5 December 2025
Crocodile on the Sandbank
Amelia Peabody #1
Mystery - 1975
Character
Amelia Peabody is an old maid and quite domineering, who is left with a lot of money and a lot of opinions. Evelyn is a lovely young woman who is haunted by her mistakes.
Setting
The story takes place briefly in Italy but mainly in Egypt.
Plot
After rescuing Evelyn, Amelia takes her to Egypt, where they plan on doing touristy things. However, Amelia falls in love with Egypt. The rest of the book is two romance stories mixed with a mystery.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ¼
Crocodile on the Sandbank is as much an enemies to lovers romance as it is a mystery, written - in my opinion - for domineering women to both laugh at and be pleased by themselves.
The characters in this book are great. Of course, Amelia Peabody stands out the most because of her extremely outspoken personality, but all the other characters are right there too with distinct personalities, opinions, and ideas. Their relationships are all believable precisely because the characters are so well developed. Of course, because Amelia and Radcliffe are such loud characters, I think that some readers won't like them, but even then, the relationships still feel real.
As for the setting, the author, Elizabeth Peters, is actually Barbara Mertz, who was an egyptologist, so she knows what she is talking about when it comes to Egypt. The novel is set in the 1890s, and the author does a great job of giving you a feel of what the world was like at the time.
The plot is definitely a mystery, but there is so much romance that it is right on the line, in my opinion between the two. It is a bit goofy, but honestly, if someone can't handle the level of goofiness in the plot, they probably can't handle Amelia's character either. In the end, though, while the wrap-up is a bit of a stretch, it still holds together. Also, it is totally fun to read.
This is my second time reading this book, in part because I really liked the feel of these early books in the series and in part because I don't care for some of the characters in the later books. I'm hoping that if I skip book 10, then I can avoid the part I really don't enjoy. However, before I go for book 11, I thought I would remind myself of the part I enjoyed by rereading this first book.
Should you read this book? How much do you like the idea of an author lovingly poking fun at a bossy female character? If the answer is that you both enjoy women who just charge forward, doing their own thing, plus can understand how they might be a bit too much, then this book is probably for you, especially if you like romance. If you don't go for that or want a lot of serious angst and a literary tone, you shouldn't bother with this one.
The characters in this book are great. Of course, Amelia Peabody stands out the most because of her extremely outspoken personality, but all the other characters are right there too with distinct personalities, opinions, and ideas. Their relationships are all believable precisely because the characters are so well developed. Of course, because Amelia and Radcliffe are such loud characters, I think that some readers won't like them, but even then, the relationships still feel real.
As for the setting, the author, Elizabeth Peters, is actually Barbara Mertz, who was an egyptologist, so she knows what she is talking about when it comes to Egypt. The novel is set in the 1890s, and the author does a great job of giving you a feel of what the world was like at the time.
The plot is definitely a mystery, but there is so much romance that it is right on the line, in my opinion between the two. It is a bit goofy, but honestly, if someone can't handle the level of goofiness in the plot, they probably can't handle Amelia's character either. In the end, though, while the wrap-up is a bit of a stretch, it still holds together. Also, it is totally fun to read.
This is my second time reading this book, in part because I really liked the feel of these early books in the series and in part because I don't care for some of the characters in the later books. I'm hoping that if I skip book 10, then I can avoid the part I really don't enjoy. However, before I go for book 11, I thought I would remind myself of the part I enjoyed by rereading this first book.
Should you read this book? How much do you like the idea of an author lovingly poking fun at a bossy female character? If the answer is that you both enjoy women who just charge forward, doing their own thing, plus can understand how they might be a bit too much, then this book is probably for you, especially if you like romance. If you don't go for that or want a lot of serious angst and a literary tone, you shouldn't bother with this one.
Fiction: Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
Amelia Peabody #1
Dodd, Mead, 1975-01-01
0-396-07080-9
273 pages
Amelia Peabody #1
Dodd, Mead, 1975-01-01
0-396-07080-9
273 pages