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Vicky Bliss #5
Night Train to Memphis
An assistant curator of Munich's National Museum, Vicky Bliss is no expert on Egypt, but she does have a Ph.D. in solving crimes. So when an intelligence agency offers her a luxury Nile cruise if she'll help solve a murder and stop a heist of Egyptian antiquities, all 5'11" of her takes the plunge. Vicky suspects the authorities really want her to lead them to her missing lover, the art thief and master of disguises she knows only as "Sir John Smythe." And right in the shadow of the Sphinx she spots him. . . with his new flame. Vicky is so furious at this romantic stab-in-the-back, not to mention the sudden arrival of her meddling boss, Herr Dr. Schmidt, that she may overlook a danger as old as the pharaohs and as unchanging. . . a criminal who hides behind a mask of charm while moving in for the kill.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1994
197 people are currently reading
1559 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Peters
179 books3,302 followersElizabeth Peters is a pen name of Barbara Mertz. She also wrote as Barbara Michaels as well as her own name. Born and brought up in Illinois, she earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. Mertz was named Grand Master at the inaugural Anthony Awards in 1986 and Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America at the Edgar Awards in 1998. She lived in a historic farmhouse in Frederick, western Maryland until her death.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 285 reviews
October 11, 2018
Continuing my Bliss binge week, although it might be well to take a short break. (It sometimes does a series a disservice to read them too close together.) This one is about 50% longer than earlier titles, as the writer moves through the market-induced book inflation of the later part of last century, and thus not so readable-in-a-day. With more word-count elbow room, the plot, characters, and setting get more development, although when I had got maybe a third through without Vicky being kidnapped yet I started to wonder. Last half of the book made up for that, patented Perils of Pauline piling up nicely. One could see the writer having fun recycling her Egyptian research and experience. The plot invites a second reading to see how all the clues to further developments were planted, but I think I'd rather go on and complete the series with the final book before that. I do wonder what, if anything, she'll do toward closure.
Ta, L.
Ta, L.
July 30, 2018
this is one of those books that I read every time I need to feel better. it always does the trick.
August 8, 2020
Murder in Egypt!
I have enjoyed Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody series over the years and so recognizing the name I jumped at the chance to review Night Train.
What I didn't realize was that this was part of The Vicky Bliss Mystery series by Elizabeth Peters first published in 1994.
Vicky Bliss is off on the trail of a criminal, with a luxury cruise on the Nile. It seems she's to stop a robbery, possibly master minded by Sir John Smyth, her missing lover and possible thief.
Sadly, as I was in the midst of enjoying this series, Elizabeth Peters, a pseudonym for Barbara Mertz, died. She was 85.
A Grand Central ARC via NetGalley
I have enjoyed Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody series over the years and so recognizing the name I jumped at the chance to review Night Train.
What I didn't realize was that this was part of The Vicky Bliss Mystery series by Elizabeth Peters first published in 1994.
Vicky Bliss is off on the trail of a criminal, with a luxury cruise on the Nile. It seems she's to stop a robbery, possibly master minded by Sir John Smyth, her missing lover and possible thief.
Sadly, as I was in the midst of enjoying this series, Elizabeth Peters, a pseudonym for Barbara Mertz, died. She was 85.
A Grand Central ARC via NetGalley
November 20, 2020
Peters actually makes fun of herself and of middle aged women authors in this story and gives them a good mocking.
It's a good Vicky Bliss story though quite a few times the assumptions and failure of communications got frustrating.
It's a good story but I think I enjoyed Trojan Gold a bit more.
Vicky is a plucky likeable character and while she is headstrong and impulsive she is quite easy to identify with especially when she does something she later regrets. Only one more and the series is over.
It's a good Vicky Bliss story though quite a few times the assumptions and failure of communications got frustrating.
It's a good story but I think I enjoyed Trojan Gold a bit more.
Vicky is a plucky likeable character and while she is headstrong and impulsive she is quite easy to identify with especially when she does something she later regrets. Only one more and the series is over.
