages to follow a family this long, maintain the characters personalities and yet portray how the relationship changes as time goes on.
I've revisited it reading or listening and I find it holds up very well. One of many joys of this series is how Amelia interacts with the children as they grow up. She likes and respects Ramses, for instance, but he'll always be her little boy and sometimes her desire to protect and order him around overcomes her. I don't know of another series that manages to follow a family this long, maintain the characters personalities and yet portray how the relationship changes as time goes on.
April 19, 2017
In which the Peabody-Emersons are embroiled in Middle Eastern politics and follow an Indiana Jones type quest in the Holy Land. Tensions are mounting between Britain and Germany and war is coming. Emerson is contacted by the War Office to follow an adventurer archaeologist to Palestine to determine whether he is a German spy. Emerson and Amelia think Morley is more likely an adventurer seeing a Holy relic than a German spy. Still, a trained archeologist has to supervise the dig and who better than the greatest archaeologist of his or any other age? Ramses is off on a dig elsewhere in Palestine and finds himself a target of violence. He suspects a family enemy is after him but soon finds himself personally involved in the game his parents were meant to play. The Peabody-Emersons are joined by a religious fanatic who believes himself a reincarnation of ancient Biblical prophets. Emerson pooh-poohs all organized religion and wants nothing to do with any Holy relics, false prophets or any Biblical sites. Amelia, of course, has other ideas!
This is my least favorite of the series to date. My views are closer to Emerson's and even if they weren't, the mystery is flat. It lacks much of what makes the series charming and the exoticness of Ancient Egypt. I hear and read about turmoil in the Middle East almost every day in the news. It is important to know how, when and why the region is the way it is now. The author gives Amelia and family wise and strong views against imperialism. I wasn't interested in the Holy Land sights or a search for the Ark of the Covenant (it's in Ethiopia during WWII in Black Dove, White Raven). The Emersons do little excavating and more investigating. For a change, I found myself more interested in Manuscript H, the story told from the point-of-view of Ramses. His adventure was fraught with tension and generated a lot of questions about where the plot was going. Ramses doesn't have time to brood over Nefret and it shows how he has matured. I also liked seeing how close Ramses and David are.
Amelia takes the lead in investigating the supposed German spy. She also wants to get in some sightseeing of the Holy Land. She's a bit of a hypocrite. Now she fully supports a marriage between David and Lia and blames others for being opposed. This time at least, she's among fellow Christians in addition to Muslims and Jews so her usual sanctimonious behavior is toned down a bit. She gets to wield her trusty parasol again, which is always fun. I love that thing! Emerson doesn't have much to do except bluster and intimidate anyone who isn't a professional scholar. Nefret has even less of a role in this book. She's very sweet and lovely but flat in this book.
The new characters are either charlatans, villains or possibly dupes. I won't tell you which is which, just a bit about them. Frau von Eine, a mysterious and very beautiful German archeologist is one of the chief characters. She's very intelligent and shrewd. Whether she is telling the truth or not is difficult to tell, even for Ramses. Her manservant/fellow traveler, Mansur, is more than a bodyguard. He's also quite shrewd and trained in combat and psychological torture. What his plan is might surprise you. He's a complicated character. Major the Honorable George Morley is an amateur archeologist and a devout Christian infused probably with a sense of British imperialism. Either that or he's a German spy. Rev. Plato Panagopoulos is a religious fanatic who believes he is an ancient prophet. Pick one and at any given moment he falls into a religious trance. He provides a lot of the humor in the novel. I found him funny, Emerson found him annoying and the ladies found him sympathetic. I was surprised by the revelations about him.
I can't wait for the Peabody-Emersons to return to Egypt! I'm starting the next volume in chronological order right now.
This is my least favorite of the series to date. My views are closer to Emerson's and even if they weren't, the mystery is flat. It lacks much of what makes the series charming and the exoticness of Ancient Egypt. I hear and read about turmoil in the Middle East almost every day in the news. It is important to know how, when and why the region is the way it is now. The author gives Amelia and family wise and strong views against imperialism. I wasn't interested in the Holy Land sights or a search for the Ark of the Covenant (it's in Ethiopia during WWII in Black Dove, White Raven). The Emersons do little excavating and more investigating. For a change, I found myself more interested in Manuscript H, the story told from the point-of-view of Ramses. His adventure was fraught with tension and generated a lot of questions about where the plot was going. Ramses doesn't have time to brood over Nefret and it shows how he has matured. I also liked seeing how close Ramses and David are.
Amelia takes the lead in investigating the supposed German spy. She also wants to get in some sightseeing of the Holy Land. She's a bit of a hypocrite. Now she fully supports a marriage between David and Lia and blames others for being opposed. This time at least, she's among fellow Christians in addition to Muslims and Jews so her usual sanctimonious behavior is toned down a bit. She gets to wield her trusty parasol again, which is always fun. I love that thing! Emerson doesn't have much to do except bluster and intimidate anyone who isn't a professional scholar. Nefret has even less of a role in this book. She's very sweet and lovely but flat in this book.
