• The Serpent on the Crown

  • The Amelia Peabody Series, Book 17
  • By: Elizabeth Peters
  • Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat
  • Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (1,314 ratings)

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The Serpent on the Crown  By  cover art

The Serpent on the Crown

By: Elizabeth Peters
Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat
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Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling master of suspense, Elizabeth Peters, brings an exotic world of adventure, intrigue, and danger to vivid life, in a tale as powerful as ancient Egypt.

The Emersons have returned to the Valley of the Kings in 1922 and Amelia Peabody and her family look forward to delving once more into the age-old mysteries buried in Egypt's ever-shifting sands. But a widow's strange story, and even stranger request, is about to plunge them into a storm of secrets, treachery, and murder.

The woman, a well-known author, has come bearing an ill-gotten treasure, a golden likeness of a forgotten king, which she claims is cursed. She insists it has taken the life of her husband and unless it is returned to the tomb from which it was stolen, more people will die.

Amelia and her clan resolve to uncover the secrets of the statue's origins, setting off on a trail that twists and turns in directions they never anticipated, and, perhaps, toward an old nemesis with unscrupulous new designs. But each step toward the truth seems to reveal another peril, suggesting to the intrepid Amelia that the curse is more than mere superstition. And its next victim might well be a beloved family member...or Amelia Peabody herself.

A novel filled with riveting suspense, pulse-pounding action, and the vibrant life of a fascinating place and time, The Serpent on the Crown is the jewel in the crown of a grand master, the remarkable Elizabeth Peters.

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

Critic reviews

  • 2005 Audie Award Winner, Mystery

"Peters injects plenty of humorous banter, lots of bluster from Emerson, and enough coy swipes at Victorian propriety to keep the story lively....A pleasant addition to the long-running series." (Booklist)

What listeners say about The Serpent on the Crown

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

The Serpent on the Crown

Such Fun!!! The best part was the reader tho, she gives different voices for all the characters and has such excellent expression.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

One of the best readers EVER!

As always, Mrs. Emerson is a blast to hang out with. Over and above the rich textural style of our beloved author, the characterizations of Barbara Rosenblat make this listen so much fun!!! Ms. Rosenblat is one of the true STARS of this medium. TWO THUMBS UP.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

The Emerson's Reside in My Heart

Ernest, in his review below, needs to realize that this is period fiction. Both the British and the Egyptian characters are an accurate representation of turn-of-the-century attitudes, and the book HAS to be consumned as such.
Ms. Peters as always has delivered a work worthy of everything we've come to love about the Emerson's, and Ms. Rosenblatt gives the characters life in this audio reading.
I NEVER have so much fun as following the Emerson's in both their adventures in Egypt, and their quirky family life!

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9 people found this helpful

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

Solid if not terribly memorable entry

This episode plays an important role in setting up why Howard Carter gets to trump Emerson in the future, but more importantly, it proves why you can't help but adore Daoud.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

The serpent on the crown

This was very refreshing, the english humor and suspence were at its best. Who ever read the book kept me at the edge. I found myself heading for my car just to see what would happen and where the book was going. Well done. If you enjoy english humor and suspence then this is a great book to hear.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Delightful fun!

This was my first exposure to this author and narrator, and I was immediately engaged by the characters and details of the story. The tale combines an entertaining cast of characters with unfolding action and mystery. The story develops over a background of Egyptian archaeology which doesn't tax the non-archaeologist, and the writer plays fair with the solution to the mysteries. This narrator is amazing, and brings each character to life! I recommend this as a listen which is out of the ordinary, and well worth the time!

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6 people found this helpful

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

I have become friends with the Emersons

I have read the entire series, have one more to go and it has been a joy. These are wonderfully written so the reader becomes part of the Egyptian culture and terrain. The narration is amazing, as Barbara Rosenblat is probably the best narrator of audio books I have heard. She brings the characters to life and once again I am off with the Emersons on one of their Egyptian adventures.

I think this is a good story, I like where the family is at right now, grown children, grandchildren, Egyptian friends that we have all come to know well. When I read one of these stories, I feel like I am meeting up with old friends. That is what great books bring to the readers--an escape into another world with friends. I feel sad when each story ends, thinking that I won't "see" you for awhile. This story had several plots going and of course, ties them all up at the end. These aren't crime novels as we have come to know, but they are crime novels of that time and place. I read that Barbara Mertz aka Elizabeth Peters actually has degrees in archeology and egyptology...that makes the books even better since we actually learn much about the culture of the time.

Although some of the books can stand alone, it is best read in a series so you can grow up with the Emerson children and participate in the adventures at each archeological dig. These are easy reads, not too sappy, humorous at times, and a great way to visit Egypt.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Rated Low for Narrator

The previous audio books I purchased from Audible by Elizabeth Peters were narrated by Susan O'Malley (sp?). This one was narrated by Barbara Rosenblatt. I found the voice of Amelia Peabody Emerson too gutteral and hoarse compared to Susan O'Malley. Also, I can hear either papers shuffling in the background or the narrator's repeated swallowing...I'm not certain which it is.

I love Elizabeth Peters and will probably purchase more, even if Barbara Rosenblatt has narrated, but I don't enjoy the telling of the story as much. It has changed the character of Amelia and I find it difficult to see her as the character Ms. Rosenblatt portrays.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

The Serpent on the Crown

I have enjoyed Elizabeth Peters' prior novels, but this one was so bad that - for the first time ever - I quit listening to it less than half way through. I like the narrator, but even she couldn't breath life into this very boring story. I should have read ALL the reviews - the one that called this book "tedious" was right on.
What a disappointment!

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

The Serpent on the Crown

This book is boring and very tedious to read at best. While the author may have a dedicated following, I found the story very dry to listen to and the characters very pompous. The story is rife with imperialist undertones and almost insulting to Egyptians who are of course characterised as not being as smart as the British masters.

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4 people found this helpful