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Amelia Peabody #9
Seeing a Large Cat
'Stay away from tomb Twenty-Al' says an ominous message delivered by an unseen hand. The year is 1903, the place is Cairo, and it's time for Amelia's ninth adventure. She is asked for help by an old friend whose husband has fallen for a spiritualist; then a plea arrives from an expat colonel whose daughter is threatened by an unknown enemy, and Ramses, now a headstrong teenager, undertakes an adventure that is guaranteed to turn his mother's hair white! Amelia then dreams of a large cat, an Egyptian sign of good luck - which as the situation stands, is in precious short supply...
389 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
526 people are currently reading
3129 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Peters
177 books3,296 followersElizabeth Peters is a pen name of Barbara Mertz. She also wrote as Barbara Michaels as well as her own name. Born and brought up in Illinois, she earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. Mertz was named Grand Master at the inaugural Anthony Awards in 1986 and Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America at the Edgar Awards in 1998. She lived in a historic farmhouse in Frederick, western Maryland until her death.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 487 reviews
June 18, 2019
More fun and games with the amazing Amelia and her entertaining family!
This episode is set several years after the last book and Ramses, Nefret and David have all grown up considerably. They are all heavily involved in the shenanigans in this story and with the aid of a separate manuscript we learn a lot more about them and what they get up to behind the scenes. More than even Amelia knows!
Sadly we have had to say goodbye to the cat Bastet which was obviously going to happen sometime since cats do not live forever. He was one of my favourite characters! There is a replacement in the wings but Bastet's shoes (or paws) prove hard to fill!
As usual Amelia gets herself and everyone else involved in detective work. Emerson blusters and longs to get back to digging up tombs but ends up helping his wife instead. Nefret and Ramses bicker and David just gets on with things. There is an entertaining séance, some murders and the usual near death experience for Amelia.
All good fun and I am looking forward to what happens next!
This episode is set several years after the last book and Ramses, Nefret and David have all grown up considerably. They are all heavily involved in the shenanigans in this story and with the aid of a separate manuscript we learn a lot more about them and what they get up to behind the scenes. More than even Amelia knows!
Sadly we have had to say goodbye to the cat Bastet which was obviously going to happen sometime since cats do not live forever. He was one of my favourite characters! There is a replacement in the wings but Bastet's shoes (or paws) prove hard to fill!
As usual Amelia gets herself and everyone else involved in detective work. Emerson blusters and longs to get back to digging up tombs but ends up helping his wife instead. Nefret and Ramses bicker and David just gets on with things. There is an entertaining séance, some murders and the usual near death experience for Amelia.
All good fun and I am looking forward to what happens next!
January 20, 2023
Historia entretenida, lo leí hace tiempo.
March 2, 2009
If you're a gamer, you'll know what I mean when I explain that Ramses suddenly turns from a DNPC into a PC in this book. What's more, he's a PC with as many points as his parents, who have been accumulating XP for eight books.
In particular, I admire how Ms. Peters has handled the transformation. The Manuscript H might be a slightly precious device but it offers a fairly seamless transition into another POV, a trick in a series so deeply dedicated to a first-person singular narrative. It also takes care of the supposed journal-like nature of the books.
Furthermore, sending the boys off to the sheik to learn to "fight and ride and become leaders of men" is a great way for Ramses to go from awkward boy to a fairly impressive action hero. I love his entrance at Shepherds -- even upon repeated readings, it's a great scene.
Also, Ramses moves from love-struck boy to literary heart-throb. Watching the women battle over his affections while he moons (stoically, of course) over the irritating Nefret is an excellent way to impress upon us his sudden transition from kidnapper bait into active adult.
Finally, Ramses rescues his mother. A woman who very rarely needs rescue. He takes a life to do it. The whole climax is quite thrilling, in a totally pulpy way. It also indicates, quite neatly I think, the transition to the much much darker and more fraught books that follow. The cheerful Victorian caricatures give way to a much more nuanced and grim (but still delightfully pulpy and fun) wartime mood.
I suppose I should confess. The first book I ever picked up of this series was Falcon at the Portal (more about which at that review). I fell madly, wildly, and deeply in love with Ramses before the fifth chapter. Having then gone back to start the series and find the object of my lust pictured as a little boy was very disconcerting, to say the least. I was thrilled when I picked this one up and discovered that the action hero of my dreams had finally arrived on the scene.
In particular, I admire how Ms. Peters has handled the transformation. The Manuscript H might be a slightly precious device but it offers a fairly seamless transition into another POV, a trick in a series so deeply dedicated to a first-person singular narrative. It also takes care of the supposed journal-like nature of the books.
Furthermore, sending the boys off to the sheik to learn to "fight and ride and become leaders of men" is a great way for Ramses to go from awkward boy to a fairly impressive action hero. I love his entrance at Shepherds -- even upon repeated readings, it's a great scene.
Also, Ramses moves from love-struck boy to literary heart-throb. Watching the women battle over his affections while he moons (stoically, of course) over the irritating Nefret is an excellent way to impress upon us his sudden transition from kidnapper bait into active adult.
Finally, Ramses rescues his mother. A woman who very rarely needs rescue. He takes a life to do it. The whole climax is quite thrilling, in a totally pulpy way. It also indicates, quite neatly I think, the transition to the much much darker and more fraught books that follow. The cheerful Victorian caricatures give way to a much more nuanced and grim (but still delightfully pulpy and fun) wartime mood.
I suppose I should confess. The first book I ever picked up of this series was Falcon at the Portal (more about which at that review). I fell madly, wildly, and deeply in love with Ramses before the fifth chapter. Having then gone back to start the series and find the object of my lust pictured as a little boy was very disconcerting, to say the least. I was thrilled when I picked this one up and discovered that the action hero of my dreams had finally arrived on the scene.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2012
Finally the children are old enough to make their own contribution to the series. Ramses is 16 and he and David, who is around 18, have just finished a stay with their friend the sheik where they were celebrating making the journey into manhood. Neferet is 18 or 19 and she is determined to do everything that the guys are doing--including smoking, drinking and learning to ride a horse like them. This episode deals with the challanges of all three young adults to live in both worlds of british society and egyptian upbringing Emerson style. As always there are mysterious circumstances and events, a mummy, tomb excavations, a looney man, a vicious murder, new characters introduced and old characters returning., I love how EP sheds light on the children's point of view by quoting from manuscript "H". I love also how the whole family sits down together to try and figure out the mystery and even though they are supposed to be working together, Amelia always tries to go off and face the villain by herself. Ramses is hopelessly in love with his foster sister, Neferet and his foster brother David tries to understand why Ramses doesn't just tell her. Great Story--ending made me cry.
August 9, 2019
I love this Amelia Peabody book. In this story, Amelia and her husband Emerson are going on a dig with their adopted daughter Nefret. On the way they meet their son Ramses and nephew David. An English gentleman wants to hire Amelia as his daughter's bodyguard, but she refuses. The young lady, Dolly, is a trouble-maker and likes to get herself in trouble. They discover a woman lying in a tomb, and have to discover who she is and how she got there, and why is someone out to get Dolly? Great fun read.
March 18, 2021
This is my least favorite of the series so far, but that's based on a personal prejudice - I dislike anything to do with seances, and the entire plot of this book depends on them. I also don't like plots that require someone to be a total idiot, which Donald is. lol And then, to take a character who's been cheating good people and somehow make that OK doesn't work for me. So there are several strikes against this one.
Still, seeing the three young people growing up and interacting was great fun. Peters does a lovely job with them, they're realistic and delightful. Also, I love books with smart, active heroines and now we have two of them, Amelia and Nefret! And I'm always happy to get more Cyrus. Plus I thought the manuscript "H" idea was inspired. So I still liked this one, despite the negatives.
Upon re-listening I can basically reaffirm my original impression. To my mind this is one of the weaker entries in the series. Still it has some lovely scenes, too, especially between Ramses, Amelia, and David.
Still, seeing the three young people growing up and interacting was great fun. Peters does a lovely job with them, they're realistic and delightful. Also, I love books with smart, active heroines and now we have two of them, Amelia and Nefret! And I'm always happy to get more Cyrus. Plus I thought the manuscript "H" idea was inspired. So I still liked this one, despite the negatives.
Upon re-listening I can basically reaffirm my original impression. To my mind this is one of the weaker entries in the series. Still it has some lovely scenes, too, especially between Ramses, Amelia, and David.
