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Vicky Bliss #2
Street of the Five Moons
What did it all mean? The note with the hieroglyphs was found in the pocket of a man lying dead in an alley. The only other item of interest was a piece of jewelry, a reproduction of the Charlemagne talisman. It was good, so good that Vicky Bliss thought she was being shown the real jewel. The goldwork was done by a master; the jewels weren’t glass but top-quality synthetic stones. What did it mean?
Vicky didn’t know … yet. But on the sunbathed streets and in the moonlit courtyards of Rome, she was going to find out—if the dangerously exciting young Englishman didn’t get in her way…
Vicky didn’t know … yet. But on the sunbathed streets and in the moonlit courtyards of Rome, she was going to find out—if the dangerously exciting young Englishman didn’t get in her way…
376 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
About the author
Elizabeth Peters
140 books3,196 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 252 reviews
October 3, 2018
Continuing from the first in the series. Heroine trades up for a better, or at least much less dull, grade of boyfriend, rendering the series interestingly non-monogamous. Again more suspense than romance, and more history and art than either; the onstage parts of the romance are mainly banter, although pretty good banter. He does send her a ring at the end, but whether it is an art forgery (appalling) or a major museum theft (considerably more appalling) is left neatly up in the air, much like Vicky's judgment of John. Made me laugh either way. I am not at all sure the action plot adds up once all the mysteries are solved, but it's not the sort of tale where one is encouraged to care.
Ta, L.
June 6, 2018
It is popular is to adore Amelia Peabody. I do penance with those, hoping to work my way to another as good as “The Curse Of The Pharaohs”. I treat myself to Vicky Bliss sparsely. This better series is short; six to twenty of my less-liked characters and setting. Something fantastic about the realm of Vicky Bliss is that they are gothic mysteries; more mysterious, with an enchanting flavour of the past.... except that this came about naturally with time! Each novel, exploring a different European country, was current: starting in 1973.
That is a lot more familiar and authentic, than placing ourselves in 1800s Egypt, with an American authoress fabricating English dialogue additionally. I appreciate historical fiction but prefer modern voices. Forty years ago aren't so different and are infinitely more relatable. All we do is remove home computers and cellular telephones, which frankly demonstrates how resourceful we are without them. Alas, my 4½-year wait for the next Vicky novel, landed on a weak one. Barbara took liberties with “Street Of Five Moons”, 1978, that compromised the mystery, its atmosphere, and believability.
The interesting axis are a dead foreigner, a pristinely-forged jewel, and the novel's mystical-sounding title. All three were dropped and there was nothing surreal about them. A love interest whom I've read continues in other novels, is a boor. The brave, intelligent, calm Vicky whose fan I am, is present; as is her humorous narration, addressing readers. However this novel deflated into banal repartee. The number of times Vicky could have contacted police, was as preposterous as the times she & John achieved complicated escapes but villains kept apace. A weak Vicky novel is, nonetheless, superior to most of Amelia's. I look forward to treating myself to her anew. She is an admirable heroine in any story.
That is a lot more familiar and authentic, than placing ourselves in 1800s Egypt, with an American authoress fabricating English dialogue additionally. I appreciate historical fiction but prefer modern voices. Forty years ago aren't so different and are infinitely more relatable. All we do is remove home computers and cellular telephones, which frankly demonstrates how resourceful we are without them. Alas, my 4½-year wait for the next Vicky novel, landed on a weak one. Barbara took liberties with “Street Of Five Moons”, 1978, that compromised the mystery, its atmosphere, and believability.
The interesting axis are a dead foreigner, a pristinely-forged jewel, and the novel's mystical-sounding title. All three were dropped and there was nothing surreal about them. A love interest whom I've read continues in other novels, is a boor. The brave, intelligent, calm Vicky whose fan I am, is present; as is her humorous narration, addressing readers. However this novel deflated into banal repartee. The number of times Vicky could have contacted police, was as preposterous as the times she & John achieved complicated escapes but villains kept apace. A weak Vicky novel is, nonetheless, superior to most of Amelia's. I look forward to treating myself to her anew. She is an admirable heroine in any story.
