Borrower of the Night: The First Vicky Bliss Mystery (Unabridged)

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Summary: A favorite of this Elizabeth Peters fan.
Review: First off, I am an Elizabeth Peters fan, and have been since I read the first book of hers to show up in my local library "The Seventh Sinner". I've read all of her books, both under the Peters name and those she has written as Barbara Michaels. The Peters books are all imbued with a certain lighthearted charm. The characters are all slightly larger than life, vivid and distinctive. The heroine of Borrower of the Night, Vicky Bliss, is one of my favorite recurring characters. She can actually make this shortish, stout brunette feel a bit of sympathy for the trials of a tall gorgeous blond. A small bit, but still.. The story is a playful reworking of the gothic, complete with an ancient castle (well, ancient in American terms), a dainty damsel in distress, gallant men, and even an hint of witchcraft. But what sets the Peters books apart is here in full measure - intelligent plotting, realist reactions of the characters, and introduction of history and art in such a pleasant way that one learns more than one is aware. In fact, one of the later Vicki Bliss books, "Trojan Gold" inspired my college paper on the famous founder of that golden trove, since lost. This isn't all fluff, there are some ponderings on medieval "law and order" that hit home. But EP has built a loyal following because she entertains, and "Borrower" is one of her best. 'Course, I like all of her books. I reread them, and EP has expanded my list of the many places to which I would like to travel. "Borrower" is a wonderful starting place, if you are a poor deprived reader that hasn't read an EP book before. For an addict like me, it's a loverly fix.

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Summary: --Mystery, Intrigue and Art History--
Review: This is the first story in the Vicky Bliss mystery series and although, it's not absolutely necessary to read the stories in chronological order, it really does help to understand the background of the main characters and frankly, it makes reading the books even more enjoyable. In BORROWER OF THE NIGHT, Vicky Bliss, art historian and college professor finds a reference in a book that might lead to the discovery of a missing masterpiece by Tilman Riemenschneider, a very famous German sculptor.

Tony, Vicky's boyfriend and colleague, challenges her to see which of them can locate the missing treasure first. Their information leads them to visit Rothenberg, Germany, and an ancient castle. Several other people are also on the trail of the missing treasure, including Herr Dr. Schmidt and a wealthy American named George. Gorgeous Vicky is in her glory when she collects many admirers among the group, but the beautiful young countess who lives in the castle seems to have captured the interest of Tony. What can be more sinister than an old castle with secret passages and a history of evil inhabitants?

I listened to the audiotapes of this book read by Barbara Rosenblat. It was helpful to hear the pronunciations of the German words and her narration was wonderful.

If you're intrigued enough to want to read this series in order, here they are: BORROWER OF THE NIGHT, STREET OF THE FIVE MOONS, SILHOUETTE IN SCARLET, TROJAN GOLD and NIGHT TRAIN TO MEMPHIS. These are all excellent stories and I only wish that Elizabeth Peters would write more of them.

Rating:
Summary: The first 'Vicky Bliss' mystery
Review: This is the introductory book of the Vicky Bliss series. Dr Bliss is an art historian teaching in a small midwestern college. She has decided never to marry since she has discovered that the only thing that intimidates most men more than a tall woman is a smart tall woman and Vicky is both. Another member of the faculty, Tony, is also tall and smart and quite taken with Vicky. The two stumble across a reference to a long missing art work and are soon off to Germany to track it down, in competition with each other. They find that they are not the only ones seeking this piece. The trail leads to a castle turned hotel complete with a ghost, secret passages and damsel in distress.

This book was written in 1973 and does show its age a bit. If you are looking for the mysterious John Smythe of the later books he does not appear here but we do get the first appearance of Schmidt. While she is not as captivating a Amelia Peabody, Vicky is charming in her own way. The series makes for an enjoyable, light hearted read.