The new characters are either charlatans, villains or possibly dupes. I won't tell you which is which, just a bit about them. Frau von Eine, a mysterious and very beautiful German archeologist is one of the chief characters. She's very intelligent and shrewd. Whether she is telling the truth or not is difficult to tell, even for Ramses. Her manservant/fellow traveler, Mansur, is more than a bodyguard. He's also quite shrewd and trained in combat and psychological torture. What his plan is might surprise you. He's a complicated character. Major the Honorable George Morley is an amateur archeologist and a devout Christian infused probably with a sense of British imperialism. Either that or he's a German spy. Rev. Plato Panagopoulos is a religious fanatic who believes he is an ancient prophet. Pick one and at any given moment he falls into a religious trance. He provides a lot of the humor in the novel. I found him funny, Emerson found him annoying and the ladies found him sympathetic. I was surprised by the revelations about him.
I can't wait for the Peabody-Emersons to return to Egypt! I'm starting the next volume in chronological order right now.
August 3, 2020
That was one of the least successful novels in the series for me. Everything felt off. The plot was of an insane magnitude but what I love most about these books is the family life and there was little of that. I know it's going back in time but seeing Nefret as Ramses's sister again was shocking. I know when I reread this series I'll have to do it chronologically of not at all.
This concludes my reading of the Amelia Peabody series. I'm emotional and I'm disappointed that it didn't get a proper send-off (I couldn't finish The Painted Queen, I thought the writing was very weak). I wish we could have had a tidy ending, a gorgeous farewell to these beloved characters but at least now I can add them to my collection and reread them forever. What a journey it's been and how fitting that I should finish this on a sweltering August day that makes it so easy to daydream of Egypt. I'm so grateful for these books and obviously would have a lot to say. All I can manage right now is this - I'll be coming back to them often for sure, this is only the beginning.
This concludes my reading of the Amelia Peabody series. I'm emotional and I'm disappointed that it didn't get a proper send-off (I couldn't finish The Painted Queen, I thought the writing was very weak). I wish we could have had a tidy ending, a gorgeous farewell to these beloved characters but at least now I can add them to my collection and reread them forever. What a journey it's been and how fitting that I should finish this on a sweltering August day that makes it so easy to daydream of Egypt. I'm so grateful for these books and obviously would have a lot to say. All I can manage right now is this - I'll be coming back to them often for sure, this is only the beginning.
August 17, 2019
Now this is different. In 1910 Peabody and her husband Emerson and family are in Palestine investigating the criminal activities of a pseudo-archaeologist and his cohorts.
October 6, 2020
To be honest, I mostly forget the plots of these Amelia Peabody mysteries almost as soon as I finish the book, but I still enjoy each one thoroughly. This one was no exception, and interesting in that the Emersons deviate from their usual Egypt habit and undertake an adventure in Palestine.
August 28, 2018
Vol. 12 // Vol. 13 // Vol. 14 // Vol. 15 // Vol. 16 // Vol. 17 // Vol. 18
Note: I never wrote reviews for books 1 - 11, so I didn't both to link them. Needless to say, I rated them all 5 stars.
Spoilers for books 1 - 18
After finishing up the last of the chronological series, it was so nice to go back in time to one of the “missing” Emerson-Peabody years. I especially love anything that goes back before Ramses and Nefret have children, because if I’m honest, I’m really not that fond of their kids.
In the same vein, however, of The Tomb of the Golden Bird, this one wasn’t my favorite. I missed Egypt, and while I actually do find biblical archaeology fascinating, there was barely any archaeology to be had. They mystery plot was intriguing, and I loved Ramses’ POV especially, but I felt like the novel ended too soon. There was so much more to explore - another 100 pages at least! Overall, it felt rushed, and maybe not quite up to snuff with the snappiness of the earlier novels.
So why the five stars? Because I am hopelessly biased with this series. They will always be five star reads to me, because nothing gives me greater comfort than disappearing with Amelia to a far off desert for a little while. And because, when this one came out, Elizabeth Peters was 83. So, props where props are due. I hope to still be able to string a comprehensive sentence together at 83, much less an entire novel.
Now I only have The Painted Queen left (which I have been putting off for sure) and it’s all over. *sigh* But I guess that just means I’ll have to start from the beginning all over again
June 4, 2010
The year is 1910, and Germany is trying to establish a foothold in the Ottoman Empire. The Emersons, except for Ramses, are at home in England. They are visited by would-be archeologist Major George Morley, who attempts to persuade Emerson to join him in searching for the Ark of the Convenant in Palestine. Additional pressure is applied by the British Intelligence Service, who suspect Morley is actually spying for Germany.
Emerson agrees to go to keep an eye on the Major, not because he thinks that Morley is allied with the Germans, but to prevent an inept excavation at the Temple Mount that would not only destroy historical artifacts, but incite riots by Christians, Muslims and Jews. Emerson, Amelia, Nefret and David leave for Palestine, arranging to meet Ramses upon arrival there.
Meanwhile, in Samaria, Ramses finds himself intrigued by visitors to his work site, a German lady archeologist and her companion, a man of unknown nationality and background. Suspecting there is more to them than meets the eye, his curiosity to discover their true purpose leads him into trouble… where David soon joins him.
There are things one can always expect from the Amelia Peabody series: the superbly drawn, familiar circle of the Emerson family and friends, that Peter’s extensive knowledge and research into the time period will add tremendously to the authenticity of her setting, and that, in moments of need, Amelia will always have her trusty parasol in hand.
As a huge fan of this series, I would agree with the reviews that state The River in the Sky is not as complex as some and if you haven’t read any of the series before, I don’t think I would start with this one. But I do highly recommend it as an enjoyable, engaging story. I usually listen to the audiobook version, and did so with River. Barbara Rosenblatt has an exquisite interpretation of each character. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the book.
Emerson agrees to go to keep an eye on the Major, not because he thinks that Morley is allied with the Germans, but to prevent an inept excavation at the Temple Mount that would not only destroy historical artifacts, but incite riots by Christians, Muslims and Jews. Emerson, Amelia, Nefret and David leave for Palestine, arranging to meet Ramses upon arrival there.
Meanwhile, in Samaria, Ramses finds himself intrigued by visitors to his work site, a German lady archeologist and her companion, a man of unknown nationality and background. Suspecting there is more to them than meets the eye, his curiosity to discover their true purpose leads him into trouble… where David soon joins him.
There are things one can always expect from the Amelia Peabody series: the superbly drawn, familiar circle of the Emerson family and friends, that Peter’s extensive knowledge and research into the time period will add tremendously to the authenticity of her setting, and that, in moments of need, Amelia will always have her trusty parasol in hand.
As a huge fan of this series, I would agree with the reviews that state The River in the Sky is not as complex as some and if you haven’t read any of the series before, I don’t think I would start with this one. But I do highly recommend it as an enjoyable, engaging story. I usually listen to the audiobook version, and did so with River. Barbara Rosenblatt has an exquisite interpretation of each character. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the book.
December 18, 2015
I base a lot of my enjoyment of this book, and this series, on my history with the characters of Amelia Peabody and Co. A long and cherished history because my obsession with Egypt and it's culture began with these characters, and this novelist. I can pinpoint the exact book (The Mummy Case (Amelia Peabody, #3)) that piqued my interest in tombs and mummies (ok, ok, my interest is probably also tied into my love/hate relationship with zombies) and dead Phaoroahs (Charlton Heston in The Ten Commandments, ha!). My love continues unabated and a highlight for me was when I traveled to Egypt and finally got to see the landscapes and peoples and treasures described by Ms. Peters and imagined by me for years and years and years. During this same trip, we also went to Jerusalem and so the fact that the second part of this book was set there was particularly enjoyable to read.
If you've never read this series, don't start here. This is technically published as #19, but chronologically is actually #12, between Guardian of the Horizon and The Falcon at the Portal, as a series of events that had previously been unreported. As she has done in her more recent Peabody novels, Ms. Peters writes large sections of this book from Ramses' perspective, labeled as "Manuscript H". I've always been a huge fan of Ramses, so getting his perspective is always a treat! The mystery itself was kind of slight and predictably Peabody-ish, but that is besides the point. If you are this far along in the series, the charm and joy you get from reading these books is from revisiting your beloved friends and spending time with them.
If you've never read this series, don't start here. This is technically published as #19, but chronologically is actually #12, between Guardian of the Horizon and The Falcon at the Portal, as a series of events that had previously been unreported. As she has done in her more recent Peabody novels, Ms. Peters writes large sections of this book from Ramses' perspective, labeled as "Manuscript H". I've always been a huge fan of Ramses, so getting his perspective is always a treat! The mystery itself was kind of slight and predictably Peabody-ish, but that is besides the point. If you are this far along in the series, the charm and joy you get from reading these books is from revisiting your beloved friends and spending time with them.
January 2, 2016
Thanks to Jamina's loan--and my slowed progress getting through this series--I am able to fit this book into the series (the story timeline) almost chronologically instead of reading those published before it first.
This one was just the right length and a very enjoyable read. A bit lighter than some of the other stories. It was fun to see the Emersons in what is now Israel for a change. Amelia and Emerson were particularly fun, and I really liked the Ramses sections. It had some twists and turns I didn't anticipate, although its real strength is in its characters.
This one was just the right length and a very enjoyable read. A bit lighter than some of the other stories. It was fun to see the Emersons in what is now Israel for a change. Amelia and Emerson were particularly fun, and I really liked the Ramses sections. It had some twists and turns I didn't anticipate, although its real strength is in its characters.
December 15, 2009
I got this early as an Advanced Reader's Copy to write a review. It was so exciting to read it before anyone else had their hands on it. But I'm not going to give away my review. You'll just have to wait.
November 17, 2016
Isn't is just like me to start a series with the LAST book currently published? I enjoyed it and felt like it could stand alone for people who haven't read the series (like me). I will be looking up more of these books.
January 25, 2022
An in-between story, 10.75, in the Amelia Peabody amateur sleuth historical mystery series (19 in publication order) and revolving around the Emersons heading to Jerusalem while Ramses is in Samaria. It's 1910 and two years since
Guardian of the Horizon
, 10.5.
My Take
I was disappointed with this one; it felt as though Peters had to get a novel out to fulfill a contract, and so she ran this one up. To be honest, if you skip this one, you won't be missing anything.
It is an interesting start noting that no one in the Emerson household adheres to the same religion and then it leads into Emerson pooh-poohing the stories in the Bible. I do have to agree with him, as the first stories in the New Testament were written down some 100 years after Jesus died. It's like the Conversation game where the sentence changes with every person to whom it's told. Peabody does note where some of the stories are based on historical facts. So there.
Hmm, Peabody does have moments of reality, especially when she considers that Ramses may have deliberately chosen a place where she can't get to him, lol. It does crack me up that everyone is afraid of Emerson, but everyone is terrified of Peabody, lol. Even the DMO!
There are times I feel the need of a map with all these archeological locations; I do enjoy the history behind these. Panagopolous believes he is the reincarnation of a number of historic people and has a story to go with each one. Fascinating AND disruptive.
I do love Emerson. He has no tact, is rude, and doesn't pretend an interest in anything or anyone who doesn't directly relate to his interests.
It's primarily first person protagonist point-of-view from Peabody's perspective, so most of the story is told through her eyes. Peters has included a third person protagonist point-of-view from Ramses' perspective — he's been off on his own, excavating, so this gives us his side of the story.
An underlying theme throughout the series has been a call for independence for the Middle East.
The Emersons do have a rude awakening in Jerusalem when they realize they have to negotiate with landowners to conduct a dig. Peabody does her usual setting up of a household.
A River in the Sky is a convoluted tale of spies filled with strong characters who challenge our polite perceptions of society and overwhelmed with kidnappings, attacks, close escapes, and betrayals.
The reveals at the end are fascinating and such small bits to influence all the previous actions. Phew.
The Story
Emerson has still not decided where he intends to dig. Until, that is, the War Department makes a request.
This year will see the Emersons heading to Jerusalem, intending to prevent a war and a catastrophically unprofessional excavation from destroying priceless historical finds and sparking an armed protest by infuriated Christians, Jews, and Muslims.
Meanwhile, Amelia's headstrong son, Ramses, working on a dig at Samaria, encounters an unusual party of travelers and makes a startling discovery — information that he must pass along to his parents in Jerusalem...if he can get there alive.
The Characters
The Emersons are noted for their contact with murderers, forgers, robbers, and a Master Criminal. Professor Radcliffe Emerson, a very focused archeologist, is also known as the Father of Curses . . . it's that temper of his. Amelia Peabody Emerson, a.k.a. the Sitt Hakim (Lady Doctor), is quite the suffragette who rules the roost. Dr Nefret Forth, their adopted daughter, who is known throughout Egypt as Nur Misur (the Light of Egypt), has been handy with a knife since the Lost Oasis. David Todros, Selim's and Fatima's nephew and a brilliant artist, is engaged to Lia Emerson, Walter and Evelyn's daughter. Walter "Ramses" Emerson, their son, a.k.a. the Brother of Demons, has a gift for languages, is trying to distance himself from Nefret. Do note that Ramses has a penchant for getting into trouble . . . and getting himself out again.
Walter, Emerson's younger brother, and Evelyn have several children. Lia is but one with the others including Raddie, the oldest son, and the twins, Willy and Johnny.
Kent, England
Amarna House is the Emersons' country home. There is a Cushite-style pyramid in the backyard marking Tabirka‘s burial place. Rose is their very efficient housekeeper, Gargery is the butler, and John is the dependable footman. Horus, a brindled cat who is a descendant of the cat Bastet, has adopted Nefret and hates everyone else, except kittens. Fatima is their cook/housekeeper in Luxor, Egypt.
George Goodbody is the local constable in Camberwell St Anne's Underhill. Mariah is George's wife. Dr Membrane is the local physician, more interested in if the patient can pay. Mrs Finney is the proprietress of the White Boar, a tavern and inn. Her cousin drives the local ambulance, a hay wagon.
England
King Edward now rules in England. General David Spencer is the DMO (the Directory of Military Operations) at the War Office. MO2 is the branch assigned to cover Europe and the Ottoman Empire. George Tushingham is a botanist.
Jerusalem is . . .
. . . overseen by Azmi Bey Pasha as governor for the Ottoman Empire. Bey Jarah, a.k.a. Ali Bey, is the commandant of the Turkish gendarmerie and acknowledges the Emersons' reputation for apprehending miscreants.
Major the Honorable George Morley, a treasure hunter, believes the Ark of the Covenant has been found. He'll need professional supervision. The Reverend Plato Panagopolous, a dreamer and part of the lunatic fringe of biblical scholarship, is not associated with any particular religion. Abdul Mohammed visits with Madame von Eine. The snooty Rabbi Ben Yeshuda disdains the Emersons' help.
Mr Fazah is the assistant manager of a hotel. Furman Ward is with the American Palestine Organization. Samuel Page is with the British Society for the Exploration of Palestine. Courtney Camden, who has knowledge of pottery, wishes to be hired by Emerson. Edmund Glazebrook is the British consul, who expelled Herbert Jenkins for swindling.
A part of Jerusalem is the village of Silwan where the Emersons intend to set up shop. Robinson, a British engineer, found a tunnel there. Selim is the Emersons' reis (foreman) which he inherited from his father, Abdullah. The huge and straightforward Daoud is/had been Abdullah's nephew and second-in-command. Abdul Kamir is an old friend of Emerson's. That man does get around! Yumma will become the cook. Ghada has an illegitimate child and does laundry. Safika is the housemaid.
