Named 1998 Grand Master by Mystery Writers of America, Elizabeth Peters is also a doctor of Egyptology whose mysteries have submerged readers in the vivid turn-of-the-century world of Amelia Peabody. In The Ape Who Guards the Balance Peters captures the immediacy of uncovering a new Egyptian tomb within the context of a tightly plotted murder investigation involving the entire Emerson Peabody clan. The characters, including Amelia's husband, Radcliffe Emerson, and her gifted son, Ramses, are meticulously drawn. As in previous novels the dialogue is reminiscent of The Thin Man. When a man calls out to passing suffragettes, "You ought to be 'ome washin' your 'usband's trousers!" Ramses shoots back, "I assure you, sir, the lady's trousers are not in such sore need of laundering as your own." Peters also toys with differing narrative perspectives, and Ramses emerges as a possible successor to his mother's legacy of crime solving.

The Ape Who Guards the Balance begins in 1907 in England where Amelia is attending a suffragettes' rally outside the home of Mr. Geoffrey Romer of the House of Commons. It seems Romer is one of the few remaining private collectors of Egyptian antiquities, and a series of bizarre events at the protest soon embroil Amelia in grave personal danger. Suspecting that the Master Criminal, Sethos, is behind their problems, the Emerson Peabodys hasten to Egypt to continue their studies in the Valley of Kings where they soon acquire a papyrus of the Book of the Dead. As with past seasons, however, their archaeological expedition is interrupted. The murdered body of a woman is found in the Nile. Ramses, Radcliffe, and Amelia all have their theories as to the origin of the crime, but their own lives might soon be at stake if the cult of Thoth and their ancient book is, indeed, involved.

Other Peabody mysteries include Seeing a Large Cat, The Hippopotamus Pool, The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog, The Deeds of the Disturber, Lion in the Valley, The Curse of the Pharaohs, and Crocodile on the Sandbank. --Patrick O'Kelley


From Publishers Weekly
In April of this year, Peters, who has been writing mysteries for 30 years, was honored as a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. This captivating novel, her 10th Amelia Peabody tale (following Seeing a Large Cat, 1997), validates her peers' high regard. Prospects for the 1907 excavation season in Egypt seem lackluster for the Emersons, since Professor Emerson, Amelia's beloved husband, can't abide the fools who administrate such activities?and makes no secret of that fact. But the family, including their adult son, Ramses, and his foster siblings, Nefret and David, departs for Egypt nevertheless after incidents in London point to the resurfacing of their old nemesis, known as the Master Criminal. The younger generation buys an ancient papyrus from an antiquities dealer and sets in motion a sinister chain of events. Two horrendous murders draw all of the Emersons further into the fray, and at times it seems as if the Master Criminal and his minions will at last best Amelia. But by drawing on the skills of all, the Emerson contingent once again brings villains to justice. The plot is complicated and involving, but the maturing of Ramses, Nefret and David offers particular pleasure and gives the book depth and poignance. Rich in characterization, incident and humor, this latest adventure of Amelia Peabody is a grand, galloping adventure with a heart as big as the Great Pyramid itself. Author tour. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
YA?Fans will gravitate to this new addition to this popular murder-archaeology series. From the streets of London to the Egyptian desert, the Peabody-Emerson family is in danger. This complex story set in 1907 opens with an attempt to kidnap Amelia. Grisly murder, villains in disguise, and intrigue follow the family to excavation sites in Egypt, and neither the characters nor readers initially understand why. Teens will be pleased that the children introduced in earlier volumes have greater roles in this story. Son Ramses, his friend David, and Amelia's and Emerson's adopted daughter, Nefret, are mature young people who obey and disobey their parents when it suits them. All is related through Amelia's first-person, witty narration. This one is sure to be as popular as Peters's earlier books.?Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VACopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.


The New York Times Book Review, Marilyn Stasio
Amelia remains an irrepressible delight.


The Los Angeles Times
"So much local color that I felt as though I were on vacation!"



"Amelia is Indiana Jones, Sherlock Holmes, and Miss Marple all rolled into one."


USA Today
"A new Amelia Peabody mystery is like visiting old friends." ---


From Kirkus Reviews
Tenth in this long-running, long-winded series (Seeing a Large Cat, 1997, etc.) finds Egyptologists Professor and Amelia Emerson, their clever, stoic son Ramses, adopted daughter Nefret, and Ramses friend David, lovingly accepted as a member of the family, preparing to return to Egypt after a stay in London marred by a crude attempt to kidnap Ameliaengineered, in Ramses view, by their old, elusive enemy Sethos. The Professors officially assigned task this 1906 season is to clean out some previously opened, not very important tombs, while rival Theodore Davis has been given the exploration of what is probably a royal burial site. Soon after the family returns to Luxor, Ramses and Davis, in native disguise, go on the prowl for news of Sethos, purchasing along the way a fine papyrus scroll from one Yassuf Mahmud, then getting attacked in the process and rescued by prostitute Layla. The discovery, days later, of Mahmuds mutilated body floating in the Nile is just the beginning of a series of grotesque happeningsall sandwiched between dinner parties and a visit from Emersons brother Walter, with wife Evelyn and their daughter Lia, whos madly in love with David, as Ramses is with Nefret (in tight-lipped silence, of course). The body count rises and so does Emersons fury at Daviss careless handling of his very important find. There are further attacks on Amelia and fleeting appearances by Sethos. By the time the major source of evil is uncovered, it's just one more unconvincing twist in the tangled plot. The authors mixture much as before: a fun trip for readers with an interest in Egyptology; for others, a confusing, fussily written, long, long trek. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


USA Today
"A new Amelia Peabody mystery is like visiting old friends."


