A River in the Sky (Amelia Peabody Series #19)

"River in the Sky" is a solid addition to the Amelia Peabody series

The story takes place about 1910 and Ramses is in Palestine, escaping daily contact with Nefrit. The professor and Amelia are asked first to join a expedition to follow a map purported to the hiding place of the Ark of the Covenant, also in Palestine, then to keep watch on the expedition by His Majesty's government, which is watching the Ottoman Empire slowly collapse. By the time his parents arrive in Jaffa, Ramses has chanced upon a British agent, who shortly ends up in a shallow grave. Turkish soliders, a secret society, and an assortment of odd characters are either helping to reunite the family or trying to keep them apart . . . . which is anybody's guess!

All the quirks, family tensions and humor that make the Peabody series fun to read are present. Only the 'Master Criminal' is missing but MO2's involvement ensures it has some of the flavor of the later books in the series.

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

REVIEW THE BOOK NOT THE PRICE ARRRGGGGG

Book of course as usual met up to Amelia Peabody standards...I am so glad Ms. Peters continues to grace us with her writing presence.

BUY IT, it's well worth it :D

5 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

Big Amelia Peabody fan, disappointed

I loved all of Elizabeth Peters' earlier books featuring Amelia Peabody Emerson and company, right up to and including Lord of the Silent (2001). The characters are a hoot, and even though the plots are predictable, they are the perfect rainy day/escapism books and it's fun to be taken along on the Emersons' latest adventure. This most recent book is much shorter than usual (307 pages) and it just doesn't feel as though Peters' heart is in it. I've found that all of the books after Lord of the Silent have gone downhill and have gotten tiresome. Although I appreciate the history that she weaves into her books, the more recent ones are definitely lacking. I am also unimpressed with whatever editor didn't catch that fact that a character's name keeps changing in some of the more recent books. This latest one falls between Guardian of the Horizon and Falcon at the Portal, which Peters has done before, but I think more successfully with Guardian of the Horizon. I would say you can give this one a miss.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Disappointing

I was very disappointed in this book. The plot was weak and I couldn't really believe the reasons for the trip or that Ramses was really in danger. I felt that the book was hastily written with little or no thought to how it would turn out. I am hopeful that the story line previously used will continue and that it will live up to the standards of the previous books. I have read and have all of the Amelia Peabody books in my collection.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Another Peabody-Emerson adventure to savor!

The Amelia Peabody books are a major component of my personal library and I found this to be an enjoyable addition to the series. The characters are the usual zany mix you expect from this author, and although the plot is a little slow in places, the setting and the characters make up for any small deficiencies of plot. There is, as always, a lot going on, with a story told by two narrators, and it a wonderful way to escape for a while to a different place and time.I would certainly recommend this book to any reader who enjoys offbeat characters, an unusual setting and well researched historical detail.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

very highly recommended!

If you love the Emersons and all their adventures, you'll love this one. Peabody is at her deductive best and Ramses in a fix as usual. Just the kind of light mystery to relax with over the Holidays.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Loved it!

A Peters fan, I re-read her oldies every summer. This summer I decided to try the Emerson's new voyage. Surely I would miss Egypt! How stupid I was. As a Christian, I feel blessed that Elizabeth Peters struck for a place so critical to my faith. With her usual aplomb, she mixes adventure with history, never leaving the reader behind, yet never preaching a lecture. Thank you, Elizabeth Peters, for once again brightening my own summer adventures! Annette Dammer

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Highly Recommended

I do recommend this book. If your a fan of Elizabeth Peters character, Amelia peabody, you have to read this book. I have all of them, and still enjoy rereading them. This one is not one of her greats, but very enjoyable. I got used to the way she wrote in third party, manuacript H, in parenthises, and it wasn't as whimesical as the others. But overall I really liked it. Maybe I liked them mostly in Egypt and England, don't know. I was besides my self when there were no Amelia Peabody books for almost 3 years, I kept calling the bookstore and was on the internet looking for them, am glad she's back. annie729

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

love all her books couldn't wait

not quite my favorite overall, but a good continuation and fun to fill in the 'missing years'...

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Not One Of Her Best.

I really enjoy reading this series most of the time. This one was not up to par. The story concept was ok however it lacked the suspense of the others. I knew what was happening before Amelia did. Next one I hope will be better. Not enough going on. These novels are usually action packed and I have a hard time figuring them out. Usually I can't put one down. This one took me over a week to read. Please stick to Egypt.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Too Predictable

I was thrilled to see a new installment in the Peabody/Emerson family archeological mysteries. I rushed to get a copy and read it quickly. It was an adequate read, but disappointing for an Amelia Peabody fan who looks forward to the twists and turns her mysteries usually supply. It has all the familiar characters with little of their pizzazz. The premise was interesting and the method of returning the family to a prior time, out of sequence, was plausible and will give this pre-WWI plot a sequel. But the tension was missing through most of the story. I hope the next novel isn't so long a wait, but that it does have the twists, turns and picante of its predecessors.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

River in the Sky is a must for your library!

Elizabeth Peters has done it again! This is a wonderful addition to the Amelia Peabody series. The Emersons go on a dramatic secret mission to Palestine, then under Turkish rule. The reader is transported to 1910 and can truly feel the atmosphere. Ramses is on an archelogical dig, but his life is threatened. His parents, Amelia and Emerson, need his help in thwarting an elicit dig, and are unaware of the danger to their son. The Turks and Germans are plotting in this pre-WWI era. Their are spies everywhere - even amongst archeologists. This novel is not chronologically placed at the end of the series. Ramses and Nefret are still "brother and sister".
Although I recommend reading this entire series from beginning to end (as I have done several times!), it is not a nessesary prerequisite to understanding and enjoying this book. Once you pick it up, you will be sorry when it ends!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Enjoyed this read.

It was a long wait for this installment of the Peabody books, but it was worth the wait. I really enjoyed this book.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Only a Stream

This is the nineteenth book in the Amelia Peabody series. Mrs. Peabody and her husband Emerson are very British archeologists who specialize in Egyptology in the early 1900's. This book, unlike the others, takes our adventurers to Palestine, otherwise known as the Holy Land, on a mission for the Crown. Even in these strange lands, loyal readers will find many of the familiar characters they have come to expect. Ramses, their son, has preceded them to a dig near Jerusalem, with a promise to stay out of trouble. Well, we know how that is going to turn out! The book is a light read, filled with very British, turn of the century attitudes. The author has created a world full of richness and detail. This is the first book of the series that I have read. I did not immediately take to the characters. The author seemed to be relying on instructing the reader as to whom the characters were and how they should interpreted, rather than allowing the reader to gain knowledge and insight into the characters through the action and flow of the storyline. As in any series, it would probably be best to start at the beginning and get to know the characters as they develop.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Good Read, but...

I know this is the last book that was written in the series, but I wish it had been numbered where it fits in the series chronologically. After reading #18, you think you will get more about the future lives of the characters, but the disappointment when you are reading about a much earlier time in their lives.

But as with all of her books -- Love it!

Sadly Unfulfilled

Typically I find that the Amelia Peabody series novels rate from a 4-5, but this novel was below par and barely received a 3. The story was too abrupt, the plot itself was weak, and there was very little character development or excitement. I was quite disappointed. At 19 novels in this series alone which I have read in order in just under a month, I was surprised at how well Peters was able to maintain compelling storyline and great characters, unfortunately this novel fell flat for me as though she had a deadline to meet and did not really put effort into this one. I will continue to read any more novels in this series she produces, figuring that one poor novel out of 19 is not bad at all, and hope that further novels will reach the level of excellence her other novels acquired.

science

an example of a scientist who is a terrible writer

0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Elizabeth Peters (Barbara Mertz) Does it Again!

As always, well written, researched and well set, this time in a different location for a nice change of pace. Two thumbs up.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A sweet little mystery

Emerson and Peabody are back! While this in certainly not Elizabeth Peters best book, it is a fun read. The charcters are like old friends and it is always fun to see what the group gets into and then how they get out of it.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Another Peters Hit

While not the best of the series, this is a book typical of Elizabeth Peters: Well-written, interesting, fun, and hard to put down. I wouild have liked to see more archaeology, but I understand that this one was an exception since they weren't in Egypt for once. All in all, can definitely recommend ANY Elizabeth Peters book, including this one. Read them all!