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A review by laurenjodi
The Last Camel Died at Noon by Elizabeth Peters
3.0
The Last Camel Died at Noon
3.5 Stars
In their latest adventure, Amelia, Emerson and their son, Ramses, find themselves abandoned in the Nubian desert after the death by poisoning of their final camel. The reason for their predicament lies in a mysterious letter sent to Viscount Blacktower, ostensibly from his eldest son, who vanished along with his bride in Sudan a decade earlier. While suspicious of the Viscount's request that they find his missing family members, Amelia and Emerson are intrigued by the map accompanying the letter and embark on the quest, where they encounter the solution to an ancient mystery and an enemy bent on greed and revenge.
This installment in the series is structured rather differently as it is divided into two sections. Book 1 focuses on the events in England and Sudan leading up to the Emersons' misadventure in the desert while Book 2 revolves around their rescue and subsequent discovery of a.
Elizabeth Peters's historical research is excellent, and she smoothly incorporates the details of the British conquest, the Mahadist Uprising, and the Kitchener Campaign to recapture lost territory within the flow of the narrative. Moreover, the allusions to the works of H. Rider Haggard add another layer of enjoyment to the story.
The mystery is where the plot fails to resonate. First, the pacing is too slow, and the details are interspersed between other, more compelling elements such as the revelation of thethe conflict between and the Emersons' plans to . Second, it is difficult to care about the lost British heir and his bride as readers are not provided with sufficient details about them to evoke sympathy or empathy. Finally, the explanation at the end feels more like an afterthought rather than a significant part of the story.
The true highlight of the book is, as always, the dynamics between Amelia and Emerson and the humor of Ramses' antics - he is really beginning to grow on me.
On a final note, the audiobooks in the series have two narrators - Susan O'Malley and Barbara Rosenblatt. I have been listening to the O'Mally versions, but sadly this is the last one, as the rest are Rosenblatt versions. While other listeners seem to adore her, I've had problems with her in the past. Hopefully, I will be able to get used to her and continue with the series.
3.5 Stars
In their latest adventure, Amelia, Emerson and their son, Ramses, find themselves abandoned in the Nubian desert after the death by poisoning of their final camel. The reason for their predicament lies in a mysterious letter sent to Viscount Blacktower, ostensibly from his eldest son, who vanished along with his bride in Sudan a decade earlier. While suspicious of the Viscount's request that they find his missing family members, Amelia and Emerson are intrigued by the map accompanying the letter and embark on the quest, where they encounter the solution to an ancient mystery and an enemy bent on greed and revenge.
This installment in the series is structured rather differently as it is divided into two sections. Book 1 focuses on the events in England and Sudan leading up to the Emersons' misadventure in the desert while Book 2 revolves around their rescue and subsequent discovery of a
Spoiler
mythical lost cityElizabeth Peters's historical research is excellent, and she smoothly incorporates the details of the British conquest, the Mahadist Uprising, and the Kitchener Campaign to recapture lost territory within the flow of the narrative. Moreover, the allusions to the works of H. Rider Haggard add another layer of enjoyment to the story.
The mystery is where the plot fails to resonate. First, the pacing is too slow, and the details are interspersed between other, more compelling elements such as the revelation of the
Spoiler
lost city,Spoiler
the two heirsSpoiler
escape with their skins intactThe true highlight of the book is, as always, the dynamics between Amelia and Emerson and the humor of Ramses' antics - he is really beginning to grow on me.
On a final note, the audiobooks in the series have two narrators - Susan O'Malley and Barbara Rosenblatt. I have been listening to the O'Mally versions, but sadly this is the last one, as the rest are Rosenblatt versions. While other listeners seem to adore her, I've had problems with her in the past. Hopefully, I will be able to get used to her and continue with the series.