A River in the Sky
Ratings8
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings8
Average rating3.8
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.
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Despite this addition to the series being atypical (not taking place in Egypt, not having much archeological excavation, not nearly as long as the others), I rather enjoyed it. Peters was near the end of her life when writing this one, and I am impressed at her ability to write so well late into her life. I think it would have been better when read chronologically, as it is kind of a side adventure, but the plot was solid. The characters have had more charm and Sethos is sadly missing, but I enjoyed it all nevertheless.
This is actually quite a different Amelia Peabody and Co. mystery than usual. We've traded in the usual Egypt for Palestine. There is less archaeology and more spies. There is also a good deal more narrated from Ramses' point of view than all except the chronologically newest books. I have heard some people being a little upset by all this, but it was honestly very timely for me. I loved the spy aspect in this story and how well it ties into Ramses and David's characters.
I really only had two, very small, problems. One was that I wished the characters had been all together for more of the book. They were split up for a good portion of it, the story being told both from Amelia and Ramses point of view. Also, my other complaint would be that I missed Egypt. I do understand why this story wasn't in Egypt, but it's obvious that no one - not the characters and not even Ms. P. herself - is as interested in Palestine as Egypt.
(Originally posted on my blog: http://pagesofstarlight.blogspot.com/)
Featured Series
19 primary booksAmelia Peabody is a 19-book series with 19 primary works first released in 1975 with contributions by Elizabeth Peters and Joan Hess.