September 11, 2008
Ah yeah, now we're talkin'. With the second installment, Street of the Five Moons, the Vicky Bliss series starts getting its feet under it--in no small part due to Vicky's infamous love interest John Smythe coming on camera.
Those of you who are fans of these books know what I'm talking about; those of you who aren't, if you like the chemistry between Laura Holt and Remington Steele in the old series, Vicky and John will feel very, very familiar. John is dashing, incorrigible, absolutely infuriating, and he charms my socks right off while he's busily charming Vicky against her better judgment.
There may be places more classically romantic than Rome in which this novel could have been set, but I'm hard pressed to think of any of them. It's a wonderful backdrop against which to stage breakings and enterings, priceless (and stolen) art objects, nighttime chases, kidnappings, crisscrossed communications, and the obligatory wounding of the aforementioned handsome, dashing, and infuriating hero. This is classic Elizabeth Peters, and fun from the first word to the last. Four stars.
Those of you who are fans of these books know what I'm talking about; those of you who aren't, if you like the chemistry between Laura Holt and Remington Steele in the old series, Vicky and John will feel very, very familiar. John is dashing, incorrigible, absolutely infuriating, and he charms my socks right off while he's busily charming Vicky against her better judgment.
There may be places more classically romantic than Rome in which this novel could have been set, but I'm hard pressed to think of any of them. It's a wonderful backdrop against which to stage breakings and enterings, priceless (and stolen) art objects, nighttime chases, kidnappings, crisscrossed communications, and the obligatory wounding of the aforementioned handsome, dashing, and infuriating hero. This is classic Elizabeth Peters, and fun from the first word to the last. Four stars.
May 27, 2023
I've read this many times since Vicky Bliss is my favorite of author Elizabeth Peters' heroines. However, I haven't read it for a long time so when I saw that the Barbara Rosenblat narration was available on Audible, I got ready for an enjoyable reacquaintance. Her narration made the book even more enjoyable.
This series is made up of cozy adventure mysteries with a no nonsense heroine who is a curator at an art museum. When she meets up with a charming art thief the combination is quite fun. As with many favorites I've recently reread after a decade or so, I remembered the big surprises but was startled by other plot twists that I did't remember. The setting in Rome and Tivoli, the charming art thief, the eccentric household where Vicky is investigating, and the sheer adventure of the escapades that she gets embroiled in are all enhanced by a nice layer of humor that makes for lighthearted entertainment. It is fluff but my kind of fluff.
This series is made up of cozy adventure mysteries with a no nonsense heroine who is a curator at an art museum. When she meets up with a charming art thief the combination is quite fun. As with many favorites I've recently reread after a decade or so, I remembered the big surprises but was startled by other plot twists that I did't remember. The setting in Rome and Tivoli, the charming art thief, the eccentric household where Vicky is investigating, and the sheer adventure of the escapades that she gets embroiled in are all enhanced by a nice layer of humor that makes for lighthearted entertainment. It is fluff but my kind of fluff.
February 4, 2022
Street of the Five Moons is technically the second book in Elizabeth Peters’s Vicky Bliss series, but I wouldn’t recommend the first unless you finish the series an uber fan. I was (somewhat bizarrely) gifted the fifth book in this adult series at my fourth grade birthday party. Despite its inappropriateness, I was allowed to keep it and devoured the book, starting what would become a life-long love affair with anti-heroes, enemies-to-lovers scenarios, and angsty romances. (I cannot rule out that it heavily contributed to me chosing a career involving frequent overseas travel/stints living abroad.)
In SotFM, a dead body turns up with a reproduction of one of the Munich National Museum’s prized jewelry pieces, spurring Dr. Victoria Bliss — a tall, blond art historian — to travel to Rome to investigate an international art forgery scheme. In Rome, Vicky meets what will be her primary love interest for the rest of the series, an art thief who goes by Sir John Smythe.
After escaping a kidnapping with John’s help, Vicky knowingly wanders into the thief’s den by accepting an invitation to Count Caravaggio’s country villa in Tivoli to further investigate the scheme. At the villa with John, the Count, his mistress, and younger son, she tries to piece together the mystery and identify the mastermind.