March 25, 2017
Since summer of 2016, listening to the entire (and most excellent) "Amelia Peabody" series (this is #9) by Elizabeth Peters in audiobook form. Getting them from "interlibray loan" and also (when they can't be found from a library) downloading them from audible.com. I would reccommend the wonderul stories to any mystery lover -- but start from the beginning of this series to benefit fully from the character and plot developments as they occurred over the decades. [I found this a partcularly involving book in the series, a real turning point for the author, when she began to delve quite deeply into not only the intricate plot but also into the personal lives of the characters. It only makes me even more anxious to continue with this series -- the next volume has already been ordered through interlibrary loan.]
June 26, 2021
It's winter 1903 and the Emerson Peabodys are back in Egypt for the season. Ramses, now 16, spent the summer with sheikh Mohammad and came back a man! His new adult looks attract the attention of a young American lady in need of protection from a villain who wants to harm her father. Emerson has received a mysterious warning not to enter tomb 20A in the Valley of the Kings but Amelia is as curious as ever. They find themselves embroiled in the most bizarre mystery of their careers when they discover a very shocking secret in a tomb. Amelia also gets involved with the bogus practice of spiritualism at the request of an old friend. She sees a way to play matchmaker once again.
This was not the best story in the series. Heavy on mystery light on history/archaeology/Egyptology. It's also light on humor. At the very end there's a foreshadowing of WWI - 11 years in the future. Amelia also didn't get to wield her parasol as often as I would have liked. There's very little danger to the family until the very end and I'm so over teenage drama and the introduction of a southern belle annoyed the heck out of me. The plot just didn't interest me as much as some of the others - however - I did stay up very late reading 60% of the book in one night because it got interesting just as I was about to shut off the computer! One thing I did like was the unconventional way of telling the story. The "editor" notes that some volumes of the Emerson journals have been lost but fragments of another manuscript have been found. This Fragment H may have been written by Ramses in the third-person or by Nefret or even David. The readers gets the whole story with the third-person teenage story.
Way back when Ramses was 5 I found him annoying but I miss his youthful antics. They added some much-needed humor to the plot. I do not like this new mature Ramses. He's noble and brave but not as foolhardy as his parents. He grew up with Arabs and knows how to protect himself. He also has Nefret fussing over him like a mother hen and David to watch his back. Nefret is just like Amelia now! She cares little for what others think, less than what Amelia would prefer and Amelia has her hands full watching over the girl. I like David the best of the three teens. He's the strong, silent type and unlike the other two, he does care what others think of him and he's more cautious about rushing into danger. Amelia is not as annoying as she has been on occasion when dealing with the locals. She doesn't preach her Victorian morality on anyone this time. Emerson isn't quite as voluble this time around but he's as dedicated to his studies as ever and the battle of the sexes is waged again with Abdullah in the middle.
Other returning characters are Enid and Donald Fraser. I could have done without their marital drama. I laughed a bit at Amelia's very MODERN (unVictorian) advice for them. Their plot was a little out of place in the story and didn't really need to be set in Egypt or included in this novel.
New characters here include Dolly Bellingham, a spoiled southern belle stereotype who latches on to Ramses like a leech. I did not like her at all. She was so incredibly irritating - a real piece of work. She needs a firm hand to keep her in line. I don't think she's as dumb as she appears. Her father, Col. Bellingham, is a creepy old guy. For some pointless reason he's a veteran of the American Civil War but it doesn't shape his character. He could be any old, rich guy with a spoiled daughter from anywhere. Mrs. Jones is a great character. I admire her and liked her very much once we got to know her.
I'm not interested in reading more right now, especially with the foreshadowing of WWI but maybe this winter I will read more of the series.
****Reread Hardcover Edition June 2021****
I feel pretty much exactly the same way I did the first time I read this book. I either remembered the central murder mystery or it was incredibly predictable. I kept wondering why Amelia didn't figure it out right away. She would say she did, of course.
I don't like stoic, teenage Ramses. I'm SOOO over teen drama and not interested. I do miss his wild youthful escapades. I know how he feels about The Cat Bastet and how his heart is broken. I think my dad feels the same way about all other dogs as Ramses does about Sekhmet and other cats. Nefret is great! She's funny because she's like Amelia without the Victorian values. She's a modern young woman who wants to be "cool" like the boys and won't let anyone stand in her way. She understood completely what Col. Bellingham was all about and the implications behind his words. I admire Nefret but she can be a bit silly with mothering Ramses and trying to make him notice her. It's obvious what's going on there. There are hints I didn't pick up on the first time around. David is sweet and lovable. He's come a long way from the almost feral child they rescued. His devotion to the Emersons is almost a little excessive at times but he cares.
The real highlight of this series for me is the relationship between Emerson and Amelia. Their love for each other and devotion is touching. She's the only woman who has ever stood up to him and he's the only one who can keep up with her and say no once in awhile. She gets her own way anyway LOL! It's always moving whenever one fears the other is dead or when they're close to dying together. Amelia's maternal feelings manifest themselves by her worry over Ramses and his safety. That should tell him she cares. I think he thinks she doesn't because she's not affectionate. He does seem to understand her feelings though. They communicate through small gestures like the whiskey and soda.
I really could have done without Enid and Donald. They're both super silly and deserve to deal with their problems on their own. I wanted to slap sense into them both. I did like Mrs. Jones, however. It was interesting to meet Katherine again because I didn't have any memory of meeting her in the first place. She's a devoted mother doing what she has to do to survive and keep her children in school. As she says she hasn't the money or education to do anything suitable for work and she's a woman so her options are limited. I don't approve of the phony spiritualists milking people for money but her routine seems limited to comforting people. It's not her fault Donald took it too far. :Eyeroll: at Donald!
Col. Bellingham is one nasty man. He's rude, clearly racist, and greedy. He's trying to court Nefret and assumes because of his ... what? wealth? social status? she should jump at the chance. He says he doesn't like a certain type of woman but his daughter is spoiled and headstrong. Dolly does what she wants and she is dangerous. Dolly is going to find herself in trouble one day and Daddy won't be pleased. She needs a firm governess to keep her in line until she finds a husband. If she marries a man who worships her and spoils her the way Daddy does, maybe she won't be so horrid. Or maybe she'll be bored and run off with another man?
My favorite character in this book is ... Teti the goat! LOL!
I think my mom was really into this one. She kept stealing it when I wanted to read it. She insisted on finishing it before she'd hand it back over. Yet I would have finished first if she had let me. Mom was confused by Amelia's dream of the gathering storm clouds but I believe storm clouds are a cliché for war. Mom also believes the Master Criminal is not dead and is wondering when and how he'll be back. I miss him too. He adds some humor to the story. He would have enjoyed the Donald drama. That's right up his alley except they didn't have any antiquities to steal LOL!
Even though I found the plot boring or predictable, I couldn't put it down. I'm eager to read the next even though I remember the ending very well and have been dreading it all series.
This was not the best story in the series. Heavy on mystery light on history/archaeology/Egyptology. It's also light on humor. At the very end there's a foreshadowing of WWI - 11 years in the future. Amelia also didn't get to wield her parasol as often as I would have liked. There's very little danger to the family until the very end and I'm so over teenage drama and the introduction of a southern belle annoyed the heck out of me. The plot just didn't interest me as much as some of the others - however - I did stay up very late reading 60% of the book in one night because it got interesting just as I was about to shut off the computer! One thing I did like was the unconventional way of telling the story. The "editor" notes that some volumes of the Emerson journals have been lost but fragments of another manuscript have been found. This Fragment H may have been written by Ramses in the third-person or by Nefret or even David. The readers gets the whole story with the third-person teenage story.
Way back when Ramses was 5 I found him annoying but I miss his youthful antics. They added some much-needed humor to the plot. I do not like this new mature Ramses. He's noble and brave but not as foolhardy as his parents. He grew up with Arabs and knows how to protect himself. He also has Nefret fussing over him like a mother hen and David to watch his back. Nefret is just like Amelia now! She cares little for what others think, less than what Amelia would prefer and Amelia has her hands full watching over the girl. I like David the best of the three teens. He's the strong, silent type and unlike the other two, he does care what others think of him and he's more cautious about rushing into danger. Amelia is not as annoying as she has been on occasion when dealing with the locals. She doesn't preach her Victorian morality on anyone this time. Emerson isn't quite as voluble this time around but he's as dedicated to his studies as ever and the battle of the sexes is waged again with Abdullah in the middle.
Other returning characters are Enid and Donald Fraser. I could have done without their marital drama. I laughed a bit at Amelia's very MODERN (unVictorian) advice for them. Their plot was a little out of place in the story and didn't really need to be set in Egypt or included in this novel.
New characters here include Dolly Bellingham, a spoiled southern belle stereotype who latches on to Ramses like a leech. I did not like her at all. She was so incredibly irritating - a real piece of work. She needs a firm hand to keep her in line. I don't think she's as dumb as she appears. Her father, Col. Bellingham, is a creepy old guy. For some pointless reason he's a veteran of the American Civil War but it doesn't shape his character. He could be any old, rich guy with a spoiled daughter from anywhere. Mrs. Jones is a great character. I admire her and liked her very much once we got to know her.
I'm not interested in reading more right now, especially with the foreshadowing of WWI but maybe this winter I will read more of the series.
****Reread Hardcover Edition June 2021****
I feel pretty much exactly the same way I did the first time I read this book. I either remembered the central murder mystery or it was incredibly predictable. I kept wondering why Amelia didn't figure it out right away. She would say she did, of course.
I don't like stoic, teenage Ramses. I'm SOOO over teen drama and not interested. I do miss his wild youthful escapades. I know how he feels about The Cat Bastet and how his heart is broken. I think my dad feels the same way about all other dogs as Ramses does about Sekhmet and other cats. Nefret is great! She's funny because she's like Amelia without the Victorian values. She's a modern young woman who wants to be "cool" like the boys and won't let anyone stand in her way. She understood completely what Col. Bellingham was all about and the implications behind his words. I admire Nefret but she can be a bit silly with mothering Ramses and trying to make him notice her. It's obvious what's going on there. There are hints I didn't pick up on the first time around. David is sweet and lovable. He's come a long way from the almost feral child they rescued. His devotion to the Emersons is almost a little excessive at times but he cares.
The real highlight of this series for me is the relationship between Emerson and Amelia. Their love for each other and devotion is touching. She's the only woman who has ever stood up to him and he's the only one who can keep up with her and say no once in awhile. She gets her own way anyway LOL! It's always moving whenever one fears the other is dead or when they're close to dying together. Amelia's maternal feelings manifest themselves by her worry over Ramses and his safety. That should tell him she cares. I think he thinks she doesn't because she's not affectionate. He does seem to understand her feelings though. They communicate through small gestures like the whiskey and soda.
I really could have done without Enid and Donald. They're both super silly and deserve to deal with their problems on their own. I wanted to slap sense into them both. I did like Mrs. Jones, however. It was interesting to meet Katherine again because I didn't have any memory of meeting her in the first place. She's a devoted mother doing what she has to do to survive and keep her children in school. As she says she hasn't the money or education to do anything suitable for work and she's a woman so her options are limited. I don't approve of the phony spiritualists milking people for money but her routine seems limited to comforting people. It's not her fault Donald took it too far. :Eyeroll: at Donald!
Col. Bellingham is one nasty man. He's rude, clearly racist, and greedy. He's trying to court Nefret and assumes because of his ... what? wealth? social status? she should jump at the chance. He says he doesn't like a certain type of woman but his daughter is spoiled and headstrong. Dolly does what she wants and she is dangerous. Dolly is going to find herself in trouble one day and Daddy won't be pleased. She needs a firm governess to keep her in line until she finds a husband. If she marries a man who worships her and spoils her the way Daddy does, maybe she won't be so horrid. Or maybe she'll be bored and run off with another man?
My favorite character in this book is ... Teti the goat! LOL!
I think my mom was really into this one. She kept stealing it when I wanted to read it. She insisted on finishing it before she'd hand it back over. Yet I would have finished first if she had let me. Mom was confused by Amelia's dream of the gathering storm clouds but I believe storm clouds are a cliché for war. Mom also believes the Master Criminal is not dead and is wondering when and how he'll be back. I miss him too. He adds some humor to the story. He would have enjoyed the Donald drama. That's right up his alley except they didn't have any antiquities to steal LOL!
Even though I found the plot boring or predictable, I couldn't put it down. I'm eager to read the next even though I remember the ending very well and have been dreading it all series.
November 17, 2007
Seeing a Large Cat marks a change in the narrative style of the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters. Starting with this volume the mysteries balloon from two hundred fifty pages to almost five hundred pages. The main source of these extra pages is the "manuscript H" which is apparently written by Walter "Ramses" Emerson.
Over the course of the second half of the series (where Ramses, Nefret and David are adults), the writing style of "manuscript H" improves as does the manner in which it is integrated into the over all narrative. In this first attempt, though, the "manuscript H" inserts interrupt the flow of the story and stall the start of the actual mystery until page 125.
The mystery itself is rather simplistic once all the family drama of the early days of the rivalry and romance of Ramses and Nefret and the historical background of 1903 Egypt are pared away. A woman is found in an unknown side tomb of KV-20 (called tomb 20-A in the novel). The woman is mummified but her modern dress quickly gives away the fact that she was only recently murdered. Eventually the plot progresses enough for Amelia et al to investigate, get in trouble, need rescuing and finally escape of their own accord. Unfortunately these action scenes are buried under long dull passages. There are times when Amelia Peabody needs to be gagged.
A huge hindrance to the pacing is the tedious attention to detail. Peters (Barbara Mertz) is a trained Egyptologist and probably knows the Valley of the Kings as well as I know my local neighborhood. It helps to come to these later novels with a basic knowledge of the history (both ancient and recent) and geography of Egypt.
The other problem with the novel is Peter's growing love affair with her characters. She has become so enamored with the Emersons and their kith and kin that every single character has to be lovingly followed and described. This love affair only gets worse as the series progresses.
Over the course of the second half of the series (where Ramses, Nefret and David are adults), the writing style of "manuscript H" improves as does the manner in which it is integrated into the over all narrative. In this first attempt, though, the "manuscript H" inserts interrupt the flow of the story and stall the start of the actual mystery until page 125.
The mystery itself is rather simplistic once all the family drama of the early days of the rivalry and romance of Ramses and Nefret and the historical background of 1903 Egypt are pared away. A woman is found in an unknown side tomb of KV-20 (called tomb 20-A in the novel). The woman is mummified but her modern dress quickly gives away the fact that she was only recently murdered. Eventually the plot progresses enough for Amelia et al to investigate, get in trouble, need rescuing and finally escape of their own accord. Unfortunately these action scenes are buried under long dull passages. There are times when Amelia Peabody needs to be gagged.
A huge hindrance to the pacing is the tedious attention to detail. Peters (Barbara Mertz) is a trained Egyptologist and probably knows the Valley of the Kings as well as I know my local neighborhood. It helps to come to these later novels with a basic knowledge of the history (both ancient and recent) and geography of Egypt.
The other problem with the novel is Peter's growing love affair with her characters. She has become so enamored with the Emersons and their kith and kin that every single character has to be lovingly followed and described. This love affair only gets worse as the series progresses.
April 1, 2019
April 2019: Yet again I find myself in love with the sweep of characters differentiated by Rosenblat, and this is a particularly lovable mystery with bits of previous cases smushed in, the introduction of Catherine, and Teen Love.
June 2012: Reread on audio, with Barbara Rosenblat narrating, as always a pleasure. These characters are so real to me after reading them for 25 years that as usual I had dreams about them after finishing the book. Yay!
June 2012: Reread on audio, with Barbara Rosenblat narrating, as always a pleasure. These characters are so real to me after reading them for 25 years that as usual I had dreams about them after finishing the book. Yay!
October 14, 2021
Yet another sparkling instalment in the Amelia Peabody series! I've already been a fan of this series since I read the first book some years ago (and here we are on book 9!), was less than enthused about Books 7 and 8 which I thought were fairly average, but this Book 9 has restored all my confidence and love for the Emerson family.
The Amelia Peabody series features the Emersons, a Victorian-English family of archaeologists and Egyptologists, who travel to Egypt to excavate at different sites almost every year. Amelia Peabody herself is our headstrong, feminist, sometimes infuriating but almost always charming protagonist, matriarch of the Emerson family. In this instalment, we see the Emersons get blindsided by a mysterious anonymous note asking them to investigate a dig site, Tomb Twenty-A, which doesn't seem to exist on the map. The adventure leads them to discover hidden, recent mummies, a man who was supposed to have gone missing hiding in disguise, a charlatan of a lady, and a whole host of other minor characters, including the Emersons' beloved Egyptian staff.
