Trojan Gold

Rating:
Summary: --A delightful read--
Review: Although, I've been a long timer reader of Barbara Michaels, and have also read books published under her pseudonym, Elizabeth Peters, I somehow missed the Vicky Blair books. This is the first one that I've read but definitely not the last.

In this story, Vicky Blair who is an archaeologist at the Munich National Museum receives a photograph in the mail that shows a woman dressed in what is called the gold of Troy. The envelope has no informative letter and shows no return address. Of course Vicky is interested since the Trojan gold had disappeared right after World War II and its whereabouts has been a mystery. As it turns out, Vicky was not the only one to receive a copy of the photo and she and five other world class archaeologists all come together in Bavaria and compete to be the first to find the treasure for their respective museums.

It did take me a chapter or two to get into the story and obtain some understanding of the main premise. I think that readers might be better off starting with the first book in this series. I must say that once I got a grip on Vicky and the other characters, I really enjoyed this story. The most intriguing character is that of John Smythe or Sir John as Vicky sometimes refers to him. Again, I guess there is more of an explanation of his character in the earlier stories. Well, John was great and we just got enough of him to make him mysterious, charming and in many ways the most interesting character in Trojan Gold.

This author has the ability to combine love and mystery, add some historic facts, mix them all altogether and give us some really good books. She also never goes too far with her romantic passages, and she has the good sense to know that a light touch of romance is much more captivating and exactly what her readers want.

Since, I plan to read the other books in this series, I've looked up the titles and here they are in the correct reading sequence: 1. Borrower of the Night, 2. Street of the Five Moons, 3. Silhouette in Scarlet, 4. Trojan Gold and 5. Night Train to Memphis.

Rating:
Summary: --A delightful read--
Review: Although, I've been a long timer reader of Barbara Michaels, and have also read books published under her pseudonym, Elizabeth Peters, I somehow missed the Vicky Blair books. This is the first one that I've read but definitely not the last.

In this story, Vicky Blair who is an archaeologist at the Munich National Museum receives a photograph in the mail that shows a woman dressed in what is called the gold of Troy. The envelope has no informative letter and shows no return address. Of course Vicky is interested since the Trojan gold had disappeared right after World War II and its whereabouts has been a mystery. As it turns out, Vicky was not the only one to receive a copy of the photo and she and five other world class archaeologists all come together in Bavaria and compete to be the first to find the treasure for their respective museums.

It did take me a chapter or two to get into the story and obtain some understanding of the main premise. I think that readers might be better off starting with the first book in this series. I must say that once I got a grip on Vicky and the other characters, I really enjoyed this story. The most intriguing character is that of John Smythe or Sir John as Vicky sometimes refers to him. Again, I guess there is more of an explanation of his character in the earlier stories. Well, John was great and we just got enough of him to make him mysterious, charming and in many ways the most interesting character in Trojan Gold.

This author has the ability to combine love and mystery, add some historic facts, mix them all altogether and give us some really good books. She also never goes too far with her romantic passages, and she has the good sense to know that a light touch of romance is much more captivating and exactly what her readers want.

Since, I plan to read the other books in this series, I've looked up the titles and here they are in the correct reading sequence: 1. Borrower of the Night, 2. Street of the Five Moons, 3. Silhouette in Scarlet, 4. Trojan Gold and 5. Night Train to Memphis.

Rating:
Summary: Fun as always
Review: and I believe the best of the Vicky Bliss series thus far; I have not read the fifth one yet, preferring to read them in order.

Vicky Bliss is a beautiful buxom art historian, located in Germany, who would prefer to be taken seriously for her brains rather than her looks. In this entry, she receives a photo of a woman wearing the golden jewels that had disappeared during the Nazi reign in Germany known as the Trojan Gold. To make it interesting, however, it is not a photograph of the original finder's wife, Frau Schliemann, as Vicky first supposes, but a modern photograph, meaning the gold has been found.

Vicky figures out who has the gold and races with her boss Schmidt to a small ski resort town, also in Germany, to find the gold. Meeting here there are several other art historians with whom she had attended an art conference the previous year as well as, of course, her sometimes boyfriend, Sir John Smythe.

The action is fast paced enough to keep the book interesting while the romance between Vicki and John reaches new levels. And, making this a perfect mystery read, there is plenty of humor as well. This is an excellently written mystery with suspects to choose from and clues to help along the way.

I have already purchased the fifth and, at least until now, last of the Vicky Bliss series. I certainly wish that Elizabeth Peters would write a new one!

Rating:
Summary: Christmas in Bavaria
Review: Art historian Vicky Bliss has been sent an interesting photo, a photo that at first appears to be the famous shot of Frau Schliemann wearing the gold jewelry from Troy. A second look shows Vicky that this is not yet another copy of that photo but a much more recent shot. The problem with that is that the treasure had disappeared during WWII. Soon Vicky was on the trail, accompanied by her boss, Schmidt, several of her collegues (returning from a previous adventure) and the mysterious John Smith.

This is an light hearted action adventure. The characters are well done, particularly the principals (Vicky, John and Schmidt) much of the situations and dialogue is hilarious.

The only complaints that I have are there are many German terms used with little translation - frustrating for those of us who don't know the language. The other issue is that this is definitely one of those series that needs to be read in order not starting with this the 4th installment (as I did).

Rating:
Summary: Christmas in Bavaria
Review: Art historian Vicky Bliss has been sent an interesting photo, a photo that at first appears to be the famous shot of Frau Schliemann wearing the gold jewelry from Troy. A second look shows Vicky that this is not yet another copy of that photo but a much more recent shot. The problem with that is that the treasure had disappeared during WWII. Soon Vicky was on the trail, accompanied by her boss, Schmidt, several of her collegues (returning from a previous adventure) and the mysterious John Smith.

This is an light hearted action adventure. The characters are well done, particularly the principals (Vicky, John and Schmidt) much of the situations and dialogue is hilarious.

The only complaints that I have are there are many German terms used with little translation - frustrating for those of us who don't know the language. The other issue is that this is definitely one of those series that needs to be read in order not starting with this the 4th installment (as I did).

Rating:
Summary: The Vicky Bliss mysteries are superb!!
Review: Eliabeth Peters' Vicky Bliss novels, in this reader's opinion, are the best of her book series. If you haven't read them, I strongly urge you to do so but make sure you do so in chronological order.

Rating:
Summary: The best Elizabeth Peters ever and that's saying a lot!
Review: Elizabeth Peters is one of the best writers around. Her books are consistently funny-her plots are fantastic, the characters are people you want to meet and the settings/background are consistently interesting.

Trojan Gold features Vicky Bliss-an art historian who is, to her chagrin, a beautiful buxom blonde (she wants to be respected for her brains, which are formidable, not her beauty). Vicky is a curator at a Munich museum where her boss, Schmidt, is an equally renowned art historian (but one who wants to be respected as a great detective-he's more Santa Claus than Sherlock Holmes). Vicky's sometime lover, "Sir John Smythe," is equally renowned-as a great art thief.

The three of them come together in a frantic search to find Schleiman's lost treasure, the gold from Troy. This has been missing since 1945-when it disappeared in the collapse of Berlin. The search leads Vicky, John and Schmidt to an Alpine village (where they encounter several of Europe's and America's foremost art historians-all searching for the same thing). Just a note on historical background: the gold went missing in 1945 and it was relocated in the former U.S.S.R. after its collapse (Trojan Gold was written before 1989).

It's hard to say who is the best character-Vicky, John (who really is every woman's fantasy of the perfect lover) or Schmidt. The relationship between the three is great (Schmidt is deeply enamored of "Sir John"-whom he does not know is an art thief) and the dialogue will leave you in stitches.

Do not miss out on this one! It's truly great-one of the best books Elizabeth Peters has ever written (and that is saying a lot because she is a fantastic writer!).

Rating:
Summary: The best Elizabeth Peters ever and that's saying a lot!
Review: Elizabeth Peters is one of the best writers around. Her books are consistently funny-her plots are fantastic, the characters are people you want to meet and the settings/background are consistently interesting.

Trojan Gold features Vicky Bliss-an art historian who is, to her chagrin, a beautiful buxom blonde (she wants to be respected for her brains, which are formidable, not her beauty). Vicky is a curator at a Munich museum where her boss, Schmidt, is an equally renowned art historian (but one who wants to be respected as a great detective-he's more Santa Claus than Sherlock Holmes). Vicky's sometime lover, "Sir John Smythe," is equally renowned-as a great art thief.

The three of them come together in a frantic search to find Schleiman's lost treasure, the gold from Troy. This has been missing since 1945-when it disappeared in the collapse of Berlin. The search leads Vicky, John and Schmidt to an Alpine village (where they encounter several of Europe's and America's foremost art historians-all searching for the same thing). Just a note on historical background: the gold went missing in 1945 and it was relocated in the former U.S.S.R. after its collapse (Trojan Gold was written before 1989).

It's hard to say who is the best character-Vicky, John (who really is every woman's fantasy of the perfect lover) or Schmidt. The relationship between the three is great (Schmidt is deeply enamored of "Sir John"-whom he does not know is an art thief) and the dialogue will leave you in stitches.

Do not miss out on this one! It's truly great-one of the best books Elizabeth Peters has ever written (and that is saying a lot because she is a fantastic writer!).

Rating:
Summary: A Great Mystery w/ Great Fun
Review: I love the Vicky Bliss Mysteries. Trojan Gold was great fun. I don't often laugh out loud while reading a book, but this one had me laughing a number of times. Herr Dr. Schmidt is just wonderful as her helpful boss. He just cracks me up. I wish I had someone like him around to drive me crazy like that - well not all of the time.

Vicky's wit and intelligence are wonderful and she always gets the last word - and the cat and the dog and maybe even the mysterious John Smythe. I wish I could have one of him around, too.

I'm about to start Night Train to Memphis, and I'm already dreading the end of it. When will there be another Vicky Bliss Mystery???? Elizabeth Peters must write more of them.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Mystery w/ Great Fun
Review: I love the Vicky Bliss Mysteries. Trojan Gold was great fun. I don't often laugh out loud while reading a book, but this one had me laughing a number of times. Herr Dr. Schmidt is just wonderful as her helpful boss. He just cracks me up. I wish I had someone like him around to drive me crazy like that - well not all of the time.

Vicky's wit and intelligence are wonderful and she always gets the last word - and the cat and the dog and maybe even the mysterious John Smythe. I wish I could have one of him around, too.

I'm about to start Night Train to Memphis, and I'm already dreading the end of it. When will there be another Vicky Bliss Mystery???? Elizabeth Peters must write more of them.