The Snake, The Crocodile & The Dog

Amelia Peabody was unabashedly proud of her newest translation, a fragment of the ancient fairytale "The Doomed Prince". Later, she would wonder why no sense of foreboding struck her as she retold the story of the king's favorite son who had been warned that he would die from the snake, the crocodile, or the dog. Little did she realize, as she and her beloved husband sailed blissfully toward the pyramids of ancient Egypt, that those very beasts (and a cat as well) would be part of a deadly plot.

The expedition began so happily....Leaving their delightful, but catastrophically precocious, son, Ramses, back in England, Amelia hoped this romantic trip might rejuvenate her thirteen-year-old marriage and bring back the thrills that she feared were fading. She and her dear Emerson were returning to the remote desert site where they had first fallen in love, Amarna, the holy city of Akhenaton and his beautiful queen, Nefertiti. But their return would threaten not only their marriage, but their very lives with perils as chilling as a mummy'scurse.

An old enemy was determined to learn Amelia and Emerson's most closely guarded secret: the location of a legendary long-lost oasis and a race of people bedecked in gold. So cunning was his scheme that Amelia might overlook - until it was too late - the truth about the mysterious cat Anubis, the identity of the spy among their retinue, and the nature of the stunning blow that could rob her of all she held dear.

Reading The Snake, The Crocodile & The Dog by Elizabeth Peters was like visiting old friends. Those old friends that you don't visit often but catching up is always a treat. And this book was a definite treat.

Peabody and Emerson are back in Egypt, but this time without Ramses and the newest addition to their family Nefret. Peabody wants to rekindle the romance/love, but Emerson can't quite seem to figure that out on his own. They arrive at their destination and that's when the "accidents" happen and later the abduction. The "who dunit" process was very entertaining, I had my doubts on who the perpetrator was throughout the book and at the end I was wrong, but was pleasantly surprised with ending.

Although it took me longer than usual to read this book, it wasn't the books fault. I lie that solely on my children. Softball season has begun and a series of colds and fevers left me little time to read. But when I finally was able to sit and read it was truly enjoyable.

The Snake, The Crcodile & The Dog by Eliabeth Peters (4/5) Historical Mystery; Published: Warner Books (1992); Source: Library; Series: # 7, Peabody/Emerson; Books 2011 (18);