As we begin “The Golden One,” World War I is ramping up. Submarine attacks are becoming more and more common, and the Emersons are torn between staying at home in England and making their yearly journey to Egypt. They aren’t torn for long, however – the lure of sun and sand, not to mention the possibility of undiscovered tombs and treasure – makes the decision an easy one. Emerson, Amelia, Ramses, Nefret, and Sennia set off for the land of the Pharaohs, leaving David and Lia behind in England with Walter and Evelyn. It’s just as well – Lia is expecting again and such a journey would be too rough.
Readers of this series will remember Jumana – her brother, Jamil, proved to be the villain in our most recent escapade, yet he was not captured. In this volume, he is still at large, looting tombs and selling his finds to the highest bidders. He comes to Jumana and asks her for help, only to threaten the Emerson family, most specifically Ramses, if she refuses. Instead, she tells Nefret, who puts the family on alert. When a showdown between Ramses and Jamil ends in Jamil’s death, Jumana is devastated, but it was a matter of self-defense on Ramses’ part and could not be helped.
Meanwhile, Sethos, the scoundrel, has turned up again and is posing as an itinerant preacher. Ramses is asked to go through the Turkish border to find Sethos, along with a man from the military. He reluctantly agrees, only to find that the man he took with him is an assassin. Saving Sethos’ life, as Sethos has saved his on so many occasions, Ramses tightens his association with the underground workings of the military and proves his worth to them as an agent.
This book was a little bit disjointed as we went from the archaeological dig, to an undercover assignment in Turkey, and then back to the dig. But it’s the only one of Peter’s books I’ve felt the need to say that about, and it certainly isn’t a big criticism. Her descriptions, suspense, and characterizations are right on the button, as usual, and may I just say, Ramses has grown up to be a strapping young man.
(This book was published in 2002 by Harper Collins.)
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