The mystery is nothing special, but the characters, including the secondary ones, are outstanding. Vicky, our narrator, is snarky and self-deprecating. She is also wildly impetuous, which gets her into all sorts of trouble, but she tends to handle it well. Vicky’s independence is all the more impressive given that this series started in ’73 (SoTFM was published in ’78).
John is a Peter Wimsey/Francis Crawford of Lymond type. In other words, he is a brilliant and multitalented protagonist. He is also an art thief whose motivations remain murky for most of the series. Peters introduces John in an earlier one-off mystery/romance, The Camelot Caper, which I also recommend (no Vicky here).
The repartee — particularly between John and Vicky — is unparalleled. Their exchanges reference Shakespeare, John Donne, New Yorker cartoons, and Clementine. SotFM only offers us a glimmer of this repartee but is a great stepping stone to later books in the series (Trojan Gold and Night Train to Memphis) where the romance and banter really start to shine.
In SotFM, a dead body turns up with a reproduction of one of the Munich National Museum’s prized jewelry pieces, spurring Dr. Victoria Bliss — a tall, blond art historian — to travel to Rome to investigate an international art forgery scheme. In Rome, Vicky meets what will be her primary love interest for the rest of the series, an art thief who goes by Sir John Smythe.
After escaping a kidnapping with John’s help, Vicky knowingly wanders into the thief’s den by accepting an invitation to Count Caravaggio’s country villa in Tivoli to further investigate the scheme. At the villa with John, the Count, his mistress, and younger son, she tries to piece together the mystery and identify the mastermind.
The mystery is nothing special, but the characters, including the secondary ones, are outstanding. Vicky, our narrator, is snarky and self-deprecating. She is also wildly impetuous, which gets her into all sorts of trouble, but she tends to handle it well. Vicky’s independence is all the more impressive given that this series started in ’73 (SoTFM was published in ’78).
John is a Peter Wimsey/Francis Crawford of Lymond type. In other words, he is a brilliant and multitalented protagonist. He is also an art thief whose motivations remain murky for most of the series. Peters introduces John in an earlier one-off mystery/romance, The Camelot Caper, which I also recommend (no Vicky here).
The repartee — particularly between John and Vicky — is unparalleled. Their exchanges reference Shakespeare, John Donne, New Yorker cartoons, and Clementine. SotFM only offers us a glimmer of this repartee but is a great stepping stone to later books in the series (Trojan Gold and Night Train to Memphis) where the romance and banter really start to shine.
July 17, 2014
A fun read and, quite frankly, a better starting place to the series than the first. It's a touch dated (written in the 70s), but Vicky's snark is delightful. I do wish she wasn't quite so prone to relatively serious errors in judgment—it undermines her supposed intelligence, even if she does cope well in extricating herself from the consequences. Oh, and I really hope Sir John shows up in later books. Which means I'm actually looking forward to later books. Huh...
August 31, 2015
A comfort read for me - just plain fun.
December 12, 2014
I'm pretty much in the minority with this one. As much as I love Elizabeth Peters's Amelia Peabody series, I just can't get into Vicky Bliss. She's more a blonde bimbo who uses her assets to her advantage while bitching about them than an intelligent investigator. Supposedly she's an expert on art forgery yet in this one she's hot on the tail of jewelry forgers which she knows absolutely nothing about. Will little to no evidence or even a case for that matter, Vicky yets off to Rome in search of an explanation for a dead body in Munich with a mysterious note in his pocket along with an excellent forged piece of jewelry.
Vicky in spite of her intelligence, hasn't an ounce of common sense and blatantly leaves clues to her shenanigans and they is surprised when she is kidnapped. Duh. Sir John Smythe is caught up in the whole affair though Vicky has not clue as to his motives for rescuing her. Sure he's charming but he's also an asshat at times using more force than necessary and with a lady (relatively speaking) at that.
At the end of the first book I thought I liked Vicky and was looking forward to reading further in the series since I hear it gets better. Unfortunately, this book put the cabash on that thought. Definitely not a series I will waste any further time on.
On a side note.....I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kathleen Turner. What a mistake! She read too fast, she put odd pauses in sentences, she mumbled and stumbled over words though her Italian and German were flawless (I assume anyway). I wonder if I would have enjoyed this more had I read it myself but I'm not masochist enough to try the next one.
