What I Read in October 2015 Part IV

What I Read in October 2015 Part IV ...

Amelia Peabody Mysteries by Elizabeth Peters-- Historical Cozy Mysteries

The Hippopotamus Pool (Amelia Peabody #8)

For those of you who haven't read any other books in this series, Amelia kindly recaps the events that have brought her to this point (though she seems to fudge her age a bit!). The Emerson-Peabodys (all 4 of them) are back in Egypt to make a study of the lost royal tomb. Emerson and Amelia are approached by a mysterious man believing in reincarnation and insisting Emerson is a reincarnated Egyptian priest. Before the man can name his true purpose, he falls into a fit. By the time help arrives, Emerson is on the floor with a knock to the head and the man has disappeared. Their bad luck continues when they surprise a gang of thieves (or two) in the tomb. Emerson is certain the trail will lead him straight to the leading manufacturer of faked antiquities and Emerson is MAD. The Father of Curses and Sitt Hakim with her magic parasol rescue David, a young apprentice forger and are prepared to battle the bad guys. However, when the villains target Ramses and Nefret, the Emerson-Peabodys go on the war path. Meanwhile, more help his needed so they send for Evelyn and Walter, who are having a tough time dealing with the loss of their youngest child. They also hire Gertrude Marmaduke, an English spinster, as governess for Ramses and Nefret. Nefret is on the cusp of womanhood, dreaming of romance and Amelia is not prepared for courting just yet! The events that then transpire show the Emerson-Peabodys they are up against a ruthless villain and a network of criminals who will stop at nothing to get their treasure. Amelia sees strange coincidences between the fairy tale she is translating and real life, much as she did last winter. She and Emerson must join forces with their allies to keep the antiquities away from the villains and protect their family.

This plot moves slllloooowwwwly. It lacks the hook to bring the reader in like the last two did. 3/4 of the book is spent on mostly nothing important except excavating, worrying about the teenagers, and trying to put clues together. There isn't any real action until I was ready to shut down the computer and go to bed. Then I couldn't put it down. The problems seem to be solved a little too neatly. Old friends and old enemies return and there's also a new enemy who annoyed my greatly by being a stereotype. WHY does the Italian guy have to be the crime boss? There's a little too much teenage drama and siblings rivalry for my taste. Been there. Done that. Over it. I was surprised by the revelations at the end and like Amelia, I was a little bit impressed. There was also a great deal of confusing explanation of Egyptian culture I didn't really care about. It was forced into the story rather than being a part of the story.

I did love the characters in this story. Amelia is a lot more conventional than she realizes and she sometimes annoys me with her high moral attitude. Emerson is the same old Father of Curses as ever. He's more ignorant of social stuff and doesn't see what's happening with anything other than his tomb. I liked seeing Walter and Evelyn again in their element. Walter is WAY more conventional than Emerson and I love how Emerson finally notices and sets his brother straight on how to handle strong-minded women. Evelyn's character growth is spectacular. She is so sweet and loving but she also admires Amelia and is as strong and brave as her friend. I felt so sad for her and I hope she and Walter can work things out so they can have their domestic happiness and the work they love so much. Ramses is starting to learn to talk like a young gentleman and I kind of miss his long-winded speeches. They added some humor to the plot. I didn't like his teenage enthrallment with Nefret. I didn't like Nefret at first for acting like a typical teenage girl but she won my admiration by the end. I knew she would.

We also become reacquainted with Cyrus Vandergelt, who is a little too stereotypical "by golly!" Western for me but I found him very nice. I like Kevin O'Connell too for all his sensational stories. I think he does care for Amelia and pushes Emerson's buttons on purpose but would never print anything that would actually really hurt the Emerson-Peabodys. There's another old character who is quite remarkable in audacity and like Amelia I was torn between admiration and contempt.

