The Hippopotamus Pool

Another enjoyable installment of the Amelia Peabody series. These books should be read in order, for anyone who would dream of starting at the eighth book in a series. Otherwise the characters and plots that carry over from the last books are lost and I think anyone would end up hopelessly confused.

I enjoyed the new and evolving characters in this one, like Sir Edward and Nefret, and the fact that she brought back Walter and Evelyn. I also enjoyed the usual things—learning about Egyptology, chuckling at the banter, getting lost in the adventure of it all. This one didn't have as exciting a plot as some of the others but I still enjoyed it.

Like the previous book in this series, this one is more gripping than amusing. But this time everyone is assembled in Egypt: Ramses and Nefret are present, and Walter and Evelyn too. There is some serious archæology: a fascinating new tomb is discovered. But there are also menacing criminals to be dealt with.

A new character is introduced, the boy David.

I think this is one of the better books in the series, but I still hesitate to give it four stars. Three and a half, perhaps...