History Literature / AmeliaPeabody

The Amelia Peabody series starts in the UsefulNotes/VictorianBritain but runs through UsefulNotes/WorldWarI and into TheRoaringTwenties, so far. Over this time, she and her husband have founded a BadassFamily and QuirkyHousehold, the Emersons, that is the core of a bi-ethnic (English/Egyptian) example of TheClan. In addition to Peabody and Emerson, the Emerson family includes:

** To ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' -- the second book has characters belonging to a different branch of the Baskerville family, and someone under the pseudonym of Milverton, as well as a direct reference to Holmes, while book four has Amelia meet a detective named Tobias Gregson [[spoiler: who's not actually either of those things]]. There are also references to Creator/HRiderHaggard's stories, in addition to the {{Homage}} mentioned above involving Nefret's backstory.

** It's unclear exactly ''when'' [[spoiler:Sethos develops his crush on Amelia,]] but it's quite probable that it dates from when [[spoiler:one of his henchmen knocks Ramses into a wall. She goes utterly berserk, beats up the henchmen, and stabs Sethos with her parasol. The next we hear from him, he's sending her utterly miscalculated love gifts.]]

* AdultFear: Two cases, as the villains have been threatening the children of their enemies for differing reasons.
** Justin(e) and her henchmen have been holding Maryam's son (and Sethos' grandson) hostage to force her to work with them.
** Justin(e) has also been terrorizing Charla at night through her bedroom window, but her parents assume she is having night terrors. The truth isn't revealed for some time.

* SpotOfTea: Amelia, being a British archeologist in turn-of-the-century Egypt, quite frequently discusses the plot with other characters while passing out "the genial beverage," as she often call tea (though sometimes, after tense moments, "the genial beverage" is whiskey and soda).

* HappilyMarried:

** In ''Deeds of the Disturber'', Amelia has to forbid him from leaving his room unless there is genuine danger that will result if he stays in it. He subsequently leaves in order to alert his mother that said room is on fire.

** Walter "Ramses" Emerson tends to embody this trope through his younger years, though he (mostly) grows out of it by around age 20, as stated by Amelia in ''Guardian of the Horizon''. Then, in the very end of ''Children on the Storm'', his son is revealed to be the same way. In fact, David John's first sentences are requesting to be called by his full name and "What subject would you like to discuss?" which prompts Amelia to [[INeedAFreakingDrink beg Emerson for a drink]].

* WarIsHell: Cyrus' stepson Bertie is invalidated out of service after two years of service in World War I. More than his physical recovery, he badly needs someone sympathetic to listen to his doubts about his war service, and Ramses (who posed as a conscientious objector) plays this role for him:

* AccidentalMisnaming: A cab driver calls Ramses "Brother of Curses" in ''He Shall Thunder in the Sky''.
* ActionGirl: Amelia and Nefret, before they graduated to Action Moms.

* ActionMom: Amelia, as well as her daughter-in-law Nefret.
* AdventureArchaeologist: Both Amelia and Emerson, though in subverted form. They despise the treasure-hunting kind of archaeologist, and originally bond over their passion for preserving and learning from the artifacts that they discover.
* AdultFear: In Justin(e) and her henchmen holding Miryam's son hostage to force her to work with them.
** Justin(e) has also been terrorizing Charla at night through her bedroom window, but her parents assume she is having night terrors. The truth isn't revealed for some time.
* AffablyEvil: Sethos lives and breathes this trope.
* AmateurSleuth: Amelia and Emerson, and later Ramses and Nefret.
* AmnesiacLover: This happens to Emerson early in ''The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog''. Even after he's recovered, he fakes still having amnesia about his relationship with Amelia until the climax.

** One of Amelia's {{Berserk Button}}s is blatant animal abuse, and she insists on inspecting and doctoring all animals acquired for their digs before they are put to work. One of Abdullah's {{Catch Phrase}}s in the early years is a resigned, 'Yes, Sitt Hakim, the donkeys have been washed'. At one point, Ramses reminisces one one of his fondest childhood memories: Amelia calmly scrubbing a camel with a long-handled brush while it kicked and bellowed so violently that it took two of the expedition crew to hold it in place.

* ApronMatron: Amelia's parasol is a weapon feared throughout Egypt (''before'' her husband gave her a sword-cane version), and senior British officials cringe at the thought of her tongue-lashings. In one book, she reveals that she replaced all the steel 'bones' in her corset with custom made knives, including a couple that needed their own sheaths.

* BadassFamily: The Peabody-Emerson family, not forgetting the Egyptian in-laws.
* BattleButler: Gargary. The rest of the staff is pretty handy in a fight too.

** Amelia and Emerson: Despite the amount of time they waste going behind each other's backs in misguided attempts to protect each other, the climax of many of the stories has them side by side or back to back. GeniusBruiser and a Victorian feminist's UnstoppableRage:
--->Emerson (somewhat dazedly): There is blood on your parasol, Peabody.
** Ramses and Nefret eventually grow into a milder example, as they prefer more indirect methods. If they do need to resort to force, however: watch out.
* TheBerserker: Harm to her husband or son will turn prim, petite Amelia into one of these. Watch out for the parasol.
* BeCarefulWhatYouSay: Evelyn states that she has so many children.

* CannotSpitItOut:
** Amelia's companion Evelyn and Emerson's brother Walter in ''Crocodile on the Sandbank''. Amelia eventually gets so fed-up with both of them that she spits it out for Evelyn:
--->'''Amelia''': She loves someone else...The one she loves is a poor wretch who won't even declare himself.\\
'''Walter''': You cannot mean...\\
'''Amelia''': Yes, you fool. She loves you. I don't know why, but she does. Now go and claim her.
** Not to mention [[spoiler:Ramses]], for ''fourteen years''. [[spoiler: Justified by his being about eight or nine years old when it starts.]]
* CasualDangerDialog: As shown in ''Lion in the Valley'', what do you talk about while crawling through the unstable, half-crumbled passages of an un-excavated pyramid, hoping that your 7 year old son is right when he says he knows a way out? The similarities of construction with other 12th Dynasty pyramids, of course!