Sethos is the Master Criminal, who usually shows up to save the day. Warren and Bliss had led previous excavations near the Temple Mount. Tal'at-ed-dam, a.k.a. Hill of Blood, is a handy ruin of a Crusader castle. Mr Boniface is the manager of the Temperance Hotel in Jaffa.
Sebaste, Samaria, is . . .
. . . a dig (with John the Baptist's tomb and a city built by Herod are the chief attractions) being led by Reisner, an American archeologist whom Emerson doesn't hate. Clarence Fisher is Reisner's second-in-command. Ramses is working here and under mysterious attacks. The excavation team includes the questioning Mitab and Yusuf who was one of the culprits.
The sloppy Schumacher had previously been in charge of the Samarian dig. Abdul Hamid intends to drive Ramses out of Samaria.
Ramses first encounters the insulting Madame von Eine, a specialist in Hittite remains. Ostensibly she worked for Winckler at the Boghazkoy dig. Mansur is her fellow traveler. Macomber had been one of Ramses' fellow students at Oxford; now he's part of von Eine's expedition.
The Sons of Abraham were . . .
. . . Isaac and Ishmael and is now an organization of Christians and Muslims who believe they are all brothers. Majida is a madame. Rabbi Ben Ezra is the helpful one.
Irag
Gertrude Bell, an interfering British traveler, is hated by the Iraqis.
The Ottoman Empire is . . .
. . . failing with the sultan only in power through the support of France and Britain who want to keep Germany (Kaiser Wilhelm II rules) and Russia out. Palestine and Syria are provinces.
A tell is the remains of one settlement atop another. Shapira and Parker were other treasure hunters. Carcemish is a British concession. Jesus is known as Issa by Muslims and considered a venerated prophet.
The Cover and Title
The cover is mostly burgundy with a deep colored sky, a bolt of lightning striking the on the left side of the golden domed six-sided temple. The walls of the temple are a light blue on the top and sand-colored on the bottom. At the top is an info blurb in white. The author's name is an embossed gold. To the right of the temple is a round, golden badge with a bit of advertising in black. Below the temple, sitting on a gradated reddish pink to burgundy ground is the title in white with a black outline. Below that, at the very bottom, is the series info in yellow.
The title is what a pharaoh had called the frequent rainfall of Palestine, A River in the Sky, a Nile in the sky provided by a thoughtful god.
My Take
I was disappointed with this one; it felt as though Peters had to get a novel out to fulfill a contract, and so she ran this one up. To be honest, if you skip this one, you won't be missing anything.
It is an interesting start noting that no one in the Emerson household adheres to the same religion and then it leads into Emerson pooh-poohing the stories in the Bible. I do have to agree with him, as the first stories in the New Testament were written down some 100 years after Jesus died. It's like the Conversation game where the sentence changes with every person to whom it's told. Peabody does note where some of the stories are based on historical facts. So there.
Hmm, Peabody does have moments of reality, especially when she considers that Ramses may have deliberately chosen a place where she can't get to him, lol. It does crack me up that everyone is afraid of Emerson, but everyone is terrified of Peabody, lol. Even the DMO!
There are times I feel the need of a map with all these archeological locations; I do enjoy the history behind these. Panagopolous believes he is the reincarnation of a number of historic people and has a story to go with each one. Fascinating AND disruptive.
I do love Emerson. He has no tact, is rude, and doesn't pretend an interest in anything or anyone who doesn't directly relate to his interests.
It's primarily first person protagonist point-of-view from Peabody's perspective, so most of the story is told through her eyes. Peters has included a third person protagonist point-of-view from Ramses' perspective — he's been off on his own, excavating, so this gives us his side of the story.
An underlying theme throughout the series has been a call for independence for the Middle East.
The Emersons do have a rude awakening in Jerusalem when they realize they have to negotiate with landowners to conduct a dig. Peabody does her usual setting up of a household.
A River in the Sky is a convoluted tale of spies filled with strong characters who challenge our polite perceptions of society and overwhelmed with kidnappings, attacks, close escapes, and betrayals.
The reveals at the end are fascinating and such small bits to influence all the previous actions. Phew.
The Story
Emerson has still not decided where he intends to dig. Until, that is, the War Department makes a request.
This year will see the Emersons heading to Jerusalem, intending to prevent a war and a catastrophically unprofessional excavation from destroying priceless historical finds and sparking an armed protest by infuriated Christians, Jews, and Muslims.
Meanwhile, Amelia's headstrong son, Ramses, working on a dig at Samaria, encounters an unusual party of travelers and makes a startling discovery — information that he must pass along to his parents in Jerusalem...if he can get there alive.