Vicky in spite of her intelligence, hasn't an ounce of common sense and blatantly leaves clues to her shenanigans and they is surprised when she is kidnapped. Duh. Sir John Smythe is caught up in the whole affair though Vicky has not clue as to his motives for rescuing her. Sure he's charming but he's also an asshat at times using more force than necessary and with a lady (relatively speaking) at that.
At the end of the first book I thought I liked Vicky and was looking forward to reading further in the series since I hear it gets better. Unfortunately, this book put the cabash on that thought. Definitely not a series I will waste any further time on.
On a side note.....I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kathleen Turner. What a mistake! She read too fast, she put odd pauses in sentences, she mumbled and stumbled over words though her Italian and German were flawless (I assume anyway). I wonder if I would have enjoyed this more had I read it myself but I'm not masochist enough to try the next one.
May 6, 2020
2020 Review
I read Street of the Five Moons by Elizabeth Peters when I should have been doing something more worthy with my time. I can’t help it; this series is so damn easy to read. This is the second book in the Vicky Bliss series and introduces John Smythe, the international art thief and all around con man. If you’ve ever seen the show White Collar, think of a blonde Neal Caffrey with an English accent. This book is short on complicated plotting, but long on fun characters and their shenanigans. It has a zippy pace and you can read it in a few days—less if you have been sidelined by stay-at-home orders and are tired of cleaning home and hearth.
Vicky is happy with her new position at the National Museum in Munich, but she’s a bit bored. Then Schmidt, her lovable and slightly nutty boss, shows her an excellent copy of the Charlemagne Talisman—a copy so good that Vicky suspects Schmidt removed it from his own museum and cautions him to return it to its display. Schmidt tells her that this copy was found in the pocket of a dead homeless person and turned over to him. Due to the Schloss Drachenstein affair (previous book: Borrower of the Night), Schmidt is convinced that Vicky is some kind of art detective and wants her to investigate the origins of this fake. Vicky, happy to wrangle an expense account and a few weeks of paid leave to run off to Rome tosightsee investigate, stumbles into the proverbial den of thieves. Her amateur sleuthing uncovers a con more widespread than she had suspected and puts her life in danger.
Street of the Five Moons is not high-minded literature but damn it—it’s a lot of fun to read. With normal life turned topsy turvy by the coronavirus and exacerbated by the incompetence and stupidity of emperor-wannabe Trump, his revolting family, and his eager sycophants, I scare myself by reading the news, then comfort myself with Friends reruns and goofy, feelgood novels like this one. Vicky is funny because she’s sarcastic and smart, but not as smart as she thinks she is, and that overestimation of her intelligence (and her sleuthing skills) gets her into trouble. John Smythe appears for the first time in this series and his personality complements Vicky’s—together they are an unstoppable comedy act. Of course, he’s an unrepentant criminal and she’s horribly honest so their love affair is doomed. Or is it? Throw in Pietro, a rich, fat, crazy Italian count who likes to engage in sword fights when he’s drunk, his beautiful but dumber-than-a-box-of-rocks mistress and Caesar, an inconveniently loyal Doberman Pinscher, and you’ve got yourself a fun fast-paced novel. You’ll even learn a little art history in the process.
I highly recommend this novel and the whole series. They aren’t sparkling examples of literary fiction, but they’re damn fun to read.
Original Review
The appearance of John Smith. If you read other Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels novels, you will notice that John pops into other ones here and there. It's pretty funny
I read Street of the Five Moons by Elizabeth Peters when I should have been doing something more worthy with my time. I can’t help it; this series is so damn easy to read. This is the second book in the Vicky Bliss series and introduces John Smythe, the international art thief and all around con man. If you’ve ever seen the show White Collar, think of a blonde Neal Caffrey with an English accent. This book is short on complicated plotting, but long on fun characters and their shenanigans. It has a zippy pace and you can read it in a few days—less if you have been sidelined by stay-at-home orders and are tired of cleaning home and hearth.