*** She frequenty makes or consults "one of my little lists" of clues.

*** "I had, of course, considered that / thought of that / anticipated that"[[labelnote:However,]] while one does not like to doubt the word of a lady, her use of these phrases often feels like an attempt to save face or that shes {{retcon}}ing events [[UnreliableNarrator in her head]].[[/labelnote]]

* TheClan: The Peabody-Emersons, eventually. In the chronologically last book, their friends the Vandergelt family become linked to them by marriage as well ([[spoiler:as David's cousin Jumana agrees to marry Cyrus' step-son Bertie]]).

* ConnectedAllAlong: Sethos is revealed to be Emerson and Walter's paternal half brother in ''He Shall Thunder in the Sky'' (conceived by their father and his mistress), and in ''Children of the Storm'', it comes out that not only does Sethos have an illegitimate daughter Maryam, she has a son through her marriage.
* CoveredInMud: In ''The Curse of the Pharaohs'', Amelia's son Ramses interrupts a tea party after having gone digging in the compost heap and getting covered in mud (among other things). Ramses is described as not so much leaving muddy footprints as having a stream of filth trailing behind him.
* CutlassBetweenTheTeeth: Discussed; Amelia regrets that it's not actually possible.
-->"That has always struck me as an impractical procedure," I said. "One would have to have extremely hard teeth and strong jaw muscles, and even then an involuntary movement might easily result in the loss of teeth and jaw."
* CyanidePill: In ''Lion in the Valley'', one of Sethos's men is captured by Amelia, and takes poison (prussic acid) rather than be questioned.
* DeadPersonConversation: Amelia has had at least one [[TalkingInYourDreams dream-conversation]] with her deceased friend [[spoiler:Abdullah]] in each novel [[spoiler:since his death]]. They are cryptic enough that they do not interfere with fair play in the detection, but she believes them to be genuine.
* DirectLineToTheAuthor: The whole series is supposedly being extracted by an editor from Amelia's private journal and a "Manuscript H" giving a third-person account of the experiences of Ramses and occasionally Nefret.

* DisinheritedChild: As discussed in ''Crocodile on a Sandbank'', the Earl of Ellesmere disinherited his daughter for marrying an Italian, and later his granddaughter Evelyn when she fell for an Italian as well and ran off with him (not realizing he was a con artist). [[spoiler: Later subverted in the latter case, as he changed his mind and hand-wrote a new will officially leaving everything to her.]]
* DownerEnding: Not usually, but ''Falcon at the Portal'' did [[{{Understatement}} not end]] on a happy note.

* DudeShesLikeInAComa: In ''Crocodile on a Sandbank'', Amelia comes out of a swoon to feel herself being tenderly held and kissed by her not-yet-husband Emerson with whom she has a SlapSlapKiss relationship going. Not only is she totally fine with it, she shams unconsciousness for a few more minutes to prolong the moment!
* EveryoneCanSeeIt: From Abdullah to [[spoiler: Tarek]].

* TheExoticDetective: The basis of the series.
* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler: Sethos.]] ''Twice.'' [[spoiler:The first time is in the climax of ''The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog'', when he's disguised as Cyrus Vandergelt and shot by Leopold Vincey, the villain of the book. The second time happens at the end of ''He Shall Thunder in the Sky''.]]
-->'''Emerson''': "If he dies again I am going to kill him!"
* FamilyEyeResemblance: This is what allows Sennia (the three-year-old illegitimate daughter of Percival "Percy" Peabody) to be passed off as Ramses' child when she's introduced in ''The Falcon at the Portal''.
* FeeFiFauxPas: Amelia manages a rather large one ''very'' near the beginning of ''Crocodile on the Sandbank''. She claims that what she says upon hearing Evelyn's tearful, angsty, "[[DefiledForever I was seduced]] and now you are going to kick me back out on the street" confession is not what she ''meant'' to say:
-->'''Amelia:''' Evelyn -- what is it like? Is it pleasant?
-->'''[Despite her own surprise, she decides to roll with it:]'''
-->'''Amelia:''' I have never had the opportunity of inquiring. My sisters in law... speak of [[LieBackAndThinkOfEngland the cross a wife must bear]]... [but] the village girls...
-->'''[Cue starving, borderline-suicidal Evelyn doubled over laughing.]'''
* FlirtyStepsiblings: Ramses and Nefret. They eventually marry for real.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Nefret says that Sethos "treated her like an indulgent uncle" during ''He Shall Thunder in the Sky''. We find out later in the book that Sethos is Emerson's illegitimate half-brother.
* FloweryInsults: Emerson has well earned is Arabic nickname, "Father of Curses". His fluent, inventive command of invective is viewed with awe by many of the Egyptian characters. He seems less fluent when swearing in English, but since Amelia {{Bowdlerize}}s her own journals, we can't be sure.
* FriendlyEnemy: After a certain point, Amelia and Sethos' relationship is mostly this. (Emerson isn't so complacent.)
* GeniusBruiser: Emerson, frequently described by his wife both as "Herculean" and also as "the greatest archeologist of this or any other age".
* GoGoEnslavement: Amelia is forced to dress in a sexy harem costume by the BigBad of ''Lion in the Valley''. Of course she dons it over her 'combinations' (long underwear) meaning the effect is not quite as intended. Even so Emerson's first words to her are "Put some clothes on!"

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Abdullah, who dies TakingTheBullet for Amelia when her enemy Bertha tries to shoot her late in ''The Ape Who Guards the Balance''.]] And Sethos [[spoiler: ''twice''! He gets better both times though.]]
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: The Emersons have several friends who fit this class. Howard Carter, who found the tomb of Tutankhamun, appears a lot, and T. E. Lawrence (Film/LawrenceOfArabia) shows up at least twice. Emerson has a particular dislike for fellow Egyptologist Flinders Petrie, possibly because Petrie is the RealLife model for Emerson and the fellow who in Real History developed many of the archaeological principles and techniques Amelia credits Emerson with devising.