St. Paul Minnesota Pioneer Press
"Amelia is one of the most interesting and delightful characters in the mystery genre." ---


San Francisco Examiner
"Tony Hillerman's and Elizabeth Peter's mysteries are like comfort food--they always satisfy...Peters' witty writing and her cast of outrageous characters move the story along at a brisk pace." ---


San Francisco Examiner
"Peters' witty writing and her cast of outrageous characters move the story along at a brisk pace."


Book Description
Join Amelia Peabody on her thrilling new expedition to the Valley of the Kings--Your Itinerary: Upper Egypt, 1907. A perilous adventure into antiquity with fiction's most beloved archaeologist and her captivating cohorts. Witness exotic scenery, craven tomb robbers, vengeful gods! Discover stolen treasures, a mysterious cult, surprising secrets hidden in desert sands! Find the unexpected--a rithless, remorseless killer with his eye on Amelia!


Download Description
The Valley of the Kings, 1907. Journey on a perilous adventure into antiquity with Amelia Peabody, fiction's most beloved archaeologist, and her captivating cohorts. "Ape" has it all -- exotic scenery, brazen tomb robbers, stolen treasures, vengeful gods, a mysterious cult -- and a ruthless, remorseless killer who has his eye on Amelia. "So charmed was I by [this book] that I spent most of the last month devouring Amelia Peabody mysteries" (Los Angeles Times). "Witty writing , a cast of outrageous characters" (San Francisco Examiner). Elizabeth Peters earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago's famed Oriental Institute. She was named Grand Master at the inaugural Anthony Awards in 1986 and Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America at the Edgar Awards in 1988. Visit www.mpmbooks.com.


About the Author
Elizabeth Peters was named Grandmaster by the Mystery Writers of America in 1998. She earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago's famed Oriental Institute. In addition to the Vicky Bliss mysteries, Elizabeth Peters is the author of the bestselling Amelia Peabody mysteries.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The prospects for the 1907 archaeological season in Egypt seem fairly dull to Amelia Peabody. Despite her adored husband's brilliant reputation in his field, his dashing-yet-less-than-diplomatic behavior has Professor Radcliffe Emerson ignominiously demoted to examining only the most boring tombs in the Valley of the Kings -- mere leftovers, really. All the Peabody Emersons profess stiff upper lips and intend to make the best of a bad situation, but this year the legendary land of the pharoahs will yield more than priceless artifacts for the Emerson expedition. For the desert guards even deeper mysteries that are wrapped in greed -- and sealed by murder.

In a seedy section of Cairo, the youngest members of the expedition purchase a mint-condition papyrus of the famed Book of the Dead, the collection of magical spells and prayers designed to ward off the perils of the underworld and lead the deceased into everlasting life. But for as long as there have been graves, there have also been grave robbers -- as well as those who believe tomb violators risk the wrath of gods like Thoth, the little baboon who protects the scales used to weigh such precious commodities as hearts and souls.

Besides facing the ire of ancient deities, their adventure into antiquity also puts Amelia and company in the sights of Sethos, the charismatically compelling but elusive Master Criminal whose bold villainies have defied the authorities in sever countries. In truth, Amelia needn't have worried: this season is about to turn from dull to deadly. Soon, she will need all her remarkable skills of detection and deduction to untangle a web woven of criminals and cults, stolen treasures and fallen women -- all the while under the unblinking eye of a ruthless, remorseless killer.

SYNOPSIS

The Valley of the Kings, 1907. Journey on a perilous adventure into antiquity with Amelia Peabody, fiction's most beloved archaeologist, and her captivating cohorts. "Ape" has it all -- exotic scenery, brazen tomb robbers, stolen treasures, vengeful gods, a mysterious cult -- and a ruthless, remorseless killer who has his eye on Amelia.

FROM THE CRITICS

Washington Post

Amelia Peabody is Indiana Jones, Sherlock Holmes, and Miss Marple all in one.

Peter Theroux

If the reader is tempted to draw another obvious comparison between Amelia Peabody and Indiana Jones, it's Amelia -- in wit and daring -- by a landslide. -- NY Times Book Review

Chicago Sun-Times

Hilarious...fascinating.

San Francisco Examiner

Her characters are delights...[Ramses] could put Indiana Jones out of business in a few years.

Baltimore Sun