Vicky is happy with her new position at the National Museum in Munich, but she’s a bit bored. Then Schmidt, her lovable and slightly nutty boss, shows her an excellent copy of the Charlemagne Talisman—a copy so good that Vicky suspects Schmidt removed it from his own museum and cautions him to return it to its display. Schmidt tells her that this copy was found in the pocket of a dead homeless person and turned over to him. Due to the Schloss Drachenstein affair (previous book: Borrower of the Night), Schmidt is convinced that Vicky is some kind of art detective and wants her to investigate the origins of this fake. Vicky, happy to wrangle an expense account and a few weeks of paid leave to run off to Rome to
Street of the Five Moons is not high-minded literature but damn it—it’s a lot of fun to read. With normal life turned topsy turvy by the coronavirus and exacerbated by the incompetence and stupidity of emperor-wannabe Trump, his revolting family, and his eager sycophants, I scare myself by reading the news, then comfort myself with Friends reruns and goofy, feelgood novels like this one. Vicky is funny because she’s sarcastic and smart, but not as smart as she thinks she is, and that overestimation of her intelligence (and her sleuthing skills) gets her into trouble. John Smythe appears for the first time in this series and his personality complements Vicky’s—together they are an unstoppable comedy act. Of course, he’s an unrepentant criminal and she’s horribly honest so their love affair is doomed. Or is it? Throw in Pietro, a rich, fat, crazy Italian count who likes to engage in sword fights when he’s drunk, his beautiful but dumber-than-a-box-of-rocks mistress and Caesar, an inconveniently loyal Doberman Pinscher, and you’ve got yourself a fun fast-paced novel. You’ll even learn a little art history in the process.
I highly recommend this novel and the whole series. They aren’t sparkling examples of literary fiction, but they’re damn fun to read.
Original Review
The appearance of John Smith. If you read other Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels novels, you will notice that John pops into other ones here and there. It's pretty funny
May 9, 2022
“All right, Vicky. . . . I may call you Vicky, mayn't I?"
"No," I said.”
July 18, 2014
3.5 stars.
So, here's the thing... There was a kidnapping. I wish I hated kidnapping plots less. I really do. But they annoy me a lot in 95% of cases. This was not entirely an exception.
It was better done than a lot of them are. It wasn't hateful.
But... but...
I just... it got a bit eye-rolly at times for me.
So, here's the thing... There was a kidnapping. I wish I hated kidnapping plots less. I really do. But they annoy me a lot in 95% of cases. This was not entirely an exception.
It was better done than a lot of them are. It wasn't hateful.
But... but...
I just... it got a bit eye-rolly at times for me.
June 4, 2007
I decided to give this series another shot after not really liking Borrower of the Night all that much. This...really did not do anything to change my opinion. Although several people commented that the introduction of John Smythe (or "Smythe," really) improved things vastly, I didn't really find that to be the case. John is actually described on the basis that he looks like Peter Wimsey, but *cough* — Sir, you are no Peter Wimsey! And Vicky is not Harriet. Which, admittedly, is in general hardly a fair basis for comparison—if anyone could whip up characters as awesome as Dorothy L. Sayers', well, I'd have even more things I'd want to read than I already do. But Peters evokes the comparison herself, and then does not look favorable in light of it. The mystery failed to surprise or engage me, the various bits of alliance-switching were both predictable and lame, and the patina of "spooky" stuff was not even as freaky as an especially weak episode of Supernatural. Sadly, I'm afraid this just isn't an author who works for me.
December 19, 2018
Full review at Smoke & Mirrors: https://books-n-music.blogspot.com/20.... I have a very good friend who is also a reader and I think she will enjoy this one much more than I did. I would almost classify this as "chick lit," a term I rarely use and basically dislike. Goodreads does classify it as "mystery," "fiction," and "romance." This was an okay read for me, but very shallow characterization. Lots of action. It doesn't leave me with a desire to read more in this series. Unless I hit a reading slump and just want something rather "mindless" to help jump-start the brain a bit.
February 14, 2013
After reading all the Amelia Peabody books, I wanted to continue with the Vicky Bliss series, but honestly, even after the second book, it doesn't work for me in the way the A.P. books did - not very original (once I read the first series), not very convincing nor likeable characters, and to be honest, I miss my old friends Sethos and Ramses - John Smythe just doesn't make the cut.
October 3, 2019
October 2019: Silly romance suspense is just what I need at the moment. Five stars for Barbara Rosenblat and five stars for Elizabeth Peters for this romp through Rome with beautiful and rich people. I wish there were less smoking, though. Read via Audible because darned if I can get ahold of a CD or library copy now that Peters has been gone for six years. Keeping my eyes peeled.
May 2012: Cruising through Vicky Bliss again, this time in print. Very much of her time, Vicky is an art historian, Goddess-Bodied type who's finaeagled a trip to Rome out of the mysterious discovery of a dead man carrying a near-perfect replica of the Charlemagne Talisman. As always, Peters' strength is her characters who are smart and funny and not willing to be stock romance characters. Sir John Smythe, everyone's favorite Hero/Villain is introduced, Vicky's boss Schmidt is hilarious already, and the secondary characters are a hoot. The mystery isn't bad either. The second in the series (but the first is nothing to write home about - EP was reportedly asked to take a few characters and make them into series characters in the 70s - Vicky was one, Amelia Peabody and Jacqueline Kirby rounding out the bunch.) I like this book but it improved drastically in the audio version done by Barbara Rosenblat.
May 2012: Cruising through Vicky Bliss again, this time in print. Very much of her time, Vicky is an art historian, Goddess-Bodied type who's finaeagled a trip to Rome out of the mysterious discovery of a dead man carrying a near-perfect replica of the Charlemagne Talisman. As always, Peters' strength is her characters who are smart and funny and not willing to be stock romance characters. Sir John Smythe, everyone's favorite Hero/Villain is introduced, Vicky's boss Schmidt is hilarious already, and the secondary characters are a hoot. The mystery isn't bad either. The second in the series (but the first is nothing to write home about - EP was reportedly asked to take a few characters and make them into series characters in the 70s - Vicky was one, Amelia Peabody and Jacqueline Kirby rounding out the bunch.) I like this book but it improved drastically in the audio version done by Barbara Rosenblat.
January 23, 2009
This book was way better than the first in the series. In this book, Vicky meets John Smythe (pronounced Smith), a jewel thief, who becomes a running character throughout the series.
I read one of this series years and years ago (I have no idea which one it was) but I remember the book having an element of mystery and romance to it (but way more focused on mystery). When I read the first book, it did not even remotely feel like what I remembered because John was not a character in that book at all. I kept thinking that she had a romantic interest and that it wasn't with the guy who was interested in her in the first book--but I couldn't put a name to the character. Come to find out, he wasn't in the book at all.
However, John Smythe is introduced in this book and he provides romance and comedy to the mystery. Vicky Bliss goes to Rome to discover who made a close to perfect reproduction of a piece of jewelry her museum owns (so close you might not be able to tell the difference between the real and the fake) found sewn into the pocket of a dead man.
An easy, fun, and light read, and interesting as it was written in 1978 so some of the references were a little outdated but that just added to its charm for me.
Will definitely read another in this series.
I read one of this series years and years ago (I have no idea which one it was) but I remember the book having an element of mystery and romance to it (but way more focused on mystery). When I read the first book, it did not even remotely feel like what I remembered because John was not a character in that book at all. I kept thinking that she had a romantic interest and that it wasn't with the guy who was interested in her in the first book--but I couldn't put a name to the character. Come to find out, he wasn't in the book at all.
However, John Smythe is introduced in this book and he provides romance and comedy to the mystery. Vicky Bliss goes to Rome to discover who made a close to perfect reproduction of a piece of jewelry her museum owns (so close you might not be able to tell the difference between the real and the fake) found sewn into the pocket of a dead man.
An easy, fun, and light read, and interesting as it was written in 1978 so some of the references were a little outdated but that just added to its charm for me.
Will definitely read another in this series.
October 10, 2015
The librarian at the school where I work was a huge Vicky Bliss fan. I am a huge fan of Amelia Peabody so I decided to give this new heroine a try. First, I read Borrower of the Night and found it to be just okay. Some great moments but not the stuff of immediate fandom. Then I read Night Train to Memphis, which was bloody brilliant. Just the right amount of snark, humor, repartee, and intrigue. So now I'm backfilling. Camelot Caper was next on the list since it introduces Sir John. And it clipped along well enough. But it's the pairing of Vicky and John that really makes the series click. They meet here in the Street of Five Moons and they are entertaingly wonderful together. It's the perfect pairing that harkens back to the witty repartee of the screwball comedies and Hitchcockian couples of yesteryear. I'm looking forward to more time spent in their company. I wonder what new swindle will need to be thwarted?