The Characters
The Emersons are noted for their contact with murderers, forgers, robbers, and a Master Criminal. Professor Radcliffe Emerson, a very focused archeologist, is also known as the Father of Curses . . . it's that temper of his. Amelia Peabody Emerson, a.k.a. the Sitt Hakim (Lady Doctor), is quite the suffragette who rules the roost. Dr Nefret Forth, their adopted daughter, who is known throughout Egypt as Nur Misur (the Light of Egypt), has been handy with a knife since the Lost Oasis. David Todros, Selim's and Fatima's nephew and a brilliant artist, is engaged to Lia Emerson, Walter and Evelyn's daughter. Walter "Ramses" Emerson, their son, a.k.a. the Brother of Demons, has a gift for languages, is trying to distance himself from Nefret. Do note that Ramses has a penchant for getting into trouble . . . and getting himself out again.
Walter, Emerson's younger brother, and Evelyn have several children. Lia is but one with the others including Raddie, the oldest son, and the twins, Willy and Johnny.
Kent, England
Amarna House is the Emersons' country home. There is a Cushite-style pyramid in the backyard marking Tabirka‘s burial place. Rose is their very efficient housekeeper, Gargery is the butler, and John is the dependable footman. Horus, a brindled cat who is a descendant of the cat Bastet, has adopted Nefret and hates everyone else, except kittens. Fatima is their cook/housekeeper in Luxor, Egypt.
George Goodbody is the local constable in Camberwell St Anne's Underhill. Mariah is George's wife. Dr Membrane is the local physician, more interested in if the patient can pay. Mrs Finney is the proprietress of the White Boar, a tavern and inn. Her cousin drives the local ambulance, a hay wagon.
England
King Edward now rules in England. General David Spencer is the DMO (the Directory of Military Operations) at the War Office. MO2 is the branch assigned to cover Europe and the Ottoman Empire. George Tushingham is a botanist.
Jerusalem is . . .
. . . overseen by Azmi Bey Pasha as governor for the Ottoman Empire. Bey Jarah, a.k.a. Ali Bey, is the commandant of the Turkish gendarmerie and acknowledges the Emersons' reputation for apprehending miscreants.
Major the Honorable George Morley, a treasure hunter, believes the Ark of the Covenant has been found. He'll need professional supervision. The Reverend Plato Panagopolous, a dreamer and part of the lunatic fringe of biblical scholarship, is not associated with any particular religion. Abdul Mohammed visits with Madame von Eine. The snooty Rabbi Ben Yeshuda disdains the Emersons' help.
Mr Fazah is the assistant manager of a hotel. Furman Ward is with the American Palestine Organization. Samuel Page is with the British Society for the Exploration of Palestine. Courtney Camden, who has knowledge of pottery, wishes to be hired by Emerson. Edmund Glazebrook is the British consul, who expelled Herbert Jenkins for swindling.
A part of Jerusalem is the village of Silwan where the Emersons intend to set up shop. Robinson, a British engineer, found a tunnel there. Selim is the Emersons' reis (foreman) which he inherited from his father, Abdullah. The huge and straightforward Daoud is/had been Abdullah's nephew and second-in-command. Abdul Kamir is an old friend of Emerson's. That man does get around! Yumma will become the cook. Ghada has an illegitimate child and does laundry. Safika is the housemaid.
Sethos is the Master Criminal, who usually shows up to save the day. Warren and Bliss had led previous excavations near the Temple Mount. Tal'at-ed-dam, a.k.a. Hill of Blood, is a handy ruin of a Crusader castle. Mr Boniface is the manager of the Temperance Hotel in Jaffa.
Sebaste, Samaria, is . . .
. . . a dig (with John the Baptist's tomb and a city built by Herod are the chief attractions) being led by Reisner, an American archeologist whom Emerson doesn't hate. Clarence Fisher is Reisner's second-in-command. Ramses is working here and under mysterious attacks. The excavation team includes the questioning Mitab and Yusuf who was one of the culprits.
The sloppy Schumacher had previously been in charge of the Samarian dig. Abdul Hamid intends to drive Ramses out of Samaria.
Ramses first encounters the insulting Madame von Eine, a specialist in Hittite remains. Ostensibly she worked for Winckler at the Boghazkoy dig. Mansur is her fellow traveler. Macomber had been one of Ramses' fellow students at Oxford; now he's part of von Eine's expedition.
The Sons of Abraham were . . .
. . . Isaac and Ishmael and is now an organization of Christians and Muslims who believe they are all brothers. Majida is a madame. Rabbi Ben Ezra is the helpful one.
Irag
Gertrude Bell, an interfering British traveler, is hated by the Iraqis.
The Ottoman Empire is . . .
. . . failing with the sultan only in power through the support of France and Britain who want to keep Germany (Kaiser Wilhelm II rules) and Russia out. Palestine and Syria are provinces.
A tell is the remains of one settlement atop another. Shapira and Parker were other treasure hunters. Carcemish is a British concession. Jesus is known as Issa by Muslims and considered a venerated prophet.
The Cover and Title
The cover is mostly burgundy with a deep colored sky, a bolt of lightning striking the on the left side of the golden domed six-sided temple. The walls of the temple are a light blue on the top and sand-colored on the bottom. At the top is an info blurb in white. The author's name is an embossed gold. To the right of the temple is a round, golden badge with a bit of advertising in black. Below the temple, sitting on a gradated reddish pink to burgundy ground is the title in white with a black outline. Below that, at the very bottom, is the series info in yellow.
The title is what a pharaoh had called the frequent rainfall of Palestine, A River in the Sky, a Nile in the sky provided by a thoughtful god.