Amelia remains just as hilarious as ever. Her character and wit comes through so strongly in the first person perspective written by Peters, one of the best examples of character-writing that I would be able to think of. But after 8 books of having Amelia as the one and only perspective we experience the story from, it threw me off a little when the narrative was interspersed (though not abundantly) with excerpts from a Manuscript H that allows the readers to follow her now-adult child Ramses and her now-adult wards, Nefret and David, in order to witness their going-ons that Amelia may not be privy to.
Ramses is another point of interest in this novel. Now sixteen, Ramses has grown into a mini-Emerson. In my head, he's still that annoying (but endearing) little boy of six or seven who sends Amelia into fits with his verbosity, so it's rather shocking when he makes his appearance with a moustache and has a female character set her cap at him for the entire book, or when he starts smoking cigarettes and drinking whiskey. His previous childhood verbosity has also been replaced by an extensive placidity; Amelia is always describing his face as looking "bland and blank", like he's retreated into a shell and refuses to show any more emotions. It's kinda sad, I almost feel like a mother who can't admit that her little boy is all grown up and we won't be getting little-boy Ramses back anymore. Nevertheless, this reticent teenage Ramses is clearly still navigating the treacherous waters between childhood and manhood, and consequently as a reader I can't quite get a grasp on his personality, which made him feel like he's lost his spark a little in this instalment.
Nefret was amazing. Having had such an unusual childhood, it is not unexpected that she should grow up to be an unusual lady of eighteen. Unlike Ramses, though, Nefret seems to be surer of herself - possibly a consequence of having seemingly had spent more time with Amelia and Emerson. Sometimes in this novel, it almost feels like they're closer to her and look after her even more so than they do Ramses. Emerson certainly looks upon her as her daughter. It was sometimes a little awkward when they do refer to her as their daughter, and when Ramses and Nefret refer to each other as "brother and sister" because, while I haven't yet spoiled myself for the rest of the series, I'm pretty convinced that they're going to end up marrying each other at some point. After all, even at book 9, I'm not even halfway through this 20++ book long series.
IMO the charm and attraction of all Amelia Peabody novels is the immersive Egyptian setting, the growth and change that each character and their relationship dynamics go through as the series progresses, and, of course, the sharp wit and humour of Amelia's voice. Though each book has a central mystery, I've always felt that the mystery usually just provides an entertaining backdrop and a driving force to get the characters moving about and interacting, but it's never really quite the priority of the writing here. This book is no exception. Don't get me wrong, the mystery was entertaining enough (as it usually is in these books), but the denoument was never meant to be an Agatha Christie level of surprise and the book is clear that it's invested in the human element more so than the action. Sure, there were a few plot twists relating to the mystery that I didn't see coming and those were fun enough, but ultimately, that's not what I go into each Amelia Peabody book for.
Overall, still a recommendation for anyone who already loves Amelia Peabody. If you're new to the series, this might be a serviceable enough book if you're just looking for a random dose of Victorian adventurers in 19th century Egypt, but I'd really recommend starting from Book 1 for the full flavour of this magnificent ensemble of characters to come through.
The Amelia Peabody series features the Emersons, a Victorian-English family of archaeologists and Egyptologists, who travel to Egypt to excavate at different sites almost every year. Amelia Peabody herself is our headstrong, feminist, sometimes infuriating but almost always charming protagonist, matriarch of the Emerson family. In this instalment, we see the Emersons get blindsided by a mysterious anonymous note asking them to investigate a dig site, Tomb Twenty-A, which doesn't seem to exist on the map. The adventure leads them to discover hidden, recent mummies, a man who was supposed to have gone missing hiding in disguise, a charlatan of a lady, and a whole host of other minor characters, including the Emersons' beloved Egyptian staff.
Amelia remains just as hilarious as ever. Her character and wit comes through so strongly in the first person perspective written by Peters, one of the best examples of character-writing that I would be able to think of. But after 8 books of having Amelia as the one and only perspective we experience the story from, it threw me off a little when the narrative was interspersed (though not abundantly) with excerpts from a Manuscript H that allows the readers to follow her now-adult child Ramses and her now-adult wards, Nefret and David, in order to witness their going-ons that Amelia may not be privy to.
Ramses is another point of interest in this novel. Now sixteen, Ramses has grown into a mini-Emerson. In my head, he's still that annoying (but endearing) little boy of six or seven who sends Amelia into fits with his verbosity, so it's rather shocking when he makes his appearance with a moustache and has a female character set her cap at him for the entire book, or when he starts smoking cigarettes and drinking whiskey. His previous childhood verbosity has also been replaced by an extensive placidity; Amelia is always describing his face as looking "bland and blank", like he's retreated into a shell and refuses to show any more emotions. It's kinda sad, I almost feel like a mother who can't admit that her little boy is all grown up and we won't be getting little-boy Ramses back anymore. Nevertheless, this reticent teenage Ramses is clearly still navigating the treacherous waters between childhood and manhood, and consequently as a reader I can't quite get a grasp on his personality, which made him feel like he's lost his spark a little in this instalment.
Nefret was amazing. Having had such an unusual childhood, it is not unexpected that she should grow up to be an unusual lady of eighteen. Unlike Ramses, though, Nefret seems to be surer of herself - possibly a consequence of having seemingly had spent more time with Amelia and Emerson. Sometimes in this novel, it almost feels like they're closer to her and look after her even more so than they do Ramses. Emerson certainly looks upon her as her daughter. It was sometimes a little awkward when they do refer to her as their daughter, and when Ramses and Nefret refer to each other as "brother and sister" because, while I haven't yet spoiled myself for the rest of the series, I'm pretty convinced that they're going to end up marrying each other at some point. After all, even at book 9, I'm not even halfway through this 20++ book long series.
IMO the charm and attraction of all Amelia Peabody novels is the immersive Egyptian setting, the growth and change that each character and their relationship dynamics go through as the series progresses, and, of course, the sharp wit and humour of Amelia's voice. Though each book has a central mystery, I've always felt that the mystery usually just provides an entertaining backdrop and a driving force to get the characters moving about and interacting, but it's never really quite the priority of the writing here. This book is no exception. Don't get me wrong, the mystery was entertaining enough (as it usually is in these books), but the denoument was never meant to be an Agatha Christie level of surprise and the book is clear that it's invested in the human element more so than the action. Sure, there were a few plot twists relating to the mystery that I didn't see coming and those were fun enough, but ultimately, that's not what I go into each Amelia Peabody book for.
Overall, still a recommendation for anyone who already loves Amelia Peabody. If you're new to the series, this might be a serviceable enough book if you're just looking for a random dose of Victorian adventurers in 19th century Egypt, but I'd really recommend starting from Book 1 for the full flavour of this magnificent ensemble of characters to come through.
January 12, 2025
The ninth entry in the Amelia Peabody series is another solid mystery with the usual delightful characters against the backdrop of Egyptian archaeology in its most famous heyday. The author introduced some memorable new characters who I either appropriately loved or loathed, as intended.
One of the characters I loved comes to us through a small sub-plot that felt unnecessary though. The only point I could see was to provide a bit of whimsy appropriate to the time period and to bring this character to the cast. I feel sure we'll see more of her in future instalments.
With this sub-plot, it did feel like there was a bit too much going on, though Amelia handles it all capably, as she always does, and it wasn't confusing. It was just a bit...much.
The younger generation of Ramses, Nefret, and David get a chance to share their own side of the story for the first time here. I really liked seeing what they were up to through their own eyes. The plot construct that introduced their narrative was a bit clumsy to me but I overlooked it.
Amelia is always far ahead of her time in her insistence on being treated as an equal partner to Emerson, but I really liked this zinger she came out with when speaking of a new acquaintance: "I do not doubt he has a low opinion of women too. Gallantry is often a cloak for contempt."
I've liked some books in this series more than others but I consistently recommend it. I love the characters and the setting and there's really not anything more that I ask from my light reading.
One of the characters I loved comes to us through a small sub-plot that felt unnecessary though. The only point I could see was to provide a bit of whimsy appropriate to the time period and to bring this character to the cast. I feel sure we'll see more of her in future instalments.
With this sub-plot, it did feel like there was a bit too much going on, though Amelia handles it all capably, as she always does, and it wasn't confusing. It was just a bit...much.