The new characters include Gertrude Marmaduke, a typical British spinster of a certain age - or is she? I didn't trust her. Her information was inconsistent and she was never where she was supposed to be. She showed too much interest in Nefret and not enough in Emerson's work. I also mistrusted Sir Edward for the same reasons Amelia did. Emerson liked him though so I was confused about what to think. David, a young Arab boy, was also a bit of a mystery. I liked him because Ramses trusted him and because the kid had a tough life.

I have to take a break from this series until I have more free time to read them this winter. I'd like to continue but I don't need to know what happens next RIGHT NOW.



Seeing a Large Cat  (Amelia Peabody #9)

It's winter 1903 and the Emerson Peabodys are back in Egypt for the season. Ramses, now 16, spent the summer with sheikh Mohammad and came back a man! His new adult looks attract the attention of a young American lady in need of protection from a villain who wants to harm her father. Emerson has received a mysterious warning not to enter tomb 20A in the Valley of the Kings but Amelia is as curious as ever. They find themselves embroiled in the most bizarre mystery of their careers when they discover a very shocking secret in a tomb. Amelia also gets involved with the bogus practice of spiritualism at the request of an old friend. She sees a way to play matchmaker once again.

This was not the best story in the series. Heavy on mystery light on history/archaeology/Egyptology. It's also light on humor. At the very end there's a foreshadowing of WWI - 11 years in the future. Amelia also didn't get to wield her parasol as often as I would have liked. There's very little danger to the family until the very end and I'm so over teenage drama and the introduction of a southern belle annoyed the heck out of me. The plot just didn't interest me as much as some of the others - however - I did stay up very late reading 60% of the book in one night because it got interesting just as I was about to shut off the computer! One thing I did like was the unconventional way of telling the story. The "editor" notes that some volumes of the Emerson journals have been lost but fragments of another manuscript have been found. This Fragment H may have been written by Ramses in the third-person or by Nefret or even David. The readers gets the whole story with the third-person teenage story.

Way back when Ramses was 5 I found him annoying but I miss his youthful antics. They added some much-needed humor to the plot. I do not like this new mature Ramses. He's noble and brave but not as foolhardy as his parents. He grew up with Arabs and knows how to protect himself. He also has Nefret fussing over him like a mother hen and David to watch his back. Nefret is just like Amelia now! She cares little for what others think, less than what Amelia would prefer and Amelia has her hands full watching over the girl. I like David the best of the three teens. He's the strong, silent type and unlike the other two, he does care what others think of him and he's more cautious about rushing into danger. Amelia is not as annoying as she has been on occasion when dealing with the locals. She doesn't preach her Victorian morality on anyone this time. Emerson isn't quite as voluble this time around but he's as dedicated to his studies as ever and the battle of the sexes is waged again with Abdullah in the middle.

Other returning characters are Enid and Donald Fraser. I could have done without their marital drama. I laughed a bit at Amelia's very MODERN (unVictorian) advice for them. Their plot was a little out of place in the story and didn't really need to be set in Egypt or included in this novel.

New characters here include Dolly Bellingham, a spoiled southern belle stereotype who latches on to Ramses like a leech. I did not like her at all. She was so incredibly irritating - a real piece of work. She needs a firm hand to keep her in line. I don't think she's as dumb as she appears. Her father, Col. Bellingham, is a creepy old guy. For some pointless reason he's a veteran of the American Civil War but it doesn't shape his character. He could be any old, rich guy with a spoiled daughter from anywhere. Mrs. Jones is a great character. I admire her and liked her very much once we got to know her.

I'm not interested in reading more right now, especially with the foreshadowing of WWI but maybe this winter I will read more of the series.

What I Read in September 2015 Part VI/What I Read in October 2015 Part I

What I Read in September 2015 Part VI/What I Read in October 2015 Part I ...

