Product Description

Prospects for the 1907 archaeological season in Egypt are looking somewhat dull to Amelia. As a result of Emerson's less-than-diplomatic behaviour, they have been demoted to examining only the most boring tombs in the Valley of the Kings - mere leftovers, really. And then, in a seedy section of Cairo, the younger members of the Peabody Emerson clan purchase a mintcondition papyrus of the famed Book of the Dead, the collection of magical spells and prayers designed to ward off the perils of the underworld and lead the deceased into everlasting life. But for as long as there have been graves, there have also been grave robbers - and so begins a new adventure into antiquity. The season rapidly switches from dull to deadly as Amelia strives to untangle a web woven of criminals and cults, stolen treasures and fallen women - all the while under the unblinking eye of a ruthless, remorseless killer.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #126134 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 408 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"

From the Publisher
Some great reviews for THE APE WHO GUARDS THE BALANCE
Check out these great reviews for Elizabeth Peters’ THE APE WHO GUARDS THE BALANCE:

"Rich in characterization, incident and humor, this latest adventure is a grand, galloping adventure with a heart as big as the Great Pyramid itself." --Publishers Weekly

"Peters’ witty writing and her cast of outrageous characters move the story along at a brisk pace." --San Francisco Examiner

"A lively assortment of characters . . . plenty of period flavor . . . some terrific action." --Booklist

"The charm of this series lies in the author’s wonderful evocation of the sights, sounds and smells of Cairo, Luxor, ad the Valley of the Kings." --St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Amelia Peabody is back in rare form." --The Snooper

"Infectious . . . frightening and delicious . . . Amelia Peabody fans will eat this one up. . . . THE APE WHO GUARDS THE BALANCE contains the mixture of humor, familiar characters, mystery, intrigue, danger, and Egyptological lecture material Peabody fans anticipate and expect." --Gothic Journal

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

Last &best of great series - unforgettable characters!
This series of mysteries, starring an eccentric British archaeologist husband & wife team who are excavating in Egypt at the turn of the century, just gets better and better. They are witty, hilarious, ingeniously crafted mysteries, and fascinating in their depiction of archaeology at that time (Peters, the author, is actually an egyptologist and is correct in every historical and period detail). What makes them special is the relationships between the characters. Peters has assembled an all-star ensemble cast who play against eachother wonderfully. The family relationships in this group of intelligent, competitive, and passionate people are drawn with such skill that you laugh and ache with them. While the earlier books were narrated entirely in the first person by the undauntable Amelia Peabody, this latest book (and also the previous one "Seeing a Large Cat") includes parts told from the viewpoints of other family members, particularly her precocious son Ramses who we watched grow up in preceeding books. Peters captures the generation gap perfectly, deftly exposing the frailties of both groups - the tendency of parents to underestimate their children, and vice-versa. Having read the series from start to finish (about 12 books) I am completely hooked. I can't wait for the next book to see what happens next in the lives of this remarkable group of people Peters has created.

Tenth Book in the Series

Elizabeth Peters was born and brought up in Illinois and earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago's famed Oriental Institute. Peters 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 lives in a historic farmhouse in western Maryland.

The Amelia Peabody books may or may not be an acquired taste, personally I love them. They are set in Victorian times when there were still very strict rules of etiquette and polite behaviour was the norm. Although most of the books are set in Egypt, in the desert under very trying conditions and extremely hot weather the `English' way of life was still expected to be adhered to, sometimes with quite hilarious consequences.

Amelia Peabody is Elizabeth Peters' best loved and brilliant creation, a thoroughly Victorian feminist who takes the stuffy world of archaeology by storm with her no nonsense dress sense and forthright opinions.

The Peabody-Emerson clan are not particularly flavour of the month with the Egyptian authorities, as a result of Emerson's forthright views and temper to boot. Thus the prospect of the 1907 season seems fairly dull. They are been given the franchise to examine only the most boring tombs in the Valley of the Kings, places that other excavators cannot be bothered with. Then while in Cairo the younger members of the family purchase a mint condition papyrus of the famous Book of the Dead and thus begins a new adventure in the world of antiquity. Suddenly the season turns from dull to exciting as Amelia and her family try to unravel another mystery.

One of the best in the series
Highly regarded archeologist Professor Radcliffe Emerson has recently alienated too many administrators. In retaliation, he has been relegated to wandering around the Egypt's Valley of the Kings, which by 1907 has been explored too many times for any individual to get excited about it. However, having his beloved wife Amelia Peabody, their adult son Ramses, and their foster children (Nefret and David) along with him will ease the tedium.

In a slummy section of Cairo, the children purchase a papyrus of the Book of the Dead. Abruptly what was to be a dull season has become very exciting because two people are murdered and the Master Criminal has surfaced. This time he defeats Amelia in his game of cat and mouse, but fails to account for her now maturing allies, the next generation of Emersons, who just might tip the scales back in favor of the good guys.

The tenth Peabody novel, THE APE WHO GUARDS THE BALANCE, demonstrates why Elizabeth Peters recently was the recipient of the Grand Master Award by the Mystery Writers of America. The novel, like all the Peabody tales, is complicated but humorous and loaded with interesting historical references from two eras (antiquity and the first decade of the twentieth century) that surround an intriguing mystery. However, what makes the latest entry so refreshing and fun to read is the maturing of the next generation of Emersons. This will elate fans of the series and bring in new readers as well.

Harriet Klausner