Reviewed for THC ReviewsIt has been many years since I've read a mystery story, and I wasn't quite sure if I would still like them as much as I had in my youth. Either I do, or I simply chose the right book with which to renew that genre interest, because I found Crocodile on the Sandbank to be an enjoyable read. It reminded me of a cross between Indiana Jones and a younger version of Miss Marple or Jessica Fletcher (I loved Murder, She Wrote when I was a kid), or perhaps a more mature version of the Nancy Drew books that I was crazy about in my tweens/teens, only in a more exotic location. Crocodile on the Sandbank, and the entire Amelia Peabody series, fall into the cozy mystery genre as they are very gentle mysteries that aren't particularly frightening and don't have any objectionable elements. Even more mature content like Evelyn's affair is merely alluded to and never spelled out in so many words. This made for some fun, old-fashioned sleuthing that is, in my opinion, appropriate for mystery aficionados of all ages, although the advanced vocabulary and authenticity of the historical voice would probably be more suited for teen and adult readers. Elizabeth Peters began writing the Amelia Peabody series in the 1970s, and had I heard of it back then, I may have been reading them as a teen.Amelia was a fun character to read about. She is a firmly on-the-shelf spinster who has no intentions of marrying and an independent woman of means, so she decides to indulge her passion for history and her dream of traveling by going on a trip to Egypt. Amelia is an unflappable, no-nonsense woman with a plucky, adventurous spirit and a very straight-forward way of dealing with life. This forthright nature was very much in evidence in the first question that she asked Evelyn after her friend confessed to having had an affair. Somehow, it didn't really surprise me, but it did make me laugh nonetheless. Amelia is also a feminist who has little use for the traditional Victorian conventions, and sometimes wishes she had been born a man, so that she would be more respected. Even though Amelia is very much a thinker and a scholar, it is obvious that she has a very kind heart and a willingness to help others. She is quite skilled in medical matters and assists many people along the way who are sick or injured which always seems to help put her in their good graces. She is also the consummate matchmaker when she realizes that Evelyn has fallen in love. I found it interesting and amusing that Amelia immediately recognized Evelyn's love for Walter, but when she started falling for Emerson, she didn't initially discern it as the same emotion in herself. All in all, I really admired Amelia, and a part of me would love to be her, but in reality, I'm probably much closer in personality to Evelyn.Crocodile on the Sandbank is told in first-person perspective with Amelia, of course, as the narrator. It is written in a slightly different style than other first-person books that I have read, so it took me a little while to get used to it. For me, the reading of the book was rather like sitting down to tea with Amelia while listening as she related her story. It had a rather quaint, intimate feel to it. The book takes a “just-the-facts” approach and is a little light on descriptive details of the environment. In fact, early in the story, Amelia comments that she will not indulge in such descriptions so as not to bore the reader, and if the reader wants more detail, they should go read a travelogue. Normally, this would be a downside for me, because I tend to enjoy lush, vivid depictions of the setting, but for the most part, enough information was given to make me feel like I was in the hot sands of the Egyptian desert with Amelia. There are also not a lot of deep insights into the secondary characters. The reader really only gets to know them through Amelia's eyes. Even though I usually prefer to know the other characters' thoughts and feelings, I once again, for the most part, did not view this as a weakness as I normally would. I think this was owing in large part to the genre. Since the story is primarily about the mystery of a mummy stalker who appears to be trying to scare them away from their archaeological dig site, rather than the relationships, I didn't necessarily feel a burning need to get inside the other characters' heads like I would if it were a romance.As things were, I got to know the other characters well enough. I liked Amelia's friend, Evelyn. She is a sweet, and perhaps slightly naïve, young woman who allowed herself to be seduced by a scoundrel which ruined her relationship with her grandfather and left her destitute. Amelia rescues her off the street and hires her as a companion for her trip. On the outside, Evelyn seems very delicate, but on the inside she is made of much sterner stuff than one might think at first glance, and in spite of her indiscretion, she has a certain strength of character as well. I adored Evelyn's love interest, Walter, the more charming and amiable of the two Emerson brothers, a team of archaeologists who are working to unearth the history and treasures of Egypt. If he were one of my romance heroes, he'd be the sweet beta who gets all moony-eyed over his lady love, but can't quite bring himself to declare his feelings. Yet, when he finally does (at Amelia's prodding), it was in the most romantic way possible, giving me a major, “Awwwww!” moment. Then there is Emerson. Actually his name is Radcliffe, but Amelia never calls him by his first name. It's