Amelia Peabody Mysteries by Elizabeth Peters-- Historical Cozy Mysteries

Lion in the Valley (Amelia Peabody #4)

Amelia Peabody Emerson is back in Egypt with her family. Emerson has finally been given a pyramid to excavate. While still in Cairo, there's an attempt to kidnap Ramses and the wicked Prince Kalenischeff is murdered in the room of his inamorata and the lady is nowhere in sight! Amelia suspects the hand of the Master Criminal and feels it necessary to hire a bodyguard for Ramses. Emerson pooh-poohs the idea of catching the Master Criminal, if there is one, but agrees to hire a bodyguard to protect Ramses from his own curiosity. They hire Nemo, a drug-addicted beggar to watch over Ramses. Amelia has a motive-she means to reform Nemo. She's certain she knows the root of his troubles and can help.

I enjoyed this book a lot but I felt the love story was rather tedious and too similar to the plot of the first book in the series. I also disliked Amelia's high-handed moral methods. While I agree with her about Nemo's problem, I found her methods too heavy-handed but typical of Victorian moral codes. The mystery was engaging but not enough for me to stay up all night reading. I was able to put it down and pick it up again. There are a lot of funny moments - mostly with Ramses and Emerson's temper. I liked the lightness of it all. The language is so sophisticated I had to stop and read twice to understand the opening paragraph and I won't pretend that I always understand Ramses. I also appreciate Amelia and Emerson's relationship. It's nice to see a happily married couple and it's also a plus when their marital activities are implied rather than shown. (Thank you Amelia for being Victorian). I liked Ramses much better in this novel than the last. He's a bit irritating but at 8, he's less precocious than he was at 5 and more believable. To discuss the new major secondary characters would spoil the plot but I disliked all three of them. Two were whiny and silly and one was manipulative.

I can't wait to see what they get up to next. I wanted instant gratification but the library didn't have this one on e-book so I'm off to go get the print one right now. 

The Deeds of the Disturber  (Amelia Peabody #5)

Amelia, Emerson and Ramses return to England after their Egyptian adventure turned nightmare. They're greeted not just by Evelyn (in delicate condition again and Walter, but also Amelia's older brother James, who must want something. They're also greeted by the press with the sensational news story about a cursed mummy. The press naturally assumed Amelia and Emerson would be investigating. Emerson doesn't believe in curses and neither does Amelia but the mysterious appearance and disappearance of a lunatic masquerading as an Egyptian priest does get Amelia's attention. When she makes the acquaintance of a lady journalist, Amelia feels more compelled to investigate. Meanwhile, on the domestic front things are not going very well. Ramses is experimenting with mummification and there are two extra children in the house to cause more drama.

This novel did not excite or interest me as much as the Egyptian set books. The London setting was not as interesting and the mystery was fairly obvious. Of course I have read other Victorian mystery novels with similar plots so I had the advantage of knowing what the end would bring. I also figured out who the chief villain was before Amelia. She should have figured it out from the subtle clues. At first I thought it was someone else but then it became obvious to me who it was. I was a little surprised by some of the events in the big dramatic scene but not entirely. I also knew what was going on with the children and Amelia should have known based on her childhood experiences. I disliked how Amelia and Emerson HAVE to have marital relations EVERY single time they're alone. Amelia doesn't need to mention it every time. It gets tedious. I hated the jealousy that sprang up in Amelia. She should know that gentleman always have a past and it doesn't do to inquire too closely. It seemed out of character for her.

There are several new secondary characters and one returning secondary character. Kevin O'Connell is back and Amelia is as friendly as ever while Emerson is ready to throttle the man. I actually liked Kevin despite his sensational journalistic style. He's only doing his job. He's not the editor or owner of the paper. I liked Miss Minton at first. Her journalistic integrity needs work but I admire her for going out and getting a job on her own merit and succeeding. Then there's the young Lord Liverpool. He's suffering from a social disease and faced with his own mortality. Like Amelia, I felt rather sorry for him, but not really because he did bring the affliction on himself. He's not too bright, either because of the disease or in addition to it. His friend St. John sends off bad vibes. I didn't like him. There's also Mr. Budge from the British Museum, who isn't very bright or good at his job. Emerson's hatred of him is understandable. Then there's Budge's assistant Mr. Wilson. I feel bad for him because he's been taught the wrong thing. Finally, Ayesha, a mysterious Egyptian woman piques Amelia's curiosity. I didn't like her at first but when the full story came out, I felt sorry for her but I didn't like the affect she had on Amelia.