The younger generation of Ramses, Nefret, and David get a chance to share their own side of the story for the first time here. I really liked seeing what they were up to through their own eyes. The plot construct that introduced their narrative was a bit clumsy to me but I overlooked it.
Amelia is always far ahead of her time in her insistence on being treated as an equal partner to Emerson, but I really liked this zinger she came out with when speaking of a new acquaintance: "I do not doubt he has a low opinion of women too. Gallantry is often a cloak for contempt."
I've liked some books in this series more than others but I consistently recommend it. I love the characters and the setting and there's really not anything more that I ask from my light reading.
August 30, 2022
Just love these books about Amelia Peabody and Egypt .
December 9, 2021
This was my first audio re-read of this 9th entry in the Amelia Peabody mystery series. This book was just wonderful! The Emersons are back in Egypt and face a number of mysteries, some darker than others. Ramses, David, and Nefret are now teenagers, and with this book we're introduced to the first "Manuscript H," a portion of the book told from their perspective.
I liked this much more on re-read (my first) than I did the first time I read it. The ending definitely hints at darkness to come, with one of Amelia's dreams.
The series should not be started here, but back with the first: Crocodile on the Sandbank. But for me, this entry is a definite DIK, and an A, or five stars here.
NOTE: Second re-listen of this completed on 06/09/19. I definitely agree with everything I wrote above. Now on to the the next three books, called the "dark trilogy" by some, before the fantastic rewards of He Shall Thunder in the Sky.
NOTE: July 29, 2020, Third re-listen. The hints of dark things to come in the following three books are just as strong as before. But I still love this book. On to the next!
NOTE: December 9, 2021: Another re-listen finished. I still agree when everything above, and have already started the much darker The Ape Who Guards the Balance.
I liked this much more on re-read (my first) than I did the first time I read it. The ending definitely hints at darkness to come, with one of Amelia's dreams.
The series should not be started here, but back with the first: Crocodile on the Sandbank. But for me, this entry is a definite DIK, and an A, or five stars here.
NOTE: Second re-listen of this completed on 06/09/19. I definitely agree with everything I wrote above. Now on to the the next three books, called the "dark trilogy" by some, before the fantastic rewards of He Shall Thunder in the Sky.
NOTE: July 29, 2020, Third re-listen. The hints of dark things to come in the following three books are just as strong as before. But I still love this book. On to the next!
NOTE: December 9, 2021: Another re-listen finished. I still agree when everything above, and have already started the much darker The Ape Who Guards the Balance.
September 4, 2022
Seeing a Large Cat by Elizabeth Peters is the 9th book in the Amelia Peabody Mystery series. Investigating tomb twenty-A after they had been warned to stay away from it, Amelia Peabody and her husband, famed archaeologist Radcliffe Emerson, discover a newly mummified corpse. A fabulous series which is enhanced by the narration by Barbara Rosenblat. Ramses and Nefret have grown and it is nice to see how they have developed and try to defy the adults. Manuscript H gives us further insight into their thoughts and actions. A fun and very entertaining mystery.
November 21, 2010
"For the ancient Egyptians, to dream of a large cat meant good luck."
Another very entertaining archeological adventure in Egypt with Emerson and Peabody, now (in 1903) accompanied by an entourage of lively teenagers. I've enjoyed all of these books, but I think this is one of my favorites so far.
Until now the books have been written entirely in first person from Amelia Peabody's point of view, but this time the author includes a few scenes written in third person from Ramses' point of view, ostensibly obtained from a newly discovered manuscript (as the rest of the text is purported to be from Amelia's journal). It's fascinating to see the rest of the family from outside of Amelia's perspective. Haven't you always wanted to know what Rames thinks about his mother?
Peters is doing a great job of keeping this series fresh, and I look forward to the next book.
By the way, if I was any member of this family, I wouldn't accept any kind of drink from the hand of any other member of this family. They're quite casual about drugging each other with laudanum!
Another very entertaining archeological adventure in Egypt with Emerson and Peabody, now (in 1903) accompanied by an entourage of lively teenagers. I've enjoyed all of these books, but I think this is one of my favorites so far.
Until now the books have been written entirely in first person from Amelia Peabody's point of view, but this time the author includes a few scenes written in third person from Ramses' point of view, ostensibly obtained from a newly discovered manuscript (as the rest of the text is purported to be from Amelia's journal). It's fascinating to see the rest of the family from outside of Amelia's perspective. Haven't you always wanted to know what Rames thinks about his mother?
Peters is doing a great job of keeping this series fresh, and I look forward to the next book.
By the way, if I was any member of this family, I wouldn't accept any kind of drink from the hand of any other member of this family. They're quite casual about drugging each other with laudanum!
February 21, 2017
C'est plus un 4,5
J'ai adoré tous les retrouver, la gouaille d'Emerson, le caractère de Peabody (et ses conseils matrimoniaux), Ramses (et sa moustache)... J'ai toujours du mal avec Nefret....
Toux de gloussements maximal!
Je ne laisserai pas un an passer pour lire le tome 10
J'ai adoré tous les retrouver, la gouaille d'Emerson, le caractère de Peabody (et ses conseils matrimoniaux), Ramses (et sa moustache)... J'ai toujours du mal avec Nefret....
Toux de gloussements maximal!
Je ne laisserai pas un an passer pour lire le tome 10
November 5, 2024
Ninth in the Amelia Peabody amateur sleuth in an historical mystery series revolving around a feminist archeologist in Egypt. This tale is set in 1903 in Thebes with the Emersons in the center of the action.
In 1997, Seeing a Large Cat was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Novel.
My Take
I do enjoy it when an author blends history with their fiction. It's even better when mixed with a bit of snark, lol.
Self-important busybody that she is, Amelia is so refreshing and has experienced quite a bit for her 1903 time period. It's been three years since our last encounter with the Emersons and David and Ramses have experienced quite a bit . . . quite. A. Bit.
It's a contradiction. Part of me is frustrated with what a know-it-all Peabody is and the greater part of me adores her. I also love the reputation Emerson (and his family) has in Egypt and their embracement of the Egyptians. It's a great attitude which leads to hilarious scenes of mayhem that freak out the "norms", as Peters explores bigotry and the superior attitudes of whites and the wealthy. Another crack-up, as the Emersons are independently wealthy, beholden to no one.
Amelia Peabody cracks me up---an original suffragette. She is opinionated, stubborn, self-righteous, melodramatic, pompous, and an interfering know-it-all who is also honest, loyal, open-minded, tolerant, caring, and good-hearted with the most amusing, full-of-life husband. Aware of her character, her family and friends are in turn open-minded and tolerant of her "little ways". And it's so much fun to read the banter between them all as they solve yet another series of crimes while excavating in early 20th-century Egypt for yet another season.
Peters introduces a secondary POV (third person protagonist) from Ramses' perspective while continuing first person protagonist point-of-view from Peabody's perspective. It can be a bit disconcerting (Peters is careful to let us know ahead of time when she's changing from one to the other) to read Ramses' side of the story.
Ramses' series arc is of growth, naturally, and it is interesting to see how he changes. Oh, not all of him, but he is becoming less loquacious and more walled-off emotionally. And so determined to earn Nefret's love. Nefret's arc is less of a contrast, although she does provide more counterpoint to European/American social rules.
They are an eclectic religious mix with David's parents a Copt and a Muslim, Nefret a former priestess of Isis, Emerson despising all religions, Peabody adhering to the CofE, and Ramses knowing more about the Koran than the Bible.
Technology has its own arc in the series, as Peters keeps us abreast of innovations. Academically, I do appreciate Emerson's passion for knowledge as opposed to immediate spectacular finds, although he does revel in being dramatic, lol.
The Story
It's confrontation after confrontation with a Southern belle in pursuit of Ramses and an old friend begging help from the Emersons — a medium is taking the Debenhams for a fortune!
And yet another dead body . . . of an eight-year-old murder.
