Lion in the Valley

I enjoy this one somewhat less than the preceding book, [b:The Mummy Case 9810644 The Mummy Case Elizabeth Peters https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1396184059l/9810644.SY75.jpg 2570337]. It's mildly amusing, but even Ramses is less funny this time. There's another convoluted mystery, I'm not particularly keen on the new characters we meet, and in particular I'm not keen on Sethos—who will, unfortunately, appear again later.Although Ramses is only 8 or 9 years old, he seems to be starting to take a tentative interest in the female of the species—specifically, in Miss Debenham, who's young but adult.The book gets its 3 stars by being sufficiently entertaining to be rereadable occasionally. However, if I wanted to read the highlights of the series, I think I'd skip this one.

This is number four in the Amelia Peabody series and perhaps my favorite so far. Each book in the series seems to follow the same formula but at least it is an entertaining one. I did not guess the culprit this time, like in the previous ones, though the identity of the Master Criminal is not truly revealed anyway. The end was a bit melodramatic and unbelievable, but I think that is the point. If anything I wish the ending had been a bit more cleanly written, like the rest of the book.

PS This series deserves a film adaptation. It has all the fun and adventure of Indiana Jones, with the additional few lessons about Egyptology.

Very cute. Truthfully, the plot is a little sillier than I expected given the 3 prior installments; people hiding beneath fake identities abound! This could have been a very charming slapstick movie in the 1930's.

One of the elements I miss in this novel is Egypt, despite the entire book being set in said country. It is barely there at all, which is something I liked about prior books in this series.

Of course, I really enjoy our plucky heroine, Amelia Peabody Emerson, and her family, although Ramses can be a bit annoying, which I imagine is the point. Elizabeth Peters' writing continues to crackle and amuse, so I shall definitely graduate to the subsequent book.