I'll read the next book in the series since they return to Egypt. I will grab it later this week or read the e-book if I run out of things to read.


The Last Camel Died at Noon  (Amelia Peabody #6)

The Emerson-Peabodys are back to their investigations. Since the British Army has pushed into the Sudan, Emerson insists they investigate the ancient city of Napata, which is thought to be a precursor to Egyptian civilization. Their plans are interrupted by yet another aristocrat. Lord Blacktower wants Emerson to find his long-lost son who disappeared in the Sudan 14 years ago. Lord Blacktower's grandson, Willoughby Forthright, believes his grandfather is crazy and the evidence presented is faked. Emerson knows at least one piece of evidence is real but he has no intentions of giving up his work or life in pursuit of the missing explorer. Of course events in the Sudan send the Emerson-Peabodys off on an adventure they never dreamed of and may never return from.

This is the most incredible, breathtaking adventure for the Emerson-Peabodys! It starts off with a bang. Amelia and family are lost in the desert, deserted by their servants who took off with food and water, and the last camel has died. Amelia then back tracks to tell us how they got there and what happens next. I could NOT put this book down. I had a hard time keeping all the country borders and ancient civilizations straight. I also didn't understand everything about the co-opting of ancient traditions but the illustrations helped. The political intrigue was complicated and felt a bit cliched. I wasn't entirely surprised by the big revelation at the end but what had happened was a surprise. The story dropped Willoughby Forthright and Amelia and Emerson didn't seem too concerned with him. He pops up again way too late. I had already forgotten him.

The one thing that really bugged me about Amelia and Emerson in this novel was that no matter how progressive they are, they are still strongly influenced by their Victorian British values and they try to impose those values on to a civilization that doesn't value the same things they do. That never ends well which the Emerson-Peabodys should know. Ramses is growing up and he's less loquacious. Now I have trouble distinguishing his speeches from his parents. I actually found myself missing the young precocious Ramses.

There are too many new characters to mention. To tell you what I think of them would spoil the plot. I wasn't thrilled with any of them and found them all hard to keep track of. I wasn't sure what they meant at the end about Lord Blackpool and what they intend to do about their unexpected discovery. I can't wait to see what they get up to next!

The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog  (Amelia Peabody #6)

Amelia and her dear sister-in-law Evelyn regret the romance has gone out of their lives, especially now their husbands are more interested in what they can learn from Nefret than anything else. Amelia hopes their upcoming expedition to Egypt will put the spark back in her relationship. This time Ramses as elected to stay at home and pursue an education (and to be with "HER" as he calls Nefret). Emerson has a new plan to return to their old dig sites and make a through study of each one. To do this, they would need a staff (including females!) and a permanent home. Though Amelia would rather excavate some place new, she sees the merit in Emerson's plan. She's also busy translating an Egyptian fairy tale "The Doomed Prince" and they've been asked by an old acquaintance of Emerson's to watch his cat Anubis while he's away. Abdullah fears the cat is a demon based on his name, but Emerson pooh-poohs the superstition. Unfortunately for Amelia, her instincts fail to warn her of impending danger. Before they really begin making a survey of past dig sites, mysterious events occur which place both Emersons in danger. When Amelia's beloved Emerson is abducted and hit on the head, Amelia vows to move heaven and hell to rescue him. Meanwhile, long letters from Ramses arrive detailing abduction attempts on himself and Nefret! Amelia has a lot to contend with but she will keep her family safe with her dying breath if she has to.

