What do you think?
Rate this book
The Night of Four Hundred Rabbits
An unexpected "gift" has arrived for Carol Farley this Christmas: an envelope with no return address containing a newspaper clipping. Blurred but unmistakable is a photo of a man missing for years and feared dead—Carol's father. It is a summons calling her to a world she has never known, to a place of ancient majesty and blood-chilling terror. Surrounded by towering pyramids on Mexico City's Walk of the Dead, a frightened yet resolute young woman searches for a perilous truth and for the beloved parent she thought was gone forever. But there are dark secrets lurking in the shadows of antiquity, a conspiracy she never imagined . . . and enemies who are determined that Carol Farley will not leave Mexico alive.
343 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
162 people are currently reading
744 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Peters
179 books3,298 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
May 18, 2019
Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters is one of my favorite authors. Educated as an archeologist, she took the reins from Mary Stewart and ran with both the romantic suspense and mystery genres. Her most famous character is Victorian amateur Egyptologist/sleuth Amelia Peabody, introduced in Crocodile on the Sandbank, she has more than a few series and standalone novels that are fun to read. For the most part her heroines are smart, mouthy and vary from pretty humorous to laugh out loud hilarious.
Sadly the heroine in Night of Four... is more a lower echelon fare. The book itself if enjoyable but very dated. I would even say some of the enjoyment comes from the glimpse of the early 70s where you should never trust anyone over 30 and a “cat” is no feline. A small glimpse...
Danny to innocent Carol
“Hermie read me the funniest damn thing you ever heard. Out of some John Birch pamphlet. All about dope fiends, and the evil weed, and how pot leads straight to heroin and makes criminals and rapists out of people. It rots the brain, too.”
“Honest to God, though, it’s the stupidity of cats like that that really bugs me.
The plot deals with the bland Carol receiving a news clipping that shows her father that deserted her and her mother ten years ago is still alive and living in Mexico. He was one of the good dads and she’s felt his loss since. Carol and her BMOC boyfriend go to Mexico City where EP smoothly incorporates a nice travelogue of the city as well as information about the burgeoning drug trade between Mexico and the US.
Carol meets up with her father who is now living with a mysterious and beautiful Mexican widow and her gorgeous son. Things are stressed as her father is not happy to see her, and her boyfriend slides from pot to peyote to worse.
Okay suspense story. Better heroines are Vicki Bliss and Jaqueline Kirby and better reads from Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters are Witch, Summer of the Dragon, Legend in Green Velvet, Borrower of the Night, The Dead Sea CipherThe Camelot Caper, House of Many Shadows, Black Rainbow, The Dark on the Other Side and more.
Carol
Ivan
Bland Danny
Mr. Andres
Mexico City mural
Sadly the heroine in Night of Four... is more a lower echelon fare. The book itself if enjoyable but very dated. I would even say some of the enjoyment comes from the glimpse of the early 70s where you should never trust anyone over 30 and a “cat” is no feline. A small glimpse...
Danny to innocent Carol
“Hermie read me the funniest damn thing you ever heard. Out of some John Birch pamphlet. All about dope fiends, and the evil weed, and how pot leads straight to heroin and makes criminals and rapists out of people. It rots the brain, too.”
“Honest to God, though, it’s the stupidity of cats like that that really bugs me.
The plot deals with the bland Carol receiving a news clipping that shows her father that deserted her and her mother ten years ago is still alive and living in Mexico. He was one of the good dads and she’s felt his loss since. Carol and her BMOC boyfriend go to Mexico City where EP smoothly incorporates a nice travelogue of the city as well as information about the burgeoning drug trade between Mexico and the US.
Carol meets up with her father who is now living with a mysterious and beautiful Mexican widow and her gorgeous son. Things are stressed as her father is not happy to see her, and her boyfriend slides from pot to peyote to worse.
Okay suspense story. Better heroines are Vicki Bliss and Jaqueline Kirby and better reads from Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters are Witch, Summer of the Dragon, Legend in Green Velvet, Borrower of the Night, The Dead Sea CipherThe Camelot Caper, House of Many Shadows, Black Rainbow, The Dark on the Other Side and more.
Carol
Ivan
Bland Danny
Mr. Andres
Mexico City mural
May 15, 2024
Possible Trigger Lots of Drug Abuse
I have read this author for more year than I care to think about. I own and have read everything she had written as Barbara Michaels. Most of these are chillingly wonderful, haunted house/ghost stories. Sadly, something very bad must have been going on in her life at the time she sat down to pen this. I borrowed this one from the library....and my friend that works there told me that she wasn't going to tell me much about the book ...but that it was "different". That was the understatement of the entire century. Quite frankly, it was probably the worst thing I have ever read by ANYONE. It was like a continuous furious rant at life.
The very last thing I ever expected of an Elizabeth Peters book is for it to make me depressed and anxious. Reading about a heroin drug smuggling operation south of the border, LSD trips, the effects of drug abuse, and even sadism isn't in any way the norm from this author. It's not that I can't or won't read about those things, but when I do, it's because I intentionally chose to do so. Think about how you would feel if you bought what was supposed to be an inspirational romance in a Christian bookstore and discovered that you were reading hard-core porn instead. This book was written in 1971 and Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels passed away in 1977 so maybe things were already going bad in her world.
If you are an "old" fan, you can probably read this with sympathy for whatever caused this wonderful writer to pen this "toxic garbage". If you are a new reader...please read her earlier books, like Ammie, Come Home, my absolute favorite, and Stitches in Time both that she wrote as Barbara Michaels, or her Amelia Peabody series that was written as Elizabet Peters...but please know that this one is as off her norm as the sun is from the Earth.
I have read this author for more year than I care to think about. I own and have read everything she had written as Barbara Michaels. Most of these are chillingly wonderful, haunted house/ghost stories. Sadly, something very bad must have been going on in her life at the time she sat down to pen this. I borrowed this one from the library....and my friend that works there told me that she wasn't going to tell me much about the book ...but that it was "different". That was the understatement of the entire century. Quite frankly, it was probably the worst thing I have ever read by ANYONE. It was like a continuous furious rant at life.
The very last thing I ever expected of an Elizabeth Peters book is for it to make me depressed and anxious. Reading about a heroin drug smuggling operation south of the border, LSD trips, the effects of drug abuse, and even sadism isn't in any way the norm from this author. It's not that I can't or won't read about those things, but when I do, it's because I intentionally chose to do so. Think about how you would feel if you bought what was supposed to be an inspirational romance in a Christian bookstore and discovered that you were reading hard-core porn instead. This book was written in 1971 and Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels passed away in 1977 so maybe things were already going bad in her world.
If you are an "old" fan, you can probably read this with sympathy for whatever caused this wonderful writer to pen this "toxic garbage". If you are a new reader...please read her earlier books, like Ammie, Come Home, my absolute favorite, and Stitches in Time both that she wrote as Barbara Michaels, or her Amelia Peabody series that was written as Elizabet Peters...but please know that this one is as off her norm as the sun is from the Earth.
September 16, 2010
slight spoilers ahead
I love Elizabeth Peters (and her alter-ego Barbara Michaels). I've adored her books for several decades, and have most of them in my bookshelves. I noticed that this one wasn't in my bookshelf, so I checked it out of the library. I'm sure I read it long ago. Now I know why it isn't in my collection.
Quite frankly, it sucked.
Reading Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels is my literary equivilent of snack food. I read her books to laugh, to get the heebie-jeebies, to take myself away for a few hours on a fun-filled, slightly zany ride. It's not great literature, but it's not meant to be. What I expect is to be entertained, and come away no better (and no worse) then before I cracked open the book.
The last thing I expect in reading an Elizabeth Peters book is to be depressed and anxious. Reading about a heroin drug smuggling operation south of the border, LSD trips, the effects of drug abuse (not to mention sadism) isn't something I expect in an Elizabeth Peters book. It's not that I can't or won't read about those things, but when I do, it's because I intentionally set out to do so. I liken it to buying an inspirational romance in a Christian book store, and finding out it's soft porn erotica instead.
I'm not sure what was going on in Peters' world in 1971, but it certainly effected the style and scope of her writing with this offering. I've read enough Peters to know this isn't the norm, and I'm glad to know it was a one-off for her.
For new fans of Peters/Michaels, don't pick this one up as your entry into her writing. For long time fans, did you find this one strangely discordant?
I love Elizabeth Peters (and her alter-ego Barbara Michaels). I've adored her books for several decades, and have most of them in my bookshelves. I noticed that this one wasn't in my bookshelf, so I checked it out of the library. I'm sure I read it long ago. Now I know why it isn't in my collection.
Quite frankly, it sucked.
Reading Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels is my literary equivilent of snack food. I read her books to laugh, to get the heebie-jeebies, to take myself away for a few hours on a fun-filled, slightly zany ride. It's not great literature, but it's not meant to be. What I expect is to be entertained, and come away no better (and no worse) then before I cracked open the book.
The last thing I expect in reading an Elizabeth Peters book is to be depressed and anxious. Reading about a heroin drug smuggling operation south of the border, LSD trips, the effects of drug abuse (not to mention sadism) isn't something I expect in an Elizabeth Peters book. It's not that I can't or won't read about those things, but when I do, it's because I intentionally set out to do so. I liken it to buying an inspirational romance in a Christian book store, and finding out it's soft porn erotica instead.
I'm not sure what was going on in Peters' world in 1971, but it certainly effected the style and scope of her writing with this offering. I've read enough Peters to know this isn't the norm, and I'm glad to know it was a one-off for her.
For new fans of Peters/Michaels, don't pick this one up as your entry into her writing. For long time fans, did you find this one strangely discordant?
April 29, 2024
What if the late Nancy Reagan had had some talent and written a novel? It would be a swinging 60’s version of Reefer Madness, and that’s pretty much what you get with The Night of Four Hundred Rabbits.
Sadly, this could have been so good. College student Carol Farley’s mother Helen remains quite bitter after her husband abandoned the family 10 years ago — so bitter that she refuses to even hear his name. Consequently, Carol hasn’t had news of her dad since she was 12. But one December Carol begins to get letters — no return address but postmarked in Mexico — containing clippings from a Mexico City newspaper featuring her long-lost father. Intensely curious and with an extra $1,000 from an inheritance, Carol makes the trip to Mexico.
Needless to say, Carol’s decision turns out to be more dangerous than she expected. Not a spoiler, as we wouldn’t have a cozy mystery if it weren’t, right? But, really, it was all I could do to keep reading.
This 1971 release will seem dated at a time when recreational marijuana is legal in 24 states and legal for medicinal purposes in another 14. But that’s the least of it. Carol Farley is the biggest prig in literature since Fanny Price in Mansfield Park. She’s constantly trying to control other people’s behavior, and she’s dead set against even mild drugs, cocktails or beer, any sex before marriage, and modernity. Did Dana Carvey base his Saturday Night Live Church Lady on Carol? Probably.
What saves this novel are the vivid descriptions of Mexico City and an extremely suspenseful ending. Otherwise, it’s nearly impossible to believe that this is the same Elizabeth Peters who later wrote the Jacqueline Kirby and Vicky Bliss series and dozens upon dozens of stand-alone cozies. Glad to see Barbara Mertz (who used the Elizabeth Peters pseudonym) so quickly learned to craft a more believable young heroine.
Sadly, this could have been so good. College student Carol Farley’s mother Helen remains quite bitter after her husband abandoned the family 10 years ago — so bitter that she refuses to even hear his name. Consequently, Carol hasn’t had news of her dad since she was 12. But one December Carol begins to get letters — no return address but postmarked in Mexico — containing clippings from a Mexico City newspaper featuring her long-lost father. Intensely curious and with an extra $1,000 from an inheritance, Carol makes the trip to Mexico.
Needless to say, Carol’s decision turns out to be more dangerous than she expected. Not a spoiler, as we wouldn’t have a cozy mystery if it weren’t, right? But, really, it was all I could do to keep reading.
This 1971 release will seem dated at a time when recreational marijuana is legal in 24 states and legal for medicinal purposes in another 14. But that’s the least of it. Carol Farley is the biggest prig in literature since Fanny Price in Mansfield Park. She’s constantly trying to control other people’s behavior, and she’s dead set against even mild drugs, cocktails or beer, any sex before marriage, and modernity. Did Dana Carvey base his Saturday Night Live Church Lady on Carol? Probably.
What saves this novel are the vivid descriptions of Mexico City and an extremely suspenseful ending. Otherwise, it’s nearly impossible to believe that this is the same Elizabeth Peters who later wrote the Jacqueline Kirby and Vicky Bliss series and dozens upon dozens of stand-alone cozies. Glad to see Barbara Mertz (who used the Elizabeth Peters pseudonym) so quickly learned to craft a more believable young heroine.
November 11, 2025
Maybe more like 2.5 stars? Because of the extensive focus on drugs, drug trips, creeps and jerks it is hard to give a ringing endorsement of this tale. One can only hope to reach the finish line not even caring at that point if the heroine lives or dies. A favorite author, though. Oh well.
Kindle Unlimited
Kindle Unlimited
December 4, 2015
I’m shocked such easy dynamics for an adventure were squandered on drugs. This was as disinteresting as could be; a waste of setting. It is scarcely about Carol’s father. We wonder where he stood in the equation and whether a relationship were possible but that stood at a distant sideline. Every scene was about a boyfriend keen for marijuana. The single shred of belated adventure comes from pursuing cheesy villains. It had little to do with pyramids or México. It could occur anywhere.
If it were well-plotted or I cared for any character at all beyond the protagonist; perhaps I could have enjoyed this story. However as a writer, I couldn't deny it was awful and didn’t take the direction described. This was a stilted, YA-toned relationship novel. I love older settings. A novel of 1971 should show age. Old settings preserve worthwhile snapshots. Unsuccessfully, Barbara festoon her story with hip scenarios, forcing modern buzzwords into all dialogue. This might have been a health class pep talk film, rather than the Indiana Jones quest to which we thought we were sitting down.
I see merit in any worthwhile grain. I would praise this novel with stars everywhere they were due. Excepting happy closing moments and comical quips on the part of the intelligent Carol; there were slim scrapings. Extraneous narrating dragged on, even before reaching the family plotline advertised. The novel was unfocused, we can't stand Danny, and I loathe the topic of drugs. The motive revealed, for summoning Carol to México, was the most poorly made-up I’ve ever seen. This is an early effort. Don't introduce new readers with this. We know Barbara does much better. Even the happy picture of dear rabbits was overrun by narcotics. That term measures being drunk or drugged. Four-hundred rabbits is maximum inebriation.
If it were well-plotted or I cared for any character at all beyond the protagonist; perhaps I could have enjoyed this story. However as a writer, I couldn't deny it was awful and didn’t take the direction described. This was a stilted, YA-toned relationship novel. I love older settings. A novel of 1971 should show age. Old settings preserve worthwhile snapshots. Unsuccessfully, Barbara festoon her story with hip scenarios, forcing modern buzzwords into all dialogue. This might have been a health class pep talk film, rather than the Indiana Jones quest to which we thought we were sitting down.
I see merit in any worthwhile grain. I would praise this novel with stars everywhere they were due. Excepting happy closing moments and comical quips on the part of the intelligent Carol; there were slim scrapings. Extraneous narrating dragged on, even before reaching the family plotline advertised. The novel was unfocused, we can't stand Danny, and I loathe the topic of drugs. The motive revealed, for summoning Carol to México, was the most poorly made-up I’ve ever seen. This is an early effort. Don't introduce new readers with this. We know Barbara does much better. Even the happy picture of dear rabbits was overrun by narcotics. That term measures being drunk or drugged. Four-hundred rabbits is maximum inebriation.
November 18, 2014
GUYS. I do not even know what to say about this book.
Well, I do, actually. It was weird as hell, especially for esteemed mystery madame Elizabeth Peters. Light spoilers ahead, so be warned.
A quick primer: Elizabeth Peters is the pen name of Barbara Mertz (a.k.a. Barbara Michaels as well), and she's well known for writing clever, adventuresome thrillers and mysteries with romantic and often gothic twists. Her heroines are realistic (exception: Vicky Bliss), her heroes are lovably Byronic, and her writing is superb.
Sadly, Ms. Peters passed away in 2013, so of course I have turned into some kind of mad creepy hoarder who is trying to space out the remaining books I haven't yet read by her so that they last me the rest of my lifetime. (Yes, I have made peace with my weirdness.)
So imagine the scenario: I decide that IT'S TIME, lift one of my few precious unread Elizabeth Peters book from its pristine pile, open the cover, and... WTF, The Night of Four Hundred Rabbits?!
It starts off like most Elizabeth Peters (and many Barbara Michaels) mysteries do: an intelligent, naive-yet-proto-feminist young woman laments the dull trivialities of everyday life, and shares with us a relatable flaw or two before being whisked away to some exotic location where she'll have to solve a mystery and fall for a brusque yet charming Byronic hero...
Okay, so our heroine has a pre-existing boyfriend. That's fine. It's just unusual for Ms. Peters' novels (where the heroines are generally fed up with men), and because of that, I think it's important. More on this later.
We get to meet Danny a little further on in Chapter One, and he's... well:
Drugs? College-age protagonists? Off-kilter 1970s jargon? A female character who bows to the Almighty Boyfriend, who in this case appears to be at least somewhat emotionally abusive?
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH ELIZABETH PETERS?
The novel, unsurprisingly, continues. Our protagonist, the rather drab and forgettable Carol Farley, receives a Mexican newspaper clipping containing a photo of her father—whom for years she had thought dead. (HOORAY! ADVENTURE!) So she and Danny zoom off to Mexico to figure out what's going on.
But not before Danny has another rant:
Danny is a treasure.
Actually, this is another first for Ms. Peters, whose characters are often so powerful because you love them. And you love them because she loves them—even the bad guys. She revels in every character she writes, delights in them, in their heroic moments and flaws alike.
But Danny is the first Elizabeth Peters character I've come across who creates a reaction of disgust—an actual physical twinge—in my gut. As the novel progresses, he becomes more and more of a caricature, his actions more and more despicable. He is an emotionally abusive drug addict, and he is loathsome, and this is noteworthy for Ms. Peters, as I think Danny is the first character she's ever written who she herself has actively hated. More on this later.
So anyway, they arrive in Mexico, and then DRUGS DRUGS DRUGS DRUGS DRUGS. Seriously. Danny buys a bunch of drugs from some dude named Jesus, and then they...
And (in addition to the drugs), that's the next very non-Elizabeth Peters point about this book: overall, the characters act like inexpertly animated marionettes, jerky and halfhearted. I still can't figure out what she was going for with the character of Carol's father, George:
Uh, what? You think your father is dead for years and years, you track him to Mexico... and when you find him, you SHAKE HANDS, and then he politely invites you inside his secret Mexican drug house like NOTHING IS OUT OF THE ORDINARY?
I'm an extremely empathetic person—too much so, sometimes. So it's usually very easy for me to understand characters' motives, take a walk in their shoes, all that good stuff.
But I am genuinely baffled by this exchange. Carol's reunion with her father is a huge letdown. Even now in rereading it, I simply don't get it. Why are they being so stiff and weird? It's been revealed that Carol is a passionate person. Why is she acting like this?
Anyway. George has moved in with this hot lady and her hot son, both of whom have inexplicably Russian names despite being Mexican. (Seriously, the hot son's name is Ivan Oblensky.)
Anyway. Weird, stilted dialogue follows, as does a tour of Mexican hotspots. Danny and Ivan do a bunch of drugs. They talk about legalizing pot. They talk about LSD and "snow" (heroin), as well as mushrooms and teonanacatl and peyote and dex and bennies and NO I AM NOT KIDDING THIS IS AN ELIZABETH PETERS NOVEL.
Many more drugs later, Carol realizes she's being followed by a Mystery Man. Ivan's hot mom tries to talk Carol into leaving town. Carol beings to suspect her dad is involved in the drug trade. She then goes to a party, where Danny does a bunch more drugs and makes out with some random girl (one of many steps into said loathsomeness). The book trundles along much like our protagonist's drunk/stoned/strung-out boyfriend, leaving us, like her, more than a little confused and disappointed.
Continue reading my review on my website, the Book Junkie Blog!
Otherwise... One out of five stars.
I love Elizabeth Peters. She is absolutely one of my favorite writers, and I hope that has come across in this review. The Night of Four Hundred Rabbits is a rare misstep that can likely be attributed to unpleasant ripples in her personal life.
Die-hard Peters fans like myself may wish to read this novel, but casual readers may wish to skip this particular installment.
Well, I do, actually. It was weird as hell, especially for esteemed mystery madame Elizabeth Peters. Light spoilers ahead, so be warned.
A quick primer: Elizabeth Peters is the pen name of Barbara Mertz (a.k.a. Barbara Michaels as well), and she's well known for writing clever, adventuresome thrillers and mysteries with romantic and often gothic twists. Her heroines are realistic (exception: Vicky Bliss), her heroes are lovably Byronic, and her writing is superb.
Sadly, Ms. Peters passed away in 2013, so of course I have turned into some kind of mad creepy hoarder who is trying to space out the remaining books I haven't yet read by her so that they last me the rest of my lifetime. (Yes, I have made peace with my weirdness.)
So imagine the scenario: I decide that IT'S TIME, lift one of my few precious unread Elizabeth Peters book from its pristine pile, open the cover, and... WTF, The Night of Four Hundred Rabbits?!
It starts off like most Elizabeth Peters (and many Barbara Michaels) mysteries do: an intelligent, naive-yet-proto-feminist young woman laments the dull trivialities of everyday life, and shares with us a relatable flaw or two before being whisked away to some exotic location where she'll have to solve a mystery and fall for a brusque yet charming Byronic hero...
"I didn't want to talk about anything else but Danny... blond, blue-eyed, handsome, and brilliant..."
Okay, so our heroine has a pre-existing boyfriend. That's fine. It's just unusual for Ms. Peters' novels (where the heroines are generally fed up with men), and because of that, I think it's important. More on this later.
We get to meet Danny a little further on in Chapter One, and he's... well:
"You aren't high, are you, Danny? Not now?"
His long, sensitive mouth—my barometer for measuring his moods—tightened, and then relaxed.
"Honey, you are so hopelessly square. I don't get high on pot. Nobody gets high on pot, they just get a happy glow. If you'd try it yourself... You know I don't smoke when I'm driving." [...]
"I'm sorry," I said humbly.
"Don't be sorry. Don't ever be sorry."
Drugs? College-age protagonists? Off-kilter 1970s jargon? A female character who bows to the Almighty Boyfriend, who in this case appears to be at least somewhat emotionally abusive?
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH ELIZABETH PETERS?
The novel, unsurprisingly, continues. Our protagonist, the rather drab and forgettable Carol Farley, receives a Mexican newspaper clipping containing a photo of her father—whom for years she had thought dead. (HOORAY! ADVENTURE!) So she and Danny zoom off to Mexico to figure out what's going on.
But not before Danny has another rant:
"And he thinks grass is the devil's weed."
"Oh," I said helplessly. That's about all I could say. Any hint of 'I told you so' would have enraged Danny.
"That was all Hermie needed. He wouldn't care if I got stoned on Scotch every night—so long as it was the best Scotch. But pot! No, no, bad boy!"
Danny is a treasure.
Actually, this is another first for Ms. Peters, whose characters are often so powerful because you love them. And you love them because she loves them—even the bad guys. She revels in every character she writes, delights in them, in their heroic moments and flaws alike.
But Danny is the first Elizabeth Peters character I've come across who creates a reaction of disgust—an actual physical twinge—in my gut. As the novel progresses, he becomes more and more of a caricature, his actions more and more despicable. He is an emotionally abusive drug addict, and he is loathsome, and this is noteworthy for Ms. Peters, as I think Danny is the first character she's ever written who she herself has actively hated. More on this later.
So anyway, they arrive in Mexico, and then DRUGS DRUGS DRUGS DRUGS DRUGS. Seriously. Danny buys a bunch of drugs from some dude named Jesus, and then they...
And (in addition to the drugs), that's the next very non-Elizabeth Peters point about this book: overall, the characters act like inexpertly animated marionettes, jerky and halfhearted. I still can't figure out what she was going for with the character of Carol's father, George:
"Carol," the man said.
He moved forward... Tongue-tied, I struggled for a response.
"Carol? he said again; this time there was a questioning lift to his voice. He took another step forward. "It is you, isn't it? You look just as I expected you would."
[...] I didn't show my emotion; I was afraid of it.
"Hello," I said, and held out my hand.
[...] There was an awkward fumble before our fingers met, and the clasp of hands was brief, by mutual consent.
[...] "Well. won't you come in, both of you?"
Uh, what? You think your father is dead for years and years, you track him to Mexico... and when you find him, you SHAKE HANDS, and then he politely invites you inside his secret Mexican drug house like NOTHING IS OUT OF THE ORDINARY?
I'm an extremely empathetic person—too much so, sometimes. So it's usually very easy for me to understand characters' motives, take a walk in their shoes, all that good stuff.
But I am genuinely baffled by this exchange. Carol's reunion with her father is a huge letdown. Even now in rereading it, I simply don't get it. Why are they being so stiff and weird? It's been revealed that Carol is a passionate person. Why is she acting like this?
Anyway. George has moved in with this hot lady and her hot son, both of whom have inexplicably Russian names despite being Mexican. (Seriously, the hot son's name is Ivan Oblensky.)
Anyway. Weird, stilted dialogue follows, as does a tour of Mexican hotspots. Danny and Ivan do a bunch of drugs. They talk about legalizing pot. They talk about LSD and "snow" (heroin), as well as mushrooms and teonanacatl and peyote and dex and bennies and NO I AM NOT KIDDING THIS IS AN ELIZABETH PETERS NOVEL.
Many more drugs later, Carol realizes she's being followed by a Mystery Man. Ivan's hot mom tries to talk Carol into leaving town. Carol beings to suspect her dad is involved in the drug trade. She then goes to a party, where Danny does a bunch more drugs and makes out with some random girl (one of many steps into said loathsomeness). The book trundles along much like our protagonist's drunk/stoned/strung-out boyfriend, leaving us, like her, more than a little confused and disappointed.
Continue reading my review on my website, the Book Junkie Blog!
Otherwise... One out of five stars.
I love Elizabeth Peters. She is absolutely one of my favorite writers, and I hope that has come across in this review. The Night of Four Hundred Rabbits is a rare misstep that can likely be attributed to unpleasant ripples in her personal life.
Die-hard Peters fans like myself may wish to read this novel, but casual readers may wish to skip this particular installment.
March 26, 2024
It is a gamble revisiting books one read as a young person when it comes to how time passing affects taste. I don't remember much about this book from the first read- telling, maybe-, but I do remember liking it well enough.
Ahem, this time around, I confess to being sometimes interested, often bored, and just as often, irritated. Carol, the heroine, I liked well enough, though she could monologue on and on, but her druggie boyfriend, Danny, and their frequent discussions-arguments over his drug use that got worse as the story progressed turned me off. Much of the book had that 70's young person feel which was fascinating in some ways, but it also felt overblown in ways because Carol and Danny were young and pretending worldliness that the first sign of trouble blows away like the wisps it really was.
It had exciting moments and suspense which was good. I would have liked a bit more of the Mexican flavor since that was the setting. But, mostly, I was uninterested and listened half-heartedly while I went about other tasks.
Grace Conlin's narration was good, but the storyline kept me from feeling very excited about her work on this one.
This is not one I'd hand a rookie to Elizabeth Peters' work and maybe only a true fan who wants a thorough read of her whole backlist will appreciate it best.
Ahem, this time around, I confess to being sometimes interested, often bored, and just as often, irritated. Carol, the heroine, I liked well enough, though she could monologue on and on, but her druggie boyfriend, Danny, and their frequent discussions-arguments over his drug use that got worse as the story progressed turned me off. Much of the book had that 70's young person feel which was fascinating in some ways, but it also felt overblown in ways because Carol and Danny were young and pretending worldliness that the first sign of trouble blows away like the wisps it really was.
It had exciting moments and suspense which was good. I would have liked a bit more of the Mexican flavor since that was the setting. But, mostly, I was uninterested and listened half-heartedly while I went about other tasks.
Grace Conlin's narration was good, but the storyline kept me from feeling very excited about her work on this one.
This is not one I'd hand a rookie to Elizabeth Peters' work and maybe only a true fan who wants a thorough read of her whole backlist will appreciate it best.
April 11, 2018
Carol, on a break between semesters from an unnamed midwestern university, uses some of an inheritance she and her mother received to visit Mexico. Her drug-addicted boyfriend Danny accompanies her. She intends to visit her estranged father George after receiving anonymous notes about him. Her father lives with a Mexican family. Ivan invites Carol to join one of his tours of Teotihuacan, and she falls in love with the site. Following an incident, she moves out of the hotel and into the house with her father. Danny experiments with more dangerous drugs. Carol soon realizes something related to drug-trafficking is afoot, but she isn't sure whom she can trust. This book first appeared in 1971. The story fits that time and place and probably received an enthusiastic reception by readers. Today's reader will recognize the "preachiness" against using narcotics and respond less favorably. The audio version by Grace Conlin is not recommended. She reads more as a narrator than as someone trying act the parts with enthusiasm, fear, and the other range of emotions characters should be feeling. The voice did not fit Carol. This book differs significantly from other works I read by the author. (2.5 stars)
December 15, 2021
Oh, dear. This one really isn't good. I haven't reread them in many years and I didn't remember liking it much, but I positively disliked it this time around.
