Lord of the Silent audiobook

The Emersons are eager to return to their beloved Egypt, war or no war. When British Intelligence comes calling on Ramses again, the entire family emphatically respond with a resounding no! They head off to their dig site minus David, who is still recovering and needs to be at home with Lia and the baby, plus Sennia, her nurse, Horus and Gargery! The Emersons are surprised to discover evidence of theft in the ancient ruins once again and Ramses surprises a would-be attacker. The elder Emersons, eager to protect their boy, send the newlyweds on a honeymoon to Luxor to avoid danger. Unfortunately, danger follows the Emersons wherever they go, whether it be Cairo or Luxor. With a nosy, romantic, female reporter hot on their trail, the Emersons must resort to secrecy and lies again. They must learn to trust each other to protect their loved once and solve the mystery. This story is not so grim as it sounded from the description. It took me a little while to get into it but once they arrived in Egypt, the story got off to a rollicking start and didn't stop until the very end. I thought the villain seemed obvious but there were so many factors involved that I was sure I had been wrong. The fun is more in the adventure anyway. I wasn't surprised at the big plot twist. Emerson and Ramses deduced the secret from the clue and I guessed too, however, I was still quite shocked. I would have marked the book 5 stars if it were not for this suspension of disbelief. This story also features a marked change in the narrative. The elder Emersons take the subplot while the younger Emersons have the bulk of the middle of the novel. I thought this would bother me because I adore Amelia, but I really liked having the dual adventure and getting to know Ramses and Nefret better. Amelia is still Amelia -formidable, clever, and reckless. She's learned to be less reckless over the years and she has also learned to show her emotions towards her son more. She's Victorian and can't help being a bit buttoned up, plus Ramses was such a difficult child. Her openness allows Ramses to open up more too and become more affectionate with his parents. He's still brooding and moody but darling Nefret can talk him out of it. Nefret is a chip off the Aunt Amelia block- feisty, clever and devoted to her man. Nefret is more open and loving than Aunt Amelia and pushes Ramses not to be so bottled up. The younger couple are from a different generation where rules have changed and people, especially Anglo-Egyptians, are less stuffy. Emerson "Father of Curses" is kept from going off the deep end here by his family. He seems terrifying but I like how he's a softy inside. I don't like how susceptible he is to young feminine wiles though. I suppose it comes from being a doting father/great-uncle. Sennia is shaping up to be a true Emerson. She's a spoiled brat at times but like Aunt Nefret, she has a pure heart and is sweet and loving. Many of the book's funniest scenes are when Sennia is around, especially when she has Gargery and Horus to try to protect her. I was chuckling out loud when they were in the scene. There are so many other familiar secondary characters here. Gargery the butler insists on coming with the Emersons. He's an old man but eager for adventure and devoted to protecting his family. He adds a lot of comic relief to the story. Horus the cat is a beast. He too adds comic relief to the story. Daoud, Selim, Kadija, Fatima and the rest also add some humor with their unwavering devotion to the Emersons. Kadija is awesome! The Vandergelts finally show up as a family. Katherine is a bit prim but she's trying to protect her son the best she can and Amelia understands Katherine's concerns. Cyrus is still a golly gosh Texan eager to get digging to discover the riches of Ancient Egypt. Another old character who plays a major role is Miss Margaret Minton. Yes her journalism is "yellow" and her prose a lurid shade of purple, but I actually had sympathy for her. Digging deeper, she reveals the gender inequalities and limited roles for women of the middle class in the early 1900s. A spinster, she longs for love but must support herself. As a female journalist, opportunities are limited and so she makes a living any way she can. I found myself having a great deal of respect for her. Also returning are members of the archeological community: William Amherst. At first glance he seems a shy, nervous sort. I suspected him of villainy given the Emersons' past history. To find out if he is or isn't, read the book. I did not like the Swiss archaeologist Alain Keuntz. He's too quick to brag and too charming to the ladies. The new characters here are Bertie, Katherine Vandergelt's son, returning from the war with injuries and shell shock. I like his character and how he develops in this novel. Whether he stays likeable depends on his interest. My favorite new character is Jumana. She's so curious, bright and eager to learn. My heart breaks at her fate and I hope with Nefret's help she can achieve her dream of becoming an Egyptologist. Her brother Jamil is not so enjoyable. He's stupid and lazy and I suspected he was up to no good. While occasionally the author steps out of the story to have the characters relate recent past events and current events, current readers should pay attention. It's fascinating to see how the terrorist groups of today came to be. This is another fabulous entry in the series. I can't wait to read the next one! Sadly, it probably won't be until the end of the year or next year.

