This episode of the Amelia Peabody series is set in 1914. While most of World War I is occurring in Europe, Egypt is not completely spared. In fact, the Turks are eager to bring invasion forces across the Suez Canal and take over Egypt. They are hoping to foment revolution among the young Egyptian radicals to create chaos before their invasion.

Ramses, despite his outward persona as a pacifist uninvolved in war efforts, is acting as an agent of the police to prevent the Turkish invasion and preserve many of his friends among those eager for Egyptian independence. David, supposedly sent to India for his role with the Egyptian nationalists, is undercover in Egypt too.

Ferreting out the spies and preventing the large-scale shipments of arms to reach the potential insurrectionists keeps both Ramses and David busy. Once Amelia and Emerson become aware of Ramses' work, they are eager - perhaps too eager - to help. But all agree that Nefret can't be told of Ramses' investigative work. She has proven to be too impulsive to be trusted with those secrets.

With many potential spies working in Egypt, all of the Emersons are busy trying to find out who is working to betray the British forces and encourage the Turks. Among the suspects are a merry widow with designs on any wealthy man, a Scottish major with a precocious daughter, and a smarmy French count. Oh, and cousin Percy is very active in Egypt too. For some reason, he is trying to make up his differences with the Emersons and being his usual smarmy self. Ramses fears that Nefret will be drawn in by his supposed charm. And the Master Criminal seems to have his hand in things too.

This was an excellent episode in the series. I loved the information about Egypt during World War I. I loved that Ramses and Nefret finally resolved their differences. I loved the intense emotion in this episode from fears for Ramses and the loss of Cousin Johnny in battle to Amelia finally being able to state that she loves her son. ( )

Amelia Peabody, su marido Emerson, su hijo Ramsés y Nefret, se encuentran en Egipto realizando una excavación. Poco a poco, la situación internacional les hace verse envueltos en una trama de espionaje contra el imperio otomano y su aliado, el ejército alemán, que pretenden tomar el Canal de Suez. Toda la familia y sus amigos se ocultan detalles entre sí para no poner en peligro a los demás. Afortunadamente, acaban entendiendo que sólo una acción conjunta obtendrá buenos resultados. Pero Sethos, un misterioso personaje, consumado ladrón y mago del disfraz, les sorprenderá con un golpe de efecto final.

I found it lying on the floor of the corridor that led to our sleeping chambers. I was there, holding it between my fingertips, when Ramses came out of his room. When he saw what I had in my hand his heavy dark eyebrows lifted, but he waited for me to speak first. "Another white feather," I said. "Yours, I presume?"
"Yes, thank you." He plucked it from my fingers. "It must have fallen from my pocket when I took out my handkerchief. I will put it with the others."

Except for his impeccably accented English and a certain indefinable air about his bearing (I always say no one slouches quite as elegantly as an Englishman), an observer might have taken my son for one of the Egyptians among whom he had spent most of his life.

She is slowly redeeming herself... But it wasn't the most original way of resolving that particular problem. And will someone puh-lease explain how "Cyrus Vandergelt" from Snake/Crocodile/Dog is not gone????? ( )

Synopsis: 'The novel takes place in 1914, as Ramses Emerson works undercover to gather intelligence for the British military, Nefret returns from studying medicine in Switzerland, and Percy Peabody returns to wreak revenge on the Emerson family for past events. The Emerson have acquired the firman for part of the Giza concession, but of course are distracted by the criminal element, and eventually by a startling revelation from the Master Criminal, Sethos himself.'
Review: It's about time that Ramses and Nefret finally get together. However, Nefret is almost too docile. ( )