The Book Stacks

Hello, and welcome to this meeting of the Book Stacks Book Club: Cover to Cover. Today we are discussing Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters. If you were impressed by the level of historical detail that the author included in this story, you may be interested to know that Elizabeth Peters is really Barbara Mertz. You will also likely be unsurprised to discover that Mrs. Mertz has a Ph.D. in Egyptology. Crocodile on the Sandbank is the first book in the Amelia Peabody mystery series which is now 18 books long. So, if you really enjoyed this adventure, you have a few more books to keep you off the streets and out of the saloons.

At this point, I’m not really sure when I read this book for the first time. I do know that I’ve probably read it twenty or so times by now, though. I even bought the MP3 version from Audible. If you like audio books, this is one that I would actually recommend for purchase. It’s not the sort of story one reads only once, and never comes back to. Though originally targeted at the adult mystery market, this book is appropriate for the teen mystery fan. If you would like to read a more thorough review of this book, go here

In the meantime, what did *you* think of the book? Please comment and let me know.

1. Did you like the book?

I love this book. It contains several different genres in one less than 300 page book. It’s not just a mystery. It’s more of a Mystery/Historical/Romance. The characters are all interesting and, in a couple of cases, gifted with very complex personalities.

2. Do you have a favorite character?

Amelia Peabody herself is my favorite character in this story. She is just so self-possessed and decisive…even when she could do with a bit more thought on a topic first. It’s interesting to see the effect that associating with Evelyn has on her. Although Amelia believes that she is helping out Evelyn, she finds that Evelyn is aiding her as well. Thank goodness they found each other. This trip to Egypt becomes a turning point for Amelia in more ways than one in the end.

3. Should they make a film out of this book?

Please? I would *adore* seeing a well done episode of Mystery made from this book. Casting the film might prove to be a bit difficult, but it would be worth the effort. Can you imagine it? They could film on location and everything. *Sigh*

4. Which aspect of this book did you enjoy the most? (The Romance? The Mystery? The History?)

All of the strands of this story are so interwoven that it is really difficult to say, and my opinion tends to change from reading to reading. During this last journey through the book though, I really gravitated to the Romance aspect. Well, that and it made me want to find my books on hieroglyphics.

5. Did the book make you want to learn more about Egyptology?

Most assuredly. I need to finish reading Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs, now that I come to think of it. After reading this book for the first time I actually went to the British Museum. Sadly, the mummy exhibit was being worked on at the time. I *did* get to see the Rosetta Stone up close, though.

Okay, it’s your turn. What did you think?

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The book which we will be discussing next time is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling. It’s finally out, and we are going to be discussing it on August 10, 2007. I hope that gives you enough time to finish it so that you can join us. (Oh, and I am always accepting suggestions for future selections for Cover to Cover, so feel free to comment your suggestion now. Just remember that if I choose your book you will be expected to participate.)

Book Club, Cover to Cover, Crocodile on the Sandbank, Elizabeth Peters, Barbara Mertz, Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J. K. Rowling

The Black Dudley Murder (a.k.a. The Crime at Black Dudley) by Margery Allingham contains the first appearance of Albert Campion. That fact alone has a story behind it. Have you ever heard the stories that authors tell about characters that will not do what you want them to or, worse yet, take over a story? Well, Albert Campion turned out to be both. Margery began this book thinking that she had created a perfect main character. His name was George Abbershaw and she introduced him with a flourish on the first page:

“George Abbershaw, although his appearance did not indicate it, was a minor celebrity.

He was a smallish man, chubby and solemn, with a choir-boy expression and a head of ridiculous bright-red curls which gave him a somewhat fantastic appearance. He was fastidiously tidy in his dress and there was an air of precision in everything he did or said which betrayed an amazingly orderly mind. Apart from this, however, there was nothing about him to suggest that he was particularly distinguished or even mildly interesting, yet in a small and exclusive circle of learned men Dr. George Abbershaw was an important person.

His book on pathology, treated with special reference to fatal wounds and the means of ascertaining their probable causes, was a standard work, and in view of his many services to the police in the past his name was well known and his opinion respected at the Yard.”

See what I mean? Everything went along fine until Albert Campion was introduced on page seven, and then slowly took over the story. At length, Margery gave in, and Albert turned out to be quite popular. This particular novel is equal parts “mysterious murder in a country house” and “strange encounter with desperate criminals” as written in 1929. It is a bit different from the other Campion mysteries, as Campion is not the focus of all of the action and his side-kick does not appear. That doesn’t stop this seventy-eight year old story from keeping you guessing, though. Give it a try. No, watching the Peter Davison Campion episodes won’t help you, as they didn’t film this one. And I’m not telling you whodunit either.

The Black Dudley Murder, The Crime at Black Dudley, Margery Allingham, Albert Campion, Peter Davison