I'm in the process of re-reading the entire Amelia Peabody series again, from start to finish in one go. They are still some of my favorite books. They must be read with tongue firmly inserted in cheek. It also helps to have an interest in and some knowledge of Colonial-era exploration narratives, fiction like that of H. Rider Haggard, Orientalist studies, the competitive acquisitive zeal of western museums at the turn of the century, and the "gentlemen archaeologists" of the 19th century who brought more treasure-hunting fever than academic and historical interest to their digs. That is to say nothing of the insight into early seeds and outbreaks of unrest in the Middle East that find their way into the middle and later novels in the series. Add to this impressive list of "ingredients" a dash of early feminism, British upperclass manners, interesting plots, and especially the academically sound Egyptian history from a legitimate scholar (Elizabeth Peters had a PhD in Egyptology from the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago) and you have the very best in historical fiction, enclosed within adventurous and funny plots led by engaging and memorable characters who, though immensely more enlightened than many of their time, nonetheless remain realistic people OF their time, seeing the world through glasses tinted by their own culture and class. Though they attempt to rise above prejudice, they cannot quite entirely do so. Elizabeth Peters showed immense wisdom of the human condition in this aspect of her characterizations, reminding us all that we cannot even be aware of - much less remove - ALL of our preconceptions through which we see the world around us. Even the best of us - like Amelia - can continually peel back the layers of lenses through which we see the world. All these philosophical, aesthetic, academic, and historical reasons for loving the series are thus topped off with depth of characterization, imaginative storytelling, fast-paced plotting, excellent word-crafting, and an overall affectionate humor about the human condition - the whole coming together even better than the sum of its parts to make it one of my favorite series of all time. I might add that it's a series that I've read and re-read multiple times, something that I almost never do.To be fair, my one criticism about the series is that the non-chronological nature of the last few books gets a bit confusing even to me, someone who's read them multiple times. They're still very enjoyable, but holding the timeline and chronology of events in my head is not always easy. I plan to tackle the compendium "Amelia Peabody's Egypt" soon to see how that clears things up. Nonetheless, I'm waiting with bated breath for the book Elizabeth Peters was finishing at the time of her death to be published. I think it would be a great tribute to her career to publish it posthumously.I have been really surprised when friends I've recommended the series to haven't been as enthusiastic as I am about Amelia Peabody. I think I can attribute that to the fact that my first go-round of the series was on audiobook and Barbara Rosenblat and Grace Conlin did such a marvelous job of giving the series the proper amount of irony and tongue-in-cheek humor and updated H. Rider Haggard-style adventure, that even today when I read the series I hear it in their voices in my head. If you are having trouble connecting, then, I recommend listening to at least the first several books on audiobook. It wouldn't hurt to do some quick Wikipedia research on Colonialism, Egyptology, Howard Carter, Wallace Budge, Orientalism, H. Rider Haggard, museum-sponsored archaeology of the latre 19th & early 20th centuries (especially the competitiveness between the British Museum & the Metropolitan Museum of Art(, WWI, pre-WWII espionage, dismantling of the Ottoman Empire... anything relating to history of the 19th century to early 20th century. All will add to your enjoyment of the novels as well as your appreciation for how deftly Elizabeth Peters wove history and real people throughout her fiction.

Will that guy never die? It was over the top before, and now it's becoming absolutely ridiculous. The mystery in this novel was extra confusing this time, as there were multiple things going on, and it was hard at times to unwrap which ones mattered and which ones didn't. I loved seeing Ramses and Nefret start their life together, and figure out how to make their marriage work. And I am glad Sethos came back, because I really do like him. The only person I really don't like is Margaret Minton - she's so pushy and annoying! I realize that for the Emersons to maintain a family relationship with Sethos eventually, he will need to let go of his obsession with Amelia and fall in love with someone else, but does it have to be Margaret? Ugh. Also, I'm really enjoying the extra narration provided by Ramses and Nefret's journal, which seem to take up almost half of this novel. I gives us a nice perspective on the elder Emersons, especially Amelia, and it's nice to see how affectionate they have all become.

This was a weak 4* for me, but how can you not enjoy Amelia's arrogant self-assurance and acerbic wit?! I think I could learn to enjoy being growled at by Emerson even when he's not in one of his amorous moods! And I'm glad to see that the roles of Ramses & Nefret continue to grow.

This is book #13 in the Amelia Peabody series, and the stories and the characters never get dull or disappoint! I love this series as much now as I did when I read the very first book!What's great about the stories now is that with Ramses and Nefret grown up and married to each other, there are now four formidable Emersons instead of just two in the elder couple of Amelia and Emerson. The interplay between the four as they all adjust to the fact that the "children" are now grown and just as clever and resourseful as the parents creates entirely new and hilarious situations to enjoy for the reader.Of course, as is always the case with the Emersons, murder, mayhem and drama follows them everywhere, and this installment is no different. This season, the Emersons find when they return to Egypt, that it appears someone is impersonating "The Master Criminal" [who readers of the series will know died in Amelia's arms at the end of the previous book, after it being discovered who he actually was - you'll have to read the book to find out!] and so the family begins to investigate. The mystery is interesting and clever, and with four Emersons instead of just two running around Egypt utterly heedless of danger the entertainment factor is doubled.I absolutely adore this series! Elizabeth Peters has not only created, but manages to further develop and enhance these characters in a perfectly natural and wonderful way with each succeeding installment of the series. I look forward to the next installment!

07/10/22: Another relisten. I still love this book!

** spoiler alert ** Elizabeth Peters you absolute f*ing Queen!!! I have no words for this book other than: "He's back!".I was so damn happy I shouted it 😂. The plot is quite good, as usual. But what made me love it so much was the family dynamics. S. is an absolute prick, pardon my French, but at the same time is utterly an Emerson 😍. Who would have said I'd fall for him this much?!?Ramses is, like is father, the absolute husband goals!

I mean... Is there a person out there who hates the dynamic duo of Ramses and Nefret?

Loved it once again, but did find it challenging to keep track what was going on and where at times so this book did not quite earn a full Five. But I was certainly highly entertained.It was nice seeing Ramses and Nefret gradually mature, as well as the development of other relationships within the large family...