* HypocriticalHumor:
** Two-fer in ''Lion in The Valley'': Amelia claims to prefer Creator/HRiderHaggard's romances to Ramses' detective novels because the former are "pure fantasy and don't pretend to be anything else" while complaining that the later arrive at their solutions by "wild guesses that turned out to be correct only because of... plot", instead of true reasoning. A few pages later, she says "I knew I was being observed... with the certain instinct ''described so well by Mr. Haggard''". Also note that Amelia's approach to solving mysteries tends to be "intuitive". At least Ms. Peters plays fair, and lets her be wrong sometimes.
** At one point in ''The Last Camel Died at Noon'', Amelia pats herself on the back for nagging her husband into a certain course of action. When it goes badly a few pages later, she notes that if he'd listened to her, he would never have taken that course. Apparently, she forgot to [[{{Retcon}} edit]] the relevant portion of her journal.
** Emerson does this all the time too. You'll lose track of how many times he tells someone (especially Amelia) not to lose their temper, despite the fact that his own has earned him the nickname "Father of Curses" and everyone in Egypt is afraid to cross him.

* IResembleThatRemark: Used in ''The Curse of the Pharaohs'', when Emerson is accused of raising his voice, and proceeds to deny doing so... by yelling it at the top of his lungs.
-->"I never raise my voice," Emerson bellowed. A ghostly echo came rolling back from the depths of the tomb, as if the king's spirit were objecting to being awakened.
* ItMakesSenseInContext: In ''Lion in the Valley'', Amelia uses the following line to explain why Bastet wasn't hungry -- she'd already been fed by the book's villain:
-->'''Amelia''': "Emerson, that villain, that remarkable, clever wretch has seduced our cat!"
* KidDetective: Ramses, in the earlier books.

* LoopholeAbuse: During her son's childhood, Amelia is always forbidding Ramses from speaking of something or carrying out some action or another, and then adding extra details to her prohibitions while mentally noting that he's already thinking of ways to get around it and that she needs to be careful to close these loopholes before he can make use of them. For instance, forbidding him from leaving his room unless there is genuine danger that will result if he stays in it (as seen in ''Deeds of the Disturber'', when he's been ordered to stay in his room, but leaves in order to alert his mother that said room is on fire).

* LoveEpiphany: When Nefret ''finally'' realized how she felt about Ramses, the sound she made is described as half squeak, half sob.
* LoveMakesYouDumb: [[spoiler: When Sethos reveals his adoration for Amelia, he lists all the things he's done throughout the novel in order to try and win her regard. They are, to a one, silly, convoluted or both.]]

* MasterOfDisguise: Sethos and Ramses both. Ramses, in fact, developed his own skill at disguise while still a young boy, after stealing one of Sethos' rather comprehensive makeup kits; for a while before puberty he was in the habit of disguising himself so convincingly as a girl that the Emersons' servants thought they were being haunted by a child's ghost. [[spoiler: In one book, Sethos spends most the plot hanging out with Amelia, disguised as her and Emerson's good friend Cyrus Vandergelt, and she can't tell the difference.]]
* MightyWhitey: Both used and subverted. Amelia and her husband, son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren are all white, and regarded with awe, admiration, and dread by the Egyptians they work with, however, this is mostly for various talents, skills, or shenanigans rather than being white; but one of the causes they champion is equal rights for Egyptians, and they cultivate some impressive Egyptian sidekicks (though none in their own league), several of which become family by marriage. In ''The Last Camel Died at Noon'', Amelia and family visit a LostWorld, where Amelia is irritated to discover that the heroic native prince believes in the Mighty Whitey trope.
* MindlinkMates: Ramses and Nefret have a one-way link, whereby Nefret knows when Ramses is in imminent danger (which is most of the time).
* MrSmith: A recurring character is a British spymaster who often goes by "Smith", partly because spies use pseudonyms and partly because it's so much easier than coping with his real name of "the Honorable Algernon Bracegirdle-Boisdragon".
* NotNowKiddo: Happens to Ramses, particularly in ''Lion in the Valley''.
* NowOrNeverKiss: Realizing he could well die that night Emerson refused to go off without kissing Amelia once, when she's conscious, even at the risk of living to face the consequences -- which turn out to be a long and happy marriage.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Nobody ever calls Ramses "Walter". And basically every Emerson while in Egypt. And Sethos (his real name of Seth isn't even ''revealed'' until ''Children of the Storm'', fifteenth in publishing order and eighteenth in in-universe chronological order).
* PapaWolf: Emerson. Shades into OverprotectiveDad with regard to Nefret sometimes; not so much about sex as about shielding her from the world's ugliness. He'll say she shouldn't be permitted to examine a gruesome corpse, ignoring the fact that she's a fully trained doctor ''and'' would politely and lovingly tell him where to stuff his objections. At least once after she and Ramses married, Ramses got a bit irritated by Emerson's attitude effectively implying that Ramses didn't do a proper job of looking after her; he was rather maliciously amused when Emerson became embarrassed to realize Nefret was taking a bath in the next room.
* ParasolOfPain: Amelia makes an art form of this. Justified, in that she prefers sturdy, well built examples that can stand up to the rigors of hiking in rough terrain and scrambling around ruins. Later books reveal that she has found the secondary uses of her parasol so convenient that she's now custom-ordering them with extra-strong steel shafts and unusually sharp, pointed finials. Uses include:

** Smartly applied to the wrist, it's excellent for fending off women who are being inappropriately clingy around her husband.

