Anyone read Elizabeth Peters' books featuring Egyptologist Amelia Peabody?

[Flaxbee]

I picked one up at the library book store the other day, and it hasn't grabbed me yet, which surprises me b/c I love archaeology and Egypt and books like this in general...

If you've read any of the books, what was your opinion of them? The one I found is "The Deeds of the Disturber".

[Strong Atheist]

1. Start at the begining, or get the books on tape. I liked them. nt.

[Alenne]

2. I've read them all

They're fun books. Some are slow in the beginning but usually pick up.
"Deeds of the Disturber" was okay but I prefer the books set in Egypt more.

[spinbaby]

3. Start at the beginning of the series

The first half dozen or so are very good. After that, the author goes senile or something and the quality drops considerably. Start with "Crocodile on the Sandbank."

[haele]

17. I have a feeling Peters started re-cycling plot formula for her fans -

I also noticed that about the same time she started focusing on the younger generation of Peabody-Emersons in this series, her Jacqueline Kirby series took a turn from a globe-trotting university librarian-sleuth of a serial fiction writer and were full of comments about the problems series writers had with plot inspiration and the expectations of publishers and fans.

Elizabeth Peters / Barbara Michaels / Barbara Mertz has been writing mysteries, suspense, and romantic/historical adventure a long time now - I remember back in the early 70's reading books at my High School library published decades earlier by her as Barbara Michaels or Barbara Mertz.
She's always tried to stay away from formulaic writing that was too obvious, and her range of interests and research was always wide enough that even if you knew how the story would end, the tidbits of information on a particular craft or subject would be enough to keep it interesting.
But there's only so much you can do after the 50th or 60th published manuscript.

Anyway, if you like the Amelia Peabody/Emerson series, here is the order you should be reading them in(as they are based off "chronological transcriptions" of various diaries):

Crocodile on the Sandbank (published 1975 - Begins the series in the year 1884)
Curse of the Pharaohs
The Mummy Case
The Lion in the Valley
The Deeds of the Disturber
The Last Camel Died at Noon
The Snake, The Crocodile, and the Dog
The Hippopotamus Pool
Seeing a Large Cat
The Ape that Guards the Balance
The Falcon at the Portal
He Shall Thunder in the Sky
The Golden One
The Lord of the Silent
Children of the Storm
Guardian of the Horizon
Serpent on the Crown
Tomb of the Golden Bird (latest book Published 2006, series takes place in 1923)

Haele

[cwydro]

4. My mother recommended them to me,

but I haven't tried them yet.

[LiberalEsto]

5. Hell yes

I adore them! All of them.

My next door neighbor met Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels/Barbara Mertz, the author several years ago. I was pea green with envy. Mertz (real name) lives less than 30 miles from us, in Frederick, MD.

[kiva]

6. As others have said above, you should

start with the first book - not the best in the series, but the characters develop over the course of the books. The mystery component in her books isn't very strong, but the view of Egyptology in the Victorian era is interesting. Elizabeth Peters trained as an archeologist and wrote 2 or 3 non-fiction books about the subject as well as her fiction - she also wrote as Barbara Michaels, though she hasn't published under that name for several years. Yes, I'm a fan.

[Mist]

10. I'm a fan too, but the Peabody series just didn't do it for me. I read 5 or 6 of

them. I preferred the Jacqueline Kirby, and even Vicky Bliss, books.

[kiva]

14. My favorite are the Vicky Bliss,

I think she does a good blend of humor and some suspense. When I read the last Vicky Bliss that came out last year, it seemed like a gift to her readers who had followed the story, a sort of goodbye to the characters. Her website says there's another Amelia book coming out next year, I wonder if she's going to wrap up the Emerson story also.

I saw Elizabeth Peters in Boulder about 20 years ago, and she was a hoot...maybe that's why I've read all of her books, even the so-so ones.

[Coventina]

7. Echoing other sentiments here: start at the beginning

Here's my take on the books:

I started out reading them in random order, but the first one was from early in the series, so I found it enjoyable. Then, I picked one up from much later in the series, and I was very disappointed.

At that point, I started from the beginning and I've read up to the one about the lost city and where Nefret joins the cast (the fans will know what I'm talking about, but I can't recall the title right now).

I've stopped with that one, because it seems to me (judging by the later book I read) that once Nefret joins, it becomes a full-fledged soap opera, rather than the zany, "Indiana Jones with an umbrella" - type of capers that the earlier books were.

I really enjoyed the earlier books, particularly "The Mummy Case" which made me laugh out loud.

The plots are very thin, and the books not elegantly written, but they are fun.

Anyway, my two cents, FWIW, YMMV.

(My personal favorite historical mysteries are the Brother Cadfael series, no matter how many times I reread them, they never get old for me).

on edit: typo

[Lisa D]

8. Try an audio book.

I recommend picking up the audio version of Crocodile on the Sandbank at the library. Barbara Rosenblat narrates this book and does a terrific job with the characters.

[DeepBlueC]

9. thanks, I just grabbed some from the library

I wasn't familiar with them but the subject matter is right up my alley and right now I'm into mysteries. Looking forward to giving them a go. I badly need some adventure or at least some distraction in my life right now.

[Flaxbee]

11. same here - I read to get out of my head and my life

Would be interested to know what you think of the books...

[DeepBlueC]

13. I'll let you know

the ones I brought home today are later in the series (what was on the shelf) but I ordered the earlier ones so maybe I'll take the advice here and wait a couple of days for the beginnings of the series. Our library links 99 community libraries and ferries books between them; you just order them up online.

[Lars39]

12. As someone upthread said, start with the first one.

I love her books. I have literally read every single one in the order that they were published, and she's written a lot. Really cool to piece together an author's mind like that. http://www.ameliapeabody.com/completebooklist.htm

[Misskittycat]

15. I started with Deeds of the Disturber (a thrift store find) and got hooked.

I then started from the beginning and read them straight through.

They are wonderful.

[whistler162]

16. As others have said start at the beginning...

In my opinion the later ones peter out plot wise. The books on tape are enjoyable.

Also try the Vicky Bliss series -
Borrower of the Night
Street of Five Moons
Silhouette in Scarlet
Trojan Gold
Night Train to Memphis
The Laughter of Dead Kings

[applegrove]

18. Sounds like I've heard of the books before but I can't remember where or when or if I read one.