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gdikrum's review against another edition
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Gun violence
ulrikedg's review against another edition
Big oof on the racism, and not just period appropriate stuff. I absolutely expect racism from the characters. I don't expect it from the author. Wilkie Collins wrote The Moonstone over a century before Elizabeth Peters wrote Crocodile on the Sandbank, and he managed to be much less racist.
I was hoping for a cozy mystery that would allow me to enjoy Barbara Rosenblat narration. This isn't it. DNF @ 37%.
I was hoping for a cozy mystery that would allow me to enjoy Barbara Rosenblat narration. This isn't it. DNF @ 37%.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism
baileyisbookish's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
The main cast of characters are racist and supremacist and it was so clearly a huge part of their personalities. I loved the story but was disappointed with the number of problematic things said and displays of their crappy attitudes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
chelseaisreading's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
As someone who was obsessed with Ancient Egypt in grade school, this cozy mystery was made for me! The romantic subplots totally gave Pride & Prejudice vibes as well, which was lovely.
Amelia and Evelyn’s friendship was such a highlight for me as well, we love a woman who doesn’t give a f about silly societal rules.
There is some colonialist rhetoric that I don’t love (calling the native Egyptians “too simple” to devise a plan, among other not so nice depictions of Victorian times Egypt) but overall still enjoyable and fun. You can tell the author was an Egyptologist.
Amelia and Evelyn’s friendship was such a highlight for me as well, we love a woman who doesn’t give a f about silly societal rules.
There is some colonialist rhetoric that I don’t love (calling the native Egyptians “too simple” to devise a plan, among other not so nice depictions of Victorian times Egypt) but overall still enjoyable and fun. You can tell the author was an Egyptologist.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism
borkyreadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
The story itself was fun and enjoyable. I really appreciated the archaeological accuracy as a fellow archaeologist however it’s quite hard to get past the racism that oozes out of every page, especially towards Egyptians. I get the sense that Michaels was trying to satirize the views of Victorian Egyptologists but from a 2024 perspective it just read as prejudism.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Islamophobia, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Violence, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
queen_of_the_rats's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Islamophobia, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
sparksofkell's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Injury/Injury detail
rainwombat's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
emlo's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I found the plot of this book quite boring. It was written in the 70s and it shows; no cultural sensitivity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
singalana's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
If you like The Mummy (1999), starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, I think you will like this book.
NOTE: This story is told from the point of view of a British upper-class person and has unchallenged colonialistic views. If that is something that bothers you as a reader, then I would not recommend this. I read this book keeping in mind that these are the opinions of the character, so I will not be commenting on this aspect of the story.
Crocodile on the Sandbank is the first novel in the Amelia Peabody murder mystery -series. The story takes place in 1880s Egypt when archaeology (and I use this term loosely) was a popular pastime with the British aristocracy. The main character Amelia has inherited a significant amount of money and decides to travel. In Rome, she rescues another Englishwoman, Evelyn, and takes her as a travelling partner. Her interest in archaeology gets her involved with the Emerson brothers. But what would a story set in Egypt be without a mummy making an appearance?
This is a lighthearted mystery book with a dash of the supernatural. The characters are archetypical to what you might imagine finding in this kind of book. It feels almost campy, but as I read on, the characters grew on me, and their relationships seemed to develop organically. I found the writing to be lively and the style fitting to the story. The banter between the characters was delightful, and despite their flaws, I was rooting for the characters.
If the reader has experience with mystery books, the ending might be somewhat predictable, but because of the campy and lighthearted nature of the book, I wouldn’t necessarily count it as a flaw. All in all, I like the characters and the milieu enough to be interested in continuing the story.
However, regarding this edition of the book: There were some typos, and the printing quality was not the best. And I would skip Amelia’s biography at the beginning of the book to avoid all spoilers. At the end of the book, there’s an extract from the 18th book in the series, which is an odd choice considering this is the first book…
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism