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In the third installment of this wonderful series, Amelia, her husband, Emerson and
their young son, Ramses, are ready to 1) excavate pyramids in Egypt, and 2) track down a
murderer along their way. If anyone is up to the task, it is Mrs. Emerson. Rare are the
heroines who show as much spunk, imagination and rebellious fashion sense. Conformity is
not one of Amelia’s strengths. Humor, however, is.
Trouble begins as
soon as they leave Cairo for the desert. Their manservant John rescues Miss Charity, a
young missionary whom they had recently met, from a fire. He carries her to the
Emersons’ for safekeeping. However, in a tremendous breach of Victorian etiquette, he
brings her to their bedroom in the middle of the night. The situation overcomes the girl,
but Mrs. Emerson is there to comfort and reassure her:
“…his motives were
the best. His only concern was for your safety,” she said.
“I see
that now.” The girl brushed the waving locks from her face. “But it was a terrifying
experience — the shouting, and the flames — then to be seized like that, without
warning…I have never — it is the first time a man…”
“I daresay. You
have missed a great many things, Miss Charity…Don’t you like John?”
“He is very kind,” the girl said slowly. “But very, very large.”
“But that can be an advantage, don’t you think?” Charity stared at me in bewilderment,
and I went on, “No, you would not know. But let me assure
you…”
Fortunately for Miss Charity, Emerson interrupts Amelia’s
reassurances. Her explanations would have probably sent the missionary back into a
swoon.
This exchange, however, shows the flavor of the novel and the humor
of these wonderful, larger than life characters wrestling with Victorian morals in such
an exotic and, luckily for us, dangerous location. You may open this book to read an
excellent mystery, and this one won’t disappoint. However, what make the book and
series so entertaining are the marvelous characters, evocative setting, rapid pace and
humor. Ms. Peters assumes her readers are capable enough to read between the lines, and
the result is a smart and funny mystery you’ll finish in record time.