The Characters
Amelia Peabody Emerson, a.k.a. Sitt Hakim (Lady Doctor), is a force to be reckoned with along with her highly respected yet infamous husband, Professor Radcliffe Emerson, a.k.a. the Father of Curses (Abu Shita'im). Walter "Ramses", their fifteen-year-old son who is known as the Brother of Demons (Akhu el-Afareet), has spent the past six months with Sheikh Mohammed learning to ride, shoot, and um, become a man. Accompanying him is David Todros ( The Hippopotamus Pool , 8), Ramses' best friend and blood brother and an expert forger, who has been virtually adopted by Walter (Emerson's younger brother) and Evelyn (an artist) Emerson, who have four children: Raddie is their oldest (he's gone up to Oxford), Johnny and Davie?? (I thought it was Willy?) are the twins, and the fourteen-year-old Amelia, who is their oldest girl. The seventeen-year-old David is also Abdullah's grandson. Nefret Forth, the young teen rescued in The Last Camel Died at Noon , 6, a.k.a. Nur Misur (Light of Egypt), has been pursuing a education in medicine. The cat Bastet, Ramses' prolific and constant companion, is no more. Anubis, the Egyptian cat who adopted Emerson in The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog , 7, is still with them. Sekhmet is of Bastet and Anubis' last litter. Risha and Asfur are the Arabians gifted to the boys by the Sheikh.
Cairo
The Emersons' people in Egypt include Abdullah, their experienced reis (foreman) and friend; Daoud, who is Abdullah's nephew and second-in-command; Selim is his youngest (and married) son (and David's uncle); Yussuf; Ibrahim, who is a carpenter; Mahmud; Mustafa; Hassan; and, Ali. Fatima is David's aunt. The Amelia is the Emersons' dahabeeya, captained by Hassam.
Cyrus Vandergelt, a wealthy American and another of the Emersons' best friends, is also enamored of archeology. He built a home, a.k.a. the Castle, near the entrance to the Valley of Kings. Queenie is his favorite horse. The Valley of the Kings is Cyrus' dahabeeyah.
M. Maspero is the director of the Service des Antiquités. (Auguste Mariette had founded the Service.) Howard Carter is the inspector over the antiquities of Upper Egypt; Quibell is in charge of Lower Egypt. Reisner is an American excavator. Lucas is a chemist; M. Lacau is copying coffin texts. Other, unrespected, archeologists include the ignorant Theodore Davis who treats the field as a playground with the Bedawin as his dahabeeya; Carter is working for Davis this season; Loret is a former director; Herr Emile Brugsch is Maspero's assistant; Naville; Percy Newberry; M. Legrain; de Peyster Tytus; and, Wilkinson (later Sir Gardiner) who had numbered tombs eighty years ago. The hated Wallis Budge is the keeper of Egyptian antiquities (that he acquires illegally) at the British Museum. Lord Cromer, the former Sir Evelyn Baring, is the British Consul General and another old friend.
Others who are unwelcome include Monsieur le Comte de la Roche. Ali Murad, a Turk, is the American consular agent. Gordon is with the consulate.
Shepheard's Hotel is Peabody's Cairene domicile of choice. The Continental is a newer hotel.
The rude and spoiled Dolly Bellingham is chaperoned by the latest, Mrs Maplethorpe. Her imperious father, Colonel Bellingham, is far too indulgent. His fourth wife, Lucinda, eloped with Dutton Scudder, the colonel's secretary. Mohammed is a servant of the Howadji (the colonel) replaced by Saiyid, an incompetent and cowardly dragoman. Booghis Tucker Tollington and Sir Arthur are Dolly's most recent escorts.
Thebes / Luxor
The Emersons built a house there. Mrs Enid Fraser neé Debenham ( Lion in the Valley , 4) is frantic with worry about her husband Donald. Tasherit is an Egyptian princess communicating with Donald through the aid of Mrs Katherine Whitney-Jones, a desk Egyptologist and medium. She has two children: Bertie and Anna.
Ahmed Giirigar is the well-regarded reis in charge of the gaffirs, the watchmen of the Valley of Kings. Dr Willoughby was a great help in The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog . Mrs Andrews is amiable. Mustafa Kamel has some fascinating jewelry. Pagnon is the manager of the hotel.
Sethos, the Master Criminal and the Emersons' arch-enemy, is dead. Residents of the village of Gurneh are renowned tomb robbers; the Abd er Rassul family is notorious.
Tetisheri was the queen in the tomb at Drah Abu'l Naga from The Hippopotamus Pool . Hatshesput, a female pharaoh, ruled for twenty years. Dr Aldrich-Black lectures on medicine. Mr Cook runs tours through Egypt. Worth had been a famous courtier; one of his dresses had been worn by Lady Burton-Leigh. The Honorable Mr Dillinghurst, Lord Sinclair, the Comte de la Chiffonier, etc., have also been interested in Nefret. Alan Armadale ( The Curse of the Pharaohs , 2) had been the original owner of the cat Bastet.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a narrow range of blues and a wider one of oranges with a gradated sky of deep blue to a dusty periwinkle, narrow brown clouds drifting over a landscape of murky oranges. In the forefront is a large statue of an upright cat. At the very top is an info blurb in white with the author's name below it in an embossed gold. Immediately below it, the brighter orange tip intruding between the "P" and the "E", is a turquoise pyramid with the series info in white. At the statue's waist is the title in white with a testimonial, also in white, below that at the bottom.
The title refers to Peabody's dream, when she was Seeing a Large Cat.
In 1997, Seeing a Large Cat was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Novel.
My Take
I do enjoy it when an author blends history with their fiction. It's even better when mixed with a bit of snark, lol.
Self-important busybody that she is, Amelia is so refreshing and has experienced quite a bit for her 1903 time period. It's been three years since our last encounter with the Emersons and David and Ramses have experienced quite a bit . . . quite. A. Bit.
It's a contradiction. Part of me is frustrated with what a know-it-all Peabody is and the greater part of me adores her. I also love the reputation Emerson (and his family) has in Egypt and their embracement of the Egyptians. It's a great attitude which leads to hilarious scenes of mayhem that freak out the "norms", as Peters explores bigotry and the superior attitudes of whites and the wealthy. Another crack-up, as the Emersons are independently wealthy, beholden to no one.
Amelia Peabody cracks me up---an original suffragette. She is opinionated, stubborn, self-righteous, melodramatic, pompous, and an interfering know-it-all who is also honest, loyal, open-minded, tolerant, caring, and good-hearted with the most amusing, full-of-life husband. Aware of her character, her family and friends are in turn open-minded and tolerant of her "little ways". And it's so much fun to read the banter between them all as they solve yet another series of crimes while excavating in early 20th-century Egypt for yet another season.
Peters introduces a secondary POV (third person protagonist) from Ramses' perspective while continuing first person protagonist point-of-view from Peabody's perspective. It can be a bit disconcerting (Peters is careful to let us know ahead of time when she's changing from one to the other) to read Ramses' side of the story.
Ramses' series arc is of growth, naturally, and it is interesting to see how he changes. Oh, not all of him, but he is becoming less loquacious and more walled-off emotionally. And so determined to earn Nefret's love. Nefret's arc is less of a contrast, although she does provide more counterpoint to European/American social rules.
"I must make sure the men finish sweeping the desert, Sitt," [Abdullah] said. "How far from the house should they go?"I do adore Peabody's and Abdullah's differing attitudes to cleanliness, lol.
They are an eclectic religious mix with David's parents a Copt and a Muslim, Nefret a former priestess of Isis, Emerson despising all religions, Peabody adhering to the CofE, and Ramses knowing more about the Koran than the Bible.
I do agree with Peabody's assessment that "formal observances are less important than what is in the heart."The whole medium shtick has quite the twist, in so many ways!
Technology has its own arc in the series, as Peters keeps us abreast of innovations. Academically, I do appreciate Emerson's passion for knowledge as opposed to immediate spectacular finds, although he does revel in being dramatic, lol.
The Story
It's confrontation after confrontation with a Southern belle in pursuit of Ramses and an old friend begging help from the Emersons — a medium is taking the Debenhams for a fortune!
And yet another dead body . . . of an eight-year-old murder.
The Characters
Amelia Peabody Emerson, a.k.a. Sitt Hakim (Lady Doctor), is a force to be reckoned with along with her highly respected yet infamous husband, Professor Radcliffe Emerson, a.k.a. the Father of Curses (Abu Shita'im). Walter "Ramses", their fifteen-year-old son who is known as the Brother of Demons (Akhu el-Afareet), has spent the past six months with Sheikh Mohammed learning to ride, shoot, and um, become a man. Accompanying him is David Todros ( The Hippopotamus Pool , 8), Ramses' best friend and blood brother and an expert forger, who has been virtually adopted by Walter (Emerson's younger brother) and Evelyn (an artist) Emerson, who have four children: Raddie is their oldest (he's gone up to Oxford), Johnny and Davie?? (I thought it was Willy?) are the twins, and the fourteen-year-old Amelia, who is their oldest girl. The seventeen-year-old David is also Abdullah's grandson. Nefret Forth, the young teen rescued in The Last Camel Died at Noon , 6, a.k.a. Nur Misur (Light of Egypt), has been pursuing a education in medicine. The cat Bastet, Ramses' prolific and constant companion, is no more. Anubis, the Egyptian cat who adopted Emerson in The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog , 7, is still with them. Sekhmet is of Bastet and Anubis' last litter. Risha and Asfur are the Arabians gifted to the boys by the Sheikh.