** Intimidation, at least once she's developed a bit of a reputation. Many of the less-educated Egyptians believe that her parasol is a great and mighty magical weapon.
* PassedOverInheritance:
** ''Crocodile on the Sandbank'' reveals that Amelia inherited her father's full estate, since she was the only one who shared his interest in ancient history. Her six older brothers, who were all successful merchants and professional men, were not amused to find out they'd missed out on half a million pounds (having not realized that their father was actually wealthy), and multiple attempts were made to claim the sum for themselves, though Amelia and her father's lawyer stopped all of them.
** In the same book, this isn't done intentionally by the Earl of Ellesmere (at least, not at first), but effectively when his son died; his title had to go to the closest male heir (his grandson by his eldest and disinherited daughter) by law, preventing his granddaughter Evelyn from getting everything. He later disinherited her entirely when she fell for an Italian, who turned out to be a con artist. [[spoiler: At least, for a while. He later changed his mind and wrote a new will, giving her everything, before dying.]]
* PoliceAreUseless: Or so Amelia, and to an extent the rest of the family believe. They use this as an excuse to pursue their investigations as they see fit.
** Justified when they are in Egypt; The European authorities generally don't care to intervene in cases where the victims are Egyptians, and the Egyptian police are either incompetent due to lack of training or afraid to press matters when a European is suspected of being the criminal.
** Not so when in England, where there are competent investigators. The friction that this attitude causes makes applying Amelia and Emerson's real expertise in Egyptian culture to incidents involving London's Cairene population... more difficult than it needs to be.
* PutOnABus: Percy Emerson, the Frasers, Mary and Karl von Borg.
* RaisedByGrandparents: Evelyn was raised by her grandfather, as she explains in book 1, her parents having died when she was a baby.
* RidingIntoTheSunset: Invoked and lampshaded in ''The Mummy Case''. When M. de Morgan returns Ramses to his parents after a minor escapade, he deliberately rides off toward the sunset, ''despite having dinner plans in the opposite direction.'' The Emersons dryly agree:
--> Frenchmen -- Anything for a grand gesture!
* SirSwearsALot: Emerson. Ramses is less prone to this, but on one occasion, he "breathed out a word even his father seldom used" when rescuing David. Nefret will swear on occasion, but justifiably when she is giving birth to the twins, Ramses tells the "Father of Curses" that, "At your most eloquent you’ve never surpassed it”

* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Ramses does this a lot as a child; he eventually grows out of it. Alas, his son inherits it. In fact, David John's first sentences are requesting to be called by his full name and "What subject would you like to discuss?" which prompts Amelia to beg Emerson for a drink.

--->'''Mary:''' He is asleep, I am so happy for him. He will so enjoy being lord Baskerville.
--->'''Amelia:''' And I am happy for you.
--->'''Mary (blushing):''' But how did you know? We haven't told anyone yet.
--->'''Amelia:''' I always know these things.
:Cue '''Karl''' stepping over to Mary and putting his arm around her. Mary Snuggles in. [[labelnote:Of course...]] Amelia being Amelia, within two pages and two and a half months, she's going on about how she ''knew'' that Mary & Arthur would ''not'' have been a good match[[/labelnote]]
* ShippingTorpedo: Played with for Emerson in ''Crocodile on the Sandbank''. Amelia spends most of the book thinking that the reason that he keeps dropping rude or disparaging comments into her conversations with Evelyn and Walter because he disapproves of a match. [[spoiler: Ultimately subverted. When the couple finally confess their feelings for each other, he is quite satisfied. He knows his shy little brother, and every little dig was calculated to goad Walter into taking a decisive stand.]]
* ShoutOut:

* ShownTheirWork: The Egyptology and history of archeology is solid, because Elizabeth Peters (IRL Barbara Mertz) is an Egyptologist and writes non-fiction under her real name.

* SlapSlapKiss: Amelia and Emerson's relationship ''started'' with a shouted argument in a museum in ''Crocodile on the Sandbank''. This seems to be their primary way of discussing important issues, though they never escalate to the point of actual blows. After a quarter century of this, Emerson even advises Ramses that regular brisk "discussions" are good for the health of a marital relationship; clearing the air and enhancing the mood for post-argument romance.
* ATasteOfTheLash: Percy does this to Ramses.
* TemptingFate: In ''Falcon at the Portal'' Nefret asks Lia in a letter, "What could Percy do to hurt Ramses?" They find out very quickly.
* TheBusCameBack: The Frasers (originally from ''Lion in the Valley'') reappear in ''Seeing A Large Cat''; Percy Peabody (originally from ''The Deeds of the Disturber'') reappears in ''The Falcon at the Portal''.
* TheyDo: Ramses and Nefret, eventually.

* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Amelia and Evelyn in ''Crocodile on the Sandbank''. By the time Evelyn reappears as a major character, it's obvious they did learn from each other -- for instance, Amelia, who was utterly uninterested in all but the most utilitarian clothes at the beginning now can talk fashion with the best of them, and Evelyn is thrilled about wearing bloomers and bicycle dresses.
* UntoUsASonAndDaughterAreBorn: Ramses and Nefret's children, at least until the last book when it is revealed that Nefret is pregnant with a girl.

* VictorianLondon: The series starts in this period, but outlives it by quite a bit.
* VillainousCrush: [[spoiler: In ''Lion in the Valley'', Amelia is oblivious to the fact that the Master Criminal, aka Sethos, appears to be courting her. Not even when he sends her flowers. Emerson of course figures it out, and grows incredibly jealous and paranoid as a result.]]
* YouCalledMeXItMustBeSerious: Amelia knows Emerson's really angry at her when he calls her "Amelia" rather than the usual "Peabody".
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Violet Peabody is only seen in ''Deeds of the Disturber''.

* ConnectedAllAlong: Sethos is revealed to be Emerson and Walter's half brother in ''He Shall Thunder in the Sky'', and in ''Children of the Storm'', it comes out that not only does Sethos have an illegitimate daughter Maryam, she has a son through her marriage.

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Abdullah, who dies protecting Amelia in ''The Ape Who Guards the Balance''.]] And Sethos [[spoiler: ''twice''! He gets better both times though.]]

** It's unclear exactly ''when'' [[spoiler:Sethos developes his crush on Amelia,]] but it's quite probable that it dates from when [[spoiler:one of his henchmen knocks Ramses into a wall. She goes utterly berserk, beats up the henchmen, and stabs Sethos with her parasol. The next we hear from him, he's sending her utterly miscalculated love gifts.]]

* MasterOfDisguise: Sethos and Ramses both. Ramses, in fact, developed his own skill at disguise while still a young boy, after stealing one of Sethos' rather comprehensive makeup kits; for a while before puberty he was in the habit of disguising himself so convincingly as a girl that the Emersons' servants thought they were being haunted by a child's ghost. [[spoiler: In one book, Sethos spends most the plot hanging out with Ameilia, disguised as her and Emerson's good friend Cyrus Vandergelt, and she can't tell the difference.]]

** Hilariously mis-aimed in ''Curse of The Pharaohs'': Mary has been very assiduously nursing Arthur, who is recovering from a serious head injury. As the denouement unfolds, Amelia drags the conversation outside of his room, [[LeaveTheTwoLovebirdsAlone leaving Mary behind.]] Some time later, Mary joins the party, and we get this exchange:

* AmnesiacLover: This happens to Emerson at one point.

* CanonWelding: With Peters' Literature/VickyBliss series. A fairly early book establishes Amelia as an historical figure, and it turns out that one of the main characters in that series is descended from one of Ramses and Nefret's children -- though we never find out which one (other than that it's a daughter).

* CasualDangerDialog: What do you talk about while crawling through the unstable, half-crumbled passages of an un-excavated pyramid, hoping that your 7 year old son is right when he says he knows a way out? The similarities of construction with other 12th Dynasty pyramids, of course!

* CatsAreMean: Nefret's cat, Horus, is a demon incarnate to everyone but Nefret and Sennia.

* ChildhoodFriendRomance: Amelia and Emerson intend Ramses and Nefret to be (adoptive) brother and sister, but Ramses never saw it that way. But he won't tell Nefret until he has some indication she feels the same. After a great deal of angst on his part, Nefret eventually comes around.
* TheClan: The Peabody-Emersons, eventually. In the chronologically last book (so far), their friends the Vandergelt family become linked to them by marriage as well ([[spoiler:as David's cousin Jumana agrees to marry Cyrus' step-son Bertie]]).
* CommutingOnABus: Karl von Borg, Sethos
* ConnectedAllAlong: Sethos is revealed to be Emerson and Walter's half brother in ''He Shall Thunder in the Sky'', and in ''Children of the Storm'', that not only does Sethos have an illegitimate daughter Maryam, she has a son through her marriage.

* DisinheritedChild: The Earl of Ellesmere disinherited his daughter for marrying an Italian, and later his granddaughter Evelyn when she fell for an Italian as well and ran off with him (not realizing he was a con artist). [[spoiler: Later subverted in the latter case, as he changed his mind and hand-wrote a new will officially leaving everything to her.]]

* EveryoneCanSeeIt: From Abdullah to [[spoiler: Tarek]]

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Abdullah.]] And Sethos [[spoiler: ''twice''! He gets better both times though.]]

* LoyalAnimalCompanion: The Cat Bastet [[note]] Yes, she is always addressed or referred to this way [[/note]], for Ramses. She's also pretty intelligent for a cat. [[spoiler: To the extent that early in ''Seeing a Large Cat'', on learning she had died about a month before, Ramses admits that he had a dream of her the night she died (he was away at the time), which is implied to be her personal farewell to him after death. But then, she ''is'' an Egyptian cat]]. Her grandson, Horus (introduced in ''The Ape Who Guards the Balance''), becomes this to Nefret, and later Sennia as well.

** Amelia inherited her father's full estate, since she was the only one who shared his interest in ancient history. Her six older brothers, who were all successful merchants and professional men, were not amused to find out they'd missed out on half a million pounds (having not realized that their father was actually wealthy), and multiple attempts were made to claim the sum for themselves, though Amelia and her father's lawyer stopped all of them.
** Not done intentionally by the Earl of Ellesmere (at least, not at first), but effectively when his son died; his title had to go to the closest male heir (his grandson by his eldest and disinherited daughter) by law, preventing his granddaughter Evelyn from getting everything. He later disinherited her entirely when she fell for an Italian, who turned out to be a con artist. [[spoiler: At least, for a while. He later changed his mind and wrote a new will, giving her everything, before dying.]]

* SlapSlapKiss: Our protagonists relationship ''started'' with a shouted argument in a museum. This seems to be their primary way of discussing important issues, though they never escalate to the point of actual blows. After a quarter century of this, Emerson even advises Ramses that regular brisk "discussions" are good for the health of a marital relationship; clearing the air and enhancing the mood for post-argument romance.

* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Amelia and Evelyn in the first book. By the time Evelyn reappears as a major character, it's obvious they did learn from each other -- for instance, Amelia, who was utterly uninterested in all but the most utilitarian clothes at the beginning now can talk fashion with the best of them, and Evelyn is thrilled about wearing bloomers and bicycle dresses.

* DreamingOfThingsToCome: Amelia

* FamilyEyeResemblance: This is what allows Sennia to be passed off as Ramses' child.

* FlirtyStepsiblings: Ramses and Nefret.

** Also, the character in the Vicky Bliss series who turns out to be descended from Ramses? Starts off as a master thief and antiquity smuggler, with a knack for disguise.

* LoyalAnimalCompanion: The Cat Bastet [[note]] Yes, she is always addressed or referred to this way [[/note]], for Ramses. She's also pretty intelligent for a cat. [[spoiler: To the extent that early in ''Seeing a Large Cat'', on learning she had died about a month before, Ramses admits that he had a dream of her the night she died (he was away at the time), which is implied to be her personal farewell to him after death. But then, she ''is'' an Egyptian cat]]. Her grandson, Horus, becomes this to Nefret and Sennia.

* TheBusCameBack: The Frasers (originally from ''Lion in the Valley'') reappear in ''Seeing A Large Cat'' and Percy (originally from ''The Deeds of the Disturber'') reappears in ''The Falcon at the Portal''.

* Sethos, Seth Emerson, who would be an EvilUncle if he were actually evil; he is Emerson's bastard half-brother, starts the series as a professional tomb robber, gets a crush on Amelia, who reforms him, and goes on to become a British secret agent, all before he reveals the relationship to Peabody and Emerson. Sethos who has a way of turning up unannounced to drag in new plot complications.

