A River in the Sky: An Amelia Peabody Murder Mystery

To longtime fans of the Amelia Peabody series a warning that this is not "the latest instalment" but is set in 1910, between "Guardian of The Horizon" and "The Falcon at the Portal". This is disconcerting, as if you are already familiar with the personal lives of the younger characters, Ramses and Nefret, David and Lia, in this book it is hard to forget what eventuates later on. The story is typical of the usual strange mystery, this time set in Palestine, and with the usual wonderful by-play between Amelia and Emerson. It is shorter than usual, but a welcome return and another pleasant interlude with our much loved characters. For new readers of the Amelia Peabody books it would be better to start at the beginning of the series with "Crocodile on the Sandbank" and work through in order.

Having become used to the superb narration of Barbara Rosenblat who portrays all of the characters in these books so perfectly and with each having individual distinction, I regret that this narrator, Karen Cass, was very disappointing. She seems to merely "read" the book, often rather fast, and without the special dignity these characters deserve. Amelia sounds like a fussy hen and even sometimes seems to have a lisp, while Emerson sounds like a jolly schoolboy. I believe there is a Barbara Rosenblat version available and hope that audible will include it very soon, as I had to stop listening to this version and return to my hardback book. For this reason only three stars.

Elizabeth Peters captivates her readers once again. nobody could read the work better than Barbara Rosenblat. Karen Cass's reading in its own right does justice to the text.