SEEING A LARGE CAT

Egyptologist Amelia Peabody Emerson; her husband/scholar, Radcliffe Emerson, and son, Ramses, have quite a loyal following--among readers of their escapades and in Egypt, as they ferret out impostors and criminals, as well as proceed with their archaeological excavations. Author Peters’s Ph.D. in Egyptology provides a detail-rich setting of turn-of-the-century archaeology in the Valley of the Kings--in this episode the Emersons dig next door to Howard Carter’s yet undiscovered tomb of Tutankhamen. The eccentricities of the Emerson family are lavishly and deliciously presented by narrator Barbara Rosenblat. After nine unabridged recordings Rosenblat has an astute sense of each character, weaving caricature with suspense and wit. She delights listeners with the portraits while never allowing them to impede the suspense so carefully woven through the story. Amelia and her inscrutable, unpredictable and almost-grown son, Ramses, become partners in solving this mystery involving an American financier, a Southern belle, a spiritualist and a very un-Egyptian mummy at their new dig. There are ample opportunities for Rosenblat’s talents. Her performance is a pharaoh’s treasure. R.F.W. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB 98]