The Amelia Peabody books are a lot of fun, but they are more adventure novels, with a liberal sprinkling of humour, than traditional mystery novels.

As a story about a Victorian era woman archaeologist with thoroughly modern ideas, The Hippopotamus Pool is wonderful.

It begins with a stranger who offers to reveal the location of a hitherto unknown tomb and then mysteriously disappears. Amelia and her family locate the tomb and began excavating it, but are soon forced to fend off would-be thieves.

Amelia begins to wonder if there is a traitor in their midst. Is it the governess? The newly employed photographer? Or the orphan they have taken in?

Unfortunately, there is a totally unnecessary and rather weak "mystery" tacked on. If you haven't read the previous entries in the series, you'll be totally bewildered by the unsatisfying denouncement; even if you have, you'll probably find it difficult to really care.

Overall, I did like this book. The characters are great and the writing is witty. But, enjoyable as it was, I have to admit it was nothing special.