February 23, 2008
The most recent of the Vicky Bliss series by Elizabeth Peters. A final book is due out later this year.
Vicky is an appealing character, a wise-cracking Ph.D. (Art History) with a funny little boss who treats her like a favorite niece. Her foil/romantic lead is a mix of Lord Peter, Raffles, and the Saint.
They're charming books; escapism that provides a bit of education along the way.
Vicky is an appealing character, a wise-cracking Ph.D. (Art History) with a funny little boss who treats her like a favorite niece. Her foil/romantic lead is a mix of Lord Peter, Raffles, and the Saint.
They're charming books; escapism that provides a bit of education along the way.
July 12, 2020
Older Review
The last of the series. I am glad that Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Mertz decided to end the series and it was a satisfying ending.
2020 Review
The last novel in the Vicky Bliss series, Night Train to Memphis by Elizabeth Peters is a fitting end to the adventures of Vicky and John Smythe. It’s not the best book in the series, but it has a good, unsentimental ending that should satisfy fans of the series.
After their last adventure in Germany (Trojan Gold), Vicky and John had stayed in touch, meeting up now and then when John suddenly went silent. To distract herself from her worry, Vicky reluctantly agrees to take an Egyptian cruise posing as a lecturer on Islamic art in order to help police identify art thieves. She assumes they are speaking of John. Once the cruise begins, Vicky does run into John—but it isn’t the reunion she imagined. From there, events take a worse turn as Vicky doesn’t know who she can trust or who is trying to kill her. John has never been a murderer before, but has he changed?
In the acknowledgments to this novel, Peters admits her new found love/obsession with country music. Not pop-country, but real country, bluegrass and folk. That’s great except that she (like other authors) couldn’t resist making her new obsession part of the novel. The country music lyric-dropping and jokes involving country music got to be a bit distracting. Even if I was familiar with the song (usually the folk music since I like that more than straight country), it got to be annoying. It reminded me of one of the later novels by Louise Penny when she had discovered Gregorian chant and infused the novel with it to an extremely annoying degree. Aside from the country music, this novel is my least liked of the series. It’s way too long, and that exposes the plot for what it is: kind of dopey and nonsensical. Like many of the Vicky Bliss (and Elizabeth Peters standalone novels), they are what I call “running from danger” plots. The characters are so busy running from one place to another to escape the bad guys and engaging in witty repartee that the readers can be distracted from the weakness and/or idiocy of the overall plot. This is only successful when the books are short and zippy. Unfortunately, NTTM required a longer set up and Vicky and John—the two characters we love to see together—are kept apart for much of the novel (about half) until they rejoin to—you guessed it—run from the bad guys. The first half of the novel is rather tedious and aimless and Vicky is so stubbornly idiotic I began to skim. Which is okay, because I’ve read this book a couple of times, and really, other than a few clues here and there, you can skim through the first 200 pages because it’s mostly a lot of chat about the Nile cruise and the excursions they take and Vicky being in a snit over John.
The last 100 pages or so are better (at least the action picks up) but overall, this isn’t a great novel. While I like the resolution to the affair between Vicky and John and I’m glad it’s not a typical romantic, gushy, white wedding, happy ending kind of nonsense, the best characters (even the more entertaining bad guys) don’t get enough page time. I want to smack Vicky fairly regularly, and not just for the “oh-woe-is-me, a tall beautiful blonde” bullshit routine the author felt necessary to stick into every Vicky Bliss novel, but also because she’s the dumbest heroine ever in this novel. The main bad guy could have robbed the entire country of Egypt and she wouldn’t have caught on. She probably would have helped him out and not suspected a thing. I mean, other characters think she’s smart, but as of yet I still haven’t seen evidence that she’d make even a passable Watson. John Smythe, as the wise-cracking but somewhat noble art thief, is the much more intriguing character. It’s too bad Peters never wrote a standalone novel exploring how he got into his life of crime—was it deliberate? Did he just kind of fall into it? That’s the book I’d like to read (but definitely won’t be written by Peters).