The drugs plot was tedious and preposterous, and the attitudes really haven't aged well. Peters was always on the most progressive side of things, but with drugs, she is not able to avoid the obvious pitfalls (e.g. of identifying the problem as purely about the drugs themselves and the (American) users, and not even mentioning the suffering due to the supply chain (mostly to foreigners, of course).
And it doesn't help that the heroine is a bit of a drip. Peters' heroines are normally so lively and intelligent, but Carol was just blah, and a total pushover. The romance was unfortunately just as lackluster.
Shame, because the Mexican setting had a lot of promise. Peters does manage to go beyond the trite on that, and I would have loved if she'd used it to take things in a different direction, maybe even using the basic 'smuggling' plot points but with artifacts rather than drugs. That would have improved things.
The drugs plot was tedious and preposterous, and the attitudes really haven't aged well. Peters was always on the most progressive side of things, but with drugs, she is not able to avoid the obvious pitfalls (e.g. of identifying the problem as purely about the drugs themselves and the (American) users, and not even mentioning the suffering due to the supply chain (mostly to foreigners, of course).
And it doesn't help that the heroine is a bit of a drip. Peters' heroines are normally so lively and intelligent, but Carol was just blah, and a total pushover. The romance was unfortunately just as lackluster.
Shame, because the Mexican setting had a lot of promise. Peters does manage to go beyond the trite on that, and I would have loved if she'd used it to take things in a different direction, maybe even using the basic 'smuggling' plot points but with artifacts rather than drugs. That would have improved things.
February 10, 2018
Infodump infodump boringness drug lecture plot, naive no-sex-before-marriage heroine who forgives all sorts of things she shouldn’t. It must be some other Elizabeth Peters who wrote this one, maybe to order or to be able to take a trip to Mexico off her taxes or to work through some change in political opinion. The only saving grace is that you can see some stock characters and plot contrivances she’d use later in development. I didn’t remember this being so bad, so perhaps I’m overly harsh, but ew. Don’t bother.
September 2, 2021
Lesser Peters. There's some interesting archaeology, but really it's about drug smuggling and feels much more dated and not as much fun.
February 6, 2019
Yuck. I love Barbara Mertz but I cannot stand Elizabeth Peters. This was garbage. Compelling garbage, I finished it, but that was morbid curiousity, plus I spent six sevenths of this book waiting for the mystery to start.
This book was brought to you by a 1968 Life magazine article that made your grandma worry about drugs.
Carol is a weird robot who believes in Freud, calls her parents George and Helen, and attends a Midwestern college where her boyfriend Danny is a douche who likes talking about drugs. They go to Mexico City because Carol is worried that her estranged father is in danger, and after a super-awkward first meeting, Carol's common-law step-brother Ivan gives Carol and Danny a tour of the principle sights of Mexico City that looks a lot like what happened when Barbara Mertz went on vacation to Mexico City with her friend Carol, per the dedication. Danny keeps talking about drugs, because the youth of today are like that. Meanwhile, a schlubby, drunk American is following Carol around. Carol goes out at night and schlubby dude tries to grab her. Carol fights him off and goes back to the hotel, post-attempted rape/kidnapping-traumatized, and has to babysit Danny who's having a bad trip. The next day, Carol is toodling around being a tourist at a pyramid when schlubby dude turns up, and, instead of screaming "rape" or telling an adult, she lets him follow ten steps behind her while she shops for souvenirs. This whole book is a study on how bad sexual harassment must have been before the second wave, and how acquiescent women had to be to survive it. It's chilling. Thought experiment: If a man tried to kidnap another man on the street in 1968 (heterosexuality of both assumed), would the attempted kidnappee be okay with it the next day? Fuck no.
Carol's father invites her to stay with him and Inez, the woman he's living with but, it's heavily implied, not boning, and her family. Ivan and Danny start hanging out because bullfighting. It's all a horrible vacation. Carol thinks somebody in the household is up to something, and she thinks Danny is cheating on her, so she sets up a sting that leads her to some pointless vignette in a dark, spooky room. She gets drugged and kidnapped the next day, and the villain explains themself somewhat. (They're smuggling heroin!) It still makes NO sense why they brought Carol to Mexico in the first place. There's a lot of exposition about why drugs are bad, and they are, but so are after-school specials. In the end, it's over. The drug dealers are bad, the people who abandon their family and are rude to their guests are good. Kidnappers are sexy.
Bad book. Do not read.
This book was brought to you by a 1968 Life magazine article that made your grandma worry about drugs.
Carol is a weird robot who believes in Freud, calls her parents George and Helen, and attends a Midwestern college where her boyfriend Danny is a douche who likes talking about drugs. They go to Mexico City because Carol is worried that her estranged father is in danger, and after a super-awkward first meeting, Carol's common-law step-brother Ivan gives Carol and Danny a tour of the principle sights of Mexico City that looks a lot like what happened when Barbara Mertz went on vacation to Mexico City with her friend Carol, per the dedication. Danny keeps talking about drugs, because the youth of today are like that. Meanwhile, a schlubby, drunk American is following Carol around. Carol goes out at night and schlubby dude tries to grab her. Carol fights him off and goes back to the hotel, post-attempted rape/kidnapping-traumatized, and has to babysit Danny who's having a bad trip. The next day, Carol is toodling around being a tourist at a pyramid when schlubby dude turns up, and, instead of screaming "rape" or telling an adult, she lets him follow ten steps behind her while she shops for souvenirs. This whole book is a study on how bad sexual harassment must have been before the second wave, and how acquiescent women had to be to survive it. It's chilling. Thought experiment: If a man tried to kidnap another man on the street in 1968 (heterosexuality of both assumed), would the attempted kidnappee be okay with it the next day? Fuck no.
