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annathepiperAnd now, the apex of the Vicky Bliss books to date (barring Book 6 blowing me away): Night Train to Memphis.
This is the first of the Vicky Blisses that crosses over into Amelia Peabody territory, as the adventure this time heads down into Egypt. Anything Ms. Peters writes set in Egypt is just going to shine, on the grounds that Egyptology is her expertise outside of writing, and this rolls out into any fiction she sets there. Plus, this is the first one that explicitly ties into the Amelia Peabodies as well: Vicky mentions "Amelia P. Emerson" by name, and John drops a passing reference to a great-grandfather of his, even more infamous than he is. Amelia Peabody fans will know who I'm talking about. ;)
There's a great deal to enjoy in this plot. Vicky is asked to insert herself into a tour under the guise of an Islamic art expert taking the place of a colleague who had to bail at the last minute, and the cast of characters she encounters is suitably colorful. There are suspects galore, lots of atmosphere and scenery, and some fabulous interaction with John--for much to her shock, Vicky finds John on this cruise with a wife. And, most giggle-inducing of all, Schmidt is absolutely ebullient as a supporting character, in the grip of his newly-discovered passion for American country music. I still laugh myself silly at the image of him belting out "Frankie and Johnny", in German.
In conclusion, The Laughter of Dead Kings has a lot to live up to follow this book. Four very well-deserved stars.
This is the first of the Vicky Blisses that crosses over into Amelia Peabody territory, as the adventure this time heads down into Egypt. Anything Ms. Peters writes set in Egypt is just going to shine, on the grounds that Egyptology is her expertise outside of writing, and this rolls out into any fiction she sets there. Plus, this is the first one that explicitly ties into the Amelia Peabodies as well: Vicky mentions "Amelia P. Emerson" by name, and John drops a passing reference to a great-grandfather of his, even more infamous than he is. Amelia Peabody fans will know who I'm talking about. ;)
There's a great deal to enjoy in this plot. Vicky is asked to insert herself into a tour under the guise of an Islamic art expert taking the place of a colleague who had to bail at the last minute, and the cast of characters she encounters is suitably colorful. There are suspects galore, lots of atmosphere and scenery, and some fabulous interaction with John--for much to her shock, Vicky finds John on this cruise with a wife. And, most giggle-inducing of all, Schmidt is absolutely ebullient as a supporting character, in the grip of his newly-discovered passion for American country music. I still laugh myself silly at the image of him belting out "Frankie and Johnny", in German.
In conclusion, The Laughter of Dead Kings has a lot to live up to follow this book. Four very well-deserved stars.