The previous books in the series are better than this one, but if you want to finish off the series, Night Train to Memphis is worth the time (but skim the boring parts).
The last of the series. I am glad that Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Mertz decided to end the series and it was a satisfying ending.
2020 Review
The last novel in the Vicky Bliss series, Night Train to Memphis by Elizabeth Peters is a fitting end to the adventures of Vicky and John Smythe. It’s not the best book in the series, but it has a good, unsentimental ending that should satisfy fans of the series.
After their last adventure in Germany (Trojan Gold), Vicky and John had stayed in touch, meeting up now and then when John suddenly went silent. To distract herself from her worry, Vicky reluctantly agrees to take an Egyptian cruise posing as a lecturer on Islamic art in order to help police identify art thieves. She assumes they are speaking of John. Once the cruise begins, Vicky does run into John—but it isn’t the reunion she imagined. From there, events take a worse turn as Vicky doesn’t know who she can trust or who is trying to kill her. John has never been a murderer before, but has he changed?
In the acknowledgments to this novel, Peters admits her new found love/obsession with country music. Not pop-country, but real country, bluegrass and folk. That’s great except that she (like other authors) couldn’t resist making her new obsession part of the novel. The country music lyric-dropping and jokes involving country music got to be a bit distracting. Even if I was familiar with the song (usually the folk music since I like that more than straight country), it got to be annoying. It reminded me of one of the later novels by Louise Penny when she had discovered Gregorian chant and infused the novel with it to an extremely annoying degree. Aside from the country music, this novel is my least liked of the series. It’s way too long, and that exposes the plot for what it is: kind of dopey and nonsensical. Like many of the Vicky Bliss (and Elizabeth Peters standalone novels), they are what I call “running from danger” plots. The characters are so busy running from one place to another to escape the bad guys and engaging in witty repartee that the readers can be distracted from the weakness and/or idiocy of the overall plot. This is only successful when the books are short and zippy. Unfortunately, NTTM required a longer set up and Vicky and John—the two characters we love to see together—are kept apart for much of the novel (about half) until they rejoin to—you guessed it—run from the bad guys. The first half of the novel is rather tedious and aimless and Vicky is so stubbornly idiotic I began to skim. Which is okay, because I’ve read this book a couple of times, and really, other than a few clues here and there, you can skim through the first 200 pages because it’s mostly a lot of chat about the Nile cruise and the excursions they take and Vicky being in a snit over John.
The last 100 pages or so are better (at least the action picks up) but overall, this isn’t a great novel. While I like the resolution to the affair between Vicky and John and I’m glad it’s not a typical romantic, gushy, white wedding, happy ending kind of nonsense, the best characters (even the more entertaining bad guys) don’t get enough page time. I want to smack Vicky fairly regularly, and not just for the “oh-woe-is-me, a tall beautiful blonde” bullshit routine the author felt necessary to stick into every Vicky Bliss novel, but also because she’s the dumbest heroine ever in this novel. The main bad guy could have robbed the entire country of Egypt and she wouldn’t have caught on. She probably would have helped him out and not suspected a thing. I mean, other characters think she’s smart, but as of yet I still haven’t seen evidence that she’d make even a passable Watson. John Smythe, as the wise-cracking but somewhat noble art thief, is the much more intriguing character. It’s too bad Peters never wrote a standalone novel exploring how he got into his life of crime—was it deliberate? Did he just kind of fall into it? That’s the book I’d like to read (but definitely won’t be written by Peters).
The previous books in the series are better than this one, but if you want to finish off the series, Night Train to Memphis is worth the time (but skim the boring parts).
October 20, 2015
I enjoyed the heck out of this. I've only read two of the Vicki Bliss mysteries (this and the first in the series), but now I'll go and track down the others. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the dialog, the setting, and the plotting. Just a smashing little read!
P. S. Literally the same day I finished this, a friend called and threw into conversation a reference to a character actor from the 40s know as "Cuddles" (S. Z. Sakall). This was déjà vu for me because, having grown up with Golden Age movies via TV reruns, this was exactly who kept popping up in my mind every time I read the character of Vicki's boss. (Honestly, the likeness is so obvious that it would be impossible not to.) If you don't know who I mean check out Casablanca, Ball of Fire, Christmas is Connecticut.
PPS. I just listened to this again, now that I've backtracked and completed the others in the series. Having all the details of the relationship in mind made this book even better so I bumped my rating up a star. Elizabeth Peters does an excellent job of tying in tidbits from all the other books in the series, which makes this one a kind of payoff for having followed Vicky through it all. Which I'm very glad I did.
P. S. Literally the same day I finished this, a friend called and threw into conversation a reference to a character actor from the 40s know as "Cuddles" (S. Z. Sakall). This was déjà vu for me because, having grown up with Golden Age movies via TV reruns, this was exactly who kept popping up in my mind every time I read the character of Vicki's boss. (Honestly, the likeness is so obvious that it would be impossible not to.) If you don't know who I mean check out Casablanca, Ball of Fire, Christmas is Connecticut.
PPS. I just listened to this again, now that I've backtracked and completed the others in the series. Having all the details of the relationship in mind made this book even better so I bumped my rating up a star. Elizabeth Peters does an excellent job of tying in tidbits from all the other books in the series, which makes this one a kind of payoff for having followed Vicky through it all. Which I'm very glad I did.
August 9, 2019
It’s perfect sun, gorgeous waves and time for a beach read. My partner had a detective novel, my daughter, a book with clear “baddies” (you turn pages because you want to see them punished) and i have this.
Definitely 2 stars; 'it was okay'. Several times i wanted to quit (why am i reading this? Oh yeah, i don’t care if a wave trashes it). Trite characters. Big, blonde, gorgeous heroine with a doctorate (no other women of note in the entire 340 some pages = minus 2 stars), and her loving stable of devoted dashing, brilliant, adventurous men. The first half of the book is meant to puzzle - who are the baddies? Once known, the rough & tumble begins. Guess who wins. HEA.
Definitely 2 stars; 'it was okay'. Several times i wanted to quit (why am i reading this? Oh yeah, i don’t care if a wave trashes it). Trite characters. Big, blonde, gorgeous heroine with a doctorate (no other women of note in the entire 340 some pages = minus 2 stars), and her loving stable of devoted dashing, brilliant, adventurous men. The first half of the book is meant to puzzle - who are the baddies? Once known, the rough & tumble begins. Guess who wins. HEA.
November 13, 2019
This was, for a long time, my favorite of the Vicky Bliss novels. The suspense is constant but not so harrowing that I want to hide, and the conclusion of our favorite romance is pleasing. And sneaking the Peabody Emersons in is soooooo awesome, and leads to a lot of utterly fruitless chronology matching (which doesn’t work well because Vicky is thoroughly untethered in time.)
But. This time I noticed a bad 80s romance trope that makes me angry and sad: the forced kisses and “no wonder he couldn’t help himself” trope. It is a bad trope, and although I can forgive a lot and I love the otherwise realistic psychology of these allowed-to-have-flaws characters, this one is now a deal-breaker for me. Here’s where the untethered in time stuff breaks down, because where I could forgive it in a time period (80s) when I know it was common as sand, a John who bruises and molests Vicky in sudden unbearable passion is not forgivable when I’m reading a book now. One small scene but I just CAN’T with Vicky’s forgiveness here. And this is the book with Feisel and the weird fizzy lemonade and the millionaire baddy and Schmidt and the most vile Mary! I’m not sure I could manage not hating John over the bruising if it weren’t accompanied by Vicky’s later understanding the why AND FEELING BAD AND RESPONSIBLE herself. Maybe if she never let him live it down? Maybe if it wasn’t violent assault that she started enjoying, and if we’d established this previously as Vicky’s personal real-life kink (as opposed to a fantasy that seems possible for the museum curator authoress of Roseanna-the-pornographic-time-traveler.). But really, I just can’t stomach this one thirty years on.