OK though, because he always call her Peabody instead of Amelia too. If Walter is the romantic beta, Emerson is the alpha. He's rude and abrasive, rarely having anything nice to say about anyone, and he gets under Amelia's skin in more ways than one right from the moment they meet. Although Emerson certainly tries his best, Amelia never allows him to run rough-shod over her, instead giving back as good as she gets whenever he let the insults fly which made for some fun bantering. Even though he could be a real bear sometimes, I liked that Emerson's heart was in the right place when it came to the preservation and proper study of the antiquities that were being treated with flippancy even by the government agency that was supposed to be protecting them. Other than the antiquities though, Emerson could seem pretty cold and indifferent at times, so it took me a while to really warm up to him. When he finally started to reveal his feelings, it was worth the wait.Aside from the colorful characters, Crocodile on the Sandbank had a fun plot. In fact, I waffled a bit on my star rating, and the only thing that really prevented it from earning keeper status from me was that the pacing is a little too slow in places. Especially during the first half of the book, there are several long passages of narration where there isn't much excitement or action. There are also a couple of passages where a secondary character goes off into what is essentially a soliloquy of narration. Preferring a more liberal mixture of narrative and dialog, I found these passages to be a bit too sluggish for my taste, leaving my mind occasionally wandering. Once the mystery portion of the story really got going, I thoroughly enjoyed the action, adventure and intrigue, as well as trying to figure out the answer to the puzzle. I did correctly discern the culprit and their motive (although not all the details of “how”) before it was revealed, but it didn't detract from the fun of getting there, as I ended up second guessing myself more than once. Overall, the narrative built very nicely to an exciting conclusion. Anyone who enjoys a good mystery/adventure yarn with a plucky heroine, an exotic setting and a dash of romance, should like this book. Crocodile on the Sandbank is the first of the Amelia Peabody series, and my first read by Elizabeth Peters. I found it to be a nice departure from my usual romance fare that has left me looking forward to trying the next book in the series when I'm, once again, in the mood for something different. There are currently 18 books in the Amelia Peabody series. A complete list of all the books and their recommended reading order can be found on the official Amelia Peabody website.
This was SO MUCH FUN.Almost immediately, like after the very first sentence, I was quite enamored with the whole thing. The tone, the characters, the setting, the banter. Amelia is SO SASSY. She’s an example of one of my favorite character types: a person who can afford to disregard the limitations put on her because of some sort of exception or power. It’s delicious, really, watching her come into her own.So basically Amelia Peabody is a “spinster”* in the late 1800s England. Her father has just died and because she spent her life taking care of him, he’s left her his entire fortune (excluding her brothers). Amelia considers herself quite plain and unappealing, and has resigned herself to being a spinster for the remainder of her days. But now that she has this money, she’s going to make the most of it. A lifelong scholar, she decides to indulge her passion for Egyptology and spend a few months traveling the Nile. She engages a traveling companion and sets out. Of course, the companion she’s chosen comes with some baggage, and adventure and mystery ensue, involving mummies, archaeology, and great burly Englishmen with righteous beards.*If Amelia Peabody is a spinster at 28 years old, I hate everything. Which reminds me of a theory I developed while reading this book. It’s called Chekhov’s Spinster. It’s like Chekhov’s Gun but with ladies who feel bad about the institution of marriage: You show me a spinster in act one, she will no longer be a spinster by the end of the story.What I loved most about this was the subtleties Peters works in there. Little commentaries about colonialism and classism and sexism. And as previously mentioned, Amelia often flouts feminine convention because: a) She’s not worried about her reputation or landing a man, and b) she’s not worried about those things because she has her own income and can afford not to. Suddenly she’s dressing in trousers and saying inappropriate things and nobody can do anything about it at all.And oh! The banter. Such good banter in this book. I laughed out loud while reading it, and several times dissolved into fits of manic giggling because I was so tickled about what was going on. Example:“You are the one who loves this life,” Evelyn said, watching me curiously. “What an archaeologist you would make, Amelia!” “Hmmm,” I said. “That is true. It is most unfortunate that I was not born a man. Emerson would accept me then as a colleague; my money would support his work; what a splendid time we would have, working and quarreling together. Oh, it is a pity I am a woman. Emerson would agree.” “I am not so sure,” said Evelyn. There was a faint smile on her lips.Also, every time Amelia called Emerson “that bearded person.” I love that forever. I will definitely be reading more in this series, and I hope they all continue to be this much fun.