* Abdullah ibn Hassan al Wahhab, the foreman on the digs. His son Selim takes over from him eventually. His brother Daoud is a GentleGiant. His grandson David is taken in by the younger Emersons, becomes a famed illustrator, and marries a Walter and Evelyn's eldest daughter Amelia "Lia", which her parents initially object to, but which the rest of the family supports, and they come around. His daughter-in-law Fatima becomes the Emerson's housekeeper. Abdullah's family is the hook on which to hang issues of racism and imperialism, which the Emersons are fiercely against.

*** "Another shirt Ruined!" -- Both Emerson and Ramses tend to be rather hard on their clothes, if for somewhat different reasons. There used to be a fansite for the series that used this as it's name.

* TheClan: The Peabody-Emersons, eventually. In the chronologically last book (so far), their friends the Vandergelt family become linked to them by marriage as well ([[spoiler:David's cousin Jumana agrees to marry Cyrus' step-son Bertie]]).

* IResembleThatRemark: ""I never raise my voice," Emerson bellowed. A ghostly echo came rolling back from the depths of the tomb, as if the king's spirit were objecting to being awakened."
* ItMakesSenseInContext:

* LoyalAnimalCompanion: The Cat Bastet [[note]] Yes, she is always addressed or referred to this way [[/note]], for Ramses. She's also pretty intelligent for a cat. [[spoiler: To the extent that Ramses has a dream of her the night she dies (he's away at the time) which is implied to be her personal farewell to him after death. But then, she ''is'' an Egyptian cat]]. Her grandson, Horus, becomes this to Nefret and Sennia.

* SirSwearsALot - Emerson. Ramses is less prone to this, but on one occasion, he "breathed out a word even his father seldom used" when rescuing David. Nefret will swear on occasion, but justifiably when she is giving birth to the twins, Ramses tells the "Father of Curses" that, "At your most eloquent you’ve never surpassed it”

* TheBusCameBack: The Frasers reappear in ''Seeing A Large Cat'' and Percy reappears in ''The Falcon at the Portal''.

* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Amelia and Evelyn in the first book. By the time Evelyn re-appears as a major character, it's obvious they did learn from each other, -- for instance, Amelia, who was utterly uninterested in all but the most utilitarian clothes at the beginning now can talk fashion with the best of them, and Evelyn is thrilled about wearing bloomers and bicycle dresses.

* Sethos, Seth Emerson, who would be an EvilUncle if he were actually evil; he is Emerson's bastard half-brother, starts the series as a professional tomb robber, gets a crush on Amelia, who reforms him, and goes on to become a British secret agent, all before he reveals the relationship to Peabody and Emerson, and who has a way of turning up unannounced to drag in new plot complications.

* Abdullah ibn Hassan al Wahhab, the foreman on the digs. His son Selim takes over from him eventually. His brother Daoud is a GentleGiant. His grandson David is taken in by the younger Emersons, becomes a famed illustrator, and marries a niece of theirs. His daughter-in-law Fatima becomes the Emerson's housekeeper. Abdullah's family is the hook on which to hang issues of racism and imperialism, which the Emersons are fiercely against.

* Sethos, Seth Emerson, who would be an EvilUncle if he were actually evil; he is Emerson's bastard half-brother, starts the series as a professional tomb robber, gets a crush on Amelia, who reforms him, and goes on to become a British secret agent, all before he reveals the relationship to Peabody and Emerson, and who has a way of turning up unannounced, to drag in new plot complications.

# 1906-07, ''Valley of the Kings'', ''The Ape Who Guards the Balance'' (1998)

* ConnectedAllAlong: Sethos is revealed to be Emerson and Walter's half brother in He Shall Thunder in the Sky, and in Children of the Storm, that not only does Sethos have an illegitimate daughter Maryam, she has a son through her marriage.

* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler: Sethos.]] ''Twice.''

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Abdullah.]] And Sethos [[spoiler: ''twice''!]]

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Nobody ever calls Ramses "Walter". And basically every Emerson while in Egypt. And Sethos.

** Making a path through packed crowds
** Smartly applied to the wrist, it's excellent for fending off women who are being inappropriately clingy around her husband
** Stabbing people who attack her son

* CutlassBetweenTheTeeth: Discussed; Amelia regrets that it's [[RealityEnsues not actually possible]].

* Amelia is "Sitt Hakim" ("Lady Doctor") (She is also called "Peabody" by her husband; she always calls him "Emerson". If he calls her Amelia, it means [[YouCalledMeXItMustBeSerious he's really angry with her]].) Her favorite topic is pyramids. Her edge is the dreams [[spoiler: of or from her dead friend Abdullah]].

* Emerson is "Abu Shitaim" ("Father of Curses"). earned by his short temper and talent with Arabic invective. His favorite topics are tombs and temples. His edge is sheer strength and even more endurance.

* Ramses is "Akhu el-Efreet" ("Brother of Demons") (Of course, "Ramses" is already a nickname; his real name is Walter.) His favorite topic is inscriptions and the study of the ancient Egyptian language. His edge is his extraordinarily sharp hearing and vision. "The Brother of Demons can hear a whisper across the Nile."

*** "I suspected him from the start!" --Ramses once remarked that this is meaningless because she always suspects ''everyone''.

-->'''Amelia:''' Evelyn-- what is it like? Is it pleasant?

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Nefret says that Sethos "treated her like an indulgent uncle" during ''He Shall Thunder in the Sky''. We find out later in the book that Sethos is Emerson's illegitimate half-brother

* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Amelia and Emerson. He's 6 feet tall and massively muscular --His neck and shoulders are sometimes likened to those of a bull-- with very strong hands.[[note]]We know this because Amelia gives us asides on how she finds these qualities... [[DistractedByTheSexy distracting]].[[/note]] She's 5 foot nothing, and of a slender build.

--> Frenchmen-- Anything for a grand gesture!

--->'''Amelia:''' I always know these things

* ATasteOfTheLash: Percy does this to Ramses

** Justine(e) has also been terrorizing Charla at night through her bedroom window, but her parents assume she is having night terrors. The truth isn't revealed for some time.

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Nobody ever calls Ramses "Walter".

* WouldntHitAGirl: Emerson and Sethos.

!! Spoiler note: While most tropeing involves spoilers to a certain degree, this page as it's currently laid out has major mid- to late-series arc spoilers out in the open! If you hate having your mysteries spoiled, stop reading after the next couple of paragraphs. You have been warned!

# 1884-85, Crocodile on the Sandbank (1975)
# 1892-93, Curse of the Pharaohs (1981)
# 1894-95, The Mummy Case (1985)
# 1895-96, Lion in the Valley (1986)
# Summer 1896, Deeds of the Disturber (1988)
# 1897-98, The Last Camel Died at Noon (1991)
# 1898-99, The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog (1992)
# 1899-1900, The Hippopotamus Pool (1996)
# 1903-04, Seeing a Large Cat (1997)
# 1906-07, Valley of the Kings, The Ape Who Guards the Balance (1998)
# 1907-08, Guardian of the Horizon (2004, published out of sequence)
# Summer-Fall 1910, A River in the Sky (2010, published out of sequence)
# 1911-12, The Falcon at the Portal (1999)
# 1912, The Painted Queen (2017, published out of sequence)
# 1914-15, He Shall Thunder in the Sky (2000)
# 1915-16, Lord of the Silent (2001)
# 1916-17, The Golden One (2002)
# 1919-20, Children of the Storm (2003)
# 1922-23, The Serpent on the Crown (2005)
# 1922-23, Tomb of the Golden Bird (2006)

** "The Curse of the Pharaohs" mentions an incident between Emerson and one of their neighbors in England: Amelia notes that she understands 'escorting the fox off the field [[BeastlyBloodsports when it's about to be trapped]]', but that 'pulling Sir Harold out of his saddle and thrashing him with his own riding crop' was a bit superfluous.

*** "Another shirt Ruined!" --Both Emerson and Ramses tend to be rather hard on their clothes, if for somewhat different reasons. There used to be a fansite for the series that used this as it's name.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Nefret says that Sethos "treated her like an indulgent uncle" during "He Shall Thunder in the Sky". We find out later in the book that Sethos is Emerson's illegitimate half-brother

** Two-fer in "Lion in The Valley": Amelia claims to prefer Creator/HRiderHaggard's romances to Ramses' detective novels because the former are "pure fantasy and don't pretend to be anything else" while complaining that the later arrive at their solutions by "wild guesses that turned out to be correct only because of... plot", instead of true reasoning. A few pages later, she says "I knew I was being observed... with the certain instinct ''described so well by Mr. Haggard''". Also note that Amelia's approach to solving mysteries tends to be "intuitive". At least Ms. Peters plays fair, and lets her be wrong sometimes.

* RidingIntoTheSunset: Invoked and lampshaded in "The Mummy Case". When M. de Morgan returns Ramses to his parents after a minor escapade, he deliberately rides off toward the sunset, ''despite having dinner plans in the opposite direction.'' The Emersons dryly agree:

* ShippingTorpedo: Played with for Emerson in "Crocodile on the Sandbank". Amelia spends most of the book thinking that the reason that he keeps dropping rude or disparaging comments into her conversations with Evelyn and Walter because he disapproves of a match. [[spoiler: Ultimately subverted. When the couple finally confess their feelings for each other, he is quite satisfied. He knows his shy little brother, and every little dig was calculated to goad Walter into taking a decisive stand.]]

* TemptingFate: In "Falcon at the Portal" Nefret asks Lia in a letter, "What could Percy do to hurt Ramses?" They find out very quickly.
* TheBusCameBack: The Frasers reappear in "Seeing A Large Cat" and Percy reappears in "The Falcon at the Portal".

* VillainousCrush: [[spoiler: In ''Lion on the Sandbank'', Amelia is oblivious to the fact that the Master Criminal, aka Sethos, appears to be courting her. Not even when he sends her flowers. Emerson of course figures it out, and grows incredibly jealous and paranoid as a result.]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Violet Peabody is only seen in "Deeds of the Disturber".

* Amelia is "Sitt Hakim" ("Lady Doctor") (She is also called "Peabody" by her husband; she always calls him "Emerson." If he calls her Amelia, it means [[YouCalledMeXItMustBeSerious he's really angry with her]].) Her favorite topic is pyramids. Her edge is the dreams [[spoiler: of or from her dead friend Abdullah.]]

* Ramses is "Akhu el-Efreet" ("Brother of Demons") (Of course, "Ramses" is already a nickname; his real name is "Walter.") His favorite topic is inscriptions and the study of the ancient Egyptian language. His edge is his extraordinarily sharp hearing and vision. "The Brother of Demons can hear a whisper across the Nile."

* AccidentalMisnaming: A cab driver calls Ramses "Brother of Curses" in He Shall Thunder in the Sky.

* BetaCouple: Several - David and Lia, Cyrus and Catherine, Walter and Evelyn, Sethos and Margaret, Daoud and Kadija.
* CanonWelding: With Peters' Literature/VickyBliss series. A fairly early book establishes Amelia as an historical figure, and it turns out that one of the main characters in that series is descended from one of Ramses and Nefret's children - though we never find out which one (other than that it's a daughter).

*** "I suspected him from the start!" --Ramses once remarked that this is meaningless because she always suspects ''everyone.''

* FeeFiFauxPas: Amelia manages a rather large one ''very'' near the beginning of ''Crocodile on the Sandbank.'' She claims that what she says upon hearing Evelyn's tearful, angsty, "[[DefiledForever I was seduced]] and now you are going to kick me back out on the street" confession is not what she ''meant'' to say:

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Nefret says that Sethos "treated her like an indulgent uncle" during "He Shall Thunder in the Sky." We find out later in the book that Sethos is Emerson's illegitimate half-brother
* FloweryInsults: Emerson has well earned is Arabic nickname, "Father of Curses." His fluent, inventive command of invective is viewed with awe by many of the Egyptian characters. He seems less fluent when swearing in English, but since Amelia {{Bowdlerize}}s her own journals, we can't be sure.

