• The Golden One

  • The Amelia Peabody Series, Book 14
  • By: Elizabeth Peters
  • Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat
  • Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (390 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Golden One  By  cover art

The Golden One

By: Elizabeth Peters
Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.79

Buy for $19.79

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling Grand Master Elizabeth Peters is at her stylish and suspenseful best in a richly woven tale of greed, treachery, and murder set against the tumultuous backdrop of wartime intrigue.

A new year, 1917, is dawning, and the Great War that ravages the world shows no sign of abating. Answering the siren call of Egypt once more, Amelia Peabody and her family arrive at their home in Luxor to learn of a new royal tomb ransacked by thieves. Soon, a more disturbing outrage concerns the archaeologists: the freshly and savagely slain corpse of a thief defiling the ancient burial site.

Besieged by the British and defended by formidable Turkish and German forces, the fortified seaport of Gaza guards the gateway to the Holy Land. Answering a call he cannot refuse from British military intelligence, Amelia's son Ramses must journey to this ancient, fabled city to undertake a mission as personal as it is perilous. Death will surely be his lot if he is caught or exposed. Meanwhile, Ramses' wife, Nefret, guards a secret of her own.

Don't miss the rest of the Amelia Peabody series. You can also check out more of our Most Addictive Series.
©2002 Elizabeth Peters (P)2002, 2005 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Peters' real talent is in creating lovably eccentric characters whom Rosenblat nimbly brings to life....A very entertaining romp in the Middle East." (AudioFile)
"Series fans will relish the underlying humor, which is particularly good here, and recognize the characters as old friends who continue to improve and delight with age." (Booklist)

What listeners say about The Golden One

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    238
  • 4 Stars
    77
  • 3 Stars
    50
  • 2 Stars
    16
  • 1 Stars
    9
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    212
  • 4 Stars
    17
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    171
  • 4 Stars
    43
  • 3 Stars
    20
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    4

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

The Golden One

Why on earth are some of the Amelia Peabody series missing, and some availible only in abridged form? Who knows what we have missed in this one!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

32 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Unfortunately abridged

I love Amelia Peabody books and tend to listen to them over and over. Barbara Rosenblat is a wonderful narrator, and extremely consistent. However, this one - unlike the others - was abridged, and it was done very poorly. I found myself wondering the motivations for all sorts of actions by the Emersons, and getting frustrated because I could not follow the story. In the end, I bought the book so that I could figure out the story.
I don't think I'll ever buy another abridged audible book - please put this one out again - unabridged.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

26 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

BOOO to abridged version

I wish I could give it 5 stars.. but...
So SO SO much is lost. I really love the AP series, and I love Barbara R. as a narrator... but it breaks my heart to lose so much in these abridged versions. I love the family stuff... I love the detail... I love to know what everyone is doing.

I wish these books were offered unabridged. I would get them in a heart beat to "hear" what I missed.

:(
Mikki

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Another great listen from Elizabeth and Barbara!

This book filled in a key hole for me in the story of the Emerson family's archaeological and investigating adventures. I was very disappointed that it was available only in abridged form -- normally I won't touch an abridgement -- but I decided to make an exception because I really wanted to hear this one. I was pleasantly surprised, as I would not have realized it was abridged if I had not known it. Barbara Rosenblat is great, as always!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

abridged versions are terrible

After reading/listening to all the Amelia Peabody books I was VERY disappointed to see that several of them are only available in an abridged version. Half the story was gone including all the subtle action which makes this series so fantastic. Why, after producing 12 books would they choose to ruin 3 of them by only recording abridged versions? HUGE LETDOWN.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Abridged Only? Why?

Elizabeth Peters brilliant writing was mangled in this "abridged" version. I hope she reads the reviews here as it seems many people who are willing to write reviews are disappointed. 5 stars to the gifted Barbara Rosenblat for her perseverance.

Alexis

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Hatchet job on the abridged addition HARD to follo

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

yes and no. The story was choppy because of the abridgment but what i was able to catch was entertaining.

Would you recommend The Golden One to your friends? Why or why not?

once the unabridged version with Barbara Rosenblat comes out then yes. Until then read the book.

What does Barbara Rosenblat bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I have listened to all the books in this series. Ms Rosenblat brings a unique voice to each character. They are easily recognizable and suit the personalities well. I read many of the books before listening to them and can say she caught their voices perfectly.

Any additional comments?

please bring Ms Rosenblat back to the series for these unabridged versions. I have nothing against Ms O'Malley but her characterization is flat after listening to so many of these in Ms Rosenblat's voice.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Unabridged Version a Waste of Money

Any fan of this series would have to be disappointed with this abridged version! So much of the nuance essential to building a relationship with the characters is destroyed by the hacking away of Ms. Peters excellent writing and character delvelopment.
I thoroughly enjoy the Amelia Peabody Series by Elizabeth Peters especially as narrated by Barbara Rosenblat. However, this abridged version cuts too much of the story out. The relationship between Ramses and Nefret Emerson is vital to carrying on the legacy of the main character and is sliced apart with editing
Please Audible! Get the unabridged versions of this and "Children of the Storm" so I can complete my series!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Only a partial dose of Amelia

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

This is the abridged version, I purchased it and the next two in the series not paying enough attention. However Audible does not carry the Unabridged version currently. So if you are not a fan of very detailed information in the Amelia Peabody series this book is for you. I personally like that much detail, but not everyone is like me, and that is ok.

What was most disappointing about Elizabeth Peters’s story?

What was disappointing is that it was chopped up in this version. I felt there were clear places where things continued on as though parts were not missing. However I think once I can locate and listen to the full unabridged version I am going to love it as much as all the others I have listened to and have really enjoyed.

Which character – as performed by Barbara Rosenblat – was your favorite?

I Adore her Amelia! Her other voices are wonderful too, and her other characters are so good that to me the male voices are believable in the book listening context.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

I enjoy Amelia's bravery and the tongue in cheek humor I find in this series. I bought the first of the series just by accident the story sounded interesting & it was on sale. Some months later I found the second on and then figured out it was a series so I started listening to them all, and really enjoyed each one until this one. I am in the middle of the next abridged version I purchased (Guardian of the Horizon) and I am not happy with it.

Any additional comments?

When do you think you will get these three in the unabridged version?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Abridged and Terrible!

This abridged version is only 1/3 of the full story. The depth, ambiance AND key plot points have been removed. It makes the story very confusing. Characters suddenly take action for no apparent reason. Whole plot lines are just gone. If you enjoy the Amelia Peabody series, you will find this version confusing and abrupt. Don’t bother.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!