Product Description

It is 1914 and Amelia Peabody and her husband Emerson are back in Egypt for another season of archaeological excavation. But this year a new menace hangs over the dig: rumblings of war abound in Europe while over in the East, Turkish and German forces are massing for an attack on the Suez Canal. There are problems closer to home too: their son Rameses, passionately opposed to the war, is collecting white feathers and challenges from the British community of Cairo, their beautiful ward Nefret seems to have become involved with Amelia's detested nephew Percy, while David, the young Egyptian married to their niece Lia, has been interned because of his nationalist sympathies. Even Amelia finds it difficult to concentrate on pyramids when her children are in trouble and Cairo teems with enemy agents, including her old nemesis. Can Amelia unmask the Master Criminal and prevent a bloody uprising in Cairo, rescue Nefret from the attentions of her nephew, defend her son against unknown enemies and prevent Emerson from dashing off to fight in the looming war? If anyone can it's Amelia - but this time she is going to need all the help that she can get; and some of it from a completely unexpected source.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #72917 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 424 pages

Review
"* 'I can't wait for the next Peabody story... I really do think Elizabeth Peters' books are great entertainment.' Angela Rippon * 'A writer so popular that the public library has to keep her books under lock and key.' Washington Post Book World * 'Think Miss Marple with early feminist gloss crossed with Indiana Jones... accomplished entertainment.' Guardian"

About the Author
Elizabeth Peters is a prolific and successful novelist with over fifty novels to her credit. She is internationally renowned for her mystery stories, especially those featuring indomitable heroine Amelia Peabody. She lives in a historic farmhouse in Frederick, Maryland, with six cats and two dogs.

Customer Reviews

A Wonderful Coming Together of Powerful Themes
I have been a fan of the Amelia Peabody mysteries now for more years than I can remember. As much as I have loved them before, this book brought a new sense of satisfaction to me as a reader because so many story lines finally developed into an incredibly powerful denouement.

I have one bit of caution to share with you. If you have not read any of the books in the series, DO NOT START WITH THIS ONE! The reason I say that is because much of the pleasure of this book comes from the admiration you will have for the skillful development of this plot in building on many prior books. Without reading the earlier books, you will not fully appreciate the plot development in this one. And that would be a shame because this plot is masterful!

The setting for this book is wonderful: Egypt just before the Ottoman empire attacks the Suez Canal with German help near the beginning of World War I. Everyone is on edge. No one is who they seem to be. Ramses is shamed in public for his pacifist feelings by being treated as a shirker. Ladies give him white feathers to protest his lack of military service. David has been sent to India until the war is over to keep him from helping the Egyptian independence movement. Lia is pregnant and awaiting their child in England. Wardeni is hiding from the authorities who wish to arrest him. Letters are censored. Uniformed men are everywhere. Soldiers are dropping like fall leaves on the Western Front.

Because Germans are no longer welcome in Egypt, Emerson has finally gotten a good site to excavate. Soon, that site will yield unexpected returns. But the War intrudes in many ways.

Many important characters from the past return to haunt the Peabodys such as Wardeni and the Master Criminal, Sethos. Lurking in the background is the ambiguous role of Percy.

Emerson, Amelia, Nefret, and Ramses confide in each other even less than usual so there are a lot of mysterious comings and goings to keep you intrigued. Throughout the process, their relationships strengthen in new and important ways. These developments promise important new opportunities for future plots when the series continues in the next book. You will be wondering what will come next quite a bit after reading He Shall Thunder in the Sky.

Some of the important themes that are developed in this book concern loyalty, brotherhood, charity, family, love, duty, honor, and being true to oneself. Rarely will you find a mystery that will extend into such fundamental and important topics as these areas.

But be sure to pay attention to a mysterious little story that begins the book. It connects into a very important mystery that is resolved just at the end of the book. Keep looking for the initial story's importance throughout and you'll enjoy the book even more.

I cannot praise this book highly enough. The dialogue is wonderful, the plot fascinating, the suspense is palpable, the historical backdrop is magnificent, and the exploration of the themes is masterful. Elizabeth Peters is at the top of her form!

I would tell you more about the plot, but you'll enjoy it more by reading this book without advance warning of what comes next.

After you finish reading the book, carefully consider the relationships you have with those you care about, and ask yourself what important things you have not told each of them. Then, please do tell them.

A sparkling and startling twelfth outing for Amelia Peabody!
The twelfth Amelia Peabody mystery is perhaps the most startling yet. The cliffhanger ending of Peters' previous Amelia book 'The Falcon at the Portal' left faithful readers desperate for more. Thankfully 'Thunder' is the long promised gripping finale to the dramatic events so carefully played out not only in 'Falcon' but in the previous four books. Since Amelia's dire vision at the close of 'Seeing A Large Cat' life has run anything but smoothly for her dear son Ramses, adopted daughter Nefret and nephew David. Here in 'Thunder' the children once more take centre stage, as they become embroiled in their most dangerous adventure yet, facing not only fervent Egyptian nationalists, German spies and the wicked cousin Percy but the infamous master Criminal himself - Sethos. Expect to be astonished by the final ten pages and be mindful of the mysterious prologue, for 'Thunder' provides answers to questions you may not even have thought of asking...

Wonderful!!
I just wanted to say how absolutely fabulous this book was. It tied up storylines and answered questions the reader didn't even realize they had. After the cliffhanger ending of Falcon at the Portal Thunder was wonderful. For those who are not Amelia Peabody fans you really need to read Falcon(why not the whole series!) before you read Thunder!