* GeniusBruiser: Emerson, frequently described by his wife both as "Herculean" and also as "the greatest archeologist of this or any other age."

* HeroesWantRedheads: Nefret. When her hair isn't described as "golden," most characters seem to agree it's "red-gold."

** Two-fer in "Lion in The Valley": Amelia claims to prefer Creator/HRiderHaggard's romances to Ramses' detective novels because the former are "pure fantasy and don't pretend to be anything else" while complaining that the later arrive at their solutions by "wild guesses that turned out to be correct only because of... plot", instead of true reasoning. A few pages later, she says "I knew I was being observed... with the certain instinct ''described so well by Mr. Haggard''". Also note that Amelia's approach to solving mysteries tends to be "intuitive." At least Ms. Peters plays fair, and lets her be wrong sometimes.

* MamaBear: While Amelia does love Ramses she's very unsentimental about it, much to the frustration of Emerson who wishes she'd be more affectionate towards their only child. [[spoiler:Then during the family's first proper encounter with Sethos, one of the Master Criminal's henchmen slams Ramses into a wall and Amelia believes he's dead. The next thing she remembers is Emerson shaking her out of her blind rage, the henchmen cowering on the floor and begging for mercy, a bloodstained parasol from having ''stabbed Sethos with it,'' and Ramses pressed flat against the wall in sheer terror.]]

* MrSmith: A recurring character is a British spymaster who often goes by "Smith", partly because spies use pseudonyms and partly because it's so much easier than coping with his real name of "the Honorable Algernon Bracegirdle-Boisdragon."

* NowOrNeverKiss: Realizing he could well die that night Emerson refused to go off without kissing Amelia once, when she's conscious, even at the risk of living to face the consequences - which turn out to be a long and happy marriage.

* RidingIntoTheSunset: Invoked and lampshaded in "The Mummy Case." When M. de Morgan returns Ramses to his parents after a minor escapade, he deliberately rides off toward the sunset, ''despite having dinner plans in the opposite direction.'' The Emersons dryly agree:

* ShippingTorpedo: Played with for Emerson in "Crocodile on the Sandbank." Amelia spends most of the book thinking that the reason that he keeps dropping rude or disparaging comments into her conversations with Evelyn and Walter because he disapproves of a match. [[spoiler:Ultimately subverted. When the couple finally confess their feelings for each other, he is quite satisfied. He knows his shy little brother, and every little dig was calculated to goad Walter into taking a decisive stand.]]

** Elizabeth Peters is a ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' fan. One of the UsefulNotes/WorldWarI-era stories had [[spoiler:Sethos pretending to be]] a German agent reporting to a "von Überwald."

* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Amelia and Evelyn in the first book. By the time Evelyn re-appears as a major character, it's obvious they did learn from each other, - for instance, Amelia, who was utterly uninterested in all but the most utilitarian clothes at the beginning now can talk fashion with the best of them, and Evelyn is thrilled about wearing bloomers and bicycle dresses.

* WouldntHurtAChild: Emerson for all his large physique, short temper and boisterousness, would never harm - or allow any harm to come to - a child, his or anyone else's.

* LoveAtFirstPunch: [[spoiler: It's unclear exactly ''when'' Sethos developed his crush on Amelia, but it's quite probable he grew fixated on her after one of his henchmen knocked Ramses into a wall and apparently seriously injured him, causing her to subsequently go utterly berserk, beat up the henchmen and stab Sethos with her parasol.]]

Amelia Peabody and her husband Radcliffe Emerson are HappilyMarried Victorian Egyptologists. They are also {{Amateur Sleuth}}s. They also exhibit the tropes HugeGuyTinyGirl, SlapSlapKiss (they are sparring partners as well as passionate lovers), and CasualDangerDialog.

They also have a tendency to consider themselves [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight above the law]], in that they don't often bother to call the police while battling criminals, as the PoliceAreUseless. Amelia, in fact, is generally scornful of cops, ignoring the fact that police must follow rules of evidence she doesn't consider binding on her. She frequently says UsefulNotes/ScotlandYard would solve more cases if a woman ran it -- not talking about getting ''both'' male and female perspectives, but about ''replacing'' the male way of thinking with the female.

* ItMakesSenseInContext

* AnimalLover: Amelia is a downplayed version, at least by Victorian standards. One of her {{Berserk Button}}s is blatant animal abuse, and she insists on inspecting and doctoring all animals acquired for their digs before they are put to work. One of Abdullah's {{Catch Phrase}}s in the early years is a resigned, 'Yes, Sitt Hakim, the donkeys have been washed'. At one point, Ramses reminisces one one of his fondest childhood memories: Amelia calmly scrubbing a camel with a long-handled brush while it kicked and bellowed so violently that it took two of the expedition crew to hold it in place.

* CanonWelding: With Peters' Literature/VickyBliss series. A fairly early book establishes Amelia as an historical figure, and it turns out that one of the characters in that series is descended from one of Ramses and Nefret's children - though we never find out which one.

There is quite a bit of CatchPhrase use, mostly from Amelia, who also loves aphorisms. Her favorite catch phrases include "We must have a Council of War!" at least once a case, and frequent references to making or consulting "one of my little lists" of clues. She often has "the direst of forebodings" and the rest of the family sometimes use the phrase for their own misgivings, quoting her. "I suspected him from the start!" is another of her favorites -- Ramses once remarked that this was meaningless because she suspected ''everyone.'' Perhaps the most often used is Amelia's claim, "I had, of course, considered that / thought of that / anticipated that" or the like. It runs neck-and-neck, though, with "another shirt ruined" (since Emerson and Ramses are both very hard on their clothes; in fact, there used to be a web-site for Amelia with that phrase as the title) and Abdullah's lament, "Every year, another dead body."

* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Ramses does this a lot as a child; he eventually grows out of it. Alas, his son inherits it.

* FloweryInsults: Emerson has well earned is Arabic nickname, "Father of Curses." His fluent, inventive command of invective is viewed with awe by many of the Egyptian characters. He seems less fluent when swearing in English, but since Amelia {{bowlderize|s}} her own journals, we can't be sure.