Rating: 
Summary: Fabulous progress in series; anxious for the next!
Review: I echo the reviewer above: I stayed up way past midnight in order to finish. Amelia is as wonderful as ever; great additions in Sennia, Emerson & Ramses interaction with Sennia. Nefret behaves out of character, but then so do we at times (hope she is fixed fast). I was heartbroken, truly, when Abdullah met his fate in the last book, and was touched to "hear" from him here, although I am not fond of dream messages. However, Ms. Peters can do ANYTHING and do it well. I hope Howard gets to Tut's place pretty soon; do we get to see that???? Great Egyptian atmosphere. With that teaser at the end, I hope Ms. Peters is scribbling away at this very moment!
Rating: 
Summary: I hate cliff hangers
Review: Like many of other readers, I too want to smack some sense into Ramses and Nefret. Nefret is truely acting like a twit unless some unforseen plot turn in the next book (HE Who Thunders in the Sky due next year) reaffirms her normal good sense. Nefret might pitch a fit, but to take such a permament step such as a wrongful marriage is uncharacteristic. I hope the next book sets things straight. Star crossed lovers (or willfully blind lovers) are amusing for a time, but let's get on with it before I lose all respect for their intelligence. PS in the Last Camel Died at Noon, wasn't Nefret older than Ramses?
Rating:
Summary: Mayhem !
Review: Good relationships demand honest communication, a characteristic which the younger Emersons need to develop. Their reticence leads to mayhem and much pain in a good murder mystery that kept me guessing in an entertaining manner.
Rating:
Summary: Not So Funny, But an Emotional Jolt
Review: I almost detracted one star because the famous Elizabeth Peters humor is not tremendously in evidence in this latest installment of the Emersons' saga, and humor is important to me. But with a story that emotional and plot twists that stunning, anything less than five stars is out of the question.
Rating:
Summary: her best in several years
Review: Ms. Peters managed to surpass herself with this one. She maintained the tart, hilarious style of Amelia while giving us a treat in the form of what is happening with Ramses and Nefret. It was so nice to really get to know David a bit more too, not just as a sounding board for Ramses. I actually am stunned by the great character development in this one including the minor characters. Yes, it is a cliff hanger; the basic mystery is solved, but there are two enormous new problems set up for the next book. My only comment is, hurry up!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: disappointed
Review: I bought this book as soon as it was available because I love the Amelia Peabody mysteries. Unfortunately, this quickly became my least favorite. It felt more like a soap opera than a mystery. Also, some of the characters seemed to act in ways that were not in their makeup and it felt forced. While it is certainly Ms. Peters' perogative to have her characters act in any way, I was disappointed. I'm hoping for a better one next time!
Rating:
Summary: You know a book is good when you get mad at the characters .
Review: ...and want to shake some sense into them. Part of the appeal of the Amelia Peabody mysteries is that after reading the preceding books in the series the characters become so real that you begin to feel that you know them personally - and, like Amelia, long to give them the benefit of your own wisdom and experience. Accordingly, Falcon at the Portal is, in turn, appealing, appalling, frustrating, maddening, and thoroughly enjoyable. And as always, it is an education in Egyptology and the modern history of the region. Presumably Ms. Peters knows where she is going with all this. At this book's close she has them on the eve of WW1. What next?
Rating:
Summary: I looooved this book. Cannnot wait for the next one.
Review: I really loved this book. I am a fairly new fan, as I have just made a full perusal of the series in about two weeks, and am starting on an- other. This one was quite an emotional roller coa- ster ride, especially for Ramses and Nefret. I do hope that Avon Books would find a reason for put- ting the release date of the next book in the ser- ies ahead just a bit. I want to know just what is going to happen with those two.
Rating:
Summary: Absorbing but occasionally heartrending.
Review: Elizabeth Peters' skills as a writer, not exactly paltry to begin with, have grown over the course of the Amelia Peabody books. The series was always fun to read, but the latest few have an emotional impact most mystery writers cannot match. The characterizations, especially of the younger generation, are much deeper than they used to be; Amelia and Emrson are forced to grapple with events that challenge their composure more than anything since Emerson's amnesia (in The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog). This does demand more from the reader, who can no longer be confident that everything will be tied up in a nice neat happy ending by the end of the book. I almost subtracted a star, because Nefret acts in a way that I believe to be out of character, but I left it in because presumably Peters knows her characters better than I do, and anyway it may be wishful thinking on my part. At any rate, she has promised to tie up some loose ends in her next book -- thank goodness!
Rating:
Summary: Please lock her in her office until the next one is finished
Review: What a great read. I was so disappointed with the last Barbara Michaels books that my usual impatience for a new Peters book--particularly an Amelia book--was greater than normal. It was well worth the wait. The characters are as strong as ever [and as wonderfully and lovingly oppinionated] as ever. The 'children' Ramses, Nefret, and David are being nicely developed and now there's another generation. Hopefully Amelia will soon get the truly splendid pyramid to explore that she deserves.
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