Cairo
The Emersons' people in Egypt include Abdullah, their experienced reis (foreman) and friend; Daoud, who is Abdullah's nephew and second-in-command; Selim is his youngest (and married) son (and David's uncle); Yussuf; Ibrahim, who is a carpenter; Mahmud; Mustafa; Hassan; and, Ali. Fatima is David's aunt. The Amelia is the Emersons' dahabeeya, captained by Hassam.
Cyrus Vandergelt, a wealthy American and another of the Emersons' best friends, is also enamored of archeology. He built a home, a.k.a. the Castle, near the entrance to the Valley of Kings. Queenie is his favorite horse. The Valley of the Kings is Cyrus' dahabeeyah.
M. Maspero is the director of the Service des Antiquités. (Auguste Mariette had founded the Service.) Howard Carter is the inspector over the antiquities of Upper Egypt; Quibell is in charge of Lower Egypt. Reisner is an American excavator. Lucas is a chemist; M. Lacau is copying coffin texts. Other, unrespected, archeologists include the ignorant Theodore Davis who treats the field as a playground with the Bedawin as his dahabeeya; Carter is working for Davis this season; Loret is a former director; Herr Emile Brugsch is Maspero's assistant; Naville; Percy Newberry; M. Legrain; de Peyster Tytus; and, Wilkinson (later Sir Gardiner) who had numbered tombs eighty years ago. The hated Wallis Budge is the keeper of Egyptian antiquities (that he acquires illegally) at the British Museum. Lord Cromer, the former Sir Evelyn Baring, is the British Consul General and another old friend.
Others who are unwelcome include Monsieur le Comte de la Roche. Ali Murad, a Turk, is the American consular agent. Gordon is with the consulate.
Shepheard's Hotel is Peabody's Cairene domicile of choice. The Continental is a newer hotel.
The rude and spoiled Dolly Bellingham is chaperoned by the latest, Mrs Maplethorpe. Her imperious father, Colonel Bellingham, is far too indulgent. His fourth wife, Lucinda, eloped with Dutton Scudder, the colonel's secretary. Mohammed is a servant of the Howadji (the colonel) replaced by Saiyid, an incompetent and cowardly dragoman. Booghis Tucker Tollington and Sir Arthur are Dolly's most recent escorts.
Thebes / Luxor
The Emersons built a house there. Mrs Enid Fraser neé Debenham ( Lion in the Valley , 4) is frantic with worry about her husband Donald. Tasherit is an Egyptian princess communicating with Donald through the aid of Mrs Katherine Whitney-Jones, a desk Egyptologist and medium. She has two children: Bertie and Anna.
Ahmed Giirigar is the well-regarded reis in charge of the gaffirs, the watchmen of the Valley of Kings. Dr Willoughby was a great help in The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog . Mrs Andrews is amiable. Mustafa Kamel has some fascinating jewelry. Pagnon is the manager of the hotel.
Sethos, the Master Criminal and the Emersons' arch-enemy, is dead. Residents of the village of Gurneh are renowned tomb robbers; the Abd er Rassul family is notorious.
Tetisheri was the queen in the tomb at Drah Abu'l Naga from The Hippopotamus Pool . Hatshesput, a female pharaoh, ruled for twenty years. Dr Aldrich-Black lectures on medicine. Mr Cook runs tours through Egypt. Worth had been a famous courtier; one of his dresses had been worn by Lady Burton-Leigh. The Honorable Mr Dillinghurst, Lord Sinclair, the Comte de la Chiffonier, etc., have also been interested in Nefret. Alan Armadale ( The Curse of the Pharaohs , 2) had been the original owner of the cat Bastet.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a narrow range of blues and a wider one of oranges with a gradated sky of deep blue to a dusty periwinkle, narrow brown clouds drifting over a landscape of murky oranges. In the forefront is a large statue of an upright cat. At the very top is an info blurb in white with the author's name below it in an embossed gold. Immediately below it, the brighter orange tip intruding between the "P" and the "E", is a turquoise pyramid with the series info in white. At the statue's waist is the title in white with a testimonial, also in white, below that at the bottom.
The title refers to Peabody's dream, when she was Seeing a Large Cat.
February 29, 2024
I just love this series and am sad to know that I’m almost half way through it especially since the last book, written after Peters’ death, isn’t supposed to be that good.
I’m not a rereader but if I was I would definitely reread this whole series. Maybe one day…
Also if you are ok with audiobooks definitely listen to this series that way. The narration by Barbara Rosenblat (maybe not spelled correctly) is so good. Every character has a distinctive voice that goes so well with their personalities.
I’m not a rereader but if I was I would definitely reread this whole series. Maybe one day…
Also if you are ok with audiobooks definitely listen to this series that way. The narration by Barbara Rosenblat (maybe not spelled correctly) is so good. Every character has a distinctive voice that goes so well with their personalities.
August 3, 2020
Seeing a Large Cat (#9) is a mystery set in 1903 Egypt. The mystery involves an undiscovered burial chamber which contains a mummy who turns out to be Colonel Bellingham’s missing wife—presumed to be murdered by the man who kidnapped her, Dutton Scudder. The mystery is a small part of the story which centers on the assorted romances. The author has a Ph.D. in Egyptian Archeology and it shows.
A historical romance set in 1903 Egypt with a murder.
For my expanded notes: https://1book42day.blogspot.com/2020/...
Check out https://amazon.com/shop/influencer-20... for book recommendations.
A historical romance set in 1903 Egypt with a murder.
For my expanded notes: https://1book42day.blogspot.com/2020/...
Check out https://amazon.com/shop/influencer-20... for book recommendations.
Read
September 22, 2015This seems to be the book where Peters quits writing the series as farce and starts taking the characters more seriously. How you feel about that change will affect your fondness for this book and the following. I, personally, can't take the Emersons when they are meant to be read as legitimate characters. Especially Amelia, whose blindness to facts while insisting she sees everything, and tendency to boss everyone around in a truly embarrassing manner, just makes me cringe. I could just barely handle it when the books were clearly farce, and all the other characters behaved just as ridiculously, but now the others have settled down (Emerson didn't do one ridiculous thing in this entire book!), it's too painful.
For me, that is. If you dislike the more farcical nature of the earlier books, this and the rest of the series following will be right up your alley. Just because it doesn't work for my personality and reading tastes doesn't make it objectively bad!
For me, that is. If you dislike the more farcical nature of the earlier books, this and the rest of the series following will be right up your alley. Just because it doesn't work for my personality and reading tastes doesn't make it objectively bad!
November 30, 2013
I'm really loving this series. I've totally read it out of order. I've already read #10, 14, 17 and 18 which tells me what's going to happen between the characters...eventually but now I'm going to reread #10 to get the particulars of how they come together and when. I can't wait I just love Ramses' character.
Of course this was another convoluted mystery with too many things going on, too many people involved in various mysteries, and the whole gang going in different directions trying to solve one or the other. I liked the fact that Ramses is finally a man (well almost, at 16) but Amelia still treats him like a little boy. It'll be fun to see how and when she realizes he's a grown man and doesn't need her scoldings etc.
Of course this was another convoluted mystery with too many things going on, too many people involved in various mysteries, and the whole gang going in different directions trying to solve one or the other. I liked the fact that Ramses is finally a man (well almost, at 16) but Amelia still treats him like a little boy. It'll be fun to see how and when she realizes he's a grown man and doesn't need her scoldings etc.
September 19, 2013
I've wanted to read one of the Amelia Peabody mysteries for quite a while, and when I found out that some of the audiobooks were read by Barbara Rosenblat (who is simply phenomenal in the recordings of the Mrs. Pollifax series), I decided to begin with audio. Rosenblat does indeed do a masterful job, creating distinct and engaging voices for each character.
