Monday, April 5, 2021

The Last Camel Died at Noon by Elizabeth Peters

 This was a departure from Peters' usual setting, and Ramses was along for the ride, and as usual, he was fascinating and funny. Amelia Peabody's reactions to her son were hilarious. And, as usual, the plot was complicated and I had trouble tracking some of the characters, but overall, it was a fun ride.

What made this story different was the peek into an early civilization that had miraculously survived hidden deep in the Sudan. The customs, mores, culture, and religion were all based on ancient Egyptian history and I could tell that Peters had had a great time imagining it all. It was a truly fascinating place with lots colorful descriptions. It's an important book in the series because the next book, The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog is based on "the secret" which is this ancient civilization. Plus, an important new character, Nefret, is introduced and returns to England with the Emerson family. Knowing her history is important in the next installation as well. 

One thing I enjoy about these books, besides the humor, is the that the characters are often unpredictable and not what they seem. Sometimes we discover this at the same time as Amelia and Emerson, and sometimes not... There's always some plot or identity to unravel and it's challenging to track them all. Still, I enjoy it!


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