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Thunder in the Sky |
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| Thunder in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters Constable & Robinson 2000 ISBN 1841191477 Reviewed by our UK Editor Rachel A. Hyde This is the twelfth Amelia Peabody mystery, first published in the United States under the title He Shall Thunder in the Sky. Thunder in the Sky takes us forward to 1914, three years after the momentous events of the last book. The Peabodys are once again digging in Egypt. This time, the war is raging in Europe. Too close for comfort, Turkish and German troops are about to attack the Suez Canal. Ramses is collecting white feathers as he refuses to join up, David has been interned and Nefret can’t really fancy Percy, Ramses’ detestable cad of a cousin. To cap it all, Sethos is back in town and surely Ramses isn’t abetting a Nationalist uprising. Elizabeth Peters’ earlier books were full of action, humor and adventure delivered at a fast pace. Sometimes, this may have seemed at the expense of character development. Now, her more recent books have slowed down as she concentrates more on characters and their relationships, with time taken to delineate their daily lives. The story is told from more than one perspective a la Wilkie Collins, a technique that works well enough although more viewpoints would have been desirable. There are some fine descriptions of Egypt in the early 20th century. As usual, plenty of wit accompanies the story, yet with even more tragic moments as the darker times prophesied in the last book come to pass. At times I yearned for the earlier tales replete with master criminals, sinister secrets, Egyptology and a sense of heightened enthusiasm. Although some editing and a faster pace would have been welcome, Peters shows that her characters can grow, change and move on. A must for all fans of Michael Pearce’s Mamur Zapt series. The ideal Christmas present for the Amelia Peabody fan in your family or circle of friends. |
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