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Summary: Murder and mystery in the sands of the Middle East
Review: *The Dead Sea Cipher* is surprisingly undated for a mystery written in 1970. In fact, the only element that gives it away is the ease with which the characters move through Lebanon, Syria, and Israel on a bus tour of Biblical sites. Opera contralto Dinah van der Lyn is trying to soak up a little history between singing engagements when she overhears a murder in the hotel room next door. The Beirut police are at first dubious and then suspicious of Dinah's own politics -- she's the granddaughter of a rabbi and the daughter of a minister.
Other mysterious characters begin following and questioning Dinah, including handsome government agent Tony Cartwright and Biblical scholar Jeff Smith. Soon she's looking with imsgivings at every member of her multi-cultural tour group. There's an antiquities smuggler in their midst, a spy or two ... and a killer.
Elizabeth Peters uses her archeology background to illustrate the heat and backbreaking work of the scientists as well as the exhilaration of a rare find. And the "find" in *The Dead Sea Cipher* is exciting, indeed: a cave full of ancient Biblical scrolls with one special payoff.
Clear and interesting information on Sidon, Tyre, Damascus, Jericho, and other Biblical sites is well mixed with entertaining, even outrageous characters. And unlike other heroines of 30 years ago, Dinah is self reliant and intelligent as well as spunky.
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Summary: A tourist in the Holy Land gets more than she bargained for
Review: Dinah is on a tour of the Holy Land. Her ailing father was unable to make the trip, so she is sure to save up as many memories as possible for the biblical scholar. On her first night, she hears an argument and what appears to be a murder. She calls for help and this sets in motion a series of events that she may never forget, if she survives it all. I really enjoyed this book, it reminds me of her novels as Barbara Michaels without the supernatural element that seems to run through those. It starts out slowly, but quickly picks up speed and is very hard to put down at the end.
Rating:
Summary: A tourist in the Holy Land gets more than she bargained for
Review: Dinah is on a tour of the Holy Land. Her ailing father was unable to make the trip, so she is sure to save up as many memories as possible for the biblical scholar. On her first night, she hears an argument and what appears to be a murder. She calls for help and this sets in motion a series of events that she may never forget, if she survives it all. I really enjoyed this book, it reminds me of her novels as Barbara Michaels without the supernatural element that seems to run through those. It starts out slowly, but quickly picks up speed and is very hard to put down at the end.
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Summary: Not yet Amelia
Review: Fans of Amelia Emerson should be warned: this is an entertaining, sometimes witty, and profoundly human story on a group of international visitors to Lebanon, Syria, and Israel in the late 60s by the future author of Amelia, but not yet the author of Amelia herself. In comparison with the Egyptological background of the Amelia series, Ms Peters research into Biblical Archaeology, even according to the standards of the late 60s, is disappointing. It is inconceivable that even a lay reader of 'Biblical Archaeological", as the heroine is supposed to be, would not recognize the ciphers at her first glance; it is impossible to swim through the Jordan river opposite of Jericho and get on's mouth full of water, as the hero is said to have done (did he crawl with his nose in the mud?). The plot and the characters are not without interest, but in order to keep up with Ms. Peters later production, the novel would need thorough rewriting.
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Summary: sorry i bought it
Review: i am three quarters thru this book and no amount of money could make me finish it. what do people see in this writer? the dialogue is drivel, the characters implausible, and the situations unlikely, to say the least. so here somebody finds another gospel of the life of jesus. of course, this is accompanied by murder and skullduggery and an airhead opera singer (of all things!) heroine. i'm sorry. maybe if i were twelve, i'd think it was really cool.
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Summary: It's the best one without Amelia Peabody
Review: I love this story. It tells the story of the Dead Sea Scrolls and brings them to life for me. I enjoyed the heroine, Dinah, because she seemed to be a real person. This was my favorite Peters mystery that did not feature Amelia Peabody. Peters love affair with Egypt is clear and this mystery did not disappoint me. Give it a try and see if Dinah doesn't grow on you.
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Summary: not worth the read...:(
Review: I'd read THe Love Talker before and didn't think too much of it but I figured maybe I was too judgemental, but then I read this one and I don't think these books are all that great. There is practically nothing on character development or any love growing...ooh I meet a guy and ooh I'm in love with one and not the other because...God alone knows why...
Anywayz, I'm glad mine was a used copy! It was very boring.
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Summary: worth a rainy afternoon
Review: Many E. Peters fans have found that her strongest works are the series books, especially Amelia and Vicky Bliss (though Jaqueline Kirby does have her admirers). The non-series aren't so good in general, partly because they're all earlier books, and partly because having to wrap characters up in one go seemed to encourage her to make them flatter.
If you're out of Amelias and want something new for a change, this is one of her better non-series books. Interesting (more than the Jackal's Head) and fun (more than 400 Rabbits).
Camelot Caper and Legend in Green Velvet are decent choices too.
Rating:
Summary: worth a rainy afternoon
Review: Many E. Peters fans have found that her strongest works are the series books, especially Amelia and Vicky Bliss (though Jaqueline Kirby does have her admirers). The non-series aren't so good in general, partly because they're all earlier books, and partly because having to wrap characters up in one go seemed to encourage her to make them flatter.
If you're out of Amelias and want something new for a change, this is one of her better non-series books. Interesting (more than the Jackal's Head) and fun (more than 400 Rabbits).
Camelot Caper and Legend in Green Velvet are decent choices too.
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Summary: Another Vintage Peters Reissue
Review: Much to my delight there seems to be no end to the output of Elizabeth Peters. My count of the inside cover list of this recent reissue (which was first published in 1970) lists 31 novels, which is an astounding output. Especially since they are rarely repetitious and also have plenty of the old Peters charm. While she tends to write 'comfy' mysteries, with a romantic twist, she manages to provide basic entertainment for all her readers. Another surprise for the reader is how well her stories hold up to time. Even this one, set in the Middle East, is as fresh as if it had been written yesterday "The Dead Sea Cipher" is somewhat more serious than the Peabody series or "Summer of the Dragon," but it still has plenty of humorous touches. When singer Dinah van der Lyn overhears an argument and murder in her Beirut hotel room she finds that her archeological tour through the Middle East is to be perpetually interrupted by a procession of spies and government officials. Two of these, Tony Cartwright and Geoffrey Smith, seem to crop up everywhere but the bathroom. She knows that at least one of them is a spy, but is never sure which. Dinah becomes more and more frustrated as her tour of sites from Byblos to Jerusalem is perpetually disturbed by the appearance of one or the other of these gentleman. Both want her to reveal what she overheard, and neither believes that she knows nothing. Despite that fact that she has no understanding of Arabic. She manages to work out that Tony, Jeff, and a whole host of other agents are chasing after rumors of a new set of Dead Sea scrolls. Even that information is of little help to her in what becomes a comic peripatetic chase through archeological sites and ancient churches. Common to all Peters novels, there is no lack of gem-like characters. Dinah finds herself touring in a touring limousine with French newlyweds, a British widow, a priest, a doctor, and a Dutch diplomat with his attaché. Dinah suspects all of them at one time or another. Certainly, all contribute to the confusion as they seem to tumble towards the surprise conclusion. This isn't so much a 'whodunnit' as it is a 'whatisgoingon' type novel. As usual, it is all over too soon, and we find ourselves wishing for yet another Peters novel with its own fresh and audacious heroine.
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