You would think that a book series with so many installments, featuring the same characters over and over again, would get boring at some point. Many do, but not the Amelia Peabody series. Even though the setting in each is essentially the same (archaeologist family gets involved in illegal doings and has to bring the criminal to justice, all the while finding new tombs and digging them out) the plots from book to book differ enough to make each one a thrilling masterpiece.
When last we saw the Emersons, Nefret had just been through a difficult experience and was sent to live at a spa while she recovered. (No, I’m not going to tell you why; go read “The Falcon at the Portal.”) As we begin “He Shall Thunder in the Sky,” she’s feeling much better now, at least physically, but emotionally she’s not quite herself yet. She’s acting withdrawn and secretive, causing Amelia some concern.
But even more concerning is the fact that the Turks have declared war and are threatening to take the Suez Canal. An Egyptian rebellion has been forming, and unfortunately, David has been imprisoned for his dealings with the underground. Ramses, although fit and a suitable age to enlist, has not joined the military. In the tradition of the time, he has been sent countless gifts of white feathers, the symbol of cowardice. What these givers of gifts do not know is that Ramses has been working harder than anyone to avert the war. He has infiltrated a ring of illegal arms dealers and is taking the information to the police, planning to help bring the entire organization down.
Emerson and Amelia are dragged into his affairs when a bullet nearly puts an end to him. Finding their son bleeding profusely on his bedroom floor, they patch him up and help him pretend to be perfectly well, which proves difficult when trying to keep him from Nefret’s prying eyes. Tensions run high when Sethos, the Master Criminal who has run the forged antiquity ring in Egypt for years, makes his reappearance and plants several kisses on Amelia; meanwhile, Ramses and Emerson are shot at in the desert while trying to find the route the arms dealers will take when delivering the weapons.
This book was fascinating to me on so many different levels. The Emersons have always gotten into trouble, but this time, it ties in to history a little closer to our era. I had never thought about the situation at the Canal from the perspective of the Egyptians, and it was fascinating to obtain that point of view.
So get out your pens and jot down the title of this book – you’ll need it once you’re done with the others in the series.
Oh, and this is the part where I get sneaky, not telling you about the several surprise endings to this book that had me blinking in surprise . . . no, not going to mention them at all . . .
(This book was published in 2000 by HarperCollins.)
Related Blogs:
The Ape Who Guards the Balance
The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog