The encrimsoned sun sank slowly toward the crest of the Theban mountains. Another glorious Egyptian sunset burned against the horizon like fire in the heavens. In fact, I did not at that moment behold it, since I was facing east. I had seen hundreds of sunsets, however, and my excellent imagination supplied a suitable mental picture. As the sky over Luxor darkened, the shadows of the bars covering doors and windows lengthened and blurred, lying like a tiger's stripes across the two forms squatting on the floor. One of them said, "Spoceeva."
"Russian," Ramses muttered, scribbling on his notepad. " Yesterday it was Amharic. The day before it sounded like--"
"Gibberish, " said his wife.
"No," Ramses insisted, " It has to mean something. They use root words from a dozen languages, and they obviously understand one another. See? He's nodding. They are standing up. They are going... " His voice rose. "Leave the cat alone!"

La tormenta de la Gran Guerra ha pasado, y la arqueóloga egipcia Amelia Peabody debe conectar los hilos de misteriosos accidentes que casi matan a sus amigos. El restaurados Martinelli desaparece la misma noche que unas valiosas joyas del tesoro de una princesa, que debe ser embalado para un barco de vapor al museo nacional. Los hijos y nietos de Copius ayudan y obstaculizan, incluido el medio hermano reformado archicriminal Sethos y su hija ilegítima Molly.

I felt like I was being pulled a million directions with all the old characters and the new ones. Thus my interest and affection for the characters was minimized somewhat. Not that Peters has lost her sense of humor, or her cleverness. It's still there. But it would help to simplify things a bit. Maybe separate the family and have 2 mysteries going on rather than try and remember every little detail. The "additions" to the family circle are endearing and the character growth is believable.

Last pet peeve: Remember how in the earlier books there would be a side-plot romance? Bring it back. It brought an opportunity for lighter, less emotionally-clogged moments and amazingly brilliant characters. I miss Kevin and other stand-by characters that made the other books crackle with wit, humor, action, and (occasionally) good-humored annoyance. ( )

https://tamaranth.blogspot.com/2021/09/2021105-children-of-storm-elizabeth.html ( )

Synopsis: 'The 1919 season opens with the Vandergelts and Emersons packing the God's Wives treasures found (in the previous book) for Cyrus Vandergelt by his adopted son Bertie. Just after the Service d'Antiquités representative comes to inspect their work, several items disappear together with the conservator Cyrus had hired on Sethos's recommendation. The conservator's skeleton is found later in the desert, without the objects. These events coincide with a visit from Emerson's brother Walter, his wife Evelyn, their daughter Lia and her husband David (the Emersons' adoptive son), plus their small children.
Meanwhile, the Emersons meet up with Justin Fitzroyce, a young person with a strange mental malady, and his companion, François, who quickly develops a dislike of the family after Ramses mistakes his attentions to the boy for physical abuse. Justin is travelling with his grandmother, the elderly, sometimes confused, Mrs Fitzroyce; also with them is her companion, who turns out to be Maryam, the teenage daughter of Sethos, fallen on hard times. Amelia tries to befriend Maryam and helps her to rebuild her relationship with her father when he arrives to visit. She also reassures Maryam that the Emersons were not responsible for the death of the girl's mother, Bertha.
Along the way, the Emerson family is dogged by a series of mysterious events ranging from strange pranks to near-fatal accidents. Most of these seem to be directed at the Arab servants, including Selim, who is badly injured when a motor-car imported by Emerson crashes as a result of the wheel-nuts having been removed. The exception is a mystery attacker who targets Maryam. In addition, Ramses is temporarily taken prisoner and drugged by a mysterious woman disguised as the goddess Hathor. The same woman later reappears at the temple ruins during the night but the Emersons fail to apprehend her.
As the head of the Service arrives to take possession of the treasure for transport to Cairo, Nefret is captured by the criminal gang intent on stealing the treasure, and held prisoner on the dahabeeyah belonging to the FitzRoyces, as is Emerson when he impetuously comes to rescue her. "Justin" is revealed as Maryam's elder half-sister and "Mrs FitzRoyce" as an old associate of Bertha's. Through Emerson's efforts, Nefret escapes through a window of the boat, to be picked up by passing fishermen; meanwhile Maryam, who is implicated in the plot, shows her true loyalties by rescuing Emerson.
The final chase scene has Amelia, Rameses, Sethos, Selim, Daoud, Cyrus, Walter, and Bertie racing down-river armed to the teeth to rescue Nefret and Emerson, and is unlike any other scene in the Amelia series.'
Review: It was refreshing to have Emerson rescued rather than the other way around. ( )