August 27, 2016
A perennial favorite—never disappoints.
Beautiful, bonde Vicky Bliss holds a doctorate in art history, but too few people—men especially—can see beyond her centerfold proportions to the brain beneath. When an almost undetectable forgery of a famous piece of Dark Ages jewelry shows up on a corpse in the back alleys of Munich, the local police send Vicky to Rome to investigate. The search takes her to the Via delle Cinque Luna and an equally blond, handsome Englishman. Too bad he turns out to be a thief, an art forger, and part of the very criminal gang that Vicky is hunting....
Beautiful, bonde Vicky Bliss holds a doctorate in art history, but too few people—men especially—can see beyond her centerfold proportions to the brain beneath. When an almost undetectable forgery of a famous piece of Dark Ages jewelry shows up on a corpse in the back alleys of Munich, the local police send Vicky to Rome to investigate. The search takes her to the Via delle Cinque Luna and an equally blond, handsome Englishman. Too bad he turns out to be a thief, an art forger, and part of the very criminal gang that Vicky is hunting....
December 31, 2018
SIR JOHN SMYTH! I want more!
This was slow in places , but, overall, I was really into it. More so than the first one. I like the (presumably) permanent cast of characters a lot.
Though I do wish that Vicky wasn't the only "good" female character.
Re-read December 2018
This was slow in places , but, overall, I was really into it. More so than the first one. I like the (presumably) permanent cast of characters a lot.
Though I do wish that Vicky wasn't the only "good" female character.
Re-read December 2018
June 15, 2020
Rome has it's advantages when you need to run and hide from thugs and criminals, but it doesn't protect Vicky Bliss from near death experiences. As always I enjoy the descriptions of the monuments, neighborhoods and people of Rome, residents and tourists. This Vicky Bliss Mystery was far fetched and downright dumb in places where the narrative could have glittered. Oh well, it was fun listening to the story as read by my dear husband.
April 26, 2021
While I still prefer the Amelia Peabody series, this second Vicky Bliss novel is fun. I enjoyed this in part because John Smythe reminds me of Sethos from the Peabody books, and he is one of my favorite characters.
The mystery is fun and the cast of characters is entertaining. It's a nice, light mystery novel and I appreciate that these are so much less disturbing than more modern crime thrillers.
The mystery is fun and the cast of characters is entertaining. It's a nice, light mystery novel and I appreciate that these are so much less disturbing than more modern crime thrillers.
September 6, 2017
I really like Vicky Bliss. She's intelligent, sexy, adventurous, impulsive, and funny.
I highly recommend Elizabeth Peters already because of my love for her other character, Amelia Peabody, and now I have another reason to love this author.
I highly recommend Elizabeth Peters already because of my love for her other character, Amelia Peabody, and now I have another reason to love this author.
June 14, 2020
Two stars means it was okay, and that's pretty accurate for me as far as this recreational read was concerned. It's set in Rome, which was the main attraction, but I can't say the main character, Vicky Bliss (which sounds a lot like a porn star name), was all that compelling or interesting, and the main plot involving counterfeit jewelry was a little far-fetched (though the author does do a verbal nod to Topkapi at one point). Even though it is pretty short I thought the action moved pretty slowly for most of the book, only to come to a screamingly fast crescendo at the end. The only part that seemed well-paced to me was the escape scene at the palazzo, which I thought was well-executed.
October 20, 2017
Exploring a new character from this favorite author. I was not disappointed!
June 10, 2022
I liked this one better than Trojan Gold, perhaps because the focus is tighter. Each scene collapses excitingly into the next, ratcheting up tension, but never becoming tense. There's an art counterfeiting ring, a very big dog, beautiful people making love to each other (off screen), and mechanical gargoyles. I enjoyed the ride.
November 27, 2023
While this is a book very much of its time and place, the casual way Vicki accepts the way guys treat her in this story is kind of teeth grinding, to be honest.
This is the book in which we meet John Smythe for the first time. A thief with a surprising core of honor, John is at the center of a forgery ring in Rome when Vicki comes looking for the source a really good fake jewel. The pair don't spark off each other, for all the author wants you to think that's what's going on. Still, this is the setup we're stuck with.
Vicki finds her way into the heart of the mystery and finds a dysfunctional family desperate for cash and willing to sell forgeries of their own family jewels. None of them are likeable, none of them are genuinely nice.
I try not to place 21st century expectations on books like this, but it's hard not to, and comparing Vicki to Peters' juggernaut character, Amelia Peabody makes it harder.
This is the book in which we meet John Smythe for the first time. A thief with a surprising core of honor, John is at the center of a forgery ring in Rome when Vicki comes looking for the source a really good fake jewel. The pair don't spark off each other, for all the author wants you to think that's what's going on. Still, this is the setup we're stuck with.
Vicki finds her way into the heart of the mystery and finds a dysfunctional family desperate for cash and willing to sell forgeries of their own family jewels. None of them are likeable, none of them are genuinely nice.
I try not to place 21st century expectations on books like this, but it's hard not to, and comparing Vicki to Peters' juggernaut character, Amelia Peabody makes it harder.
June 27, 2010
I found out a little about Elizabeth Peters. She has a Ph.D from the University of Chicago in Egyptology, which she received at the age of 23. She has written two books on ancient Egypt (both of which have been continuously in print since first publication), but has primarily written mystery and suspense novels. She has been a published writer since 1964. Elizabeth Peters is a nom de plume, as is Barbara Michaels. (Real name is Barbara Mertz.) Mertz has written approximately a gajillion novels.
I thought that Peters/Mertz's personal life admirable enough to go search out this sequal, which I have to say I liked better than the first. I've heard this series referred to (positively) as "bathtub books" -- easy and fun to read without trying To Make a Statement. I liked this one enough that I think I'll go search out #3.
I thought that Peters/Mertz's personal life admirable enough to go search out this sequal, which I have to say I liked better than the first. I've heard this series referred to (positively) as "bathtub books" -- easy and fun to read without trying To Make a Statement. I liked this one enough that I think I'll go search out #3.
January 21, 2012
I read Elizabeth peters back when I was a teenager...I read the Amelia Peabody adventures. I hadn't really read any others til a quick trip to the library had me pulling her books off the shelves just so I had something to take home (i had a few minutes to spare and choose to spend them at the library but I had to make my book selections FAST!)
I ended up hooked on these Vicki Bliss mysteries. I caught some kind of flu bug, had to rest in bed, and these fun loving adventures were the only thing keeping me sane! This is the first one I read, and Sir John has to be the most heroic and romantic anti-hero since Han Solo. I just love him and all their witty repartee.
A real joy. A great fun read that still stands the test of time (though written over 20 years ago).
I ended up hooked on these Vicki Bliss mysteries. I caught some kind of flu bug, had to rest in bed, and these fun loving adventures were the only thing keeping me sane! This is the first one I read, and Sir John has to be the most heroic and romantic anti-hero since Han Solo. I just love him and all their witty repartee.
A real joy. A great fun read that still stands the test of time (though written over 20 years ago).
September 7, 2012
As much as I adore Peters's Amelia Peabody series, I can't work up much enthusiasm for these Vicky Bliss books. I thought the 1st one was terrible, and though this one was better, I almost put it down several times in the first half. It did get better after that, with some interesting characters and a cliched but still fun premise and action. I waited a few years between books 1 and 2. I might get to number 3 next year. I recommend Amelia Peabody series wholeheartedly though. Especially book 1, The Crocodile on the Sandbank, book 6, The Last Camel Died at Noon, and book 12, He Shall Thunder in the Sky.
February 17, 2023
If you're going to read this series, read only #2-#4, imo. They're by far the best. Without re-reading, I remember vividly laughing aloud (more than once, as I've re-read this a half-dozen times) during the chase scene through the garden--hysterical with the MCs' interplay but frightening with the spooky mechanical animals and bad guys shooting at them. I rank the scene up there with Westlake's sometimes-slow car chase scene in Dancing Aztecs as mastery of the form of chase scenes that are also very funny--not an easy form to pull off with only words.
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