Unfortunately, I only made it one disc in. Sweet jesus - 73 minutes and it was nothing but descriptions of clothing and cats and "what I did over summer vacation" essays. When does the plot teased on the jacket copy begin? I won't find out, because there's no way I'm listening to 11 more cds.
I may still try to read one of the books - at least you can skim at your own pace when you read.
Unfortunately, I only made it one disc in. Sweet jesus - 73 minutes and it was nothing but descriptions of clothing and cats and "what I did over summer vacation" essays. When does the plot teased on the jacket copy begin? I won't find out, because there's no way I'm listening to 11 more cds.
I may still try to read one of the books - at least you can skim at your own pace when you read.
August 23, 2015
I love this series and with Ramses now a teenager his contribution to the narrative has been introduced in the form of extracts from a manuscript that provides an account of his activities away from his parents, usually accompanied by Nefret and David. To think I really disliked Ramses when he first was first introduced.
This was another very interesting mystery with some fascinating supporting characters. Sadly the death of one character - a beloved feline one off screen - did make me sad.
This was another very interesting mystery with some fascinating supporting characters. Sadly the death of one character - a beloved feline one off screen - did make me sad.
October 22, 2023
The ninth volume in the Amelia Peabody series. It's 1903 and Amelia and her family are back in Luxor. When they begin to receive mysterious notes warning them away from Tomb 20-A, which does not appear to exist, Emerson is annoyed, but Amelia is intrigued. Then an American heiress takes a fancy to Ramses, and Nefret is courted by the girl's father!! This promises to be another strange season for the Emersons. Fans of this series will not be disappointed in this installment.
July 13, 2022
A 2022 re-read confirms the rating.
***********
An enjoyable, if not outstanding, ninth book in this series about the husband and wife archaeological team in early 20thC Egypt, who, as usual, spend most of their time solving the murder of ....
As usual, the interest lies as much in the narration and wit of Amelia Peabody and, separately, her son Ramses, and the family development, as in the mystery.
A decent read.
***********
An enjoyable, if not outstanding, ninth book in this series about the husband and wife archaeological team in early 20thC Egypt, who, as usual, spend most of their time solving the murder of ....
As usual, the interest lies as much in the narration and wit of Amelia Peabody and, separately, her son Ramses, and the family development, as in the mystery.
A decent read.
August 14, 2015
This has been my audiobook in the car for last 5+ weeks which is about my average length. Again I cannot fault the brilliant narration done by Rosenblat who just shines
May 23, 2023
An amusing & entertaining story narrated wonderfully by Barbara Rosenblatt!
November 8, 2018
(originally reviewed at
thelibraryladies.com
)
I know, right?! Finally, we’re back with another Amelia Peabody book! I mean, yes, the Veronica Speedwell books have been a nice stand-in, but I can’t write a single review of those without referencing the OG female sleuth, Amelia. Plus, as much as I like the slow-burn romance in that book, I was also hankering for a nice, established relationship where I could just lounge in all of the lovely romance.
This book takes another pretty big leap in time between it and its predecessor. For the most part, the books before went year to year. But when we start this one, we see Amelia and Emerson waiting for the return of their son Ramses, who, now a young man, has spent the summer with the tribes and is only just not rejoining his family. I believe he is around 16 in this book? With Neferet being around 19? I was doing a lot of mental math throughout the book, and at a certain point, it was just distracting, so we’ll go with that.
Anyways! Reunited, the Emersons find themselves once gain caught up in a mystery. With dire warnings coming their way (which Amelia ignores, of course!) and old friends reemerging with romantic entanglements of their own, Amelia never wavers in her confidence that she is prepared to handle it all. This book also marks a change in that we get several chapters that are written in third person, detailing the goings-on of the younger generation. Here, we finally see behind the curtain and realize that while yes, Amelia does have a good understanding of much that is happening, her rapscallion child and wards also get up to a good amount of mischief that does fly beneath her ever-watchful radar.
It took a bit for me to get used to having to share my narrative time with these third-person chapters. Part of the reason I love these books so much is the brilliance of Amelia’s narrating voice, so it felt like a loss to give that up, even briefly. It was also unclear who actually wrote these other chapters. The rest of the books have clearly stated that Amelia is writing them for posterity. Who, then, is writing these? Especially since it is written in third person? It seems as if it has to be either Ramses or Neferet. But as the story progressed, I did begin to appreciate more and more this inner look into the “childrens'” eyes. One has to assume that as the series progresses, their own story lines will also begin to take more precedence (especially the thwarted love that Ramses feels for Neferet), and this device is a clever way of balancing both.
The mystery itself was also quite complicated and good. I also love the fact that Amelia’s penchant for match-making often seems to play a role in these stories. And here, that thread takes on a very different role with the return of two characters whom she had previously matched and who are now struggling quite a bit. From my view of things, I think the man in question never redeems himself and I was pleased to see Amelia think equally poorly of him for his failings. But, because these are happy books, things are resolved eventually.
Amelia and Emerson were as great as ever. Their banter and bond remain one of the biggest draws for the series. I also liked the action of this story, particularly the final scene. Of course the family ends up in quite a scrap, but the way things resolved was surprising and took on an unexpected, but appreciated, serious tone. I’m curious to see what the fall-out of this experience will be for the entire family.
All told, this was another solid entry into the series. I feel that it is ushering in a new age for the series with the introduction of the Manuscript H sections that feature the younger generation. But I was pleased to see that these sections never over-shadowed the real draw: Amelia herself!
Rating 8: An excellent return to a favorite series! This book brought forward new views on this familiar and beloved family.
I know, right?! Finally, we’re back with another Amelia Peabody book! I mean, yes, the Veronica Speedwell books have been a nice stand-in, but I can’t write a single review of those without referencing the OG female sleuth, Amelia. Plus, as much as I like the slow-burn romance in that book, I was also hankering for a nice, established relationship where I could just lounge in all of the lovely romance.
This book takes another pretty big leap in time between it and its predecessor. For the most part, the books before went year to year. But when we start this one, we see Amelia and Emerson waiting for the return of their son Ramses, who, now a young man, has spent the summer with the tribes and is only just not rejoining his family. I believe he is around 16 in this book? With Neferet being around 19? I was doing a lot of mental math throughout the book, and at a certain point, it was just distracting, so we’ll go with that.
Anyways! Reunited, the Emersons find themselves once gain caught up in a mystery. With dire warnings coming their way (which Amelia ignores, of course!) and old friends reemerging with romantic entanglements of their own, Amelia never wavers in her confidence that she is prepared to handle it all. This book also marks a change in that we get several chapters that are written in third person, detailing the goings-on of the younger generation. Here, we finally see behind the curtain and realize that while yes, Amelia does have a good understanding of much that is happening, her rapscallion child and wards also get up to a good amount of mischief that does fly beneath her ever-watchful radar.
It took a bit for me to get used to having to share my narrative time with these third-person chapters. Part of the reason I love these books so much is the brilliance of Amelia’s narrating voice, so it felt like a loss to give that up, even briefly. It was also unclear who actually wrote these other chapters. The rest of the books have clearly stated that Amelia is writing them for posterity. Who, then, is writing these? Especially since it is written in third person? It seems as if it has to be either Ramses or Neferet. But as the story progressed, I did begin to appreciate more and more this inner look into the “childrens'” eyes. One has to assume that as the series progresses, their own story lines will also begin to take more precedence (especially the thwarted love that Ramses feels for Neferet), and this device is a clever way of balancing both.
The mystery itself was also quite complicated and good. I also love the fact that Amelia’s penchant for match-making often seems to play a role in these stories. And here, that thread takes on a very different role with the return of two characters whom she had previously matched and who are now struggling quite a bit. From my view of things, I think the man in question never redeems himself and I was pleased to see Amelia think equally poorly of him for his failings. But, because these are happy books, things are resolved eventually.
Amelia and Emerson were as great as ever. Their banter and bond remain one of the biggest draws for the series. I also liked the action of this story, particularly the final scene. Of course the family ends up in quite a scrap, but the way things resolved was surprising and took on an unexpected, but appreciated, serious tone. I’m curious to see what the fall-out of this experience will be for the entire family.
All told, this was another solid entry into the series. I feel that it is ushering in a new age for the series with the introduction of the Manuscript H sections that feature the younger generation. But I was pleased to see that these sections never over-shadowed the real draw: Amelia herself!
Rating 8: An excellent return to a favorite series! This book brought forward new views on this familiar and beloved family.
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