March 28, 2025
A River in the Sky
4 Stars
The Emersons and their ward, Nefret Forth, travel to the Holy Land at the behest of British Intelligence to learn whether would-be archeologist Major George Morley, who seeks to locate the Ark of the Covenant, is actually a German spy. At the same time, Ramses Emerson stumbles across a dangerous conspiracy while on a dig in Samaria. Will he survive long enough to pass on the crucial information?
Series note: This is book #19 in publication order but book #12 in chronological order and is once again set during the "lost years".
The Amelia Peabody series is one of my favorite historical mysteries. Nevertheless, I approached this particular installment, which is set in Yaffo, Samaria, and Jerusalem during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, with some trepidation due to the very real possibility that Peters would find herself mired in the quicksand of the conflicts that characterize the region as well as the problematic antisemitic tropes that sometimes appear in works in this setting. Thankfully, my fears were unfounded as Peters handles the situations that arise with her customary wit, humor, and insight.
River in the Sky is one of the shorter additions to the series and, as such, has a more concisely plotted and faster-paced narrative. That said, it is more of a spy novel than a mystery. The villains are introduced early on and there is no question regarding their machinations. The focus, therefore, is primarily on how Amelia (1st person pov) and Ramses (3rd person pov) will thwart their malevolent agendas.
As always, Peters' characters are fantastic. Emerson is his usual rude, blustery self; Amelia tries valiantly to rein him in but fails miserably. Their repartee is, as always, hilarious. Ramses has matured into a self-assured and courageous young man, and his friendship with David is one of the highlights of the story. While there is little to no development in his relationship with Nefret, the change in their feelings for each other is apparent (Nefret has yet to recognize the reasons for the intensity of her emotions).
Overall, the captivating setting, action-packed plot, appealing characters, and excellent writing make this one of the most engaging installments in the series. We return to the regular publication timeline with the next book, The Falcon at the Portal.
4 Stars
The Emersons and their ward, Nefret Forth, travel to the Holy Land at the behest of British Intelligence to learn whether would-be archeologist Major George Morley, who seeks to locate the Ark of the Covenant, is actually a German spy. At the same time, Ramses Emerson stumbles across a dangerous conspiracy while on a dig in Samaria. Will he survive long enough to pass on the crucial information?
Series note: This is book #19 in publication order but book #12 in chronological order and is once again set during the "lost years".
The Amelia Peabody series is one of my favorite historical mysteries. Nevertheless, I approached this particular installment, which is set in Yaffo, Samaria, and Jerusalem during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, with some trepidation due to the very real possibility that Peters would find herself mired in the quicksand of the conflicts that characterize the region as well as the problematic antisemitic tropes that sometimes appear in works in this setting. Thankfully, my fears were unfounded as Peters handles the situations that arise with her customary wit, humor, and insight.
River in the Sky is one of the shorter additions to the series and, as such, has a more concisely plotted and faster-paced narrative. That said, it is more of a spy novel than a mystery. The villains are introduced early on and there is no question regarding their machinations. The focus, therefore, is primarily on how Amelia (1st person pov) and Ramses (3rd person pov) will thwart their malevolent agendas.
As always, Peters' characters are fantastic. Emerson is his usual rude, blustery self; Amelia tries valiantly to rein him in but fails miserably. Their repartee is, as always, hilarious. Ramses has matured into a self-assured and courageous young man, and his friendship with David is one of the highlights of the story. While there is little to no development in his relationship with Nefret, the change in their feelings for each other is apparent (Nefret has yet to recognize the reasons for the intensity of her emotions).
Overall, the captivating setting, action-packed plot, appealing characters, and excellent writing make this one of the most engaging installments in the series. We return to the regular publication timeline with the next book, The Falcon at the Portal.
June 3, 2025
Paying a visit to Egypt with Amelia, Emerson and their crew is always entertaining, so I was disappointed that this book took them to Jerusalem instead of Egypt. The 'boys' - Ramses and David - weren't involved until later in the book, and I missed them as well. It's hard to believe how they and Nefret have grown up and changed over the course of the series. Amelia and Emerson, though, were their usual selves, and I enjoyed the story.
There was a lot going on in this book with interwoven storylines that made everything even more complicated. As in the earlier books in this series, the reader is given a good chunk of the history of the area, but in manageable bits so it wasn't overwhelming. I wasn't sure if (or how) that would affect this story, but I tried to keep it all straight in my head.
We know relatively early on who the bad guy is, but it was worth the adventure to learn exactly what he was up to and why. Because of all the twists and turns, I gave up trying to figure it out and just followed along as Amelia, Emerson and the rest worked it all out.
I have been reading this series in chronological order rather than numerical, so although this is book #19 of a 20-book series, I still have several earlier books to read, and I'm glad about that :)
There was a lot going on in this book with interwoven storylines that made everything even more complicated. As in the earlier books in this series, the reader is given a good chunk of the history of the area, but in manageable bits so it wasn't overwhelming. I wasn't sure if (or how) that would affect this story, but I tried to keep it all straight in my head.
We know relatively early on who the bad guy is, but it was worth the adventure to learn exactly what he was up to and why. Because of all the twists and turns, I gave up trying to figure it out and just followed along as Amelia, Emerson and the rest worked it all out.
