Into the Darkness

Rating:
Summary: Gem of a mystery
Review: Barbara Michaels pens two kinds of thrillers -- lackluster and dull with unsympathetic characters, and sparkling, vivid and populated by "real" people. This, thankfully, is one of the latter, a delightfully twisted mystery that sparkles as much as any of the gems.

Meg Venturi becomes the heiress to a jewelry fortune when her grandfather unexpectedly dies; among the conditions of her grandfather's will are that she must take over half of the ownership of his respected gem and jewelry store. The other half is the domain of his partner, a dark, silent, mysterious man named Riley, whom the townspeople suspect of having killed the elder Venturi. Meg is unsure about Riley, but she does know that he is brilliant with jewelry.

But then strange, sinister happenings begin to occur around Meg. As she tries to unravel the dark mysteries that destroyed her grandfather before his time, she becomes the target of a killer with a mission that stems back to a scandal many years before...

"Into the Darkness" has many of the best attributes of a Barbara Michaels novel: the witty dialogue, subtle characterizations, strong heroine, unusual romance, and a wide range of supporting characters who are never what they seem. Readers who enjoyed lessons on roses, maze gardens, and old Gothic novels will enjoy the informative lessons on jewelry and gems. As she always does in her best books, Michaels includes plenty of information that will stick in the mind without being annoying.

Meg Venturi is a standard Michaels heroine: tough, no-nonsence, mildly sarcastic with a bit of trauma in her background to add extra dimension. Riley is more of a dark horse: it's hard to tell what he's thinking or why, from his first scene onward. Supporting characters like the despicable wimp Candy, her boor husband, the seemingly fragile Mrs. Venturi and hearty Uncle George are all well-rounded from the start, but with hidden depths that are revealed as the book goes on. Even the grandfather is a very alive figure, despite the fact that he dies at the beginning of the novel.

This is more of an "Elizabeth Peters" mystery than a Barbara Michaels one, as there is virtually no supernatural influence, no cults or ghosts or werewolves or anything of the sort. But it is an excellent mystery for those of you who like a little sexy pizzazz, past scandal, and a lesson or two with your guilty pleasure.

Rating:
Summary: Sex, Jewels and a Starving Meg
Review: Every novel Ms Michaels/Peters has written usually has some element that grabs my attention, whether or not I know I am interested. And I am interested in jewels ahem lots of delicious jewelry. Lovely antique jewelry. Bless my little fede ring. Uh....anyways. Little heiress Meg Venturi has a mystery on her hands---what killed her 90 year old gramps? Her Ms Danvers-type housemaid suggests one of the possible suitors for Meg, Mr Riley. A mysterious, ugly, burly typ'o'dude. You know, Ms Michaels favorite kinda man....Meg decides to enter into a business partnership with Riley, regarding jewels, which the whole town of Seldon disapproves of. Some one keeps sending her threatening rings and tries to run her and her lawyer off the road---who could it be? Sexy cousin Cliff? Surly vet Riley? Surely not sweet, passive Uncle George? Maybe Gram will message it to Meg direct from Dan,you know, Gramps, FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE--- All in all, a pretty good story. The whole supernatural element was pretty low key, darn. But the sexual attraction was there! And no food; Meg always pushes her food around her plate all upset. But she does have a piece of strawberry-rhubarb pie....

Rating:
Summary: One of Michaels' Best
Review: I've been a faithful reader of Barbara Michaels' work (as well as that of her alter ego, Eliz. Peters) for several years, and I have to say that this is one of her best books. The characters are all very well drawn, and the ending will surprise you!

Rating:
Summary: A great book
Review: I've read all of the book by Barbara Michaels that I can find and I love them all. This was the first one I read and it's definitely my favorite (and the only one I've checked out of the library 4 times). The character and plot development are terrific. The ending is unpredictable (as with many of Michaels' other books). I liked the storyline and all of the characters. Overall, this is a good book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes mystery, romance, or jewelry.

Rating:
Summary: Unexpected
Review: What an unexpected turn of events. This isn't your average run of the mill thriller. Meg fights to discover who has been sending her threatening letters and ancient pieces of jewlry before the threats made come true. The most likely suspects are not who they seem, but neither are the least likely. A must read!

Rating:
Summary: A Gem of a Mystery
Review: Whether the author is writing as "Barbara Michaels" or as "Elizabeth Peters", you are likely to get strong and interesting characters. At heart, this mystery has a lot in common with the gothic romances I read in my youth (except that the heroine's grandfather was popular instead of universally hated by the villagers). I enjoyed the painless lessons on jewels (particularly since I also find diamonds boring). Heroine Meg has four men to consider: Nick, her current boyfriend from New York; Cliff, her handsome stepcousin; Darren, the old schoolmate become family lawyer; and the aloof, mysterious Riley, widely believed to have murdered his benefactor, Meg's grandfather. The old hand at gothic romances will be looking for the clues that will spell out which of these men is the blackguard in disguise -- and will probably still be surprised in the end. There's a Old Family Scandal that needs to be revisited, a housekeeper who loves to play the roles of certain famous fictional housekeepers (including the infamous Mrs. Danvers), an old-fashioned gentlewoman of a grandmother, and a treat of a cat (unless you're a cat-hater). There are other characters with their own stories and personalities. I'll leave you to make their acquaintance in your own good time. Notes: Meg's grandfather's opinion to the contrary, it takes courage to seek therapy. It takes more courage to try again if the first professional you turn to doesn't work out. For those who have read many of the author's books under both names, I should explain that INTO THE DARKNESS is really in the Elizabeth Peters style so they won't read this book with the wrong expectations, as I did.