Crocodile on the Sandbank

"Crocodile on the Sandbank" is the first of the Amelia Peabody mystery series which has to be one of the best series I have ever read. This has to be at least the fifth time I have read it, maybe more, and it still holds as much appeal and interest as it did the first time I picked it up. Elizabeth Peters has a wonderful plot, interesting characters, and incredible writing style that keep you interested cover to cover. Even if you don't like mystery novels or Victorian pieces, because it is set in the 19th century, I think you should at least give it a few chapters. You will quickly fall in love with Amelia's witty and smart personality and interested in the world that Peters has created. 

Most of the story takes place in Egypt mostly in Cairo and Amarna. Now I hadn't heard of Amarna, but I had heard of the Pharaoh Khuenaten. *here is a map of Egypt so you can see where everything is* 

Now I am very interested in Egyptian mythology and the whole of ancient Egypt, so this book instantly interested me, but even for someone who knows nothing about Egypt or archaeology it is easy to enjoy. It isn't bogged down with a lot of technical terms or boring scientific mumbo jumbo. Peters doesn't brush off the scientific aspect of archaeology, but also doesn't occupy the entire book or make it slow and dull. 

Now this is a mystery novel after all so it can't just be digging in the sand for 262 pages. Amelia is traveling for pleasure when she encounters Evelyn Forbes who has been left penniless after being abandoned by her lover. Amelia soon decides to ask Evelyn to be her companion and they set up to travel down the Nile. When in Cairo they meet the Emerson brothers, the younger Walter and the older and much louder Radcliffe. After this chance meeting Amelia and Evelyn soon become tied up in the affairs and excavation of the Emersons. After being prolonged at the Emersons' work site due to illness, a mummy soon starts haunting the party with designs on Evelyn. As the book progresses further twists and turns present themselves so that the ending is absolutely fabulous.

The dialogue between the characters is so wonderful and quotable in this novel. Amelia is witty, stubborn, and not afraid to take on anyone, even a mummy. When paired with the loud, smart, and confident Radcliffe, who is referred to as just Emerson, the sarcastic and scathing comments give the novel just the right amount of humor. The mix of humor, mystery, adventure, and domestication is great and appeals to almost every reader. It is written in the first person from Amelia's point of view, since it is supposed to be her diary we are reading, giving you a look into her thoughts on the events that surround the group. I am partial to first person female novels in the first place so that just made it all the more enjoyable for me to read. 

Overall I love everything about this series from the writing to the characters to the plot. I love it all and the rest of the novels are just as well done. It gets a five out of five from this college kid and I recommend at least reading the first book I am sure you will love it.