![]() First edition cover | |
Author | Elizabeth Peters |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Series | Amelia Peabody series mysteries |
Genre | Historical mystery |
Publisher | Warner Books |
Publication date | 1996 |
Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
Pages | xvi, 384 |
ISBN | 0-446-51833-6 |
OCLC | 32923807 |
813/.54 20 | |
LC Class | PS3563.E747 H54 1996 |
Preceded by | The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog |
Followed by | Seeing a Large Cat |
The Hippopotamus Pool is the eighth in a series of historical mystery novels, written by Elizabeth Peters and first published in 1996. It features fictional sleuth and archaeologist Amelia Peabody. The story is set in the 1899-1900 archaeological dig season. Although one review found the novel "heavy handed" in its style, while recognizing the many fans of this series, [1] other reviewers enjoyed the wit, the "melodramatic 19th-century writing style" and the dandy "romantic nonsense". [2] [3]
The title of the book comes from an ancient Egyptian tale about warring princes Apophis [Note 1] and Sekenenre, [Note 2] wherein Apophis sends Sekenenre a message: "The roaring of the hippopotami in your pools prevents me from sleeping! Hunt them and kill them, that I may rest." There are also several references to the goddess Taueret, who is represented as a hippo.
Amelia and Emerson are in Cairo to greet the 20th century, when a mysterious man presents them with a gold ring from an unknown tomb bearing the cartouche of Queen Tetisheri, then dies of poison. Emerson is attacked in this encounter.
Earlier in the year, Walter and Evelyn Emerson lost their youngest child, depressing Evelyn. Radcliffe, Walter’s brother, asks them to join them in Egypt for the dig. Walter and Evelyn agree to return to where they had met, leaving their young children at home. Radcliffe and Amelia’s teenaged children, son Ramses and daughter Nefret, join the dig as well.
Radcliffe has planned a larger scale dig than in prior years and surprises his wife with a Dahabeah, a house boat to base their families, instead of tents. He chooses a site where he hopes to find the tomb of a queen of ancient Egypt, the same queen as on that gold ring. The stranger’s body is found floating in the Nile. A retired yet vicious seller of Egyptian antiques meets them on the dahabeah. Emerson and Amelia surmise there are groups battling to take over the thieving ring once led by Sethos. Some of these competing thieves may assist the Emerson dig, others may try to kill them, as evidenced on New Year’s Eve.
Stopping at a shop that makes replicas or forgeries of ancient objects, they meet young David Todros, a grandson of Abdullah. Talented and rebellious, he is soon part of the Emerson entourage. Work proceeds at the dig, which is a new tomb, attracting interest despite efforts to keep progress quiet.
Sir Edward Washington is the dig’s photographer. Evelyn is an artist, who draws what is found at the site. Miss Gertrude Marmaduke, hired as a tutor, proves to be a theosophist with interest in the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis, and to have stolen the gold ring brought by the stranger.
Amelia and Evelyn sort out the threats into the Hippopotami, as the huge man Ricetti is a known threat, and the Jackals. Ramses slips out at night to find Ricetti, and is abducted by his gang, in exchange for all the valuables in the tomb. Nefret realizes he and David are gone and a search begins. Nefret is lured away by Miss Marmaduke, to be part of a theosophist rite.
David returns to the boat, leading the adults where Ramses is kept, while Emerson seeks Nefret. They rescue the drugged Ramses, tossing him to Daoud to carry him to safety, which Daoud does. A serious struggle ends with the gentle Evelyn killing one abductor and the leader Ricetti walking away. Emerson arrives after that struggle, having sought in vain for Nefret. David is reconciled with his grandfather Abdullah, having proved his loyalty to the Emerson family. They notify police to take Ricetti if he tries to board ship in Cairo, and the police nab him.
In the morning, Nefret is back on the boat. When she understood why she had been taken, she hit Miss Marmaduke on the head and escaped to the boat, unharmed.
Amelia visits Bertha, a woman who dressed as a widow when Amelia met her a year earlier, who was one of the Jackals. Bertha is pregnant, and admits her hatred of Amelia. Colleagues of Bertha had lured Miss Marmaduke, knowing her interest in theosophy, as the intermediary to get Nefret. Bertha then asks her strong female companion to strangle Amelia, so Amelia could not fight back as Bertha knifed her. When Amelia passes out, Bertha and colleagues slip away. Sir Edward is present when Amelia awakens. She presumes he had followed her. Sir Edward then says he will not join them next season.
After two months of clearing the chamber sufficiently to reach the sarcophagus, Emerson opens it before an audience, to find it completely empty. Emerson is not bothered. The artwork and stories uncovered are worth the work. The queen was buried elsewhere and reburied, in a complicated series of events.
They sail home, taking David with them.
Kirkus Reviews found this novel to be written in a “heavy-handed” fashion, too much repetition, while recognizing there are many fans of the author’s style and the character of Amelia Peabody. [1]
Publishers Weekly found the story unique with the wit and the writing style, and said that "The melodramatic 19th-century writing style studded with Amelia's sly wit makes this series unique to the subgenre of historical mysteries." [2]
Marilyn Stasio, writing in The New York Times, called this a "dandy' distraction with the "frisky heroine" Amelia Peabody. Quoting from the text, Stasio wrote ""Oh, good Gad!" Emerson explodes. "Are we to have another of these melodramatic distractions?" Indeed we are -- and it's a dandy one too. Such romantic nonsense. Such fun." [3]
Amelia Peabody Emerson is the protagonist of the Amelia Peabody series, a series of historical mystery novels written by author Elizabeth Peters. Peabody is married to Egyptologist Radcliffe Emerson and has one biological child, Walter "Ramses" Peabody Emerson.
Professor Radcliffe Archibald Emerson, M.A. Ox., D.C.L. (Ox.), L.L.D. (Edinburgh), F.B.A., FRS, FRGS, MAPS, Fellow of the Royal Society, Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, Member of the American Philosophical Society, is one of the main characters in the Amelia Peabody historical mystery series by author Elizabeth Peters. He is an Egyptologist who is typically addressed as Professor, although he hates his first name and prefers to be called "Emerson." For his explosive temper and dynamic use of language, his Egyptian friends and employees have nicknamed him Abu Shitaim, "Father of Curses".
Crocodile on the Sandbank is a historical mystery novel by Elizabeth Peters, first published in 1975. It is the first in the Amelia Peabody series of novels and takes place in 1884-1885.
The Curse of the Pharaohs is a historical mystery novel by Elizabeth Peters, first published in 1981 and the second in the Amelia Peabody series of novels; it takes place in the excavation season of 1892–93.
The Mummy Case is the third of a series of historical mystery novels written by Elizabeth Peters and featuring the character Amelia Peabody. It was first published in 1985. The story is set in the 1894–1895 dig season in Egypt.
The Last Camel Died at Noon is the sixth in a series of historical mystery novels, written by Elizabeth Peters and featuring fictional sleuth and archaeologist Amelia Peabody. It was first published in 1991. This story in the historical mystery series has a new genre; Last Camel satirizes adventure novels in the tradition of Henry Rider Haggard. One reviewer considered this an homage to Haggard. The story is set in the 1897–98 dig season, partly in Egypt, then moving west to Sudan.
The Ape Who Guards the Balance is the tenth in a series of historical mystery novels, written by Elizabeth Peters, first published in 1998, and featuring fictional sleuth and archaeologist Amelia Peabody. The story is set in the 1906–1907 dig season in Egypt.
The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog is the seventh in a series of historical mystery novels, written by Elizabeth Peters and featuring fictional archaeologist and sleuth Amelia Peabody. It was first published in 1992. The story is set in the summer of 1898 in England and the 1898-1899 archaeological dig season in Egypt.
Seeing a Large Cat is the ninth novel in the Amelia Peabody historical mystery series by Elizabeth Peters, first published in 1997. The story takes place in Egypt during the archaeological dig season of 1903-1904.
The Falcon at the Portal (1999) is the 11th in a series of historical mystery novels by Elizabeth Peters, first published in 1999. It features fictional archaeologist and sleuth Amelia Peabody. The story is set in the 1911–1912 dig season in Egypt.
He Shall Thunder in the Sky is the 12th in a series of historical mystery novels by Elizabeth Peters, first published in 2000, and featuring fictional archaeologist and sleuth Amelia Peabody. The story is set in the 1914–15 dig season in Egypt.
Lord of the Silent is the 13th in a series of historical mystery novels, written by Elizabeth Peters and featuring fictional sleuth and archaeologist Amelia Peabody. It was first published in 2001. The story is set in the 1915–1916 dig season in Egypt.
The Golden One is the 14th in a series of historical mystery novels, written by Elizabeth Peters and featuring fictional sleuth and archaeologist Amelia Peabody. It was first published in 2002. The story is set in the 1916–1917 dig season in Egypt.
Children of the Storm is the 15th in a series of historical mystery novels, written by Elizabeth Peters and first published in 2003. It features fictional sleuth and archaeologist Amelia Peabody. The story is set in the 1919–1920 dig season in Egypt.
Guardian of the Horizon is the 16th in a series of historical mystery novels, written by Elizabeth Peters and published in 2004. It features fictional sleuth and archaeologist Amelia Peabody. The story is set in the 1907–1908 dig season in Egypt. That places the events between the 10th and 11th novels, by the setting, while it is 16th in order of publication.
The Serpent on the Crown is the 17th in a series of historical mystery novels, written by Elizabeth Peters and published in 2005. It features fictional sleuth and archaeologist Amelia Peabody. The story is set in 1922, in the dig season in Egypt.
Tomb of the Golden Bird is the 18th in a series of historical mystery novels, written by Elizabeth Peters and first published in 2006. It features fictional sleuth and archaeologist Amelia Peabody. The story is set in the 1922 - 1923 archeological dig season in Egypt.
The Amelia Peabody series is a series of twenty historical mystery novels and one non-fiction companion volume written by Egyptologist Barbara Mertz (1927–2013) under the pen name Elizabeth Peters. The series is centered on the adventures of the unconventional female Egyptologist Amelia Peabody Emerson, for whom the series is named, and an ever-increasing number of family, friends, allies, and characters both fictional and based on historical figures. The novels blend mystery and romance with a wryly comic tone, and at times also parody Victorian-era adventure novels such as those written by H. Rider Haggard. The series was published between 1975 and 2010, with the final, posthumous novel appearing in 2017.
Evelyn Emerson is a fictional character from the Amelia Peabody series of historical mystery novels by Elizabeth Peters. She is the closest friend, and later sister-in-law, of the protagonist, fictional sleuth and archaeologist Amelia Peabody.
Like many of the previous seven in this series, a wordy confusion of vile intentions, powerful enemies, dramatic rescues, excruciatingly detailed forays into the ancient past, and Amelia's cool. Fans of the latter may love it, but most readers will be numbed by the heavy-handed plotting.