Elizabeth Peters - The Last Camel Died at Noon (1991)

This is the sixth book in the Amelia Peabody series. This excavation season finds them in the Sudan, initially on a dig in Nubia, until they're enticed into hunting for a lost Meroitic city and a missing Englishman. They're without their usual network of Egyptian friends and loyal archaeological staff, which leaves them dependent on each other in a treacherous environment a long way from sanctuary.

The death of the camels made me sad, particularly when I found out they'd been poisoned. I understand the plot reasoning for it, but I think it all would have worked fine if every camel was stolen in the night by their guides. (I know most of you will say "but it's just a book animal, it's not real", but, honestly, I cannot see any reason for writing about raping women or children in books either. It disgusts me just as much. I wonder if it puts bad ideas into people's minds.)

Other than that, this was a good book. Ramses is developing as an interesting character, he's 10 years old here and becoming more of a handful for his parents. He seems to have the best characteristics of both of them. He's loquacious, curious, brave and intelligent with a odd affinity for felines of any type.

I really enjoy all the information on Ancient Egypt that Peters threads through her books. Peters brings it alive for me. I never enjoyed Ancient Egypt studies as a child, but since reading these books I've become interested in the excavations of the 1880s to the 1930s and how the Egyptians lived.