Guardian of the Horizon    by Elizabeth Peters Order:  USA  Can William Morrow, 2004 (2004) Hardcover, Audio, CD     Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth By my count, Guardian of the Horizon is Elizabeth Peter's sixteenth in the Amelia Peabody series! Each one is erudite, exciting, suspenseful and full of the most intriguing characters. This time Amelia, her son Ramses, ('Brother of Demons') her foster daughter Nefret, and her husband Emerson ('Father of Curses') set out across the Egyptian desert in order to succor Tarek, ruler of the Lost Oasis. Amelia and Emerson discovered Nefret ten years previously in 1898 as a young priestess of Isis in the Lost Oasis, a place seemingly lost in time. Since Nefret was of English birth, they took her into their family and raised her. Now, returning to help Tarek, they fall into intrigue, treachery, assault, bribery, spying, disguises, guerilla warfare, and the sudden appearance of an old nemesis. Amelia Peabody is an extraordinary person, as much a woman of today as of the era in which she lived. She literally exudes the milk of human kindness, while at the same time she's able to see through other people's seemingly innocent facades to the nefarious motives beneath. She is as strong, capable, and determined when she treks across the Egyptian desert to take part in archeological digs as she is when she presides at English tea in her London home. Her husband Emerson, of the turquoise orbs and manly musculature, is no less a unique personage who typically engages in outright confrontation with whatever affronts him. Elizabeth Peters holds a PhD in Egyptology. Her portrayal of the terrain and the scents of Egypt rings with authenticity. When Peabody enters a tomb to view its hieroglyphics, the reader is there with her. When Peabody endures the hardship of a long traverse in the desert, the reader can almost feel the dry heat, hear the complaining camels, and view the miles of sand. When a new Peabody novel hits the bookstands, readers are waiting, salivating, to pounce on it. We can always be sure of a good read. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews