The Ape Who Guards the Balance

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Summary: "The Perils of Peabody"
Review: Adventurous Egyptologist Amelia Peabody is embroiled in another affair of intrigue and homicide in Elizabeth Peters' "The Ape Who Guards the Balance." Fans of the series will be pleased to know that Peabody and her eccentric family are involved in more adventures and excavations in Egypt, but new readers will quickly warm to Peters' engaging characters. Indeed, in this book Peters devotes almost as many pages to the romantic misadventures of Peabody's extended family as she does to the mystery itself. Readers won't mind, however; Peabody's son Ramses, stepson David and stepdaughter Nefret emerge as full bodied characters in their own right, and they are every bit as willful as their archeaologist parents. Fans of the series will also be pleased to know that "Ape" represents the return of master criminal Sethos, one of the few individuals in the series who can match wits with Peabody. The novel opens with an ingenious robbery where Sethos uses a suffrage demonstration (attended, coincidentally, by a Peabody unaware of the impending theft) as a screen for his operation. When the scene shifts to Egypt and Peabody's clan begins another season of digging, Sethos appears to follow. Soon horribly mutated bodies begin to turn up in the Nile, and it will take the talents of the whole family to crack the case. The "Ape" of the title refers to a figure on amulets worn by the criminal gang involved, and represents an Egyptian god that observed the weighing of an individuals heart after death, an act which determined if the soul was worthy for a place in the afterlife. Peters obviously has a great love for her characters, and her writing is infused with an infectious enthusiasm for the adventures of Peabody and Co. An accomplished student of Egyptology (with a PhD from the prestigious Univ. of Chicago) who weaves historical references into her narratives, Peters the author is just as comfortable describing the dusty streets of Cairo as she is detailing the events of a swanky European dinner party. Peters entertains as well as educates, wisely choosing to keep the Egyptology as the background scenary to her story. "Ape" is an enjoyable trip through turn-of-the-century Egypt taken with good company, and will meet the expectations of old fans while winning some new converts. If there is a weakness to the novel, it is that the mystery appears almost secondary to other plot lines, and the mechinations of the main villain appear so shadowy that the reader is left to wonder if there really is any threat to Peabody. Amateur sleuths may find themselves disappointed, as clues are few and far between. Nonetheless, "Ape" is another solid addition to the Peabody series, and should only add to the popularity of the Egyptologist super sleuth.

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Summary: PHARAOH EMERSON & FAMILY
Review: Elizabeth Peters writes with an assured cadence. Her stories seem to unfold as though revealed in a handwritten letter and with elegant penmanship. Having read two delightful short stories set in Egypt I was ready to immerse myself in a full length book.

For the first time the clerk in my bookstore approved of my choice. She was a devoted fan of the Amelia Peabody series. I was sure to love it. Before this she had failed to comment on any of my bi-weekly mystery selections. I sensed I was in for something special.

The quality of writing did not disappoint. The archeology felt authentic. I learned a lot about excavating Egypt. The settings seemed appropriate to the times and circumstances. I even lamented the intrusion of industrialization upon gentler traditions. I was reminded of Merchant & Ivory.

The Emersons could have been so much more compelling. They are a liberally-collected rainbow group who would be welcomed and entertained at most sophisticated social events of OUR time, but would xenophic and racist Londoners toward the end of Victoria's reign been so kind to compatriots who had "gone native"? Yet it was the mixed backgrounds of two of the "children" that I thought could have yielded the most interest.

What was uninteresting to me was how physically attractive they had to be. Emerson's "steely arms" and "muscular chest"; Ramses' physical stature and attraction for women; David's appearance being similar to Ramses with "the long-lashed dark eyes"; and "strikingly pretty, extremely intelligent" Nefret was even blessed with laughter "like sunlit water bubbling over pebbles". Peabody herself was able to look good in any outfit while being the object of a Master Criminal's desires. Did they also have to be rich and well-bred? Then I was reminded of Lara Croft, Tomb Raider.

I much prefer Elizabeth Peters' short story characters: Senu, the carpenter, and Rennefer, the weaver, or Baenre, the potter, "a scanty little man with thin hair and sharp bones", to these pharaoh-like protagonists. Without the lordly Emersons the short stories are able to plunge the reader directly into that heat and dust where, due to the humble (or average) circumstances of the characters, there is no escaping the mystery, but to solve it.

The Emersons were in Egypt by choice. Their wealth, background, and physical stature distinguished them from the masses. They were even more privileged and rarified than their "lesser" countrymen, some whose careers kept them in Egypt. Throughout the book it occured to me that if situations turned too ugly The Emersons could have decamped to London for a season of ablutions and liberal causes.

I hope Elizabeth Peters, with her knowledge of Egyptology and excellent writing skills, will give us a book length mystery involving Egyptians in their own country.

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Summary: A Review: "The Ape Who Guards the Balance"
Review: The many plot twists, red herrings, false leads and unexpected triumphs of "The Ape Who Guards the Balance" has been covered skillfully in other reviews elsewhere so I won't supply a plot synopsis here. It might be better to use this small space to tell why this book and this series is such a special treat to this fan.

Ms. Peters gives us romance without being maudlin, action without excessive or graphic violence and mystery without melodrama. (ok, maybe a *little* melodrama) Her humor is laugh-out-loud funny and she even manages to insert Egyptian history without dogma, except perhaps when Ramses delivers one of his condescending lectures.

But it is the characters we remember most.

Intricate, tightly woven plots are the mark of a good mystery, but if we don't care about the characters, who cares where the plot takes us? The characters are well drawn, well thought out and compliment each other. Can you imagine Amelia without Emerson's verbal sparring? It seems Ramses and Nefret are destined to carry on this enlivening tradition: will it be the next book where they admit to each other what we all have guessed by now? Can Sethos really stay his hand from Amelia's most engaging affairs? (Not bloo- er blooming likely.)

Ms. Peters has also been able to get around the limitations of the first person narrative by "discovering" additional manuscripts describing the main events but written by other combatants, er, participants. It's great fun seeing the same event described from greatly contrasting viewpoints.

Anyone whose interest in Egyptology has been piqued by the recent discoveries of Kent Weeks and Miroslav Verner would be well advised to save the airfare to that troubled region. For a tiny fraction of that cost you can pick up a copy of "The Ape Who Guards the Balance" and enjoy all the mystery, danger and romance and not worry about the local water. What a bargain!

I fervently wish Amelia (and Ms. Peters!) a long and fruitful life so that we may enjoy this series for years to come. Especially to the year 1922, when her friend Howard Carter makes (with much help, poking and prodding from the Emersons) the most famous descent in modern archeology: down the sixteen steps of KV62 and into the final resting place of Tutankhamun.

I imagine Emerson having preceded him there, sapphire eyes snapping in the torchlight with archeological fever. Bruised, bloodied but not bowed, his torn clothing in disarray.

"Don't stand there gawking, Peabody, there's work to be done," as his strong arms circles her waist.

"Emerson!" she exclaims, searching the depth of those eyes.

"Another shirt ruined!"