Althea M. (althea) reviewed on 9/16/2008 + 774 more book reviews

'An Amelia Peabody Mystery'

Apparently, this book was the first of a long series featuring the character of Amelia Peabody. I was interested because it took place in Egypt!
I enjoyed reading the book because the character is really very appealing - Amelia, in Victorian times, is an 'old maid' at 29, but is also a feminist, independent, and smart, but with an obvious, if hidden-from-herself romantic streak.
In this story, she rescues a young 'fallen' woman and then proceeds to stick by her when, at an archaeological site staffed by two appealing Egyptologists, a seemingly supernatural animated mummy attacks...
However, the book was published in 1975. I don't know, but I think maybe if it was written today, it would have been better.
Because, although she's supposed to be this liberated woman, and the heroine, Amelia never really solves the mystery! The guys around do, and she just sort of blunders through the situation. (In addition, the 'mystery' is really obvious, from the first page the culprit appears in the book). Romance is at least as important as crime here, and I kinda object to books that HAVE to end up with the 'old maid' heroine happily married and pregnant. Bleah.
The tone of the book reminded me of Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax books, but this was not as good as those.

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