I shall excise the section from my next listening, and imagine instead John attempting to make Vicky hate him but secretly share his desperate longing ENTIRELY WITH WORDS, so as to advance the plot without my hating him.
Read on audio this time by Barbara Rosenblat beautifully, although the Kathleen Turner version is also great.
But. This time I noticed a bad 80s romance trope that makes me angry and sad: the forced kisses and “no wonder he couldn’t help himself” trope. It is a bad trope, and although I can forgive a lot and I love the otherwise realistic psychology of these allowed-to-have-flaws characters, this one is now a deal-breaker for me. Here’s where the untethered in time stuff breaks down, because where I could forgive it in a time period (80s) when I know it was common as sand, a John who bruises and molests Vicky in sudden unbearable passion is not forgivable when I’m reading a book now. One small scene but I just CAN’T with Vicky’s forgiveness here. And this is the book with Feisel and the weird fizzy lemonade and the millionaire baddy and Schmidt and the most vile Mary! I’m not sure I could manage not hating John over the bruising if it weren’t accompanied by Vicky’s later understanding the why AND FEELING BAD AND RESPONSIBLE herself. Maybe if she never let him live it down? Maybe if it wasn’t violent assault that she started enjoying, and if we’d established this previously as Vicky’s personal real-life kink (as opposed to a fantasy that seems possible for the museum curator authoress of Roseanna-the-pornographic-time-traveler.). But really, I just can’t stomach this one thirty years on.
I shall excise the section from my next listening, and imagine instead John attempting to make Vicky hate him but secretly share his desperate longing ENTIRELY WITH WORDS, so as to advance the plot without my hating him.
Read on audio this time by Barbara Rosenblat beautifully, although the Kathleen Turner version is also great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2014
This might be my favorite Vicky Bliss. Mystery-wise, it's like one of the weirder Agatha Christies*, but it's got Vicky, who is awesome, and John, who is John, and Schmidt, who is never boring**. And there's Feisal. So it's kind of wacky plot-wise, the character stuff is great, and Elizabeth Peters is at her best when she's mocking something. What's not to like?
*There are plenty of surface similarities with Death on the Nile, which is one of my favorite Agatha Christies. But the title that Night Train to Memphis particularly calls to mind is
**I compared him to Michael Scott when I talked Katie into starting this series. That comparison really has some merit. Schmidt is way smarter, though.
*There are plenty of surface similarities with Death on the Nile, which is one of my favorite Agatha Christies. But the title that Night Train to Memphis particularly calls to mind is
**I compared him to Michael Scott when I talked Katie into starting this series. That comparison really has some merit. Schmidt is way smarter, though.
January 25, 2017
"Schmidts ideas of consolation are based on whip cream and chocolate" . Aw, dear Schmidt! A better secondary character can't be found! And he was very present in this installment of Vicky Bliss. His German accent is delightful and his mixing of American sayings is very funny.
Again, I completely enjoy listening to this series. The narrator, Barbara Rosenblat, continues to entertain with her talent for giving such personality to each character. Not sure I could get through the story without it. My heart dropped near the beginning in a way a story has not done to me in quite a while. But the reader will have to be familiar with the series as least from book 2 to understand. Amazing end to the story and I am deeply saddened to learn there is just one more Vicky Bliss story.
I look forward to adding some new funny phrases and quotes to my repertoire. And can't wait to see what country Vicky and company create trouble in next. The many detailed descriptions of popular landmarks and unique landscape in the countries Vicky gets to visit are definitely part of the charm of this series!
Again, I completely enjoy listening to this series. The narrator, Barbara Rosenblat, continues to entertain with her talent for giving such personality to each character. Not sure I could get through the story without it. My heart dropped near the beginning in a way a story has not done to me in quite a while. But the reader will have to be familiar with the series as least from book 2 to understand. Amazing end to the story and I am deeply saddened to learn there is just one more Vicky Bliss story.
I look forward to adding some new funny phrases and quotes to my repertoire. And can't wait to see what country Vicky and company create trouble in next. The many detailed descriptions of popular landmarks and unique landscape in the countries Vicky gets to visit are definitely part of the charm of this series!
September 28, 2015
This one is definitely the most angsty of the series--really kind of heart wrenching in spots! Still very funny though at the same time--Schmidt, as always, adds much in the way of comic relief, and Suzi is pretty entertaining as well. And man, what a fantastic ending! In fact, the ending is just so good, that now I wonder if that's partly why the sixth book disturbs me so much--it really does feel completely unnecessary. Still, I might give it another try, just in case my ill temper about it has mellowed since I first read it. At any rate, long live Vicky Bliss, Sir John Smythe Tregarth, and, of course, the ever-adorable Schmidt! I'll be rereading this series yet again before too long, I'm sure.
August 29, 2016
There really is nothing quite like an Elizabeth Peters novel. They are deliciously indulgent and marvelous fun. Great sense of humour blended with action and adventure. A delight to read.
I've really been enjoying the Vicky Bliss series. Wonderful locations of historic interest. Hard core baddies that make you feel like anyone could be at risk.
I've really been enjoying the Vicky Bliss series. Wonderful locations of historic interest. Hard core baddies that make you feel like anyone could be at risk.
December 29, 2018
By far my favorite Vicky Bliss novel. If not for Falcon At the Portal/He Shall Thunder in the Sky, it would be my favorite of all Elizabeth Peters’ novels. Also, I now realize that John Tregarth was preparing me to encounter Francis Crawford of Lymond,
December 31, 2018
THIS ONE WAS A WILD EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO DEVOTE MY DAY TO EXPERIENCING IT.
Re-read December 2018
Re-read December 2018
Read
February 24, 2023I've enjoyed the author's Amelia Peabody books and had read at least one from this Vicky Bliss series, so on a day when I was feeling mildly under the weather, this audiobook from the library was a good choice. The Amelia Peabody books are rooted in the author's PhD in Egyptology, and while Vicky Bliss is an art historian specializing in medieval, this volume involves her being persuaded to do a bit of crook identification on a luxury Nile cruise. Her difficult lover, the thief "John Smythe," shows up on the cruise with some very unexpected baggage, and around the halfway point things start to get very alarming all around. While a little on the long side, and Vicky Bliss's brash and combative attitude can get irritating, the book is entertaining.
I don't listen to a lot of audiobooks and find I'm very picky about narrators; Barbara Rosenblat is good and can really do a lot of different voices and moods. At times I felt she was actually a little too animated for my taste, especially in this long of a book with this much adventure, but overall I'd happily listen to more books narrated by her, especially as with most narrators I give up after a minute or two (I had intended to listen to a new book by an author of my acquaintance instead but soon decided the narration would spoil the book for me).
I don't listen to a lot of audiobooks and find I'm very picky about narrators; Barbara Rosenblat is good and can really do a lot of different voices and moods. At times I felt she was actually a little too animated for my taste, especially in this long of a book with this much adventure, but overall I'd happily listen to more books narrated by her, especially as with most narrators I give up after a minute or two (I had intended to listen to a new book by an author of my acquaintance instead but soon decided the narration would spoil the book for me).
May 31, 2021
So far this is my favorite in the Vicky Bliss series. The mystery was fairly complicated, and some of the characters didn't annoy me quite as much as before. This also took place in Egypt, and there was one mention of Amelia Peabody! This series still comes no where close to my love of the Amelia Peabody series, but this one worked for me. I suspect I'll listen to it again at some point, but will skip the prior entries. I would give this one a B-, so am rounding up to 4 stars.
December 13, 2022
Egyptologist Barbara Mertz wrote under the pseudonym Elizabeth Peters about a medieval art historian named Vicky Bliss who pretended to be an Egyptologist walking in the footsteps of Amelia Peabody Emerson, another of Mertz's characters. Egyptian revolutionaries, international antiquities smugglers, international police, Vicky's boss, Vicky's lover and his new bride, and her potential mother-in-law are all out to either get/protect her. It was fun and frantic, but everything happened for a reason. Not tangled, in fact, but densely woven.
January 6, 2018
When I first started this series I really did not care for, but the recommendation came from such a good source that I powered through. The first book had an interesting plot but I hated all of the characters. The second book was decent, the third good, the forth absolutely amazing, and this, the fifth finally gave me the true romance I was waiting for. My only complaint is that the ending of this book is so great that I fear reading the sixth and final book in this series in case it ruins it all.
August 16, 2021
I love Elizabeth Peters's sense of humor. This book serves it up in spades.
I usually read the Amelia Peabody series rather than the contemporary Vick Bliss, but this was a great book, too.
Not only was it a fun mystery, but it was set in Egypt, so I enjoyed the subtle mentions of the Emerson's exploits that crop up as the heroine visits various sites. Pure fun.
I usually read the Amelia Peabody series rather than the contemporary Vick Bliss, but this was a great book, too.
Not only was it a fun mystery, but it was set in Egypt, so I enjoyed the subtle mentions of the Emerson's exploits that crop up as the heroine visits various sites. Pure fun.
February 4, 2017
I picked up this book on Saturday from my library, and by lunch time I couldn't resist it lure any longer. I spent all of the afternoon reading Night Train to Memphis - and I wasn't disappointed!
Things aren't as they seem, but Sir John's marriage to a sweet looking young lady really throws Vicky into a tailspin. I wasn't too impressed with the thief myself when I read that, but I hoped there was a reason for his caddish, and cruel, behaviour - and so there was. A great mystery, a lot of adventure through the Egyptian landscape, and a real test of trust for Vicky.
My only reservation about this book was the ending. After so much mental anguish and perceived betrayal, Vicky quickly accepts him back into her life waaaay too quickly (even if he did have a good reason) - but he should have told her all about it before hand!
Loved Schmidt. He's such a great comic sidekick for Vicky, but with a lot of hidden depths lurking behind that innocent bon vivant expression ;-D
Things aren't as they seem, but Sir John's marriage to a sweet looking young lady really throws Vicky into a tailspin. I wasn't too impressed with the thief myself when I read that, but I hoped there was a reason for his caddish, and cruel, behaviour - and so there was. A great mystery, a lot of adventure through the Egyptian landscape, and a real test of trust for Vicky.
My only reservation about this book was the ending. After so much mental anguish and perceived betrayal, Vicky quickly accepts him back into her life waaaay too quickly (even if he did have a good reason) - but he should have told her all about it before hand!
Loved Schmidt. He's such a great comic sidekick for Vicky, but with a lot of hidden depths lurking behind that innocent bon vivant expression ;-D
February 5, 2025
Romance! Adventure! Intrigue! ROMANCE!!
March 7, 2017
This was a re-read for me, though this time I chose an audio book. I remembered liking the book a lot more the first time. Barbara Mertz is one of my favorite authors under both her pen names, Elizabeth Peters or Barbara Michaels. The Vicky Bliss novels are always a fun read--I've always liked the first-person protagonist and her half-romantic, half sarcastic attitude. The only thing I didn't like about this book was how long it took to end after the denouement. In the audio version, it was nearly an extra hour's reading time. Like the author didn't want to say goodbye to the characters. Peters' later books (like this one) do tend to be longer and wordier than her earlier ones. Likely, like most very successful authors, she wasn't edited as well once her books were assured of an audience. But the novel is still an entertaining read.
The audio book, however, had a big problem--the reader. Maybe my expectations were too high. I like Kathleen Turner as an actress, and decided to listen to the audio book because she was reading it. But the first 2/3 of the novel she read way too fast, sometimes to the point where I couldn't follow her words. She gasped for air and gulped often because of it, which didn't help. Maybe she thought she was making it more exciting that way. Maybe she had a director who told her to read fast so they could shorten the recording time. I don't know. She also didn't seem to get the nuances of the characters. Several main characters came across as downright unlikeable at times and they shouldn't have. There are ways to say "shut up" to a loved one that don't come across as snarky.
So, I recommend the book, not this audio version. Read it instead.
The audio book, however, had a big problem--the reader. Maybe my expectations were too high. I like Kathleen Turner as an actress, and decided to listen to the audio book because she was reading it. But the first 2/3 of the novel she read way too fast, sometimes to the point where I couldn't follow her words. She gasped for air and gulped often because of it, which didn't help. Maybe she thought she was making it more exciting that way. Maybe she had a director who told her to read fast so they could shorten the recording time. I don't know. She also didn't seem to get the nuances of the characters. Several main characters came across as downright unlikeable at times and they shouldn't have. There are ways to say "shut up" to a loved one that don't come across as snarky.
So, I recommend the book, not this audio version. Read it instead.
April 8, 2019
#5 Vicky Bliss
I ended up reading this story out of order. Vicky is employed at a museum in Germany and is requested to go to Egypt on a cruise to help find a missing bit of art. Schmidt her boss and friend (often refers to himself as Papa Schmidt) ends up showing up on the trip. She also runs into the man that she loves, John, who is now married to a woman named Mary. Mary seems to be needing him to care for her.
My problem with this story was that it seemed at times to drag on and other times, I felt that I needed to stop reading and go back to books 2 through 4 since I was feeling lost at times.
I do enjoy the Elizabeth Peters stories and I tend to read them as I am able to acquire them (from libraries). I think that the Amelia Peabody stories are my favorites. For now, I will go back and read the books that I missed and see if that helps with the continuity.
I ended up reading this story out of order. Vicky is employed at a museum in Germany and is requested to go to Egypt on a cruise to help find a missing bit of art. Schmidt her boss and friend (often refers to himself as Papa Schmidt) ends up showing up on the trip. She also runs into the man that she loves, John, who is now married to a woman named Mary. Mary seems to be needing him to care for her.
My problem with this story was that it seemed at times to drag on and other times, I felt that I needed to stop reading and go back to books 2 through 4 since I was feeling lost at times.
I do enjoy the Elizabeth Peters stories and I tend to read them as I am able to acquire them (from libraries). I think that the Amelia Peabody stories are my favorites. For now, I will go back and read the books that I missed and see if that helps with the continuity.
May 1, 2013
If I was going to be stuck on a deserted island with Lovey and Thurston Howell III for three seasons of mediocre television, this is one of the books I'd pack. I adore it. Everything about it is perfect. EP has mixed success with her titles -- some are real clunkers -- but she nailed it on this book. This was the first Vicky Bliss book I read so I was somewhat confused the first time through and it was still good. Mostly I don't get too spun up about reading books in order, but in the case of this series, it's pretty helpful. And this is a very satisfying last installment. (I haven't decided whether I'm counting the recent addition or not.)
December 11, 2012
Very entertaining. Several years back I listened to another of the Vicky Bliss series (I don't remember which) and was disappointed in it. I was (and am) a fan of the Amelia Peabody series by Ms. Peters and didn't think Vicky Bliss measured up. Since then I've changed my mind.
May 4, 2015
My guilty pleasure and ultimately my favorite in the Vicky Bliss series.
July 2, 2018
A second reading gives me the chance to kick up the star level on this book.
October 6, 2016
Different narrator than the other books. This sounded odd at first, but I got used to her very quickly. Well read. Took me so long to finish because I saved the book for solitary hikes.
February 9, 2019
I've read this book multiple times, and this series is my guilty pleasure. There's action, love, and crime... what else do you need on a rainy day?
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