Carol's father invites her to stay with him and Inez, the woman he's living with but, it's heavily implied, not boning, and her family. Ivan and Danny start hanging out because bullfighting. It's all a horrible vacation. Carol thinks somebody in the household is up to something, and she thinks Danny is cheating on her, so she sets up a sting that leads her to some pointless vignette in a dark, spooky room. She gets drugged and kidnapped the next day, and the villain explains themself somewhat. (They're smuggling heroin!) It still makes NO sense why they brought Carol to Mexico in the first place. There's a lot of exposition about why drugs are bad, and they are, but so are after-school specials. In the end, it's over. The drug dealers are bad, the people who abandon their family and are rude to their guests are good. Kidnappers are sexy.
Bad book. Do not read.
August 18, 2021
Decades ago she was one of my favorite authors - usually she writes absorbing, entertaining mysteries with a science focused strong woman protagonist. I couldn’t remember this one though and now I understand why. It dragged, characters were unpleasant and one dimensional, and it lacked her usual humor. Not a good representation of her typical work.
July 28, 2018
I enjoyed this book and want to read others by this author. A big part of that desire is based on comments by her (apparently) regular readers that this was perhaps not her best effort.
Not sure I would call it a ‘thriller’ as they have labeled it, but certainly an interesting mystery of sorts.
Plus, how can you resist such an interesting title?
Not sure I would call it a ‘thriller’ as they have labeled it, but certainly an interesting mystery of sorts.
Plus, how can you resist such an interesting title?
November 10, 2023
I love the Amelia Peabody mysteries and I like Vikky Bliss, but this book was sub-par Peters. Part of the problem was that the main character is much more passive than Peters's other heroines, and spends most of her time as a victim. The other problem is that Peters doesn't seem as interested in the Aztecs as she was in the Ancient Egyptians or the Medieval Germans. The love doesn't shine through. The bad guy and the mystery are okay, but muddled. This was one of her early books, and Peters didn't have her craft figured out.
April 24, 2009
I picked this one up at a library book sale for a quarter. I'm not sure it was worth that much. Ugh. To be fair though, I had already experienced early Elizabeth Peters and wasn't thrilled, so it's not like I had high expectations. The plot was dated, the characters uninspiring, and I was kind of annoyed by the main character's continual references toward dark portents ahead. But-- it was short, quick, and I am able to take another book off my shelf.
September 7, 2018
As only the second Elizabeth Peters book I have read, I am flabbergasted by the contrast between the two.
This book was awful from start to finish. I begrudgingly saw it all the way through, which I must say is a testament to my dedication (or stupidity?).
I cannot get this book off my shelves and back to the used bookstore for trade in credit fast enough!
This book was awful from start to finish. I begrudgingly saw it all the way through, which I must say is a testament to my dedication (or stupidity?).
I cannot get this book off my shelves and back to the used bookstore for trade in credit fast enough!
April 12, 2008
I have really enjoyed the Amelia Peabody mysteries, so I thought I would give another Elizabeth Peters a shot. Finally finished- did not like as well as the Amelia Peabodys- the main character just wasn't quite at captivating and interesting, nor was the plot.
July 10, 2012
I am a huge Elizabeth Peters fan and count Amelia Peabody and Vicky Bliss as two favorite protagonists. However, no matter how many times I tried, I just could not get interested in this story. Thank goodness I only paid ten cents for the book at a rummage sale.
March 20, 2014
I see a lot of people didn't quite like this one, but I have to say, I loved it!
I love Elizabeth Peters but had, prior to this book, only read from the Amelia Peabody series. The characters in this book are quite different but just as enjoyable.
I love Elizabeth Peters but had, prior to this book, only read from the Amelia Peabody series. The characters in this book are quite different but just as enjoyable.
April 15, 2022
A mystery with lots of cultural details on witch craft, Aztec and Toltec civilizations by an author who is a certified archaeologist. Much different from the Peabody books in this authors menagerie.
August 31, 2015
"The Night of Four Hundred Rabbits" - written by Elizabeth Peters and first published in 1971. A dud from an author who has written many better offerings.
February 9, 2020
Felt like an antidrug commercial, and a lot of things came together at the end that there wasn't a lot of evidence for earlier in the book.
May 27, 2021
I enjoy reading Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody archeology mystery series and was surprised and pleased to find this book at a remaindered bookstore. I had never heard of it. This was originally published in 1971 and is dated to that era. I bet that this was one of the early books she wrote. Don't quote me on that. It's just different than her usual mysteries and typical heroines. Yes, I liked it. It was an enjoyable read, mostly because of the exotic setting: Mexico City. I love reading about the ancient pyramids, the history, and the customs. It took me awhile to realize the meaning of the title. There are few books (that I've read anyway- one was "The House on the Strand" by Du Maurier) that talks about the effects of the LSD hallucinogenic drug that was the scourge of the late 1960s, early 1970s. This is one of them.
Carol Farley, a college student, goes to Mexico City to find her father, missing since she was a young girl. Her steady boyfriend, Danny, accompanies her there. As an aside, Danny was a total jerk and didn't treat her very well. She had received mysterious notes pointing her toward her father's location. When she meets up with her father she finds him very different from the dad she remembers and loved. He shuns her and then suddenly, asks her to stay at the hacienda with him. Ivan, the handsome son of the hacienda owner is a tourist guide. Carol spend her days exploring the pyramids as the rope of danger slowly tightens around her. Danny becomes distant and withdrawn and she has no one to turn to. The ending was very dramatic and provided sufficient danger!
Carol Farley, a college student, goes to Mexico City to find her father, missing since she was a young girl. Her steady boyfriend, Danny, accompanies her there. As an aside, Danny was a total jerk and didn't treat her very well. She had received mysterious notes pointing her toward her father's location. When she meets up with her father she finds him very different from the dad she remembers and loved. He shuns her and then suddenly, asks her to stay at the hacienda with him. Ivan, the handsome son of the hacienda owner is a tourist guide. Carol spend her days exploring the pyramids as the rope of danger slowly tightens around her. Danny becomes distant and withdrawn and she has no one to turn to. The ending was very dramatic and provided sufficient danger!
