The Falcon at the Portal

Rating:
Summary: A different sort of novel
Review: Falcon at the Portal was a new type of Amelia Peabody book for me. Very different to others in the series I have read, I did feel somewhat let down by it. The mystery storyline we have come to expect is, in this book, only incidental. Family drama is what Peters has given us instead. In the hands of a less accomplished writer, I would be tempted to call it melodrama. The difficulty for me is, The Deeds of the Disturber is the most recent book in the series I have read before this; so what may make sense in the context of the whole series came out of nowhere for me. The two-star rating is partly because, as well written as Falcon at the Portal is, this book is not what I've come to expect either from Peters or from her series.
The book opens with the wedding of Amelia's niece Lia to Egyptian family friend David - and the revelation that David is suspected of trading in stolen antiquities. This gives the whole Emerson clan a new mystery to look into when they travel to Egypt for their annual archaeological dig. The usual roll-call of old friends and new characters appears once the action shifts to Egypt - and one of them ends up dead at the bottom of the shaft in the pyramid the Emersons are excavating. So between the need to clear David's name and the need to explain the fate of the murder victim, there is a great deal of scope for Amelia's usual feisty investigations, backed up by Emerson's temperamental but kind-hearted assistance.
But sadly, Peters provides little of this. The bulk of the book is actually taken up with the romantic drama between Ramses, Amelia and Emerson's son, and Nefret, their ward. Ramses has loved Nefret for years, and seems finally to have won her heart - until circumstances intervene, when Nefret repudiates Ramses and takes precipitate action, the repercussions of which will be felt for a long time to come.
I did not like the impulsive and unreasonable Nefret. I have never liked Ramses. Peters' treatment of him comes dangerously close to hagiography, and I find all his noble suffering tedious. That said, I might feel differently had I read the other books that introduce Nefret and deal with Ramses as an adult.
I read the Amelia Peabody series for mystery and adventure, and especially for Amelia and Emerson. I'm not really interested in their children and all their carryings-on, and so I would be very glad for the series to return to its original focus. However, this is a matter of personal taste. Others like different things from the series, and Falcon at the Portal is undeniably a well-written book, with some powerful scenes.
So if you want a family drama with all your favourite characters, you may be satisfied by this - but you will have to read Thunder in the Sky afterwards. If you want a proper mystery novel, you should perhaps look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: The Falcon at the Portal
Review: I loved this book. This book has everything. It keeps you interested from the beginning to the end. It all starts with the Emerson's usual trip to Egypt. David and Lia have just gotten married and Ramses is in love with Nefret but she does not know this. Someone is framing David. Quite a few forgeries have showed up tracing back to David. The Emersons are certain that it is not David who did these. Mean while a young American girl seems to have fallen head over heels for Ramses. She is doing her best to win his heart over. Time goes by fast and soon it is Christmas. Ramses recieves a gift from the American girl. The next day at the site the emersons are working at her body is found. Ramses in blame of her death. To find out what happens buy this book. I assure you, you will love it.

Rating:
Summary: Dribble
Review: I've read several other books written by Elizabeth Peters and have enjoyed them. But this book was not up to her usual standards. Combine an over use of superfluous adjectives with a weak story line and an unexplained passage of time by the end of the book you earned five stars just for sticking with it.

Rating:
Summary: Four stars isn't enough, five stars is a tiny bit too much
Review: Like most of the other reviewers, I was entranced by the story in this book, happy for David and Lia, frustrated for Ramses and Nefret...but it held together very well. Ms. Peters has developed these characters a great deal since my first reading years and years ago, and has incorporated the political realities in a very real way.

As I said in my review of "The Ape..." I would love to give 4.75 stars but Amazon doesn't have the facilities for that.

Read it, enjoy it, and by all means, have fun with it!

Rating:
Summary: Amelia does it again!
Review: The amazing and bullheaded Amelia is back. But of even greater significance, so is her son Ramses and ward Nefret. As usual this book entertains the reader, but there is even more intrigue when Ramses is getting in on the act. If you loved the other Peabody mysteries, this one will have you enthralled as well.

Rating:
Summary: Forgery, murder, just a usual season for the Emersons...
Review: The Falcon at the Portal picks up some years after the painful events of The Ape Who Guards the Balance (painful for me because I didn't like the book, and painful for the Emersons personally). David and Lia are finally to be married, Nefret and Ramses haven't sorted themselves out yet, and Amelia and Emerson are still themselves. All sounds well enough, but when David is accused of forging artifacts, and Emerson submits to blackmail to keep the accusations secret, the Emerson family detection machine goes into action to keep the newlyweds happy and safe. The mystery follows the family on their seasonal expedition to Egypt, where Amelia has a chance to excavate a (shabby) pyramid. Then the usual annoyances-- sprays of gunfire, near-fatal 'accidents,' despicable family members-- pop up, and before too long the Emersons find a very dead body at the bottom of a pyramid shaft.

I will be brief: I loved this book. The snappy dialogue and vibrant characterization I want from a Peabody book was there. The interaction between the 'kids': Ramses, Nefret, David, and Lia-- was delightful. Lia, an annoyance in the previous book, was redeemed here, and the chemistry between David and Ramses sparkles as usual. Cyrus and Katherine Vandergelt, my favourite recurring characters, also have some wonderful scenes. I don't necessary read Peabody books for the mystery, I read them because I enjoy being immersed in the atmosphere that the characters generate. This installment of the series was as richly atmospheric as any: the scenes between David, Lia, and Ramses on board the Amelia, or the "war-room" scene where the Emersons finally break the forgery story to David's family and to the Vandergelts-- great stuff. I'd love to see it onscreen. I enjoy the "mental" aspect of this book, as I watch considerable minds of these characters puzzle out the messy situation they're in.

I don't want to say more about the plotline. The storyarc is a devastating one, though I don't find the "soap-opera" label warranted. This particular novel is likely to upset fans of the series (judging from other reviews, it sure seems to). I loved it, and I feel it makes a perfect companion piece to its sequel, the magnificent He Shall Thunder in the Sky. This book ends with the fabric of the Emerson family unraveled, and "Thunder" takes those threads, mingles them with other threads from throughout the series, and weaves them into something grand.

(I will add that I read "Thunder" first, and so got the catharsis and closure *before* I read the traumatic stuff. I read them in proper order later and still liked them.)

It's still a fantastic series; it's just not the lighthearted romp it once was. The changing tone of the series fits the changing backdrop of "current events"-- genteel Victorian travellers > tourist infestation > the Sudanese war > tourist infestation > native unrest and the premonitory twitches of World War I.

I would give this four-and-a-half stars if possible.

Rating:
Summary: Great book - disappointing audio book
Review: This is one of my favorite books in the "Amelia Peabody" series, but this abridged version cuts out most of the romance, and all of the humor. Samantha Eggar does a great job bringing each character to life. The vocal portrayal is excellent. You can tell just from her voice, much about each character. And you have to; much of the text pertaining to character development has been left out. In shortening the story for the audio version, the quirky things I treasure about Peabody, and Emerson and especially Rames have been cut out. Secondary characters like Lia and Katherine pop in briefly, and only confuse the narrative. This leaves a bare and somewhat disjointed plot.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: what an incredibly suspenseful cliffhanger! Couldn't stand the ending (though the rest of the story was great!) because of all of the loose ends. I guess it just gives Peters another book to tie it all together in! Great book, leaves you hanging, but altogether another Peter's mystery caught in the folds of Egyptology.

Rating:
Summary: -The Falcon at the Portal
Review: While I've only read three of the Amelia Peabody Mystery's by Peters' (and totally enjoyed each one) this paticular book left me with a sour taste for the book series. The situation with Nefret and Ramases is sad. And Nefret is made out to be well to lack of a better term a "Hussy". I want to read the next book in the series but I don't want to be let down again.
I hope that the mystery and allure of "The Ape that Gaurds the Balance" my favorite in this series so far comes back in the next book. After all it's the mystery that is what brought me to these books and well maybe the romantic life of Amelia.