- Hardcover: 368 pages
- Publisher: Morrow (2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0061246263
- ISBN-13: 978-0061246265
- Product Dimensions: 24.4 x 16.3 x 2.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 476 g
- Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #137,509 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Amelia and Emerson are Back - in The Holy City This Time!,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A RIVER IN THE SKY (Hardcover)
Elizabeth Peters has been writing about Amelia Peabody and her husband Emerson for 35 years now, since Crocodile on the Sandbank was published in 1975; A River in the Sky, the 19th book in the series, continues their adventures in the Victorian and Edwardian Middle East. This time they are not in their beloved Egypt, but instead are sent to Jerusalem, ostensibly to investigate an archeological site but really to keep an eye on a rather shady character, Morley, who seems to be more interested in discovering treasure than in careful archeological exploration. Of course there's more to it - spies from Germany, a plot by another shady character, Mansur, to ready the oppressed people of the Middle East to rise up against their European conquerers and take back their homelands - and of course son Ramses is in the thick of it all, as usual. At this point in the series, there's a certain amount of formulaic plotting to this story - we know Ramses will be in danger, Amelia will be sure to trump everyone with her wits, and Emerson will intimidate Europeans and bad guys and inspire adoration in the common people; and, of course, it will all come out right in the end. I happen to enjoy these stories and these characters, but even I must admit that the formula is getting a little tired by now. On the other hand, I can't think of many authors who can sustain a series for so long and through so many books without having a certain sameness creep in, and as I said, I enjoy this particular formula. So, a recommendation, albeit with reservations.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
A Flat, Slow-Paced, Formula-Driven Plot That Makes Limited Use of Its Setting,
By Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 112,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (#1 HALL OF FAME)
This review is from: A RIVER IN THE SKY (Hardcover)
"Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee." -- Luke 17:11The jacket copy promises a lot more than this book delivers. Unless you feel compelled to read every single Amelia Peabody mystery, please realize that you could skip this one and not miss much. Except for Ramses, who is working in Samaria, the Emersons are comfortably ensconced at home in Kent as this book opens in August 1910. They have been banned from the Valley of the Kings (their usual haunt) in Egypt. The British government is concerned that a ham-handed adventurer, Major George Morley, will stir things up with the Arabs and encourage German influence in Palestine. There may also be some spying going on. Emerson reluctantly gives in to the pressure and sets off en famille to keep an eye on Morley. A rendez-vous with Ramses is set for Jerusalem, but events intervene to put Ramses in peril. To give you a sense of how slowly this plot moves, the book is half over before the senior Emersons make it to Palestine. Building a story around Ramses being at risk is a little strange given that he's the most adept of the young people in taking on danger and intrigue. In most of the similar plots, it's Amelia who is at risk. Those make a little more sense, although she's also very formidable in confronting enemies. A story based in the Holy Land should be pregnant with opportunities to explore the rich religious history of the region. There's little of that. Instead, Emerson mostly baits Amelia with his unbelief in the Scriptures. If you just changed a few names and details, you wouldn't know that this story was based in the Holy Land. It could be sited in the desert in Sudan instead, except for the title reference which refers to it being rainy where they are. All the usual story elements were there, but they just didn't come to life for me. I found my interest fading the longer I read the book.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.0 out of 5 stars (102 customer reviews) 81 of 83 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Woot! A new Amelia Peabody Emerson tale is worthy of celebration,
By Saralee Etter - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A RIVER IN THE SKY (Hardcover)
I read this entire book with a huge grin on my face. Amelia is back in perfect form, and so is Emerson.This book takes place in 1910, and in the story chronology it falls between Guardian of the Horizon and Falcon at the Portal. I think Ramses is about 18 here, and you can see him in the process of becoming the man he is in later installments. This 19th entry into the series is wonderful fun--and is concentrated on the activities of just the central members of the clan, which makes the story feel like a return to some of the earlier tales where there wasn't such an enormous cast of characters to keep track of. While I like knowing what all the various characters are up to, it's nice to focus on the main characters this time. The Emersons manage to dominate any landscape they enter, and their excursion into the Holy Land brings in some new and interesting elements. Fans of the Emersons will rejoice! 46 of 46 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amelia is back!,
By Amy Phipps - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A RIVER IN THE SKY (Hardcover)
I've been a fan of Elizabeth Peters for over 20 years, so the prospect of a new Amelia book is always thrilling to me. I was admittedly a bit disappointed in the last book in the series, which, though wonderfully written, was really more of a tribute to King Tut's tomb than an Amelia story. This book, on the other hand, was back to Peters' classic formula. Another dead body? Another shirt ruined? Heavenly!The story takes place in pre-WWI 1910, as Amelia, Emerson, and company head to Palestine to stop a politically and religiously sensitive excavation of holy ground. It was wonderful to see Amelia and Emerson charging around berating political and religious leaders alike for their failures in the region, and even better to see Ramses as a tentative, developing 23 year-old. With a good plot, credible villains, and a cast of characters small enough that I was able to enjoy them all to the fullest, I loved every minute of it... especially Sethos' appearance (which all of the Emersons missed - but I didn't!) A treasure for any long-time fan of the series and highly recommended! 35 of 35 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Welcome back, Peabody!,
By NC Reader - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A RIVER IN THE SKY (Hardcover)
I agree with some reviews that this installment was shorter and lacking in detail in places, but it reminded me of what got me hooked on this series in the first place 20 years ago - Peabody and Emerson! Peabody's "little lists"; her parasol; her self-confidence; her steely, take-no-prisoners mentality (all wrapped up in the perfect decorum of a Victorian British lady, of course); and the wonderful driving force behind the series, the passionate yet loving relationship she shares with Emerson, her hunky, hilarious, brilliant and outspoken husband, "the greatest Egyptologist of this or any other age". They are a delicious pair, with their "refreshing discussions", charging in where angels fear to tread, fighting the good fight against spies, criminals, inept bureaucrats, archeologists and hypocrites everywhere.So, while I agree that this might not be up to the excellent standards Ms. Peters set for herself in previous books, her middling best is still better than a lot of what is out there for mystery buffs - especially those of us who enjoy a large dollop of humor in the mix - so I liked it and gave it four stars accordingly. I only hope there are more Peabody and Emerson adventures to come, whether they are set after 1922 or during the "in-between years"! |
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