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I was happy to find this on audio at the library, although I have a paper copy. It’s easier to squeeze in an audiobook sometimes, and I thought this would be an enjoyable listen. I was right. The narrator drew me right into the story. I loved the manner in which Barbara Rosenblatt endowed these characters with a distinctive voice in the audiobook. They were real to me as I listened, and I was quite vocal in my reactions to this book. In other words, I was fully engaged! At first I thought she made Amelia sound rather superior and stuffy at times, but I came to appreciate the irony she underlined her pompous-sounding narrative with. Amelia seems able to laugh at her own foibles, which is nice, although it doesn’t compromise her strong sense of self. Amelia is a very confident person and this comes through in the narration. She is also very set in her ways and used to being authoritative. It was really interesting seeing her meet her male counterpart, the singular Mr. Radcliff Emerson. While this isn’t a steamy book in the slightest, the sparks did fly. I loved the journey of seeing these two fall in love. I could predict that they would end up together, and this process was highly enjoyable. They met on an equal level, and while they clashed in some ways, it was in the way that makes for a very interesting life together full of good tension and mutual challenge. They will never be bored with each other. My manner of listening to audiobooks can make things feel rather disjointed, because I can only dedicate an hour or two a night to listening or longer if I am doing something that I can devote my mind to while keeping on task. So it did take a while to see where the story was going. But this is one of those books where you enjoy the trip and don’t worry so much about the destination.Peters endows this book with very rich atmosphere. I was on the trip to Egypt along with Amelia, Evelyn, Emerson and Walter. Most interesting is how we see Egypt through the eyes of an upper-class educated British female. While I would not in any way classify Amelia as a racist, she does have a gentle sense of superiority that comes through in her tone. I had to decide if that was offensive to me, and ultimately it wasn’t. It was realistic, honestly. I can’t expect a 19th century person to view things through the same 21st century multiculturally-aware viewpoint that I have as a reader. Although risky to compromise some degree of likability with Amelia, it turned out to be a wise artistic decision on Peters' part. While that superiority is there, it is mingled with a sense of awe, respect, and love for Egypt that encompasses its people, even if their ways and culture may strike her as peculiar and lacking to her British sensibilities.Even though the story is through Amelia’s point of view, I felt I gained a very complex vantage point of its characters. Yes, Amelia tinges their descriptions with her personal views, I still felt like the characters had a realism that went above and beyond her perceptions. Of course, my favorite character other than Amelia was Emerson. What can I say? I love grumpy heroes. Yes, he is a bit of a sexist. I think it’s too much to call him misogynistic, although he can be rather unkind in his descriptions of women. He spoke to me of a man who was quite inexperienced and somewhat awkward with women and tended to mask these feelings of insecurity by projecting his negative opinions on women based on his limited experience with them. That’s why I was glad that Amelia met him head on. A strong, confident woman like her was the only kind of women that he could fall in love with, and the only kind of woman who would put up with him. I also enjoyed Evelyn and Walter. They were a bit more typical for a historical novel, but their characters were very appealing. Evelyn is a sweetheart, and Walter was a genuinely nice man. Evelyn’s journey spoke a little bit about the status of women in 19th century society, and I loved how Amelia raged about the situation and the actions and choices the more conventional-thinking Evelyn was forced into making. Their friendship was another powerful aspect of this book. I can see these women being friends until their dying day.My favorite scene in the book was when (view spoiler)[Emerson saves Amelia from the snake. It was very romantic to me. You could see very clearly how much Emerson cared for her, even though he was completely inept in expressing it verbally. Of course, I also enjoyed his proposal near the end. Peters understands how to write romantic tension! (hide spoiler)]
— Danielle The Book Huntress (Self-Proclaimed Book Ninja)
I love Amelia Peabody! I want to be Amelia Peabody when I grow up. What a great read. Love the characters, setting, dialogues, and plot. I hope the rest of the series holds up.
—Lisa Kay
Review of audiobook version narrated by Barbara Rosenblat.The mystery in this book wasn't very good - how could it be when the villain was a Mummy? - but it had delightful characters and such a funny turn of phrase - when the mummy was described as Evelyn's "necromantic admirer", I almost died laughing.Amelia Peabody is now my postergirl for what a strong woman in a historical book should be. She's a natural leader, very strong, smart, sensible, confident, kind, opinionated but doesn't come out as a man hater or "feisty" (how I hate that word.) She's had to deal with the misogyny rampant in her world or the idea that women are weaker than men, but she's not constantly railing at everybody because of this. She's not a beauty but she's not ashamed or cowed by this. She knows her own strengths and value so every word out of her lips comes out with great confidence. The plot is a follows: After inheriting a fortune from her father, Amelia decides to travel to Egypt. There she meets Evelyn, a ruined English lady that she takes as a companion and the Emerson brothers, two British archeologists. While traveling in the Nile, they reach the Emersons' excavation where they stay to assist during an illness. Then, the whole excavation becomes accosted by a Mummy, who terrorize the workers and takes a particular shine to Evelyn.Although this book is not a romance, the romantic plot is very substantial. Walter (the younger brother) and Evelyn soon fall in love. The same happens with Amelia and the irascible older Emerson, although this "courtship" wasn't as straight forward. Emerson and Amelia didn't take to one another from the beginning and there's a lot of funny bickering between the two.Emerson: "An Englishman’s duty is to preserve icy detachment under any and all circumstances. Even if he were being boiled to provide a cannibal's dinner, it would be incumbent upon him to..."Amelia: "I would expect that you would be taking notes on the dietary habits of aborigines as the water bubbled around your neck.""God help the poor mummy who encounters you, Peabody." [Emerson] said bitterly. "We ought to supply it with a pistol, to even the odds." "You, asking for advice? Let me feel your brow, Peabody, I am sure you must be fevered."As you can imagine from the way I've described Amelia, any man who falls in love with her must be unusual himself: a man just as smart but strong enough not to be cowed by her and let her be herself. So when he started calling her by her last name, in the same way he would call any man, Amelia wasn't offended. I didn't think it was an insult (thinking she was manly) but on the contrary, he called her by her last name because he considered her his equal. I confess I swooned a bit when Emerson says: "I pay the lady the compliment of assuming that she has a brain and is capable of using it."By the end, you can see how Emerson and Amelia are a team - they even put the pieces of the "mystery" together, which they acknowledge they could have solve way sooner if they only had spoken to each other frankly. I knew who was the villain from the beginning (it was that obvious).The narration by Barbara Rosenblat is outstanding. Amelia's voice is full of strength, wit, with an upper class British accent, just how you would imagine she sounds like. I wasn't that crazy about her voice for Emerson because he sounds a bit crotchety but then, he is that. :) I'm glad I wasn't even tempted by the American narration - who thinks it's appropriate to have all characters with an American accent when most of the characters in the books are British, is beyond me. Needless to say, I'm definitely continuing the series. I already ordered audiobook #2.
—D.G.