I have been reading this series in chronological order rather than numerical, so although this is book #19 of a 20-book series, I still have several earlier books to read, and I'm glad about that :)
October 15, 2017
Amelia Peabody and her husband Emerson are caught up in intrigue, this time traveling to Palestine and Jerusalem, to keep an eye on a German woman, and a would-be archaeologist Major Georg Morley. Meanwhile their son, working on another dig in Samaria, gets kidnapped because of something he may have heard and a piece of a clay tablet he's picked up.
Its all typical Amelia Peabody as the intrepid family -- known far and wide and therefore nothing they do is done quietly -- manages to muck up and solve the mystery. These books are always a bit of light hearted fun and a quick read. If reading is an escape, this book will sure take you away from the current day to a period when tea is always served and you dress for dinner, where the heroes are strong and handsome and save the day.
Its all typical Amelia Peabody as the intrepid family -- known far and wide and therefore nothing they do is done quietly -- manages to muck up and solve the mystery. These books are always a bit of light hearted fun and a quick read. If reading is an escape, this book will sure take you away from the current day to a period when tea is always served and you dress for dinner, where the heroes are strong and handsome and save the day.
December 15, 2019
August 1910, the world is on the brink of a World War and they have approached the Emerson's to go to Palestine to follow what is thought to a be spy for Germany. While this is happening, Ramses is already there and working, but when they notify the archaeologist in charge that they are coming and they would like Ramses to join them this puts a kidnapping of Ramses into place. David runs off to find Ramses and bring him back. There is so much intrigue happening and they still have to find out who is the main spy and the murderer.
These stories are interesting. What was good, was that the family is looking at Christian sites and still viewed as powerful by the people. They meet the Sons of Abraham.
These stories are interesting. What was good, was that the family is looking at Christian sites and still viewed as powerful by the people. They meet the Sons of Abraham.
August 28, 2019
So sad that this is the last of the series that Elizabeth Peters wrote in full. I love this series and I'm sad that my reread via audiobook is now over. If you've read the earlier books, you know what there is to love about these books. If you haven't, do yourself a favor and start at the beginning of the series. I have nothing to say that hasn't been said before. I love Amelia and Emerson and their family and look forward to doing another full series reread/re-listen in the future. Oh, and Barbara Rosenblat is a fantastic narrator. Even when I read the print version, I hear her voice for all of the characters in my head. She's amazing.
January 15, 2020
This was the last of the series! It never ceases to amaze me how captivating these stories are for me. How vivid in detail and in my minds eye. I've listened to the majority of the series in audio book format narrated by Barbara Rosenblatt. It is truly superb.
Few books out there share this level of sophistication. A uniquely eloquent use of the English language, short and interesting history lessons pertaining to Egypt and the Middle East, Egyptology and archaeological methods and damaging faux-pas. Intriguing murder/ mysteries and beautifully written family dynamics encompassing love, frustration and loyalty of the highest degree.
I am definitely richer for having met Amelia Peabody and the Emerson Family.
Few books out there share this level of sophistication. A uniquely eloquent use of the English language, short and interesting history lessons pertaining to Egypt and the Middle East, Egyptology and archaeological methods and damaging faux-pas. Intriguing murder/ mysteries and beautifully written family dynamics encompassing love, frustration and loyalty of the highest degree.
I am definitely richer for having met Amelia Peabody and the Emerson Family.
September 8, 2022
This is the penultimate Amelia Peabody, and the last one author Elizabeth Peters wrote by herself.
This one returns to the pre-WWI time period, so there is plenty of espionage, secrecy, and shadowy groups. The major plot twist--no worries, this is not a spoiler--is that this book takes place (for the most part--it starts in England) in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas.
Although the setting is different, our beloved characters--Peabody, Emerson, Nefret, Ramses, David, Selim, and Daoud--are all their wonderful selves.
This one returns to the pre-WWI time period, so there is plenty of espionage, secrecy, and shadowy groups. The major plot twist--no worries, this is not a spoiler--is that this book takes place (for the most part--it starts in England) in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas.
Although the setting is different, our beloved characters--Peabody, Emerson, Nefret, Ramses, David, Selim, and Daoud--are all their wonderful selves.
January 21, 2022
This is the first time I've included this book in my regular re-read of the Amelia Peabody mysteries. As with the previous entry, this was written much later and filled in some empty holes in the "missing years." Since I enjoyed the last book, I decided to give this one a try. I listened to it in audio and enjoyed it much more than I remembered. While it's not my favorite in the series, there's a rather convoluted msytery -- or two -- included in the book. Instead of Egypt, this one takes place in Samaria and Palestine. I will definitely include it in future rereads.
August 7, 2018
A definite improvement on Guardian of the Horizon but still not to the standards of the chronologically written books. Highlights include poor Amelia having to deal Emerson's cynicism towards religion while in the Holy City and Ramses poor employers not even objecting to Emerson's highhanded commandeering of their employee - Just on you go Ramses - before your family turns up.
October 30, 2019
The last one 😢. I’m going to miss Peabody.
January 5, 2020
A wonderful final book. “Home- to Egypt.”
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