Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The blurb: Amelia Peabody is Elizabeth Peters’ most brilliant and best-loved creation, a thoroughly Victorian feminist who takes the stuffy world of archaeology by storm with her shocking men’s pants and no-nonsense attitude!
In this first adventure, our headstrong heroine decides to use her substantial inheritance to see the world. On her travels, she rescues a gentlewoman in distress – Evelyn Barton-Forbes – and the two become friends. The two companions continue to Egypt where they face mysteries, mummies and the redoubtable Radcliffe Emerson, an outspoken archaeologist, who doesn’t need women to help him solve mysteries — at least that’s what he thinks!
My review: I wanted to read something different. When I found out this book had an Egyptian theme and was a mystery, I decided to give it a try. Besides, my local library had the first three books so it wasn’t much of a gamble as I could just return the book if I did’t like it.
I listened to the audio book. It was brilliant!
I loved the main character, Amelia, and her bossy attitude. She is the type of person who knows what she wants and makes sure she gets it. And she “knows” she is better than every single other person in the world, but she’s much too sophisticated to say so.
For me, the mystery itself took second place to the Egyptian content — mummies, pyramids, scarabs, tomb robbers, Pharaohs. All deliciously wonderful.
Loved this book. Recommended.