Crocodile on the Sandbank
By Elizabeth Peters
Release Date: Unknown in 1975
Ebook Available from WV Reads
3 Stars - This light mystery series starts off swiftly with heroine Amelia Peabody venturing to Egypt after inheriting her father's estate. She had already inherited his adventurous and curious nature. I'd recommend this mostly to cozy fans looking for something a little different, more treasure hunt than murder mystery. Worth noting, while published first in 1975, it's historical fiction so it really doesn't seemed to have aged.
The setting is in fact the late Victorian era and has likely prevented this series from aging like the Egyptian treasures and culture it features. This book may suffer from being something of a crossover of too many genres. But it's also a positive aspect. There's touches of historical fiction, regency romance, cozy mystery, and even archeological adventures. Likewise, Amelia has many facets to her personality. She's almost too quirky. At times, she is caring, inquisitive, and simply a little obsessive compulsive. But honestly, other times her fiercely independent nature comes off cold and confrontational. And her inner thoughts can be kind of snobby, despite her lack of conceit.
I do believe from the few times I have dabbled in different parts of this series (attempting to really immerse myself which I admit I still have not done) that Amelia's character softens as she later acquires a husband and a son. But in this first entry, she can come off a bit harsh and sometimes unrelatable to a modern young woman. However, Peters writes her skillfully and manages to really bring her prospective in full light, which I imagine a part of her tried and true appeal through decades. Although, her writing style is not for the everyday reader, in my opinion. She has a tendency to hop around and the plot takes quite a while to actually take shape. The first quarter or so of the book feels quite meandering, and it's not easy reading with the level of detail and antique dialouge. While I enjoyed my time reading this one, it still did not leave me with a great desire to binge read the series or even hurriedly pick up the next book. It's a series certainly worth a try for anyone it appeals to but despite its short length, it's a weighty read.
(NS)
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