October 4, 2018
This was ... odd. Someone else mentioned it was a waste of a setting and I have to agree with them. The writing felt very dated and the storyline fit into that. In the era in which it was written, I think it was probably much better received than I am receiving it today in 2017. This book aged poorly. In the early 70s when it was written, drugs were becoming a really huge issue. The idea of smuggling drugs from Mexico into the US was beginning to drive a panic, so I can see why that particular issue was of importance the author.
The protagonist was a well developed character, but her wastrel of a boyfriend was a colossal disappointment. The entire plot revolved around his drug habit right up until the end when he vanished from the manuscript entirely. It was a very lazy and unsatisfying denouement. Everything happened off-screen, as it were and we learned about it in the retelling rather than in the action. It was like the author suddenly petered out and just wanted to get the darn thing over with. The peculiar lack of detail in the ending did not in any way jibe with the detail that was present in the earlier part of the book. The ending was really just phoned in.
Additionally, in the very last pages, a bizarre romance sprang up abruptly between the young protagonist and a character for whom she has had nothing but loathing since page 1. Not one iota of foreshadowing. Very, very strange.
I expected much more from Ms Peters as I have read and loved her rollickingly wonderful Amelia Peabody series. Very disappointed.
The protagonist was a well developed character, but her wastrel of a boyfriend was a colossal disappointment. The entire plot revolved around his drug habit right up until the end when he vanished from the manuscript entirely. It was a very lazy and unsatisfying denouement. Everything happened off-screen, as it were and we learned about it in the retelling rather than in the action. It was like the author suddenly petered out and just wanted to get the darn thing over with. The peculiar lack of detail in the ending did not in any way jibe with the detail that was present in the earlier part of the book. The ending was really just phoned in.
Additionally, in the very last pages, a bizarre romance sprang up abruptly between the young protagonist and a character for whom she has had nothing but loathing since page 1. Not one iota of foreshadowing. Very, very strange.
I expected much more from Ms Peters as I have read and loved her rollickingly wonderful Amelia Peabody series. Very disappointed.
December 9, 2023
I have read quite a few different books by this author -- mostly in her series about Egyptian archaeologists -- and the title caught my eye on a friend's shelf. Then I saw that it is set in Mexico and would therefore be useful for the 666 Challenge, so I dibsed it from her. Like most of the book by this author, this is pure fluff. But I did learn a lesson about the enduring nature of fluff because I was almost 30 pages into the book before I realized it was not contemporary. Instead it was set more than 50 years ago -- with a copyright date of the year I was born. For these reasons, I forgave Carol, the protagonist, for her willingness to put up with a douchebag boyfriend. Were it me, Danny would not have lasted long enough to get to Mexico, let alone be a twat the entire trip.
I hate to spoil the plot of any mystery, but this one is about drugs. The sad thing to me is that much of the debate over marijuana referenced in this book is the same today as it was then, although it is more readily available in a quasi-legal format. Acid and mushrooms and such are the real bad actors in this book and I can see why, yet they are starting to have some therapeutic applications for mental illness these days. In the framework of this book, though, they are terrible things and the catalyst for more that is terrible. But, luckily, this is fluff, so most of the right people live happily ever after.
I hate to spoil the plot of any mystery, but this one is about drugs. The sad thing to me is that much of the debate over marijuana referenced in this book is the same today as it was then, although it is more readily available in a quasi-legal format. Acid and mushrooms and such are the real bad actors in this book and I can see why, yet they are starting to have some therapeutic applications for mental illness these days. In the framework of this book, though, they are terrible things and the catalyst for more that is terrible. But, luckily, this is fluff, so most of the right people live happily ever after.
August 9, 2017
Elizabeth Peters is one of my all-time favorite authors. It's heartbreaking to admit, but I found this book difficult to enjoy. Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels writes phenomenal stories but this was a rare dud. If this is your first time reading her work then don't take it as a reflection of her other books, I beg you!
Her plots and characters are usually compelling and intricate, but this story fell flat, with characters that weren't well explained. Her usual twist-endings and surprises were clumsy, and I'm guessing she wrote this while writing several other things, got distracted, and simply didn't give it the same attention that she did her other works in progress.
Long story short: skip this one, but skip to another Elizabeth Peters or Barbara Michaels book if you can. You won't be disappointed by her other stuff.
Her plots and characters are usually compelling and intricate, but this story fell flat, with characters that weren't well explained. Her usual twist-endings and surprises were clumsy, and I'm guessing she wrote this while writing several other things, got distracted, and simply didn't give it the same attention that she did her other works in progress.
Long story short: skip this one, but skip to another Elizabeth Peters or Barbara Michaels book if you can. You won't be disappointed by her other stuff.
September 8, 2019
This was the first Elizabeth Peters I've read that wasn't in the Amelia Peabody series, and I was impressed at this evidence of her versatility. That being said, it's so clear that this was written in 1971. The main character, treatment of Mexican culture, and description of the world of narcotics all have a somewhat naive feeling. It was also amazing to see how the world of nearly 50 years ago made it easier for the plot to strand a young woman. Why does her boyfriend have all the traveler's checks? It's her money. Ah, because his masculinity would be threatened if he watched her use money that belongs to her, or if he felt "kept". What nonsense! I can't speak as to whether this is an accurate picture of how the world was (seems likely), but it does mean that writers of the modern woman will have to find a better way to get them stuck abroad.
October 5, 2023
Elizabeth Peters's mid-Victorian novels set in Egypt never struck me as being anything but artificial and meretricious, so I was not eager to read this book. Set in contemporary Mexico, in present-day conditions, it was a pleasant surprise indeed. Although it has all the hallmarks of a thriller, with known and unknown villains around, a mafia ring of drug barons (what else in Central America?), murder, beautiful women, dishy men and innocent girlhood, it is crisply told and although the same mysterious spirits that haunt Egypt seem to have relocated to Aztec land, they are straightforward bloodthirsty in their human incarnations. A satisfying read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews