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Feminist Mystery Reviews THE APE WHO GUARDS THE BALANCE Reviewed by Harriet Klausner Highly regarded archeologist Professor Radcliffe Emerson has recently alienated too many administrators. In retaliation, he has been relegated to wandering around the Egypt's Valley of the Kings, which by 1907 has been explored too many times for any individual to get excited about it. However, having his beloved wife Amelia Peabody, their adult son Ramses, and their foster children (Nefret and David) along with him will ease the tedium. In a slummy section of Cairo, the children purchase a papyrus of the Book of the Dead. Abruptly what was to be a dull season has become very exciting because two people are murdered and the Master Criminal has surfaced. This time he defeats Amelia in his game of cat and mouse, but fails to account for her now maturing allies, the next generation of Emersons, who just might tip the scales back in favor of the good guys. The tenth Peabody novel, THE APE WHO GUARDS THE BALANCE, demonstrates why Elizabeth Peters recently was the recipient of the Grand Master Award by the Mystery Writers of America. The novel, like all the Peabody tales, is complicated but humorous and loaded with interesting historical references from two eras (antiquity and the first decade of the twentieth century) that surround an intriguing mystery. However, what makes the latest entry so refreshing and fun to read is the maturing of the next generation of Emersons. This will elate fans of the series and bring in new readers as well. |
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