I have been a fan of
Elizabeth Peters ever since I first read Crocodile on the
Sandbank. In those days the books, being published in America,
were very difficult to get hold of. Now, thankfully, they are
published here as well, and appear at such frequent intervals that I
find I have missed several.
All the stories tell of the hair-raising
adventures of Amelia Peabody and her husband Radcliffe Emerson, a
celebrated Egyptologist. They start towards the end of the 19th
century and in the latest volume we are in the first World War.
Elizabeth Peters is an Egyptologist herself and all the historical
and archaeological details are very accurate. This is one of those
series where it is important to have read the preceding books - I
found myself at some disadvantage here.
Amelia, Emerson, their son Ramses and
daughter-in-law Nefret and their entourage of family retainers,
dependents and cats, arrive in Cairo in 1916 (having dodged the
U-boats on the way) en route to Luxor to begin a new excavation. In
the last book I read, Nefret was married to someone else who turned
out to be an utter cad, so I shall have to back-track on the last
few titles. Rumours are circulating about some illegally excavated
tombs on the west bank at Luxor, and the appearance of important
artefacts on the black market. As usual, Amelia and Emerson plunge
themselves enthusiastically into the low life of Cairo to see if
they can discover any clues. They are an adversarial as well as a
devoted married couple.
When the whole party moves to Luxor a few days
later, they quickly learn that Jamil, a renegade member of the large
Egyptian family that works for them in Luxor, has been involved in
the robberies. A cleared tomb is discovered in the so-called
Cemetery of the Monkeys, near to the Valley of the Kings. Inside is
the body of one of Jamil's confederates. After another robber, and
then Jamil himself, are killed, Emerson is convinced of the
existence of an important unplundered tomb in the vicinity.
In the middle of all this excitement, Ramses
is called upon by the British intelligence service to go on a
mission for them in Turkish occupied Gaza. (This is another hat he
wears from time to time).
Emerson, Amelia and Nefret insist on
accompanying him at least as far as the border. Emerson is equipped
with several disguises. Amelia is never without her trusty belt from
which dangle innumerable vital accessories, plus the umbrella with a
concealed sword in the handle. The secret service mission takes up a
large section of the book, and meanwhile the archaeological mystery
is left in suspense. I have to say I find this rather irritating.
Eventually they get back safely to their excavation at the workmen's
village of Deir el Medina, a site Amelia finds boring. (I'm sure if
I ever met her, I'd want to strangle her). In 1922 a French
expedition were to find here the most important cache of documents
about the lives of ordinary people in the whole of the ancient
world, but that is in the future. I will leave the reader to find
out whether the unplundered tomb is discovered.
The Golden One, like all the other
books in the series, is great fun. I do feel that it is rather
overburdened with incident and characters, including a brief
appearance of Emerson's rival archaeologist, Howard Carter. I hope
Elizabeth Peters keeps the books coming at least until his discovery
of the tomb of Tutankhamun. If this series is completely new to you,
do try to read it in order. |
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