This is the best adventure yet! Despite Amelia's protests at starting with a sensational opening, she does so anyway. My heart couldn't stop pounding and I stayed up long long past my bedtime to find out how it turned out. I almost skipped ahead but the endings are so long winded with too much explanation, I didn't want to ruin the adventure. This one really put me (and the characters) through the wringer of emotions. My heart broke for Amelia that she felt the romance had gone out of her relationship, then she faces the worst and I just felt so bad for her. I was with her every step of the way as she fought to save her family. Despite the sad overtones, there is still quite a bit of humor. The letters from Ramses are very funny (unintentionally on his part) and lighten up the plot a bit. I was completely surprised by some of the revelations at the end. I never saw some of them coming though I did suspect the identity of the villain. My only complaint about this book is that some of the archaeological explanations are too long. I was interested in the plot more than being educated (sorry Amelia).

In this novel we are reacquainted with Cyrus Vandergelt, the American millionaire the Emerson-Peabodys met on an earlier expedition. I barely remembered him so it was a good reminder of who their allies are to stick him in the plot. His heart is as big as Texas and he's such a kind gentleman. Other new characters include Anubis, the cat. I'm not a cat person and I failed to be charmed by this hissing and ornery cat. Bastet seems like the sweetest kitty next to Anubis. His name is a clue to his personality, Anubis being the Egyptian devil-like creature. Then there's Bertha, a woman with a past who seeks refuge with Amelia and entourage. She's hard to figure out and I never really warmed up to her the way Amelia did. Then there's Vincey, an old acquaintance of Emerson's whom Emerson had reported for selling illegal antiquities. He wants to make amends and leave the past behind him but with a cat such as Anubis as his pet, I just didn't like him. Nefret also appears in this story, as told by Amelia and Ramses. She's a tough young lady who will always be unconventional but strong, like Amelia. I liked hearing about her adventures from Ramses. 

More reviews still to come!

What I Read in June 2015 Part VII

What I Read in June 2015 Part VII ...

Amelia Peabody Mysteries by Elizabeth Peters-- Historical Cozy Mysteries

Crocodile on the Sandbank

Miss Amelia Peabody, a thirty-one-year-old spinster finally has the freedom and money to travel. She decides to visit Egypt, which fascinated her antiquarian scholar father. Along the way, in Rome, she comes to the aid of a young woman lying in a dead faint. When the locals shun the young woman fearing disease, Amelia realizes the girl is suffering from hunger and exhaustion. The girl, Evelyn Barton-Forbes, was abandoned by her lover and disowned by her grandfather. She was about to take her own life when Amelia hires her as a companion. They travel to Egypt together on an historical tour. One night in Cairo, Amelia thinks she sees something unusual out the window. When they arrived in El Armana, they make the acquaintance of Radcliffe and Walter Emerson, noted archeologists. Emerson, as the elder brother is known, is the antithesis of the typical fortune-hunting archeologist. He cares deeply for the antiquities and the society he studies. He's also a misogynist and determined to butt heads with Amelia at every turn. When the English travelers receive a mysterious midnight visitor, the locals insist it's the spirit of the magician-priest mummy the archeologists had found. Emerson thinks the villagers is trying to scare the archeologists away so they can rob a rich tomb. Amelia thinks there is a more sinister motive when the mummy starts to target Evelyn.

I liked the plot of this book. It took awhile to really get into. There was too much exposition to get through. I knew the villain had to be one of two people or both but I couldn't quite connect the dots to how or why. The reveal wasn't a huge surprise but some of the details of the perfidy of the villain surprised me a bit - but my instincts had told me not to trust that person. The historical details are quite good. I don't know much about archeology and I only know a little bit about that part of the world from a little later time period. The author also includes details of fashion and how the fashions of the day were designed to keep women subservient. (She doesn't use that word but it's obvious every time Amelia is hampered by her skirts and wishes for trousers). That was mentioned one too many times. I wanted to yell - get a needle and thread and some sturdy canvas fabric and sew some! The mummy was frightening, but not so much for the reader who knows there must be a rational explanation, but frightening for the characters and for the reader who fears the characters may be in danger. The one thing that really bugged me about this book was the constant - historically accurate- belittling of the native Egyptians and the "Rule Britannia" mentality. Even Amelia had a lot of disparaging comments about the locals just because they follow a different set of superstitions/religion, are not as educated as Europeans and don't keep their homes in the same way. I know the attitude is historically and culturally correct but there were just too many of those comments. The only other thing I didn't like was the ending. It was cute and part of me was hoping for just such an ending but the other part of me- the part that strongly identified with her - didn't like it.

