Book Log #55: Street of the Five Moons, by Elizabeth Peters

[annathepiper]

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.

Comments

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Venice or Paris could give Rome a run for its money, but nobody could argue that Rome *isn't* a good romantic setting... and Rome is definitely prime territory for an art thief. Stereotypically bumbling French detective inspectors aside, the French have much better security on their art (partly because most of the buildings are newer, alas).