The Falcon at the Portal

Mystery novelist Elizabeth Peters and actress Samantha Eggar make for an amazing combination in the latest mishaps of Egyptologist Amelia Peabody and company. In the style of Agatha Christie, Peters introduces (or returns the reader to) Egypt's imposing pyramids, full of shadowy characters and dark tunnels. Eggar's performance will make listeners want to brush the sand from their hair as her stuffy English accent drops the listener into Peabody's shoes. Whether portraying Peabody herself, her blowhard husband or her lovelorn son, Eggar masters each character. A fantastic story and a great performance make for delightful listening that's more like an old-time radio mystery than another whodunit. H.L.S. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine

No one harrumps like Emerson Peabody, and, one must admit, like Barbara Rosenblat. The Amelia Peabody series featuring Egyptologists Amelia and Emerson Peabody is a perfection as read by Rosenblat. THE FALCON AT THE PORTAL is archaeological, sociological, scandalous and hilarious. Ramses, Lia, Nefret, and David are truly growing up in this latest manuscript, but that doesn't mean that Amelia and Emerson are in any way diminished. With murder, impersonation, marriage and betrayal, there's something to keep every member of the family fully occupied. Barbara Rosenblat is Emerson, Peabody, Nefret and Ramses, and they are each so distinct that the listener may believe in multiple personalities. But it's just that Rosenblat is as good at voices as Ramses is at disguises. B.H.B. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine