ASR: Synopses of Amelia Peabody Books

Synopses

The Curse of the Pharoahs - When Lady Baskerville's husband Sir Henry dies after discovering whay may be an undisturbed royal tomb in Luxor, she appeals to eminent archaeologist Radcliffe Emerson and his wife Amelia to take over the excavation. Amid rumors of a curse haunting all those involved with the dig, the intrepid couple proceeds to Egypt, where they begin to suspect that Sir Henry did not die a natural death, and they are confident that the accidents that plague the dig are caused by a sinister human element, not a pharoah's curse.

The Mummy Case - Amelia and Emerson bring their young son Ramses along on this adventure, where they find themselves investigating the mysterious death of a dealer in illegal antiquities. Before long, mummy cases start appearing and disappearing and a second murder complicates the mystery. When it becomes clear that a Master Criminal is behind the mysterious goings on, Amelia determines to unmask the dastardly mastermind.

Lion in the Valley - Amelia finally gets her wish--she is returning to Egypt with her beloved husband and colleague in archaeology, Emerson, to excavate a pyramid. However, her excavation is quickly complicated by a disguised nobleman, distressed damsels, and a brilliant (and dashing!) Master Criminal. Amelia, with a pyramid to explore and a mystery to solve, is in her element.

The Deeds of the Disturber - This time Amelia doesn't need to leave England to find murder and mayhem. When a night watchman at the British Museum dies with a terrified expression on his face in front of a "haunted" mummy case, Amelia knows she needs to get to the bottom of it.

The Last Camel Died at Noon - In this affectionate tribute to H. Rider Haggard (King Solomons' Mines) the Emerson family heads to the Sudan for the season, following an ancient map they hope will lead them to a secret oasis. What they find is one of the most perilous adventures of their lives.

The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog - The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog - With the children at home in England pursuing their studies, Amelia and Emerson head back to Amarna for a dig that promises to be just like old times. The trip turns out to be more like old times than they plan, however; Emerson's memory disappears, and Amelia must try to win his love again, amid peril from enemies both old and new!

The Hippopotamus Pool - Popular, plucky 19th-century Egyptologist Amelia Peabody romps through her eighth archaeological adventure. When Amelia, her husband Emerson, and their 13-year-old son Ramses return to Egypt to begin excavation on an undisturbed Royal Tomb, they find themselves faced with a surprising new villain who is every bit as clever and resourceful as the intrepid Amelia herself!

Seeing A Large Cat - Peabody and Emerson receive a warning: "Stay away from tomb Twenty-A!". Along the way to solving the mystery, the Emersons meet a spoiled young woman, an overprotective father, and an intelligent con artist, in addition to discovering that Ramses has grown from a precocious child to a teenage heartthrob. Ramses strikes out with his adopted cousin David and beautiful Nefret on adventures that are best not known to anybody...especially Amelia.
Special thanks to Lee for the Seeing a Large Cat synopsis!

The Ape Who Guards the Balance has all the elements necessary for a classic Amelia Peabody mystery: a dead body (mauled by crocodiles?), young lovers, a reunion of old friends...and enemies, archaeological discoveries, all recounted in Amelia's own inimitable style. Excerpts from Manuscript H and letters from Nefret provide another perspective on the great detective and Egyptolologist.
The Falcon at the Portal: David is accused of forging antiquities, and the Emerson clan springs into action to help clear his name. The romantic tension between Ramses and Nefret finally comes to a head, a body is discovered at Emerson's excavation site, and the obnoxious cousin Percy reappears. Again, narrated in the initimitable Amelia style, with excerpts from Manuscript H and letters from Nefret.

He Shall Thunder in the Sky : It is 1914, the Emersons are in Egypt for another dig, and the existing tensions within the family are heightened by World War I, and the threat of the invasion into Egypt by the Ottoman Turks.  A dangerous game of spy vs. spy ensues,  complete with deceit, deception, and disinformation.

Lord of the Silent: The year is 1915, and the Emersons return to Egypt to excavate (as Emerson believes that is more important than fighting a war with Germany). As usual with the Emersons, they become involved in solving a mystery involving tomb robberies, and reuinting with old friends...and enemies.
 
 

  The Golden One - The Emerson family is back in their 14th adventure, set once again in their beloved Egypt. Finding dead bodies in tombs is to be expected, but when the tomb in question is for an ancient Egyptian, and the body in question is comparably fresh and obviously met with foul play, the Emersons are on the case. In the meantime, with World War I still raging, Ramses is called back to duty with British Intelligence, to match wits with a man who may or may not be the mysterious Sethos.

 Children of the Storm - As the Emersons welcome the end of the war, not to mention the next generation of their family, trouble is afoot from a new and formidable villain. Antiquities theft, mysterious deaths, and an appearance by the goddess Hathor draw the Emersons into their 15th adventure, and help arrives in an unexpected form.
 
  Guardian of the Horizon - The recently rediscovered missing journal of the 1907-1908 expedition. Following a mysterious summons, the Emersons travel to the Lost Oasis. Unbeknowst to them, they are being lured to the Oasis under false pretences, which places their lives in mortal peril. 

   Serpent on the Crown: Coming March 2005.

Credits
Egyptian clip art courtesy of Neferchichi's Egypt Clip Art.