I can remember well 15 years ago when I received this book in second grade, and ever since it has been one of my favorites! How could any kid not love the idea of secretly skipping school and going on wonderful, and sometimes magical, adventures with a very unique old woman! Kind Mrs. Minetta was, "firm, but never cross," and was one who,"can not tell a lie," making her a seemingly perfect adult to drive a carload of young friends to school. But this special old woman and her big, black dog would teach the kids to blow red lights green, how to have lots of fun, and manage to get them excused from school, while still staying "truthful" about their lack in attendance on Fridays. Sadly, the trips to amusement parks, the beach, ski resorts, and an old ranch would come to an end when the parents discovered their children were missing Fridays in school. Sweet old Mrs. Minetta would not be allowed to take the kids out of school anymore, and so would end their great adventures. But Mrs. Minetta and her big, bright red convertable remained the best car pool driver the kids ever had. I love it!

This book started off so well . . . and then died. Peters so indulges herself by packing "The Hippopotamus Pool" full of almost every character of significance who has previously appeared, and then some new ones, that the focus is too diffused for proper plot development, let alone character development. And what does Peters do with the characters? Walter and Evelyn are wrecked; Cyrus and Kevin have nothing to do; after showing signs of improvement Ramses has gone downhill again; and Nefret has to be one of the most singularly boring characters I have ever come across. Sir Edward (how can a younger son have that title?) and Miss Marmaduke are afterthoughts, and David was pretty well unnecessary. Amelia is back to insufferable, so thank heavens Emerson was his usual self in this book.
Whenever the plot of "The Hippopotamus Pool" showed signs of picking up, things would go flat again. The Emersons are contacted by a mysterious stranger . . . and nothing happens. They travel to Luxor . . . and nothing happens. They discover the tomb . . . and nothing happens. Between her (I think increasingly odd) determination to have no discovery made by the Emersons impact on the real history of Egyptology and her desire to flesh out what is less and less a mystery series than a family saga, Peters in this book loses the sense of direction and fun that characterised previous books in this series. And as for the ending . . . No-one could possibly have figured it out, and that violates the unofficial contract between mystery writer and mystery reader.
So why the two stars? The journey did have its good points. It wasn't till I'd finished that I realised I felt cheated by this book.
And what...is the Hippopotamus Pool anyway? Am I missing something?

In contrast with many of the reviewers, I really liked this book! Elizabeth Peters Peabody mysteries are not the standard, straight-up mysteries many of us read too often. Instead they are tongue in cheek tributes to the sensational adventure-mysteries of the early 20th century. More humorous than mysterious, if you like the unflappable Amelia Peabody, her irascible husband Radcliffe Emerson, their terrifying child "Ramses," the intriguing Nefret and their entire retinue then you will keep coming back for more.

In this mystery Amelia, husband Radcliffe, Ramses, and Nefret make their annual sojourn to Egypt for the archaeological season. Once in Luxor their archaeological plans and the machinations of the tomb-robbers and thieves of Egypt collide at the newly discovered tomb of Queen Tetisheri. The Emersons' excavation of Tetisheri's tomb is strikingly similar to real-life archaeologist Howard Carter's discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, but of course that is not the point. The point is who will get to the royal coffin first: the Emersons? or the criminal world of Egypt?

Looking at the other reviews for this book, you may want to question what I am about write (previously wrote if you're are reading this now, which you are). To me, this is the best of the Peabody's adventures. It is even one of my favorite books of all time (which is saying a lot, putting it next to "Power of One" by Bryce Courtenay). Why this is so, I really cannot say, or write. It's just that I thought this book had more to it then the other adventures. Lots more excitement and action seemed to be present and I enjoyed the new and old characters very much. As soon as I picked it up,I could not put it down. I especially enjoyed the "witty"(or witless, depending who's review you're reading) dialogue and mischief of the children. When I finished, I told myself that I would never read another book by Peters. Any other Peabody book would just be a disappointment after "Hippopotamus Pool." Such thinking lasted for 48.6 hours; at that point I saw the next Peabody mystery. Yes, it is true, I admit I am a little biased: anything written by Elizabeth Peters and deals with Ameila Peabody will be considered great in my opinion (humble one, of course). I am writing this review not to disagree with the other reviews, but to say that if another person happens to read this book and finds it the most fascinating book ever, the best piece of literature ever written, then that person has a major problem. No, what I mean is that that person will not be alone. Somewhere out in that cold dark world there is a beacon of inspiration, someone else who agrees that this book is a true gem. Thank you Elizabeth Peters, and thank you to anybody who agrees with this terrifically pointful review.