I really relate to Amelia, being a spinster of uncertain years like her, sensible, no-nonsense and intellectually curious. However, I found her just TOO modern for a Victorian woman. Would she even know to ask Evelyn that question or how to articulate it? I liked how she was so capable of taking care of herself and others but yet she was a managing female and sometimes I wished she would back off or shut up. I kind of sympathized with Emerson! Evelyn is very sweet and kind but her self-sacrificing nature annoyed me as much as it did Amelia and I also found her constant swooning very annoying. Her cousin Lucas comes across as a total fop. He loves wine and flattering women. He's typical of the English gentry of this period. I found him too nice to be likeable. He becomes more human later on. The Emerson brothers are the make equivalent of Amelia and Evelyn. Emerson is rough around the edges, no-nonsense and gruff, but his passion and dedication make him an enjoyable character - if not likeable. Walter isn't as fleshed out. We don't get to know him very well. He's nice, kind, has a sense of humor about his brother's personality and is an excellent linguist. He is basically Evelyn in trousers. I would have liked a little more about him.

Content: The romance/s is/are clean and kisses only, however, Evelyn is a fallen woman and Amelia asks her what it feels like to be with a lover.
There's some violence at the end but nothing too graphic.

I liked this story enough to want to read more about Amelia. I don't know if I will read the later books in the series but if I get attached to the characters enough I will.


The Curse of the Pharaohs 
When Lord Baskerville, a noted amateur archaeologist dies in Egypt, his widow chooses Emerson to carry on his mission. Naturally Emerson demurs - he can't leave Amelia or their beloved three-year-old holy terror Ramses - or can he? Emerson and Amelia are both bored with Victorian gentry life and miss the thrill of their work in the Middle East. They place Ramses in the loving Care of Evelyn and Walter's nursery and off they go. Amelia is certain that Lord Baskerville did not die of natural causes, for marked on his forehead was the Uraeus (the stylized, upright form of an Egyptian cobra used as a symbol of sovereignty, royalty, deity, and divine authority in ancient Egypt). There's also the small matter of his missing archeologist excavator. Emerson thinks there's nothing afoot and dismisses the native superstitions about Pharaohs' curses the English press, led by Kevin O'Connell, seem to enjoy. Amelia is determined to solve the mystery and prove herself to Emerson. She's also determined to play matchmaker and get to the bottom of a romantic triangle. Emerson wishes she'd just put safe and sound. This is one battle of the sexes that fans of the first book won't want to miss.

I liked this book so much more than the first one. There's more humor in it, for one thing, and the mystery was very hard to figure out. There are a large number of suspects in this story and I didn't figure it out. When I was up in the wee hours of the early morning, I had to skip ahead to find out who the murderer was before I could sleep. I was a little surprised at the reveal. The motive was very weak and the events that transpired seemed stupid in comparison to some of the other theories. The Egyptian history parts seemed based on King Tut's tomb, opened in the 1920s. There's less complicated facts thrown out at the reader because most of us are familiar with King Tut. Emerson and Amelia don't find him all that important or interesting in the grand scheme of things but their work is important in understanding and preserving Egyptian history so they persist. The Victorian British snobbery is present but toned down a lot from the first book so it's palatable for a modern audience.

The characters in this story are top-notch. Amelia is more human and more feminine. She still has a good head on her shoulders but she's strong-willed enough to defy her husband when he tries to keep her safe. She reminds me of Lady Julia Gray but more together. Amelia has some very funny scenes. I just love the relationship between Amelia and Emerson. We get to know him much better in this book. He has some hidden depths that only Amelia sees regularly. He surprised me. Amelia and Emerson are a very loving couple but anything more than kisses and buttons popping is fade to black. Their son, Ramses, takes the cake. He is so precocious and such a little tyrant, he reminds me of my younger niece. Ramses needs boarding school -pronto!

The other really funny character is Madame Berengaria. I don't really know what her deal was, attention maybe, but she was really really funny with her Egyptian reincarnation pronouncements. I did not like Lady Baskerville pretty much for the same reasons Amelia didn't. She put me off from the start and it was obvious she meant to have Emerson to herself. The other characters include an American millionaire, who, judging from his speech, might currently be from New York, but was raised in the West or Texas. There's also an Irish reporter who would do anything for a story; a lovestruck German lexicographer; Mary, a devoted daughter and talented artist, and Bastest, the cat.

This book must be read after the first or start here and go forward but not backwards. There are spoilers. 


The Mummy Case 

Amelia and Emerson are back in Egypt, along with their overly precocious son Ramses and the cat Bastet. Since Emerson refused to apply for a firman in advance, De Morgan, the director of antiquities has already chosen the pyramids Emerson had promised Amelia. Emerson's hot temper got him reduced to excavating a Roman cemetery and flattened pyramids. The Emersons are also beset by missionaries and are kept on their toes keeping their son out of trouble. Walter has requested papyri and when Amelia visits a somewhat less shady antiquities dealer in Cairo, he claims he doesn't have any papyri, but Amelia senses he's lying. She had spotted an unsavory character speaking with the dealer only hours before she discovers the man dead. Ramses discovered a Coptic papyrus in the shop and took it to study the language. While on their expedition, the Emersons discover a rash of unusual break-ins and a missing mummy case that keeps appearing in the oddest places. Amelia is convinced the events are connected and there's some Master Criminal behind the operations. Emerson is certain it's just a coincidence. Who will prove correct?

I wasn't as into this mystery as the previous one. I never guessed who the Master Criminal was and neither did Amelia. I suspected a lot of people and the answer came out of thin air. I made some correct guesses about a few clues but I never put them all together to solve the mystery. I also figured a certain character held the clue and I was right but that character's actions were so unusual and out of place that I found it hard to believe they solved the mystery. I believe there are a few Wizard of Oz references or perhaps coincidences as that book had not yet been published. (What year is it anyway if the bustle is still in but it's enough past 1887 to refer to '87?)

Amelia is wonderful as always. She's logical and analytical but feminine enough to smell a love triangle a mile away and want to interfere. I love her with Emerson but this book lacked a lot of the witty banter from the previous books. They still banter and they still value their alone time but having Ramses along changed the tone of the relationship aspect of the story. Emerson's hot temper annoyed me and like Amelia, I think he should have let her handle things. Ramses annoyed the heck out of me. I hate overly precocious children in novels and having a precocious 6 year old in the house as a benchmark shows me that Ramses is completely unrealistic. He provides a lot of comic relief though. I especially enjoyed his new pet!

The secondary characters were a mixed bag. John was interesting and funny, especially when he forgot his vowels. Like the Emersons I did not like the missionaries. Brother Ezekiel was especially annoying and I think if I were Emerson I would not have been so polite and if I were Amelia, I would have rescued Charity. Charity has all my sympathy and my heart went out to her. She's a victim of abuse from her religious zealot brother who forces her to essentially be his slave. I hated every scene she was in and was hoping for a different ending. Brother David surprised me a lot. I didn't like him very much but was also expecting something a little different from his plot. The baroness provided some comic relief and advanced the plot but was largely unnecessary.

I don't know if I will read the next book in the series. I stayed up waaayy to late speed reading and skimming this one.


More reviews on this series to come!